LCMS president Harrison encourages support and prayer for Japan

President Harrison encourages prayer and support for Japan from VimeoLCMS on Vimeo.

Helping the Homeless

From Messiah's February 2011 Newsletter

Driving around town, it’s easy to notice the many people standing on street corners holding cardboard signs asking for some kind of help. It seems as if their numbers have increased over the last few years with our struggling economy. As you sit in your car at a stop light, one of these individuals approaches. What do you do? Do you reach out and hand them some cash? Do you offer them some food that you happen to have in your car? Or do you stare straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact? And what do you think of this individual? Do you assume they are lazy? Addicted? Mentally disturbed? Lying? Genuinely down on their luck and without a “safety net” of family and friends?

The Bible tells us that we are to be generous and merciful to the poor. The book of Proverbs says, “Blessed is he who is generous to the poor” (Prov. 14:22) … “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord” (Prov. 19:17) … “Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Prov. 31:9) In the New Testament, St. Paul in particular holds up the example of the Macedonian and Achaian Christians who gathered a collection for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem who were suffering from the effects of a famine (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:13-15). Likewise, in the context of explaining that faith without works is dead, James gives us this example: “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16) James is speaking of helping those within the Church, yet his words may echo in our ears every time we pass by someone holding one of those cardboard signs.

So how do we respond? It’s not wise to hand out money, since we can’t be assured that it will be put to good use, especially when there are many on the streets who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. A hot meal is always welcome, so perhaps a booklet of fast food gift certificates is a good thing to keep in your vehicle. You can direct them to a shelter, but what if the shelter is full? Inviting them into your home would not be safe or prudent.

Being on a busy boulevard and near a freeway offramp, people occasionally stop by the church to ask for help. Recently, a man dropped in who was trying to make it to Bellingham, so I directed him to a homeless shelter there. On the shelter’s website (thelighthousemission.org), I found some helpful suggestions about ways to truly help the homeless whom we meet. The following is adapted from their website.

1. Never give cash. Too often, well-intended gifts are converted to drugs or alcohol - even when the "hard luck" stories they tell are true. If the person is hungry, refer them to a local meal program.
2. Talk to the person with respect. Taking time to talk to a homeless person in a friendly, respectful manner can give them a wonderful sense of civility and dignity. And besides being just neighborly, it gives the person a weapon to fight the isolation, depression, and paranoia that many homeless people face.
3. Recognize that homeless people (and their problems) are not all the same. The homeless are as diverse as the colors of a rainbow. The person you meet may be a battered woman, an addicted veteran, someone who is lacking job skills … the list goes on.
4. Share God's love whenever you can. If Jesus were walking the earth today, He would certainly spend time with the homeless. He would speak with them, love them, and help them. Today, Jesus works through people like you and me.
5. Pray for the homeless. Exposure to the elements, dire, occasional violence, and lack of purpose all drain years from a person's life. God can use your prayers so that the brutality and futility of life on the street may bring many of the broken to himself.
6. Take precautions for your own safety. Some living on the streets are criminals and fugitives running from the law. Always be prudent while talking with street people. Stay in areas where other people can see you. Don't take unnecessary chances.
7. Encourage the homeless to get help at a local shelter. Local shelters offer immediate food and shelter to the homeless. Some offer long-term rehabilitation programs that deal with the root causes of homelessness.
8. Support your local shelter. Find out how you can help by donating resources or volunteering your time.

