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Establishing the Work of Our Hands
The picture above (which accompanied the article "It's Simple" by Luke Erickson and Tom Moen in this week's print edition) reminds us of the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31: “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy” (v. 20). She is typical of men and women described in our series ongoing through 2009. The theme (borrowed from last year’s National Missionary Convention) “Get Your Hands Dirty” connects their stories.
We’ve included in their number not only those whose hands are literally soiled by digging wells, collecting trash, remodeling mission outposts, or building homes. Instead the theme is a metaphor for all kinds of Christian service, a wide range of sacrificial activities to help the suffering in the name of Christ.
Sometimes dealing with physical grime would be easier than the service these folks render. Cleaning a park or painting a house are activities with a predictable beginning and end. But the commitment demonstrated by the counselors Nancy Karpenske describes in "Strengthening Families" is ongoing—and, we suspect, sometimes intrusive, often inconvenient, and usually unheralded. But surely these counselors extend their hands with emotional support as valuable as the lifting of any physical load.
This week’s stories add the dimension of partnership with civic and community organizations. Our writers echo what others have said: There’s really no need for the church to duplicate what the community has already begun. But when Christians take their place as a part of the community to make services possible, they demonstrate the love of God and earn the right to discuss it.
We look forward to telling more stories like these through the rest of the year. And we encourage servants like these to make the psalmist’s prayer their own:
“May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; . . . establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:17).
WATCH NEXT WEEK FOR THE SECOND OF OUR SPECIAL TWO-WEEK ISSUES THIS YEAR. Many of the features in the issue address the week’s central theme: “The Lord’s Supper, a Memory and More.”
• Ethan Magness tells us how his church teaches about and celebrates Communion. You’ll find insight and ideas for your own observance of the Supper in his reflection and suggestions.
• Jim Tune looks at Communion in a growing new church plant in Toronto. What is the impact of this weekly celebration on the multiethnic, religiously diverse community he is reaching?
• Paul Blowers thinks about memory and considers the special blessing—and responsibility—to remember.
• Victor Knowles reminds us how our practice of weekly Communion is reinforced by the history of our movement.
PREVIOUS COLUMNS:
November 18, 2009 - Meeting the Needs by Providing the Wants
November 11, 2009 - The Most Important Leadership Task
November 4, 2009 - Like a Good Neighbor?
October 28, 2009 - Tell Us Your Read!
October 21, 2009 - A Life that Matters
October 14, 2009 - No Laughing Matter
September 30, 2009 - Tell Us About Your Celebration!
September 23, 2009 - What We Do, Why It Matters
September 16, 2009 - Put on Your Shoes
September 9, 2009 - Read the Report, Get the Deluxe Edition
September 2, 2009 - Reflecting Our Desire to Serve a Diverse Fellowship
August 26, 2009 - Leading the Trends
August 19, 2009 - How Will You Celebrate Great Communion?
August 12, 2009 - Serving for a Lifetime
August 5, 2009 - More Than Technology, and Not Boring at All
July 29, 2009 - Valuable Downloads for You and Others You Know
July 22, 2009 - Choosing My Focus, Protecting My Ministry
July 8, 2009 - Remembering, Renewal, and Celebration
June 24, 2009 - The Baptism Bandwagon
June 17, 2009 - Congratulations Compass Christian Church!
June 10, 2009 - Through the Ages and Around the World
June 3, 2009 - Much More Important Than Money
May 27, 2009 - Simply Appealing
May 20, 2009 - More Than Talk About Unity
May 13, 2009 - The Final Challenge
May 6, 2009 - Doing Good–an Earmark of Our Times?
April 29, 2009 - Campus Ministries–Something Special
April 15, 2009 - Your Vision--and Ours
April 8, 2009 - Exciting Times, Hopeful Times, Times to Be a Blessing
April 1, 2009 - More Than One Way to Use a Magazine
March 25, 2009 - Highlighting the Beauty of Baptism
March 18, 2009 - Our Money Can Point People to Jesus
March 11, 2009 - More Than a Matter of Percentage
March 4, 2009 - To Keep, to Share, to Teach
February 25, 2009 - Preventing Spiritual Desertion
February 18, 2009 - What’s the Future for the World Convention?
February 11, 2009 - Another Visit with an Old Friend
February 4, 2009 - Safe Streets, Saved Souls
January 28, 2009 - Random Notes, Important Items
January 21, 2009 - Notes From a Trip to a Place I Never Thought I’d Visit
January 14, 2009 - Great Communion in Greater Pittsburgh
January 7, 2009 - Something New–-for All Our Readers
December 31, 2008 - New Year, New Theme, New Writers
December 23, 2008 - A Picture of the Elders in Our Churches, Part Two
December 17, 2008 - Christmas and the Promise of Peace
December 10, 2008 - A Picture of the Elders in Our Churches, Part One
December 3, 2008 - Big Ideas for Smaller Churches
November 26, 2008 - How Will We React to Economic Slowdown?
