Jan 19, 2011
Tommy Shelton
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31:8
Living on mission as a follower of Jesus Christ involves aligning our social concerns with those of our Father as laid out in scripture. Throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments we see God's special care and concern for the most vulnerable members of society: children, orphans, widows, lepors, aliens, immigrants, etc. Pursuing justice on behalf of these members is one way we can live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our world. In doing so, we help usher in God's Kingdom.
Children who fall victim to human trafficking are one such group of vulnerables that we are sadly confronted with today. Statistics give evidence to the fact that human trafficking goes on the rise dramatically in cities that host the Super Bowl. With that event coming to our area in a matter of weeks, we serve ourselves and our community well by helping to raise awareness. To that end, I point you toward a recent blog post by Gail Seidel, the wife of Fellowship Dallas elder, Andy Seidel, for more information and action steps you can take:
http://blogs.bible.org/tapestry/gail_seidel/human_trafficking_and_the_super_bowl.
Here also is a recent Dallas Morning News article that makes the reality of this threat to our community all too real:
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20110118-pimp-pleads-guilty-to-forcing-underage-girl-to-turn-tricks-in-dallas-authorities-say.ece
And, of course, let's not forget our most poweful weapon against such evil--prayer!
Jan 17, 2011
Tommy Shelton
Today is an opportunity to remember Martin Luther King and all that he stood bravely for, fought non-violently for, and was killed ultimately for. One under-girding truth that motivated him is clear from this excerpt of his sermon entitled "The American Dream".
"You see, the founding fathers were really influenced by the Bible. The whole concept of the imago dei, as it is expressed in Latin, the "image of God," is the idea that all men have something within them that God injected. Not that they have substantial unity with God, but that every man has a capacity to have fellowship with God. And this gives him a uniqueness, it gives him worth, it gives him dignity. And we must never forget this as a nation: There are no gradations in the image of God. Every man from a treble white to a bass black is significant on God's keyboard, precisely because every man is made in the image of God. One day we will learn that. We will know one day that God made us to live together as brothers and to respect the dignity and worth of every man. This is why we must fight segregation with all of our nonviolent might."
(Preached at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, July 4, 1965, as printed in "Generous Justice" by Timothy Keller, Dutton, 2010, pp 86-87.)
This same humbling truth--that we are all unique carriers of the image of God and that He created us for relationship with Him--should motivate us as well in all our dealings with one another and especially in our efforts to fulfill the Community Transformation outcome of the vision God has given Fellowship Dallas.
When you think of each person as a unique expression of the image of God and as a relative of God, how does that change your attitudes and actions toward them?
Jan 03, 2011
Tommy Shelton
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV).
As I've thought about what I hope 2011 will be and what I might accomplish, change, improve at, learn new, become more disciplined in, etc., I realize that it will all be for naught if I don't start from the foundation of knowing Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The truth and power that come from that knowledge--an intimate knowing that our common usage of "knowing" doesn't do justice to--must inform and empower everything I deisre, hope for and attempt. So, I just scratched my previous list and am starting a new one and number one on the list is knowing Christ better. I love that our Join the Journey subject this year is the Gospels. That will be one way I get to know Him even better--to study what He did and said. Another is to look more deeply at what the apostles did and said as they got to know Him during their time together. I'll be able to get at that too as we go through the Gospels. But, I also want to look at the letters of Peter, John and Paul to dig for their "knowing Christ" passages. I am thankful that, after living on this earth for half a century, God has brought me to a place of realizing that I can't start a new year, a new day, a new project, or anything else without first knowing Jesus Christ and Him crucified. As Paul said in his letter to the believers in Philippi, "...I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..." Philippians 3:8 (NIV). I know I don't have the strength to do this. But, thankfully, God's ever-flowing supply of grace is my strength.
My encouragement to you this day is to go back to whatever list of resolutions, dreams, hopes, etc. that you have for 2011 and put this one first: to know--and I mean really know Him at a heart level--Jesus Christ. Let me know how you plan to do that and I'll do the same.
