The original issue can be found at: http://www.baptistpress.com/issue-11/21/2012 DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com), news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanksgiving after the storm: Reflections on life & faith by Staff Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- Thanksgiving in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has prompted new reflections on life and faith among those who were impacted and those who came to their aid. The writer of Proverbs 27 warns that a man does not know what a day may bring. Few expected that a hurricane would cause as much devastation in the New York and New Jersey areas and other parts of the East as residents there are coping with now. In this article, pastors and disaster relief workers share their thoughts on Thanksgiving in light of Sandy. -- Fritz Wilson, the North American Mission Board's executive director for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, noted to Baptist Press, "As a kid I always looked forward to Thanksgiving Day. Not just because it meant Christmas was a month away, but also because we got to watch the giant balloons in the New York Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV, eats lots of food and watch football. "On Thanksgiving Day 2012, most people across the country will only think about the parades, food and football in the New York area," Wilson wrote. "But for me, I will be thankful for something much more important, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who continually respond en masse to New York and New Jersey. Their mission is to simply bring help, healing and hope to people and communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy almost one month ago. "Since Sandy's landfall more than 2,500 SBDR volunteers have responded to the people affected by the storm's fury," Wilson wrote. "Leaving home, family and friends, they have driven thousands of miles from across the country to serve people in the name of Jesus. "While most folks are celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends at home, hundreds of SBDR volunteers will be preparing thousands of meals, helping homeowners clean up their homes and providing a hug to hurting families simply because they care and want to show Christ's love in a practical and selfless way," Wilson wrote. "So when you join with your family to give thanks, stop and say a prayer of thanks for the SBDR volunteers who are giving of themselves in the New York and New Jersey areas, and for the people who are still trying to recover from Hurricane Sandy." -- Mike Flannery, disaster relief director for the Baptist Convention of New York, wrote, "There comes a time in the lives of people that we need to put aside the idea that if a disaster is not in our area that it does not affect us. "In this global economy we have become interdependent and we are responsible because of our commission to share the Word. Many times when we are out in the area where the disaster has taken place, people spontaneously say 'thank you' to us," Flannery wrote. "They express their thankfulness of being alive and say things can be replaced but lives cannot. What happens in disaster causes people to refocus on what is important. They become more open to asking questions, 'Why did this happen and what is the meaning?' And we, the people of God, have a unique opportunity to express love and care in their times of need," Flannery wrote. "So this Thanksgiving think of those affected by Hurricane Sandy and remember to be in an attitude of gratitude." -- Don Knotts, pastor of Wayside Southern Baptist Church in Buckhannon, W.Va., helped his church host Southern Baptist feeding units in the aftermath of a crippling snowstorm connected to the hurricane. "As we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, surrounded by family and friends, we will humbly reflect and share those things that we are most thankful for as is tradition. However, the things mentioned this year may be a bit different," Knotts wrote to Baptist Press. "This week in parts of West Virginia as families sit down to their traditional Thanksgiving meal they will give thanks for the simple things, things often taken for granted. In addition, they will give thanks for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief workers operating kitchens at Wayside Southern Baptist Church in Buckhannon, W.Va., where they cooked nearly 25,000 hot meals for people in five counties. "They will give thanks for the Red Cross that delivered the hot meals to the drop centers and for their neighbors and churches who came to help hand these needed and greatly appreciated meals out," Knotts added. "God used the fury and destruction of Hurricane Sandy to give this pastor, our church, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief and others the opportunity to walk the talk, get outside the walls of the church and be Jesus to those in need," Knotts wrote. "This year as we give thanks to God for His many blessings, many West Virginians, me included, will remember things often taken for granted. Things like electricity, hot water, hot meals and the people who work hard to make sure we have them. And a special thanks for selfless volunteers who came to minister, in the name of Jesus, in a time of great need." -- Sterling Edwards, a church planter on Long Island, wrote, "I have personally spoken to dozens of churches over the last three weeks who want to send teams and support, and that are praying for our church and community. Churches are sending blankets, gift cards and money to help get people through this crisis. We are so thankful and appreciative for this response. "... We live in a community that often appears to have no real tangible needs. By in large, people in our community have what they need and more," Edwards, pastor of Ecclesia Church of East Islip and Crossroads Church in Farmingdale, wrote. "People in our community work hard. They fight to make ends meet. But all in all, the majority of people in our community are quite comfortable. "So when something like Hurricane Sandy comes along, it reveals a vulnerability. It reveals that there are needs. But this storm has provided us an opportunity to share with our community that food, shelter, clothes and gasoline are not the only needs that we have. We have been able to share that Jesus Christ has met our absolute greatest need," Edwards wrote. "Our community has been hit hard. It is aggravating to wait in line for gasoline. It is frustrating to live without power. But this Thanksgiving we celebrate Romans 5:6: 'At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.' For this, I am truly grateful." -- Ray Parascando, pastor of Crossroads Church on Staten Island, was among the first responders in a community hit particularly hard by the hurricane. "In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy I've been reminded how easy it is to take for granted the comforts of home like food, electricity and phone. More impactful is the sobering realization that every day of life which God gives is truly a gift," Parascando wrote to Baptist Press. "In just one wave, everything that is dear to your heart: people, possessions and property can be destroyed. These are facts that all of us know well but these same facts easily get lost in the grind of life. I've been challenged once again to make every day count and to wisely number my days with family, friends and the faith. "Thanksgiving this year will be more significant than in past years for sure. I've been convicted to live with an attitude of gratitude regardless of the many storms that life may bring my way," Parascando wrote. --30-- Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor Erin Roach. With reporting by Art Toalston and Diana Chandler. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Graffiti shines 'light' in Sandy's aftermath by Diana Chandler Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- East 7th Baptist Church has prayed for the toughest assignments in serving the neediest people. In God's care, the church has ministered through 9/11 and now is a healing balm to survivors of Hurricane Sandy. Three weeks after the superstorm killed 110 people along the East Coast -- nearly half of them in New York -- the church known as Graffiti is busy helping people recover by meeting physical and spiritual needs. The 40-year-old church that typically draws 100 to Sunday worship has served thousands in the wake of the hurricane through partnerships God has provided, said adult ministries director Kareem Goubran. "When a disaster hits ... the needs will be long-term [and] the response will be long-term. So pastor Taylor [Field], our director, always said we want to be light, not just lightning," Goubran said. "We know God's called us ... as a local church to be light, to give ongoing ministry to people who have been affected." In post-Sandy ministry, the effectiveness of cooperation is evident, Goubran said. "We try to do everything in ministry in partnership because we can't do it by ourselves," he said. As New York struggles to return to normalcy, Graffiti Church is helping residents clean their homes, eat and stay warm, working with partners in the Southern Baptist Convention and beyond. "We did have kind of unprecedented 'neighbors helping neighbors'" in tandem with ministries offering to help "because there was such a specific need for every building around us. I think we had at one time nine different churches helping us," Goubran said. The church is incorporating recovery within its longstanding ministries. While power has been restored to the majority of local residents, many people are still in the cold and dark. Graffiti's Internet and phone service still had not been restored the day before Thanksgiving, but the church has electricity. Wednesday's annual Thanksgiving meal will take the place of the weekly Wednesday night soup kitchen, likely drawing 150 residents who will not only find a traditional Thanksgiving meal, Goubran said, but will benefit from fellowship and chaplaincy care. Graffiti's free lunch in the park Nov. 17 became a Thanksgiving in the park when the church distributed hats, gloves, socks and blankets with freshly packaged Thanksgiving meals to go. The Saturday meal, served three weekends each month, drew some who never before had a need to attend, Goubran said. "It was notable this year when we were doing this, we asked people, 'What are you thankful for?' So many people are just talking about that experience with Hurricane Sandy," Goubran said. "We've been hearing people just say, 'Thank you that you're reaching out to us.' People need kind of a listener, a chaplain, a caregiver to [hear] 'how I was affected, how I'm still affected,' and you know, 'Where is God and where is hope in all of this?'" The church's afterschool program and computer, ESL and GED classes are all settings for fellowship and healing. The Lower East Side used to be called a ghetto, Goubran said, but is now a dichotomy. "Now it's really a tale of two cities. We have the richest and the poorest living right next to each other in the Lower East Side," he said. "The population that was hit this time was not just people who are in poverty or struggling with addiction, or homeless, or dealing with a mental illness, which is the population we are used to serving. [These are] people who are young professionals who live in the community who just got flooded basements and don't know what to do." Many new faces were evident at Grafitti's post-Sandy seminar on preventing mold from festering in damaged basements. "We had over a hundred people that we'd never met before, even though we're always doing ministry in our community," Goubran said. "We feel like the neighbors know us and we know them." The church also held a "listening" seminar to teach church members chaplaincy skills. "Let people tell the story. Don't tell them how to feel. Be pleasant. The same way when you pray you don't always hear an audible voice, that's a sign that God is listening to you when you have something to say," Goubran said in describing the church's advice. "That's the posture we take when we engage people. We just ask people, 'How are you doing since Hurricane Sandy?' And people will tell their story." People have said, "I can't believe the water came this high. I can't believe we were out of power for so long.' Or 'We still don't have heat,'" Goubran recounted. "A lot of people say, 'I'm still cold' or 'I still don't have hot water.'" Longtime Graffiti minister Johnny Johnson, serving as the church's flood recovery coordinator, also noted how Hurricane Sandy has allowed a wider reach within the community. "It's allowed us to cross racial boundaries and kind of engage Muslims, Asians, Buddhists," Johnson said, "because when something like that happens, there are no more color lines. The color lines just disappear. It's about a need and fulfilling that need." Johnson, a lifelong New York resident and trained social worker, said Sandy's storm surge surprised fellow residents. "This is a historical thing for Manhattan on the Lower East Side, because I've lived here all my life. If it ever flooded, it came out of the river maybe about four feet onto the pavement. This time ... it came about three blocks out of the river. People just weren't prepared for it," he said, noting that the affected blocks comprise an extensive number of structures. Johnson has been working with North Carolina Baptist Men and other volunteers to help Lower East Side residents clean flooded basements. His firsthand knowledge has made it easier for out-of-state volunteers to respond, said Gary Holland, onsite coordinator for the North Carolina volunteers. Holland's group has completed about 12 projects in the Lower East Side and is still working on three other requests to clear flooded basements. North Carolina's outreach in New York's five boroughs could extend into next year, Holland said, depending on requests for help. "We, the Baptist Men of North Carolina, have worked with the metropolitan area of New York for several years. It's a good relationship that's been going on for years and we just wanted to continue that," Holland said. "About everybody [who] comes to Graffiti falls in love with Graffiti Church. It's hard to forget them." --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- New believer energized by service to others by Diana Chandler Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (BP) -- Tina Flores remembers every step of her baptism at New Seasons Church. Her experience at the Southern Baptist church in Spring Valley, Calif., was so different from the childhood sprinkling she received at the church where her family went on holidays and special occasions. Flores, now a wife and mother, appreciates that her baptism followed her public profession of faith of Jesus as her Lord and Savior. "I was baptized when I was around 4 or 5 in the Catholic religion, but I had not been baptized as a Christian," Flores said. "It's something that I'm choosing to do. I'm choosing to truly be washed of my sin and truly give my life to Christ, and that's what happened." Her preteen son Peter was baptized two years after Flores' decision. "I asked whether he understood what it means and he said, 'Yes, Mommy. It means that I want to live the way Christ lived and not the way everybody else lives.'" Flores' husband Eugene also was baptized, drawn to the church because of Tina's emerging commitment as a volunteer. "He actually was going through a very rough time at one point. He really wasn't understanding what I was doing and why I was here so much.... I literally dove head first [into Christian service]," Flores said. "I was here as much as possible and my children were right next to me serving while my husband was at home." New Seasons pastor A.B. Vines explained to Eugene the concept of service and offered the father and husband salvation. "This is why your wife is here," Vines told him, "because she gave her life to Christ and she loves serving -- and God put us here as His servants." Their younger son Anthony also attends church with the family. Flores' affinity for community outreach was sparked in her first visit at New Seasons. One day when she and Anthony, then a toddler, went to pick up Peter from Bancroft Community School across the street from New Seasons, the three attended the church's after-school snack program. As she left, she noticed a sign that implored, "Don't go to church, be the church." "I guess it meant we're not just a building, you are the church that is within you," Flores said. "I really wanted to show my son that even though times are rough right now, that we're still blessed, because we have a roof over our head and we have clothes on our back." She and Peter participated in a neighborhood clean-up outreach; just two weeks later, he asked if he could return to the church "on Sunday, like the other people do." "I ended up bringing my son here. To me, it was just amazing, just