Whenever God presents the opportunity for me to assist someone, I try to always point them to my motivation to help. I tell them something like the following, and you can put this in your own words when God gives you an opportunity to help someone in need. Tell them “God has blessed me so much, even though I don’t deserve it. None of us do because we are sinners. Yet God in his grace and mercy has forgiven me all my sins by sending his Son Jesus to die on the cross as my Savior. I have the riches of heaven. And through God’s love for me in Christ, I can share this small gift with you.” When they insist on repaying you, tell them it’s not necessary. They often will insist, but don’t expect it. In my 15 years in the ministry, only one person has returned to repay what was given to them. But that’s beside the point when doing an act of mercy. After all, there’s no way you or I can repay God for his mercy shown to us in Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 8-9, St. Paul encourages the Christians in Corinth to give generously and cheerfully, not under compulsion. And the motivation to do so is centered in Jesus. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9) … rich not in temporal goods, but the riches of heaven, forgiveness, everlasting life. The Lord “has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (2 Cor. 9:9). God has indeed “distributed freely” to those who are poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3), that is, those who recognize their spiritual poverty before the Lord, and who know that the righteousness of Christ bestowed upon them in Baptism and received by faith is truly priceless.

In Christ’s service and yours,
Pastor Onken

Update on Chilean Earthquake and LCMS response

For some reason, the earthquake in Chile has not gotten the same amount of news coverage as the quake in Haiti. Not sure exactly why this is. Could be the closer proximity of the US to Haiti. Could be that people perceive of Chile as being a more prosperous nation than Haiti, therefore the Chileans have more resources to deal with their situation than the Haitians. Nevertheless, the LCMS and other sister churches are responding. What follows is another news story from LCMS World Mission e-News.

Chilean church plans for post-earthquake ministry

In the midst of the chaos following the Feb. 27 earthquake and resulting tsunami, leaders and members of the Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (IELCHI) remain focused on how they can minister to each other and to others in their communities.

An earthquake hit Chile in the early morning of Feb. 27, with its epicenter near Concepción, Chile's second-largest city. The resulting tsunami, looting, lack of water and electricity, road closures, and airport closings have affected millions of Chileans.

On March 2, Rev. Carlos Schumann, president of the IELCHI, wrote an e-mail to President Kieschnick, expressing thanks for his concern and encouragement during this difficult time. President Schumann wrote, "I enormously thank President Kieschnick for putting all the support force of the Synod to our service."

Schumann also shared that after a special meeting of the IELCHI, plans are emerging for ministry in this post-disaster situation. Schumann shared that the church will take advantage of contacts that they have in areas badly affected by the earthquake to visit and see how they can help. He also stated that they hope to establish a base of operations in one of the affected areas and that the church hopes to respond to both urgent and long-term needs, both material and spiritual. Schumann shared that the IELCHI hopes to minister to smaller communities where damage is proportionally higher than in some of the larger cities-communities that have been "forgotten by TV cameras" and have suffered damage from the tsunami that followed the earthquake.

Rev. Dr. Jorge Groh, regional director for LCMS World Mission in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Olga Groh, director of project management in Latin America and the Caribbean for LCMS World Mission and LCMS World Relief and Human Care, have been in contact with President Schumann and others from the IELCHI since the earthquake hit. The Grohs, and potentially, other LCMS representatives, plan to visit Chile on March 12 to help evaluate the opportunities for post-disaster ministry and to encourage the leaders and members of the IELCHI.

Rev. Christian Rautenberg, an IELCHI pastor serving in Santiago, Chile, expressed thanks for the support the Chilean Lutherans have received from their brothers and sisters in other countries, and shared an update on the IELCHI's steps to minister to people in their communities. On March 2, he wrote, "Thanks for the message and support in the times that we are living. Thank God we are already quite recovered from the destruction. The electricity is gradually returning, along with the water. As it was reflected yesterday in an urgent meeting with IELCHI, God has been our refuge and strength despite the forces of nature. He is still sustaining us every moment with His grace.

"I'm still making visits to people who have suffered badly. This morning, I visited several families in the community of La Florida, a neighborhood with many poor households where one family that goes to church lives. We are still in the stage of gathering information and making a list of people that we are going to visit-especially in the south. We are bringing the encouragement of the Word to all those we meet."

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil, Lutheran Church-Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay, and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have pledged to support their Chilean brothers and sisters in various ways in this time of need.