November 19, 2008 - Thankful for Our Riches
November 12, 2008 - The Right Decisions in a Downturn
November 5, 2008 - If You Feed It, It Will Grow
October 29, 2008 - Giving a Shrug About Politics
October 22, 2008 - Could We Have Been Better Prepared?
October 15, 2008 - Clear Desks and Clean Hearts
October 8, 2008 - Church Health and Attendance Numbers–How Do They Relate?
October 1, 2008 - An Opportunity Too Important to Miss!
September 24, 2008 - A Simple Survey by, for, and About Elders
September 17, 2008 - Should Anything Change About the NACC?
September 10, 2008 - New Name, Consistent Service
September 3, 2008 - Our Online Review of a Best-seller
August 27, 2008 - Meaningful Connections and Maturing Disciples?
August 20, 2008 - A Week of Blessing for a Life of Grace
August 13, 2008 - Both Sides and a Strong Conclusion
August 6, 2008 - Simply Challenging
July 30, 2008 - First Steps Toward Mending Broken Relationships
July 23, 2008 - Spontaneous Combustion and the Weekly Grind
July 16, 2008 - Showing a Better Way
July 9, 2008 - Staying Connected–It’s to Our Benefit!
July 2, 2008 - Let’s See More Stories Like This One
June 25, 2008 - What Part of Speech Should ‘Christian’ Be?
June 18, 2008 - Shepherding: A Bigger Task Than Most Are Accomplishing
June 11, 2008 - Hoping to See You in Cincinnati!
June 4, 2008 - Four Standards for Small Groups
May 28, 2008 - Can We Do It His Way?
May 21, 2008 - From Guilt to Joy
May 14, 2008 - Some Prayer Requests Can Hurt
May 7, 2008 - Beyond the Steeples
April 30, 2008 - External Focus, Careful Balance
April 23, 2008 - Available Only from Us
April 16, 2008 - Struggles in High Places
April 9, 2008 - About Megachurches, for Every Church
April 2, 2008 - Presidents, Preachers, Passion, and Public Speaking
March 26, 2008 - Who Cares Who’s Watching?
March 19, 2008 - A Program to Recognize the Leaders You Know
March 12, 2008 - Why Attend a Christian College?
March 5, 2008 - Your Opinion About Our Unique Identity
February 27, 2008 - We Can Agree on Some Things About Elders
February 20, 2008 - The Possibilities–and the Purposes–of Staying Connected
February 13, 2008 - This Is What’s ‘Actually Happening’
February 6, 2008 - Mike Huckabee, Cultural Decay, and Christians Like Us
January 30, 2008 - Ministers: The Happiest Workers in America
January 23, 2008 - Just to Remind You
January 16, 2008 - God’s Word, Our Opportunity
January 9, 2008 - Written for Readers
January 2, 2008 - Making the Most of Our Opportunities
December 26, 2007 - Change: How to Accomplish the ‘Impossible’
December 19, 2007 - The Price of War, the Promise of Peace
December 12, 2007 - What About a Happy Christmas?
December 5, 2007 - Holly, Jolly, and Holy?
November 28, 2007 - News From Their Annual Meeting
November 21, 2007 - Natural Thanksgiving
November 14, 2007 - While We Are Waiting
November 7, 2007 - The Most Important Plan
October 31, 2007 - Why Not Take Two or More?
October 24, 2007 - Ministers Deserve Our Gratitude
October 17, 2007 - Ad Pitches and Spiritual Warfare
October 10, 2007 - Moving Beyond ‘Common’
October 3, 2007 - Christian Teenagers and Their Sexual Behavior
September 26, 2007 - A Special Couple, a Special Ceremony
September 19, 2007 - Why Attend the North American Christian Convention?
September 12, 2007 - Let’s Add Our Voices to the Conversation
September 5, 2007 - Earthly Hurts and an Eternal Perspective
August 29, 2007 - Changing to Serve You Better
August 22, 2007 - Can the Church Impact Culture?
August 15, 2007 - The Cure for Cultural Dysfunction
August 8, 2007 - NACC: Blessings and Disappointments
August 1, 2007 - Experience the Energy
July 25, 2007 - My Most Effective Mentor
July 18, 2007 - Simpler Times, Different Expectations
July 11, 2007 - Sometimes Retreat Is the Best Solution
July 3, 2007 - Partnering to Grow Disciples
June 27, 2007 - Our Greatest Hope
June 20, 2007 - Are You Wonderful?