from like the minute I walked onto the campus. People were ... welcoming me and hugging me ...," Flores said. "I admit at one point I didn't feel really comfortable, because I was like, 'OK, why are these people hugging me? Like, I don't know you.' It was so funny; I mean, it's sweet, but I'm not used to someone just walking up to me and hugging me. Normally they'll shake my hand." Flores has been attending New Seasons ever since, saying, "I can't imagine anywhere else I'd be." Four years later, Flores is employed as a receptionist and administrative assistant at New Seasons; she volunteers in the church's women's and feeding ministries; and she has frequent opportunities to witness for Christ. "I literally went from just being a mom in the community to just being fulltime here," she said. "I can't imagine doing anything else but being God's servant." In her relationship with Jesus, she said, "Everything I do I always want to make sure that I'm doing to make God happy and not myself happy. The longer I have more of a relationship with Him, the deeper I get with Him, the more I want to make Him proud. "At one point it was like, I wanted to make my grandpa [Frank Perez] proud or I wanted to make my children proud. And now it's, no matter what, I always want to make Him proud. And that's definitely what's changed for me." At New Seasons, in the Sisters Walking in Faith Together ministry, Flores helps prepare meals and shares Christ with homeless women in a transitional residence. Many of them have been addicted to drugs or alcohol. "We don't just serve the food and go about our business. We stay with them and talk with them and ask them if they have any prayer requests," Flores said. "We actually go downtown to them. We share Christ with them. It's a really awesome opportunity because ... a lot of these women, you don't know where they're going to be tomorrow." In New Seasons' Wednesday feeding program each week, Flores also helps in preparing and serving local residents in the church fellowship hall. The visitors are encouraged to be seated as the church volunteers serve them a hot meal. "On a weekly basis, myself and several other people here are able to also serve the community, showing them ... who Christ really is," Flores said. "I always say, 'We serve you like you're in our home because you're in our church home.'" --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Good ol' boy' recounts Christ's transformation by Dana Williamson/The Baptist Messenger Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday DURANT, Okla. (BP) -- Joe Black was a tough man to crack. But once that crevice opened up, God spread it apart and a ministry full of blessings flowed freely out of what once had been a rock-hard shell. Black's brother Bill, pastor of McKinney Street Baptist Church in Denton, Texas, gave his life to Christ when Joe was about 20 years old. From that day, Bill faithfully prayed for his brother and took every opportunity to share the Gospel with him. "I wasn't ready to hear the Good News," Joe said. "In fact I didn't think it was such good news. The idea of giving up all the things I enjoyed to serve God seemed pretty stupid to me." As Bill slowly turned conversations toward Jesus, Joe said he would cut him off. "One day, I told him I was tired of him telling me I needed Jesus in my life," Joe recalled. "I said I was a nice guy." Bill agreed with Joe but told him, "You can't get to heaven by being a good ol' boy." Joe admitted he tormented his brother by stopping at the liquor store with Bill in the car to buy a bottle of Scotch or throwing golf clubs and cussing when he hit a bad shot or lighting up a big cigar. "He invited me to a seminary [Southwestern] golf tournament once," Joe said. "I guess he thought it would give him a chance to work on me a little more and also give me a chance to win the tournament since I was worshiping golf at the time." Joe and Bill won the tournament, but Joe shocked Bill's seminary roommates when they observed beer cans in the bed of Joe's pickup. And they made Joe put his new golf clubs in an old garage sale golf bag because his had a beer sign on it. The tide began to turn slightly when Bill asked Joe if he was interested in a work project at a Baptist youth camp about five miles from Bill's church. The camp needed a new water line and couldn't afford the contractor's bid of $107,000. Joe had experience installing irrigation systems on golf courses and would be paid $10,000 to oversee the project. The next three weekends, Joe drove from his home in Durant, Okla., to Denton, Texas, to work on the water line. Bill invited him to spend Saturday night with his family and go to church the next morning. "I thought it was harmless enough, and if I was going to work with these guys, I should at least go to church with them," Joe said. "Also I realized my brother had been a preacher for more than 10 years and I had never once heard him preach." Joe said he knew part of his brother's plan was to soften him up to the idea of God. "I wasn't that worried about it, though," he acknowledged. "All I could see was that $10,000 waiting for me, and I also liked my sister-in-law's cooking. I could risk another sermon for a home-cooked meal." Softening up a bit, Joe decided he would make a list of all the areas of his life he wanted/needed to work on and then simply fix a few things and join the church. But he said every time he thought he was making progress, he added more things to the list. After the third sermon, Joe came to the realization he couldn't fix it all and finally understood that God was telling him if he would give his life to Christ, they would work on the list together. On Monday morning at 6:30, Joe called his brother and told him, "I'm ready." Joe knelt on a two-man bass boat in the barn where he was and gave his life to Jesus. The next Saturday, the project was finished, and Joe didn't want to accept the check, telling Bill he had already received more than he deserved. Bill insisted he take the money. Joe was baptized the next day. Not only had Joe become a follower of Jesus, he was eager to serve Him and asked his pastor, James Robinson at First Baptist Church in Durant, what he could do. The church's then-youth minister, Brandon Brister, was leading a group to Venezuela for a 10-day mission trip, and Joe decided to tag along to see what God was doing in other parts of the world. He said he fell in love with the Venezuelan people and the power with which he saw God working. He got involved in other ministries at the church, continuing to grow spiritually. A few years later, he started feeling the urge to return to Venezuela. "On the second trip, I met Luciano, who had quit his job as a police officer to become a missionary for the local church," Joe said. "As I walked with him that week, I saw and experienced a love for God and a love for God's people like I had never known before. I promised I would go back the following year and help Luciano with his work there." After returning to Durant, as he prayed, Joe told God he would do whatever He wanted him to do. "Not long after, God told me to go to Venezuela for a year," Joe said. Joe began to see things God had been doing in his life to prepare him for the mission. "I had been kept single," he said. "In my 20s, I could not commit to relationships, and in my 30s, I was frustrated because I had let relationships slip away. When I became a Christian at 38, I thought God wanted to provide me with a wonderful Christian wife, but it was eight years later, and still no wife. I realized if I had a wife and children, I could not commit to a year in Venezuela." During his time in the South American country, Joe did construction work for seven months and evangelism for about six more months. "I learned dependency on God like I never knew before," Joe said. "The devil met me head on. Three weeks after buying a pickup, it was stolen. The price doubled on the property we wanted to buy for the church after they discovered we were Americans. I came under attack from areas I would never have imagined." Joe said God also taught him how to evangelize in a more personal way, and he learned patience from the slower culture. A week before Joe left for the year in Venezuela, he was asked by a concrete company to put on a presentation of what he was planning to do there. "I tried not to stare at the beautiful lady who helped me set up my laptop for the presentation," Joe said. "When I returned home six months later for a visit, I was asked to give an update to the company. There was that beautiful lady helping me again. This time I got up the courage to ask her to go to dinner with me. Angie and I hit it off right away." After seven months of online video chats and one more visit home, the couple got engaged. "You know when an excited child buys a gift for his dad and can't wait for him to open it and starts helping him get the paper off?" Joe said. "I think this is what God was doing. Only about half way through my scheduled year, it's like God was saying, 'This is what I have waiting here for you when you get back.'" --30-- Dana Williamson is associate editor of The Baptist Messenger (www.baptistmessenger.com), newsjournal of the Oklahoma Baptist Convention. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Study: Selflessness leads to spiritual maturity by Russ Rankin Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- Selfless service to God and others both impacts and is impacted by transformational discipleship, according to a study conducted by LifeWay Research. The survey shows 58 percent of Protestant churchgoers in the United States agree with the statement: "I am intentionally putting my spiritual gift(s) to use serving God and others." Seventeen percent disagree with the statement. A greater percentage of respondents indicate they look for opportunities to serve others in the community. Asked to respond to the statement: "I intentionally try to serve people outside my church who have tangible needs," 60 percent agree -- although only 17 percent strongly agree. Fifteen percent disagreed with the statement. "Serving God and Others" is one of eight attributes of discipleship that consistently show up in the lives of believers who are progressing in spiritual maturity, according to LifeWay Research. "Service doesn't just happen in a church," said Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research. "It must be modeled and encouraged. As we look at the breakdown of attributes and correlated disciplines, the data shows that praying expectantly, getting involved in the community and discipling others fosters a posture of serving. As such, disciples are serving in, through, and beyond their churches for the cause of Christ." But just 9 percent of churchgoers strongly agree with the statement: "I intentionally give up certain purchases so I can use that money for others." Thirty percent somewhat agree and 32 percent disagree. Approximately a quarter of respondents selected "neither agree nor disagree" as their answer for the three statements. "Service and activism have become popular in our culture today, especially among younger adults," Stetzer said. "However, most of this benevolent activity is fairly low-level involvement that does not cost the giver much. The midrange responses on the Serving God and Others attribute reveals lots of good intentions and some occasional actions but much lower intentionality, consistency or sacrifice." Serving clearly impacts growth, Stetzer summarized. "The study shows that individuals who have positive scores for Serving God and Others have higher scores in the other seven attributes of the Transformational Discipleship study, as well. "For example, scores for Sharing Christ jump 24 percent when individuals have positive Serving God and Others scores and 51 percent for individuals with the highest Serving God and Others scores," he said. Likewise, Stetzer pointed out that positive responses in the other seven attributes of discipleship correlate with higher scores in Serving God and Others. "Growth leads to service and serving leads to growth -- it's deeply connected," he explained. For example, Stetzer said that positive scores in Bible Engagement result in a 17 percent increase in scores for Serving God and Others compared to those who do not have positive scores for Bible Engagement. "We saw most say they were serving in some way, but far too many are sitting down on the job -- particularly when the Bible says everyone should '... use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God' (1 Peter 4:10). There is a huge gap between this passage and most churches' practice." To help pastors, churches and individuals measure spiritual development, LifeWay Research used the study's data to develop a questionnaire for believers, called the Transformational Discipleship Assessment (TDA). This online evaluation delivers both individual and group reports on spiritual maturity using the eight attributes of biblical discipleship. The TDA also provides helpful and practical suggestions on appropriate next steps for spiritual development. To learn more about the transformational discipleship research visit LifeWayReseach.com. The TDA is available at TDA.LifeWay.com. The survey of 2,930 American adults who attend a Protestant church once a month or more was conducted Oct. 14-22, 2011. --30-- Russ Rankin is a writer for the communications office of LifeWay Christian Resources. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- Church's poverty game raises $30,000 for hunger by Mark H. Hunter Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday AMITE, La. (BP) -- Instead of preaching a sermon for World Hunger Sunday, pastor Mike Foster divided the congregation into three groups and played the Poverty Bean Game. The game, which demonstrates the disparity of wealth between developed countries like the United States and Third World countries like Haiti, stirred members of First Baptist Church in Amite, La., to put nearly $30,000 in the offering basket -- more than three times the usual Sunday morning offering. "It was amazing -- it just confirmed that God is great," Foster said. "It really opened our eyes to see there is a world out there that needs help. It was more than we've ever taken up for the World Hunger Fund." The World Hunger Fund is the channel Southern Baptist churches use to provide financial resources for hunger ministries in North America and overseas. It's a "dollar in, dollar out" initiative -- 100 percent of each donation is used to feed hungry people. Nothing is withheld for administrative expenses or promotional costs. Foster, who served with the International Mission Board in Mexico and Costa Rica before becoming First Baptist's pastor six years ago, said he was inspired to host the Poverty Bean Game after reports from summer camp. His wife Miranda returned home burdened for the world's hungry as did daughters Lilly, 14, and Jadi, 12, and Laura Clemons and Marty Morris who lead Girls in Action, the missions discipleship organization for girls in grades 1–6 promoted by Woman's Missionary Union. In addition to Girls in Action, the missions outreach of First Baptist, which averages about 125 in attendance, has grown from one small group trip a year to three annual trips involving multiple groups in the church. According to the Poverty Bean Game rules, the congregation was divided into three groups. Five percent of the congregation represented First World countries, receiving 20 beans of "money" per person. Fifteen percent of the attendees represented Second World countries with 15 beans per person and the remaining 80 percent represented Third World countries with 10 beans per person. "The First World is like the United States and Canada which has plenty," Foster said in describing the First Baptist activity on World Hunger Sunday, Oct. 14. "The Second World is like Russia, up and coming nations which have almost enough to survive, and the Third World -- not near enough to survive." To win, or at least survive, each person had to have 17 beans at the end of the game. As the members stood in line to purchase index cards representing food, water, shelter and medicine from "stores" in the sanctuary, two people acted as "natural disasters" and could take as many beans from each person as they wanted. First Worlders, meanwhile, could take a bean from a Second World resident who in turn could take a bean from a Third World resident. "So you have the First and Second World taking from the Third World while they are standing in line trying to buy their necessities for life," Foster said. As the game progressed, several "missionaries" would walk up to a person and say, "In Jesus' name, here is a bean," Foster said. "But they ran out of beans pretty quickly." After the game was over, the First World went to one side of the auditorium, the Second World went to the other side and the Third World residents filled the center. "Just about everybody in the First World survived