On behalf of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, LCMS World Relief and Human Care (the mercy arm of the LCMS) is working cooperatively with LCMS World Mission (the mission sending arm of the LCMS), LCMS congregations and districts, and U.S. and international partners to provide immediate and long-term relief for the people of Chile and Confessional Lutheran Church of Chile (IELCHI). Learn more about the LCMS' partner/sister church, the IELCHI, at www.ielchi.cl.

LCMS response to the Chile earthquake

This is from the LCMS World Mission e-news.

LCMS offers prayers and support for Chile and partners

The president of the LCMS' Chilean partner church body said his members and pastors are safe following the Feb. 27 8.8 magnitude earthquake even as the church body's assessment of damage continues.

"By God's grace, [none] of our church members and pastors' families have suffered," wrote Rev. Carlos Schumann, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Chile (IELCHI), in an e-mail to the LCMS.

The LCMS is monitoring the needs of the partner church and has pledged assistance in the aftermath of the earthquake that claimed more than 700 lives, toppled thousands of buildings and homes, and left an estimated 2 million people homeless.

Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, president of the LCMS, expressed sorrow and concern for the Chilean people and the IELCHI in an electronic letter Sunday to Schumann.

"We thank God that He remains faithful to His promises, and we pray that He will give you strength and wisdom for the challenges of today, tomorrow, and for many days and years to come,'' Kieschnick wrote. "May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord!''

The IELCHI, while still assessing the earthquake's effects on its members, buildings, and schools, has reported no serious damage from the quake to its congregations and schools. The earthquake is one of the worst on record.

Kieschnick asked staff from LCMS World Mission-led by Rev. Dr. Jorge Groh, regional director for Latin America-and LCMS World Relief and Human Care, to remain in contact with the IELCHI. "While already committing human and fiscal resources to relief and rebuilding in Haiti, we stand ready to be of assistance in any way possible in the aftermath of this very powerful earthquake in your country,'' Kieschnick wrote in his electronic letter.

Rev. Christian Rautenberg serves at the IELCHI's mission site in the Chilean capital, Santiago, which was also affected by the quake. In an e-mail to Groh on Monday, March 1, he wrote, "Today we are having an emergency church meeting to analyze the situation and the requests for help and support because this situation is also an opportunity to bring the Gospel message in an integrated manner to those who are suffering."

Schumann thanked the LCMS' "brothers and sisters that are praying for us and our country.

"So, just [one] thing remains firm: God's merciful and powerful hands where your life by faith quietly rests,'' he wrote in a reply to Kieschnick. "I'm really [appreciative of] your kind, warm and friendly concern about us and the whole Chilean church.''

On behalf of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, LCMS World Relief and Human Care (the mercy arm of the LCMS) will work cooperatively with LCMS World Mission (the mission sending arm of the LCMS), LCMS congregations and districts, and U.S. and international partners to provide immediate and long-term relief for the people of Chile and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Chile.

To subscribe to any LCMS e-news lists, click here.

Blogging about the relief efforts in Haiti

Read the latest posts as of today on the blogs or sites linked below for some personal perspectives on the relief efforts in Haiti, specifically the work of teams put together and sent by LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

Mercy Journeys with Pastor Harrison

The ABC3s of Miscellany

LCMS World Relief: Haiti Earthquake Relief

Nord Est Haiti Lutheran Mission Orphanage Updates

Haiti Update from Emily Bartelheimer

Here's a follow up from a previous email received from Emily Bartelheimer regarding Pastor Daniel Paul and the orphanage in Ounaminthe.

Hello,

School will be canceled for one month; however, the orphans will still have classes, but not the other children in the community to attend school at the orphanage.

The road from Ouanaminthe to Port-au-Prince in impassable. As a result there are no public buses. Samuel, Pastor Daniel's brother-in-law, has no way of returning to Ouanaminthe and will stay with family near PAP until the roads improve.

