Nicholas Wolterstorff once wrote, “As we wind our way through this world and come across injustice, we meet a wounded God.” This past January, the wounds of God were all too evident on the trip that Dr. Mariano Avila led of eight students to Honduras. Yet the sound of God’s voice and glimpses of God’s face were unmistakably clear as well. The clarity of this vision of God was made manifest in the people touched by and working through la Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa (ASJ), a Honduran Christian organization working for justice. Our trip was facilitated by Association for a More Just Society-U.S., a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit that supports the Honduran organization’s work.

The city of Tegucigalpa where we stayed.

Whether by securing land contracts, investigating criminal activity, offering micro-loans, or reporting on corruption, ASJ and other agencies serve as Christ’s hands and feet in the nation with currently the highest murder rate in the world. Its members do this because they understand that being an agent of God’s shalom means having and living a risky faith.

Seventy percent of Hondurans live in poverty. Outside investors hold many of the resources and manipulate the system to maintain their power. The profit they make is not reinvested in the Honduran economy but sent to their own countries.

The crackdown on the drug trade in Mexico and Colombia heightened the drug trade in Honduras. Eighty percent of the cocaine imported into the U.S. comes through Central American countries.^[1] As a result, the murder rate in Honduras is presently eighty-two per one hundred thousand people (as compared to five per one hundred thousand people in the United States).^[2]

While the evangelical population in Honduras is growing, violence, corruption, gang activity and drug trafficking are increasing as well. The country has no long, abiding constitution (the current one was written in the 1980s), and thus respect for the law is low, particularly among politicians. Various ministries have been working here for years, starting small Christian schools and health clinics. However the depths these efforts can go in reforming Honduran society is limited. This is where ASJ comes in. Their approach focuses on changing systems of injustice and intercepting the cycle of poverty.

ASJ works to honor life and defend justice with complete dependence on God. ASJ understands that, as in the United States, there are systems in place that work to actively maintain poverty. Justice is, at its core, an issue of power. The abuse and misuse of power is the root of injustice. ASJ has begun to address corrupt systems and change them by seeking justice. While the efforts of many ministries are limited to acts of mercy, ASJ seeks both mercy and justice—that is, to meet needs and bring about systemic changes for a more just society.

The staff at ASJ acknowledges the fact that proclaiming the gospel means risking ones’ self for others. The four issues ASJ addresses include violence (sexual, domestic, and gang), corruption, land rights, and labor rights.

One program our class learned about was Rescate or “Rescue from Child Sexual Abuse.” Rescate is an arm of ASJ which works to seek justice and healing for sexually abused children. The program has three components: investigative, legal, and psychological. In each area, ASJ has capable and passionate people working to serve those whom society often neglects. They work with police and the public prosecutor’s office to see that perpetrators receive justice, that victimized children are kept safe, and that they and their families receive therapy to work towards healing.

From left to right: Brandon Haan, Shannon Jammal-Hollemans, Daniel Choi, Katie Proctor, Adam Van Gelder, AJ Gretz, Amber Green, Steve De Haan, Kristi Buursma, Rosy Avila and Dr. Mariano Avila.

Another ASJ program is an independent news source, Revistazo.com. The site publishes stories of corruption, such as the 15,000 people (mostly friends of politicians) who received salaries as teachers in schools they did not teach. Revistazo.com publishes lists of teachers on the payroll at each school so that communities can ensure their funds are being properly spent. Revistazo.com also exposes companies that exploit fast food, security, and cleaning workers by publishing investigative findings as well as filing formal complaints against them for human rights violations with the government.

Nueva Suyapa is a central site of ASJ’s efforts. There are forty-four evangelical churches located in this small community. We had the privilege of speaking to the leaders of two of them, Pastors Luis and Ramon. Pastor Luis is from the Brigades of Love denomination, and works a great deal with both members and non-members his church on drug rehabilitation. Pastor Ramon is the leader of the Christian Reformed Church in Nueva Suyapa. He told us, “If you are not willing to give someone something to eat, don’t bother sharing the gospel.”