and just about everybody in the Second World survived but we quickly realized most of the Third World died out," Foster said. A vigorous conversation followed. "There were kids trying to hide because they didn't want people to take their beans," Foster said. "Some people chose not to participate and that was part of the sermon too -- we sometimes choose not to participate in the Lord's work, and who suffers? "During the invitation time, we asked if God has laid it on your heart to give," Foster said, "and when we counted it was $29,300. Some more is coming in, so we'll be over $30,000." The average weekly offering is around $8,000, he said. "The people in this church have a heart for missions," Foster said. "God is showing us that the church is not just brick and mortar but going out and reaching the lost." Exercises like the Poverty Bean Game can provide a helpful dose of reality to Americans who don't realize how difficult life is for the majority of the world's people, said Jeff Palmer, executive director of Baptist Global Response. "More than 385 million people live on less than $1 a day and another 275 million people live on less than $2 a day," Palmer said. "If you haven't traveled into that world, it's hard for an American to fathom the poverty, but Southern Baptist workers who serve in the really hard places see the harsh reality every day. "I was visiting with some of those workers not long ago, in the Horn of Africa," Palmer continued. "Every single one of them told me they couldn't begin to do the work God has called them to do except for the World Hunger Fund. They are deeply grateful for the generosity of churches like First Baptist in giving to the World Hunger Fund. They want you to know that the World Hunger Fund is saving and transforming lives and changing the destinies of entire communities." --30-- Mark H. Hunter is a correspondent for the Louisiana Baptist Message (www.baptistmessage.com), newsjournal of churches affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention. More about the World Hunger Fund The World Hunger Fund is on the Internet at www.worldhungerfund.com. Since its inception in 1974, Southern Baptists have given more than $235 million through the World Hunger Fund. World hunger awareness and fundraising event ideas, including speakers, are available from Baptist Global Response (www.gobgr.org), the international relief and development organization that partners with Southern Baptists' International Mission Board in hunger relief initiatives overseas. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission also provides resources at www.erlc.com/hunger, including articles on biblical directives for combating hunger and poverty as well as how to begin a hunger ministry. Also available are two sermons, "The Ministry of the Open Hand" and "Do Justice to the Afflicted and Needy." -------------------------------------------------------------------- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 by Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum. Bible Passage: Acts 17:16-31 Discussion Question: How do I connect with people who are different from me? Food for Thought: A restful Thanksgiving on Thursday is followed by the insane frenetic "Black Friday" shopping experience that some people regard as fun. Whether you ventured out or stayed home, one thing's for certain: The Christmas season is here. Oops. Maybe it should simply be called the holiday season, not Christmas. Hmmm. How do we connect with or carry on a conversation with people who don't celebrate Christmas? They may celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanza or they may just engage in the revelry of exchanging gifts, but they don't celebrate Christmas. Some Christians adopt an "in your face" attitude, as if Christians had the season first. It's certainly good to keep Christ the focus of the holidays, but some Christians may be wearing their "Keep CHRIST in Christmas" buttons while they claw and fight over this year's got-to-have toy or gadget. We can bemoan the change in focus or the secularization of our society, but what if instead we found a way to build bridges to people who see the holiday different from us? If the message of Christmas is that Jesus Christ came to earth to connect with us and bring us to God, maybe we should find ways to connect with others so that we can bring them to Jesus Christ. This week's study from Acts 17 will give you a good background for considering this very idea. Bible Studies for Life Bible Studies for Life is a life stage-focused family of resources that addresses key issues in the lives of adults and students. Consisting of seven curriculum lines developed for various life and generational stages plus two others designed for deeper study, all of these resources focus on the same Bible passage for each week. More information can be found on the Internet at LifeWay.com/BibleStudiesforLife. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLDVIEW: A Thanksgiving prayer by Erich Bridges Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday RICHMOND, Va. (BP) -- Dear Lord: Thank You for bearing with us for another year. Your mercy never ceases to amaze. For those who continue to believe that human nature must be improved by effort and good intentions -– rather than redeemed by Your grace -– 2012 has been another case study in failure. Given the choice between peace and violence, traditional enemies continue to fight. "New" hostilities that burst upon international awareness, such as the blood feud between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, are actually centuries old. Other hatreds persist with depressing reliability. With few exceptions, nations still seek their own interests first and last, which is what nations have done throughout history. If others benefit, it's often a happy accident, not a policy. Allies typically help each other because it is expedient, not because they love each other -– or You. Nations act like people: Our individual lives follow the same pattern of self-interest and indifference toward others. We tend to look out for ourselves and our families -– and the devil take the rest (he is only too happy to oblige). All have gone their own way. None has sought after You. No, not even one. In a land of riches, we, Your children, mostly seek our own desires. Once we obtain them, we call them Your blessings. We say we will use them to bless others, but we usually spend them on ourselves. Is it Your will that we live in big houses and drive around in fancy cars, even as billions live and die in poverty? We've become experts in rationalizing it. Do You really desire the construction of a thousand more castle-like sanctuaries in America when entire people groups have never heard the name of Jesus? And yet You remain faithful. Where we hate, You love. Where we are indifferent, You are passionately concerned, even for those who worship other gods or no god. Just as You showed compassion for the 120,000 wicked Ninevites Jonah disdained, who didn't "know the difference between their right and left hand" (Jonah 4:11), You care today for the many peoples who will repent –- if only we will tell them You are the way to salvation. Thank You that You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Have mercy upon us once again. Make our hearts like Yours. Teach us to be like You. Teach us to seek You first, not Your gifts and blessings. You are divinely jealous, Father. As Brother Lawrence said, You won't allow a soul that is searching for You to be comforted by anything other than You. Long ago, Thomas a Kempis warned in "The Imitation of Christ": "He who seeks any other thing in religion than God alone and the salvation of his soul will find nothing but trouble and sorrow. He will not remain there long in peace and quiet who does not labor to be the least, and subject to all." How strange such words sound to us -- almost as strange as the words of Christians in other lands who not only expect but welcome persecutions. We know we are not worthy of such brothers and sisters, Lord. Make us worthy, somehow, to share their sufferings, if only through the great privilege of praying for them. As David sang in Psalm 16, You are our portion, Lord. We have no good thing besides You. In Your presence is fullness of joy, and in Your right hand are pleasures forever. Teach us in the coming year to be thankful for Your blessings but to lay aside once and for all the notion that they are a substitute for You. Teach us to