Pastor went to work in the garden on Saturday. People cut down one of his trees in his garden to make charcoal. He was devastated. The price of charcoal has doubled in one week due to the rain and the earthquake. People have also stolen cassava and sweet potatoes from the orphanage garden. He harvested some of them and planted more. Food prices have already began to soar and people are desperate.

Some people were asking if specific people were alive. Here is an update:

-Rico and David, Pastor's brothers, are alive. However, like all Haitians in PAP, the economical situation is devastating. There is no food.
-Pastor Daniel's sister's cousin died.
-Nelson is alive.
-Danya is alive, but her father is still missing.

Emily

There are many ways to help the people of Haiti. The easiest is simply to donate directly to LCMS World Relief and Human Care. Click here for a form to fill out and donate.

Also, since prices for goods have skyrocketed, you can send monetary donations that will directly be sent to the orphanage in Ounaminthe. Donations can be sent to NEHLM, c/o Faith Lutheran Church, 104 S 12th Street, La Grande, OR 97850. More information can be found at www.NEHLM.com .

Harrison on Haiti

A post entitled "Holding Steady in the Chaos" from Pastor Matt Harrison's Mercy Journeys blog:

Urgent patience is our mode now. It’s been a completely chaotically normal first three days after a horrific disaster. Seismic indicators registered the event. Silence from Port au Prince, then trickling info, third hand. Then by Wednesday night voices were arising who’d seen it first hand. Total devastation. People in the streets immediately after the event, looking, calling desperately into the rubble. Most hearing no reply. Reports of the airport closed, then open, then choked with traffic, then closed again. Reports of the port filling with ships, of hastily prepared relief cargo slipping into the ocean on the way, of other ports suitable and not. A sporadic message or two began coming from this cell phone or that within Haiti, but mostly busy signals – all one metaphor for an infrastructure unequal to the challenge in the best of circumstances.

The theological loons began. “Haiti made a pact with the devil.” “Something in its past.” I’m sorry, but I have little time for prognosticating, would be “prophets” who can’t get the basics of the Christian faith right (justification, Baptism, Lord’s Supper, a-millennialism). This event is just as much a judgment upon the Christian community in America for largely ignoring the screaming need in our own hemisphere. In God’s economy it is most often the righteous who suffer, and the evil that “prosper.”

In any case, we now begin down the path of tending to our brothers and sisters in Christ in Haiti, and as they are even now and have been from the moment of the earthquake, caring for their neighbors, we will come along side and increase their capacity to do so. And midst all the weakness and pain, the strength of the Lord will be made perfect in weakness.

Matt H.

Pastor Matt Harrison is Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care.

Haiti Relief

As you well know if you have been watching the news, the people of Haiti are in dire need of help following a devastating earthquake. While there are many worthwhile relief agencies to support, please consider making a donation to our own LCMS World Relief and Human Care. Here is a video with Pastor Matt Harrison (Executive Director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care) discussing the issue.



Click here to go to the Disaster Response page of the website of LCMS World Relief and Human Care. There you will find links to articles about the situation in Haiti. At the bottom of each article, there is a "Give Now" button where you can donate, or simply click here to go directly to a form by which you can give directly to the efforts on behalf of Haiti.

Youth Group Food Pantry Contest

The contest is on! The junior youth have accepted the challenge from the senior youth!

The Goal: To see who can collect the most food for the church pantry (the one for those who ask for assistance, homeless, etc.)

The Items: Foods that can be eaten without much preparation (for example, pudding cups, snack packs, crackers, peanut butter, tuna with pop top cans or tear open foil packages, things like that...think like someone who has no place to cook or prepare their food).

The Deadline: Sunday, November 29

The Collection Center: Boxes in the Council Room at church...but make sure you put your food in the right one. Don't let the wrong youth group get all the credit!

Above all, remember that this is a great way to give thanks to God for the blessings that you have been given and to serve your neighbor in love for Jesus' sake.