June 13, 2007 - Connecting with You in Kansas City
June 6, 2007 - The Lodge and the Lord’s Supper
May 30, 2007 - Physical Bodies, Spiritual Decisions
May 23, 2007 - Of Pentecost and Mission Trips
May 16, 2007 - Dismissing God Along with the ‘Reverend’
May 9, 2007 - The Problem of Poverty Needs More Than Prayer
May 2, 2007 - Proving Nothing
April 25, 2007 - In Case You’ve Missed Our Blogs
April 18, 2007 - Change Is
April 11, 2007 - A Time for Remembering
April 4, 2007 - Why We Celebrate
March 28, 2007 - They Deserve Our Support!
March 21, 2007 - New Resources From Us for You
March 14, 2007 - A Fresh Start, a Firm Commitment
March 7, 2007 - The Woman at the Workshop
February 28, 2007 - More Important than Trans Fat
February 21, 2007 - A Series About Calvinism
February 14, 2007 - The Best Convention Ever!
February 7, 2007 - Now More Than Ever
January 31, 2007 - Helping You Stay Connected
January 24, 2007 - Deciding What to Move
January 17, 2007 - A Nagging Concern
January 10, 2007 - Two Important People
January 3, 2007 - Embracing the Possibilities of Postmodernism
December 27, 2006 - New Year, New Relationship
December 20, 2006 - The Path of Peace
December 13, 2006 - Growing in Size and Impact
December 6, 2006 - Hitting Their Stride
November 29, 2006 - Refusing to Look the Other Way
November 22, 2006 - Stopped Short by the Principal's Passion
November 15, 2006 - Courage for a Reluctant Leader
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October 25, 2006 - Do You Have a Friend?
October 18, 2006 - Line 'em Up and Lay It on 'em
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September 20, 2006 - Better Than Iron Pills
September 13, 2006 - First Step, Big Step?
September 6, 2006 - Good News Is for Sharing
August 30, 2006 - Something in Addition to Work
August 23, 2006 - Recognizing Leaders in Christian Service
August 16, 2006 - Standard Publishing Sale Announced
August 9, 2006 - It Was a God Thing
August 2, 2006 - God Creates, Man Imitates
July 26, 2006 - One Course, Two Kinds of Runners
July 19, 2006 - Please Update Your Listing!
July 12, 2006 - To Read and Remember
July 5, 2006 - Lessons at a Lemonade Stand
June 28, 2006 - Can We Allow What We Do Not Advocate?
June 21, 2006 - What Should We Do With Our Story?
June 14, 2006 - Quantity, Quality, and Presentation
June 7, 2006 - The Apostle's Ministry--and Mine
May 31, 2006 - A Wonderful Way to Demonstrate Unity
May 24, 2006 - Come Visit Our Blogs
May 17, 2006 - Free to Share Our Freedom
May 10, 2006 - What We Can Do if We Can't Agree
May 3, 2006 - Everybody's Challenge
April 26, 2006 - Publishing and Partnering
April 19, 2006 - Serving You Behind the Scenes
April 12, 2006 - It's About Easter
April 5, 2006 - Calling All Leaders, Announcing All Megachurches
March 29, 2006 - 140 Years and Tomorrow
March 22, 2006 - Have We Said Enough?
March 15, 2006 - The Stories and the Strength
March 8, 2006 - The Truth About Elders and Ministers
March 1, 2006 - Our Influence Through the Local Church
February 22, 2006 - Healthy Churches Come in All Sizes!
February 15, 2006 - What's So Important?
February 8, 2006 - More Than One Month
February 1, 2006 - A Place in the History Books
January 25, 2006 - Joyful Givers
January 18, 2006 - Is 'Traditional' a Dirty Word?
January 11, 2006 - Knowing His Heart
January 4, 2006 - These People Are Making a Difference
January 3, 2006 - Embracing the Possibilities in Postmodernism
January 3, 2006 - Embracing the Possibilities in Postmodernism
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December 14, 2005 - Their Joy Can Be Ours
December 7, 2005 - Helping Preachers Set a Higher Standard
November 30, 2005 - Surprised but Not Discouraged
November 23, 2005 - God Talk at Starbucks
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November 2, 2005 - Receding Differences
October 26, 2005 - The Giving We Dare Not Forget
October 19, 2005 - Poorest of All
October 12, 2005 - An Interview With the Director
October 5, 2005 - How We Look at a Minister's Departure
September 28, 2005 - The Problems With Original Preaching
September 21, 2005 - A Month for Ministers
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August 24, 2005 - I Can See You, September
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July 6, 2005 - Disney's Disaster
June 29, 2005 - Looking Again at the Badge of 'Big'
June 22, 2005 - We Need Both
June 15, 2005 - 'What We Believe'
June 9, 2005 - Filling Time or Shaping Hearts?
June 4, 2005 - Engaging And Excellent
May 29, 2005 - Beyond Laughter
May 22, 2005 - Sign On and Stay in Touch
May 15, 2005 - Soft-Spoken, Kind, and Fondly Remembered
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