bless You, Father. Teach us to praise You, to lift Your name among all the nations. For You are all in all! Amen. --30-- Erich Bridges is a senior writer with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST-PERSON: What happened to Thanksgiving? by Larry Doyle Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday GREENSBORO, N.C. (BP) -- Is it just my imagination, or do the Christmas decorations come out earlier and earlier every year? This year, almost a month before Halloween, I noticed some of the big "box" stores and shopping malls cranking up their Christmas promotions. It made me ask, "What happened to Thanksgiving?" Although I saw a few Thanksgiving sales, the big push seems to be for Christmas and Santa. We are bombarded with Christmas ads for everything from cars to cruises. In some ways, it appears that a commercialized Christmas "Grinch" is stealing Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving isn't necessarily any more biblical than Christmas, but both have become treasured holidays. While Christmas is celebrated all over the world, Thanksgiving is uniquely American. With religious and historical roots dating back to the early colonists in Plymouth, Mass., this celebration has symbolized and served as a reminder to Americans everywhere of our dependence upon God's grace and mercy. Almost every U.S. President since George Washington made special declarations regarding a national day for giving thanks to God. Perhaps the most memorable declaration from a United States president was made by Lincoln during the Civil War. In 1863, in the middle of our nation's darkest hour, he declared a National Day of Thanksgiving, for the purpose of giving thanks for the "the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy." In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the bill that made the fourth Thursday of November a national holiday. Thanksgiving is certainly a part of our heritage and tradition as Americans, but is it a part of our heart, our soul and our being? Is it possible one of the reasons we allow a consumer-fed, commercialized Christmas to crowd out Thanksgiving, is that we are no longer a grateful nation? Have we forgotten all Christ has done for us? For the follower of Christ, Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday. It is a day to be grateful for the many blessings we have as people of God, and as a nation. However, our gratitude to God isn't just a one day event. It should drive and define us every day as His people. It is an attitude of our hearts, and it reveals itself in the depth of our spiritual dependence on God. Most importantly, our gratitude to God is the heart of true worship. On one occasion, Jesus healed 10 lepers. Of the 10, only one returned to give thanks and worship God for what he had experienced. Jesus asked the one who returned, "Were not all 10 cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return to give praise to God except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:12). What's happening to Thanksgiving where you live? Is it getting pushed aside for the man in the red suit, and the almighty dollar, or is it being observed as a day to count your blessings and give thanks to God who gives so much and blesses us far more than we ever deserve? --30-- Larry Doyle is director of missions of the Piedmont Baptist Association in North Carolina. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Demos gracias a Dios by Fermín Whitaker Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Dad gracias al SEÑOR, porque El es bueno; porque para siempre es su misericordia. salmos 118:1 Recordando el pasado y celebrando el presente, pienso que es importante expresar gratitud a nuestro Dios. En estos dias festivos, hice una lista de gratitud a Dios. Gracias a Dios por mis padres. Estan en la presencia de Dios, pero nunca olvidaré el cariño, cuidado y amor que sentí toda mi vida. Han pasado muchos años, pero recuerdo ciertos incidentes. En particular, muchas veces comían último, y aseguraban que los cinco hijos teniamos suficiente que comer. Una vez al año compraban ropa nueva para todos, menos ellos. Mi padre fué marinero internacional. Aún ausente durante las navidades, recibíamos regalos de otros países. Nunca se olvidaba de la familia. Mamá tenía la responsabilidad de criarnos a todos. Semanalmente nos llevaba a la iglesia. Nos instruía en la Biblia, y su vida reflejaba el amor de Dios. Doy gracias por la vida de mis padres. Por mi hermano y hermanas, doy gracias por el privilegio de tener personas en las cuales puedo confiar. Todo esto, por las oraciones de docenas de personas orando por nuestra familia. Dios me ha bendicido por mas de 4 décadas, con el amor de mi vida, mi esposa. Dos hijos y 3 nietos llenan mi corazón. Hemos viajado muchas millas, pero el gozo de estar juntos es por el amor de Dios y sus promesas. Pero, sobre todo, doy gracias a mi Dios por Su misericordia, paciencia, salvación, protección y amor. Como el Salmista, podemos declarar "Dad gracias al Señor, porque para siempre es su misericordia." --30-- Fermín Whittaker es el director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California. Los materiales en español publicados por esta convención se encuentran en http://www.csbc.com/languageresources. -------------------------------------------------------------------- El huracán Sandy en Acción de Gracias: abundan nuevas reflexiones sobre la vida by Por el personal Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- Acción de Gracias en la secuela del Huracán Sandy ha impulsado nuevas reflexiones sobre la vida y la fe entre aquellos que fueron impactados y aquellos que llegan en su ayuda. El escritor de Proverbios 27 advierte que un hombre no sabe lo que el día puede traer. Pocos esperaban que un huracán causara tanta devastación en New York y New Jersey y en otras partes del este como la que ahora están enfrentando los residentes. En este artículo, pastores y trabajadores de ayuda en desastres comparten sus pensamientos sobre Acción de Gracias a la luz de Sandy. -- Fritz Wilson, director ejecutivo de Ayuda en Desastres Bautista del Sur (SBDR por sus siglas en inglés) de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericana, le indicó a Baptist Press: "Cuando era niño siempre esperaba con ansia el Día de Acción de Gracias. No solamente porque significaba que Navidad estaba solamente a un mes, sino también porque mirábamos los globos gigantes en el desfile de Macy's en New York, comíamos mucho y mirábamos el futbol americano. "El Día de Acción de Gracias 2012, la mayoría de la gente en el país solo pensará en los desfiles, la comida y el futbol americano en el área de New York," escribió Wilson. "Pero yo, estaré agradecido por algo mucho más importante, los voluntarios de Ayuda en Desastres Bautista del Sur que continuamente responden en masa a New York y New Jersey. Su misión es simplemente brindar ayuda, sanidad y esperanza a la gente y las comunidades impactadas por el huracán Sandy hace casi un mes. "Desde que Sandy tocó tierra, más de 2.500 voluntarios de SBDR han respondido a la gente afectada por la furia de la tormenta," escribió Wilson. "Dejando el hogar, la familia y los amigos, han manejado cientos de kilómetros desde todas partes del país para servir a las personas en el nombre de Jesús. "Mientras que la mayoría está celebrando Acción de Gracias con familia y amigos en el hogar, cientos de voluntarios de SBDR estarán preparando miles de comidas, ayudando a los dueños de casa a limpiar sus casas y dándoles un abrazo a familias heridas simplemente porque a ellos les importan y quieren mostrar el amor de Cristo de una manera práctica y desinteresada," escribió Wilson. Así que cuando usted se reúna con su familia para dar gracias, pare y diga una oración de gracias por los voluntarios de SBDR que se están dando a sí mismos en las áreas de New York y New Jersey, y por la gente que todavía está tratando de recuperarse del huracán Sandy." -- Mike Flannery, director de ayuda en desastres de la Convención Bautista de New York, escribió: "Vienen tiempos en la vida de las personas que necesitamos poner a un lado la idea de que si el desastre no ocurre en nuestra área no nos afecta. "En esta economía global nos hemos vuelto interdependientes y somos responsables debido a nuestra encomienda de compartir la Palabra. Muchas veces cuando estamos afuera en el área en la que el desastre tomó lugar, la gente espontáneamente nos dice 'gracias,'" escribió Flannery. "Ellos expresan su agradecimiento