One Way or Another

My kid's love American Idol. Now whether you think its the "greatest thing since sliced bread", or the "hokey-est show you've ever seen"... is not the point of this discussion. To us, it's a great opportunity to watch a show with our kids, and have some fun along the way. Well my kids were so excited about "Idol Gives Back", a 2 hour special that raises money for under privileged kids here in America, and in other countries. $76 million was raised last year, to help AIDS orphanages in Africa, after school programs here in many cities, help families still displaced by Katrina, mosquito nets for families in Africa to help prevent malaria, clean water projects in third world countries, medical assistance both here and abroad etc... Now whether you see it as a major publicity stunt by the American Idol people, the celebs & companies that participate...or a genuine attempt to give back to those less fortunate...there is something heart warming in it all. As I watched, and saw how many needs there were, and how easily people stepped up to volunteer and serve, as well as give money to these many causes...the thought came to mind..."something about serving & giving" resonates in the human spirit. I believe it is how God has wired us. We have been made in His image, the bible says, so it's a part of who He is and who we are designed to be. We know deep down that its the right thing to do. "To those much has been given...much is required" is how the bible says it. I realize that not everyone contributing, volunteering, organizing, performing and staging this fund raising event are necessarily motivated by a desire to "express God's love to people"...but deep down they know this is how it should be, this is the right thing to do. The show closed with Mariah Carey singing a gospel song and then the big finish. All this season's contestants came out and sang "Shout to the Lord". A song of worship, right out of scripture. It's a song that speaks of a bible passage that says "the mountains will bow down and the seas will roar" in praise to God. It reminds me of when Jesus spoke of "the rocks of the earth will sing out", if people wouldn't choose to worship God. Wouldn't it be sadly embarrassing to stand before God outdone by a "rock". The thought came to mind..."as the western church becomes more & more self indulgent...often forgetting the ways we are to use the resources God has given us (as the blog entry "Stop the Madness" discusses)... becoming less and less about assisting people in our churches and within our communities...God will find someone else to do it...if we don't choose to!" Isn't it embarrassing that the western church is being outdone by American Idol? Isn't it sad that people are more than willing to agree that "serving & giving" are good...yet we as churches often don't live it out. The closing song was a reminder to us all...if we don't "choose" to do what Jesus taught us...God will get it done one way or another. At ECHO we recognize that some churches and Jesus followers take these needs seriously, and are doing their best (i.e. Rick Warren, Bono, World Vision, Compassion etc...)...but wouldn't it be a huge impact here in Eugene/Springfield if more churches and Jesus followers "chose" to serve & give to the many, many needs of our community. Do you realize that "if" every church in our area served our community with 2 to 3 thousand dollars of meeting needs...that about a quarter million dollars of expressing God's love would permeate Eugene/Springfield...per month! Do you think some may see that as a better representation of who Jesus asked us to be? We cannot speak for other churches but we at ECHO "choose" to invest in our communities needs over our own "wants". We see this as an essential part of living out the love of God, and in that we experience the love of God personally, as we share it with others! Jesus warned us not to see a need, and turn people away with a pat on the back & a prayer...when you could have helped. In fact Jesus said, "if you did it for the least of these...you did it for Me".

be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude, ECHO