de estar vivos y dicen que las cosas pueden reponerse pero las vidas no. Lo que sucede en los desastres causa que la gente se reenfoque en lo que es importante. Se vuelven más abiertos a hacer preguntas: '¿Por qué pasó esto y qué significa?' Y nosotros, el pueblo de Dios, tenemos una oportunidad única de expresar amor y atención en su tiempo de necesidad," escribió Flannery. "Así que este Día de Acción de Gracias piense en esos afectados por el huracán Sandy y recuerde tener una actitud de gratitud." -- Don Knotts, pastor de Wayside Southern Baptist Church en Buckhannon, West Virginia, ayudó a su iglesia a albergar las unidades de alimentación de los bautistas del sur en las secuelas de una devastadora tormenta de nieve conectada al huracán. "Cuando nos sentemos a la mesa de Acción de Gracias, rodeados de familia y amigos, humildemente reflexionaremos y compartiremos esas cosas por las que estamos más agradecidos como es tradición. Sin embargo, las cosas mencionadas este año puede que sean un poquito diferentes, escribió Knotts a Baptist Press. "Esta semana en partes de West Virginia cuando las familias se sienten a la mesa para su tradicional comida de Acción de Gracias darán gracias por las cosas sencillas, cosas que frecuentemente damos por sentadas. Además, darán gracias por los obreros voluntarios de la Ayuda en Desastres Bautista del Sur que trabajan en las cocinas en Wayside Southern Baptist Church en Buckhannon, West Virginia, donde cocinan casi 25.000 comidas calientes para personas de cinco condados. "Ellos darán gracias por la Cruz Roja que entregó las comidas calientes a los comedores y por sus vecinos e iglesias que llegaron para ayudar a llevar estas apreciadas y grandemente agradecidas comidas," añadió Knotts. "Dios usó la furia y la destrucción del huracán Sandy para darles a este pastor, a nuestra iglesia, a la Ayuda en Desastres Bautista del Sur y a otros la oportunidad de poner las palabras en acción, salir de las paredes de la iglesia y ser Jesús para aquellos en necesidad," escribió Knotts. "Este año cuando demos gracias a Dios por sus muchas bendiciones, muchos habitantes de West Virginia, incluido yo, recordaremos cosas que damos por sentadas. Cosas como la electricidad, el agua caliente, las comidas calientes y la gente que trabaja duro para asegurar que las tengamos. Y unas gracias especiales a los voluntarios desinteresados que vinieron a ministrar, en el nombre de Jesús, en un tiempo de gran necesidad." -- Sterling Edwards, iniciador de iglesias en Long Island, escribió: "He hablado personalmente a docenas de iglesias durante las últimas tres semanas que desean enviar equipos y apoyo, y que están orando por nuestra iglesia y nuestra comunidad. Las iglesias están enviando cobijas, tarjetas de regalo y dinero para ayudar a la gente a través de la crisis; también estamos agradecidos y apreciamos esta respuesta. "... Vivimos en una comunidad que frecuentemente parece no tener verdaderas necesidades tangibles. La gente en nuestra comunidad tiene lo que necesita y más," escribió Edwards, pastor de Ecclesia Church de East Islip y Crossroads Church en Farmingdale. "La gente en nuestra comunidad trabaja mucho. Luchan para que el ingreso alcance hasta fin de mes. Pero con todo, la mayoría de la gente de nuestra comunidad vive bien cómoda. "Así que cuando algo como el huracán Sandy llega, revela una vulnerabilidad. Revela que hay necesidades. Sin embargo, esta tormenta nos ha provisto la oportunidad de compartir con otras comunidades que la comida, albergue, ropa y gasolina no son las únicas necesidades que tenemos. Hemos podido compartir que Jesucristo ha llenado nuestra absoluta y más grande necesidad," escribió Edwards. "Nuestra comunidad ha sido golpeada fuertemente. Es molesto hacer fila para tener gasolina. Es frustrante sentirse incapaces. Pero este Día de Acción de Gracias celebramos Romanos 5:6: 'Pues cuando nosotros éramos incapaces de salvarnos, Cristo, a su debido tiempo, murió por los pecadores.' Por esto, yo estoy profundamente agradecido." -- Ray Parascando, pastor de Crossroads Church en Staten Island, fue de los primeros en responder en una comunidad golpeada particularmente fuerte por el huracán "En la secuela del huracán Sandy he recordado cuán fácil es dar por sentadas las comodidades de la casa como comida, electricidad y teléfono. Más impactante es la aleccionadora caída en cuenta de que cada día de la vida que Dios nos da es verdaderamente un regalo," escribió Parascando a Baptist Press. "En solamente una oleada, todo lo que te es querido: gente, posesiones y propiedades puede ser destruido. Estos son hechos que todos nosotros conocemos bien pero estos mismos hechos se pierden fácilmente en la rutina de la vida. He sido desafiado una vez más a hacer que cada día cuente y a contar sabiamente los días con mi familia, amigos y la fe. "Acción de Gracias este año será más significativo que en los años pasados, de seguro. He sido convencido de vivir con una actitud de gratitud a pesar de las muchas tormentas que la vida pueda traer a mi camino," escribió Parascando. --30-- Compilado por Erin Roach editora asistente de Baptist Press. Con información de Art Toalston y Diana Chandler. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Mientras Israel y Gaza se ponen en guardia, oraciones se levantan por una fe 'denodada' by Por Ava Thomas Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday ISRAEL (BP) -- La estela de humo de los misiles hace cortes dentados a través del cielo sin nubes sobre Israel y los territorios palestinos. Stephen Johnson*, un obrero cristiano entre los palestinos, dijo que siente que es un inexperto. Después de llegar a Ribera Occidental (West Bank) el 16 de noviembre, se quedó dormido pero lo despertó el sonido de un misil que pegó cerca de la casa donde se estaba quedando. "Estamos bien -- un poquito nerviosos, pero bien," dijo. Él no es el único que está nervioso -- llamadas telefónicas de amigos creyentes en la franja de Gaza confirmaron eso. "Todos están bien pero estamos muy asustados," dijo Johnson. "Ellos han estado aquí muchas veces antes." La larga historia de conflictos entre Gaza e Israel ha estado marcada en años recientes por militantes en Gaza que disparan cientos de misiles hacia las poblaciones israelíes -- lo que provoca severos contragolpes de parte de Israel. Con las actuales luchas, es peligroso estar en la calle, y hay poco movimiento afuera. Las tiendas de comestibles están vacías. "La gente ha acaparado las provisiones en caso de que la situación empeore," dijo Johnson. Y ellos oran para que "peor" no signifique "cerca." La oficina del ministerio de interior palestino, por ejemplo -- aproximadamente a 185 metros de donde viven algunos amigos de Johnson -- fue golpeada por misiles israelíes. El presidente de EE.UU., Barack Obama dijo que apoya el derecho de Israel de defenderse y ha llamado a Gaza a dejar de disparar sobre Israel y trabajar para buscar la paz. "No hay un país sobre la tierra que tolerare que lluevan misiles sobre sus ciudadanos desde afuera de sus fronteras," dijo Obama en una conferencia de prensa en Tailandia durante su viaje al suroeste asiático. El escudo defensor "cúpula de hierro" de Israel interceptó cerca de 250 misiles disparados desde Gaza en un período de tres días, de acuerdo al ejército israelí. Cerca de 800 misiles han sido disparados desde el inicio del conflicto. Tel Aviv repetidamente ha sido el blanco. Netanyahu dijo que Israel está listo a expandir su operación. Medios de noticias reportan la fuerte posibilidad de una ofensiva por tierra. En Israel donde vive Ben Martin*, la gente no está tan preocupada por los misiles como lo está por la posibilidad de que otros se involucren, como Egipto o Hesbolá, el grupo musulmán chiita asentado en Líbano. El presidente de Egipto declaró a inicios del conflicto que no dejaría Gaza a su suerte. "La principal preocupación es la amenaza secundaria," dijo Martin, un obrero cristiano entre los judíos. "En estos días, ¿qué hacemos? Se nos ha dicho que seamos sobrios de manera que podamos orar. "Lo que necesitamos es gente que ore por los creyentes en Israel y por los creyentes en Gaza para que sean denodados en medio de los tiempos difíciles," dijo Martin. Un creyente en Israel a quien Martin conoce ya ha tenido oportunidad de compartir con una familia junto con la que se refugió mientras se acercaban los misiles. "No nos sentamos simplemente con las manos entrelazadas -- buscamos oportunidades." Martin, Johnson y otros en la región dicen que hay una cosecha lista en medio de los pueblos del Medio Oriente. "Oren por seguridad" para los creyentes atrapados en el fuego cruzado, dijo Johnson, "pero también para que tengan oportunidades de compartir la esperanza que ellos tienen. "Cuando vean las noticias, anoten los nombres y los lugares, luego apaguen el televisor y oren por las noticias," añadió Johnson. "No es una declaración política o una posición, sino pedirle al Dios del cielo que invoque su voluntad en la situación y que traiga verdad y paz duradera; con eso, él se agrada." --30-- *Los nombres han sido cambiados. Ava Thomas es escritora/editora de la Junta de Misiones Internacionales en Europa. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Probable que el aumento del mormonismo cultural continúe by Por Aaron Earls Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (BP) -- Aunque Mitt Romney perdió las elecciones presidenciales, los cristianos deben estar preparados para una mayor visibilidad y credibilidad del mormonismo en los Estados Unidos, dijo a Baptist Press un profesor de seminario, testigo experto en relaciones entre religiones. "Cuando los misioneros mormones toquen a la puerta de las personas, serán vistos con una luz más positiva cuando la gente sepa que [Romney] fue un misionero mormón," dijo Tal Davis, vicepresidente ejecutivo de MarketFaith Ministries en Tallahassee, Florida, quien sirvió con la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas, NAMB, por más de 20 años entrenando a los cristianos para ser testigos interreligiosos. "Es probable que les cedan el acceso en las casas donde anteriormente se les hubiera negado." El ascenso de uno de los líderes mormones a la cúspide de la presidencia, dijo Davis, "testifica sobre el hecho que la mayoría de los estadounidenses ya no considera a los mormones como un grupo fuera de su corriente cultural principal, como sucedía en los siglos XIX e inicios del XX. Ant Greenham, profesor asistente de misiones en Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary en Wake Forest, C. N., señaló que el crecimiento de la aceptación de los mormones es anterior a la candidatura presidencial de Romney. Puede ser que el mormonismo esté de camino a la completa aceptación en la cultura estadounidense, dijo Greenham, pero se "debería más a la tendencia social postmoderna que a los esfuerzos mormones por alcanzar la aceptación." Sin embargo, la fe de Romney pudiera haber tenido que pagar un precio en las casetas de votación, dijo Greenham. "A pesar de las tendencias posmodernas de muchos que hacen que cada vez menos estén interesados en las diferencias entre las religiones, la atención adicional que se le dio al mormonismo pudiera haber hecho a la gente más precavida de este sólido candidato mormón," dijo Greenham. Davis, por su parte, reflexiónó diciendo, "Algunas personas hubieran podido ser cautelosas en cuanto a lo que creen del mormonismo, pero dudo que fue la razón principal por la que votaron en su contra" en vista de los serios asuntos económicos y políticos que se abordaron durante la campaña. Ambos, Greenham y Davis, animaron a los cristianos a informarse mejor sobre su propia fe y los detalles particulares del sistema de creencias mormón. "Con base en un número de recepciones muy corteses los líderes mormones han podido ganarse cierta aceptación por mi parte y por parte de Southeastern, ellos desean firmemente ser aceptados dentro de la corriente principal cristiana," dijo Greenham. Greenham es ciudadano de Sudáfrica y pasó un tiempo en el Medio Oriente antes de venir a los Estados Unidos a estudiar y enseñar. "Se ofenden cuando los cristianos les llaman 'culto' y minimizan, aunque no niegan, los elementos particulares de su fe cuando están discutiendo con personas influyentes." Para los cristianos, Greenham dijo, conocer su fe "gira alrededor de los esenciales de nuestra fe bíblica, enfocada en el Evangelio, repetidamente afirmada durante la historia cristiana. Después de eso, los cristianos deben explorar varios recursos para aprender más sobre los distintivos del mormonismo y lo que lo separa de la corriente principal del cristianismo." Para Greenham, el candidato republicano presidencial no debería de ser el centro de las conversaciones con los mormones. "Yo no daría mucha importancia a Romney cuando estuviera testificando," dijo. "El asunto es en quién pones tu confianza a final de cuentas, no las fortalezas y debilidades de alguna celebridad que de casualidad tiene la misma fe que la persona con quien hablas." Los cristianos "deben acercarse a los mormones con amor y amistad," aconsejó Davis. "Sin embargo, no podemos ignorar la necesidad de compartir de Cristo con ellos. El mormonismo es sin duda un sistema falso y aquellos que están dentro de él están perdidos y necesitan la salvación que sólo Jesús puede proveer." Algunas sugerencias de recursos escritos por Davis y Greenham: www.marketfaith.org www.4truth.net www.mrm.org www.watchman.org Maneras en que se puede testificar a los mormones: ORE: "Lo más importante por lo que podemos orar es que lleguen a conocer al verdadero Dios y al verdadero Jesucristo como su Salvador y Señor," dijo Davis, a la vez que oramos para que los amigos y conocidos mormones sean expuestos a la verdad bíblica. APRENDA: "Tómese el tiempo para conocer más el mormonismo," dijo Greenway, señalando que unos cimientos firmes en cuanto a lo que uno cree y conocimientos sobre el mormonismo pueden dar más confianza al testificarles. ESTÉ ABIERTO: "Los cristianos deben buscar oportunidades para testificarle a los mormones todo el tiempo," dijo Greenham, señalando que un cristiano no tiene idea de cuándo llegue el momento adecuado. INVIERTA TIEMPO: "Debemos entender que son profundamente morales, aunque a la vez son un grupo de personas perdidas [espiritualmente]," dijo Greenham. "Los cristianos deben estar preparados para hacer amistad con los mormones y buscar oportunidades para tener conversaciones bíblicas significativas y por un tiempo considerable." Ver que un mormón venga a Cristo probablemente no será un desarrollo de un día, si no una inversión considerable de tiempo y amor en la relación. ANIME: "Los cristianos deben darse cuenta que dejar [la iglesia de los santos de los últimos días] es un paso enorme," dijo Greenham. "Deben estar preparados para adoptar a quienes la dejen en comunidades cristianas calurosas." Las iglesias deben estar listas para apoyar a los cristianos que vengan de un trasfondo mormón para animarlos en un compromiso que tendrá un alto precio personal por pagar, dijo Greenham. --30-- Aaron Earls es un escritor residente en Wake Forest, C.N. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Demos Gracias A Dios by Por Fermín Whitaker Date: November 21, 2012 - Wednesday FRESNO, Calif. (BP) -- Dad gracias al SEÑOR, porque El es bueno; porque para siempre es su misericordia. salmos 118:1 Recordando el pasado y celebrando el presente, pienso que es importante expresar gratitud a nuestro Dios. En estos dias festivos, hice una lista de gratitud a Dios. Gracias a Dios por mis padres. Estan en la presencia de Dios, pero nunca olvidaré el cariño, cuidado y amor que sentí toda mi vida. Han pasado muchos años, pero recuerdo ciertos incidentes. En particular, muchas veces comían último, y aseguraban que los cinco hijos teniamos suficiente que comer. Una vez al año compraban ropa nueva para todos, menos ellos. Mi padre fué marinero internacional. Aún ausente durante las navidades, recibíamos regalos de otros países. Nunca se olvidaba de la familia. Mamá tenía la responsabilidad de criarnos a todos. Semanalmente nos llevaba a la iglesia. Nos instruía en la Biblia, y su vida reflejaba el amor de Dios. Doy gracias por la vida de mis padres. Por mi hermano y hermanas, doy gracias por el privilegio de tener personas en las cuales puedo confiar. Todo esto, por las oraciones de docenas de personas orando por nuestra familia. Dios me ha bendicido por mas de 4 décadas, con el amor de mi vida, mi esposa. Dos hijos y 3 nietos llenan mi corazón. Hemos viajado muchas millas, pero el gozo de estar juntos es por el amor de Dios y sus promesas. Pero, sobre todo, doy gracias a mi Dios por Su misericordia, paciencia, salvación, protección y amor. Como el Salmista, podemos declarar "Dad gracias al Señor, porque para siempre es su misericordia." --30-- Fermín Whittaker es el director ejecutivo de la Convención Bautista del Sur en California. Los materiales en español publicados por esta convención se encuentran en http://www.csbc.com/languageresources.