ASJ works towards a more just Honduras with a functional government no longer in need of external aid. Today, however, the basic needs of many Hondurans are not met. One of the organizations helping to fill these gaps is Diaconia Honduras, an agency formed by the Christian Reformed Churches in the country to respond to the overwhelming demands of poverty. They work in a variety of ways, both preventative and restorative, to serve as Christ’s hands and feet. These efforts include ecclesiastical training, community development, preventative health education, scholarships, and water projects.

In all of the work our class was able to observe while in Honduras, the Biblical vision of shalom, of desperation and courage met by restoration and healing, was evident. The approaches to ministry vary, but the diversity is a blessing. It is a wonderful gift from God to have people working to change broken systems as well as healing in the daily lives of Hondurans. Whether by educating children or offering micro-loans, working to prosecute criminal activity or educating lawmakers, these activities are tangible ways of presenting the gospel message that brings life both here and now, and in eternity.

On a recent trip, I completed reading Miz Lil & the Chronicles of Grace by Walter Wangerin, Jr. and Rise of a Dynasty: The ’57 Celtics by Bill Reynolds. (I usually have a couple of books going.)

What does a memoir of a pastor in the early days of ministry and a book about the first championship won by the Boston Celtics have in common? The power of a word.

In Miz Lil, we are introduced to Robert – a person who is just above living on the street. In response to the kindness of Pastor Wangerin, Robert seeks to give a gift, but the Pastor declines. In the next scene, Robert comes to church and not just to church, but to the front of church. Robert doesn’t know the Lutheran way. He claps. He speaks out loud and he gets up to pray. It is in this fragile moment of faith that Pastor Wangerin shouts “Robert, NO – you can’t pray!”

Robert asks, “Why not?” The pious pastor answers, “Because we have a time to pray.” This piety does not satisfy Robert. He shuffles out of church and as he goes the silence of the stunned congregation hears Robert mutter – “Naw, I ain’ gome pray for you no more.” The word of a pastor stills a prayer.

In Rise of a Dynasty, we are introduced to the struggles of a black man, Bill Russell, in a prejudiced society and a divided city. This story is documented along with the building of team chemistry by Coach Red Auerbach. This Jewish outsider connects with the young black man and the key was a word of encouragement. Coach Auerbach coached individuals in building a team.

Red Auerbach knew that Bill Russell was a proud man who needed a psychological comfort zone. How did he do this? He told Russell he didn’t care if he scored, that he essentially would count his rebounds as points. He told him to just do what he felt comfortable doing on a basketball court and forget about anything else.

“I heard you can’t shoot,” Auerbach said. You worried about shooting?” “Not much, Russell answered, “but it’s been on my mind.”

“Well, tell you what,” Auerbach countered. “Let’s make a deal today, right now. When we talk down the line, I will never discuss statistics. All I’ll discuss is if we won and how you played. That’s all I care about.”

A coach speaks a word and nine championships will follow. A preacher speaks a word and a prayer is stifled. Words are important.

Join a conversation with one of America’s preeminent Christian leaders and Festival of Faith and Writing author, M. Craig Barnes. Dr. Barnes is the Robert Meneilly Professor of Leadership and Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and serves as senior pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA. He has authored numerous books, including The Pastor as Minor Poet, Sacred Thirst: Finding God in the Desert of Our Longings, and Searching for Home: Spirituality for Restless Souls.

• Thursday, April 19, 4:00 PM
• Meeter Center Lecture Hall
• Refreshments will be served

Sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Photo courtesy of PRWeb

Classis is an ecclesiastical gathering of a region of churches. It is considered a middle-judicatory by those who know of such things. People usually yawn or cringe about classis meetings, but I love these gatherings. I especially loved going to the one for Classis Central California. Or maybe I should say I love the two classes that met as one.

I have recently returned from a joint meeting of Classis Central California for the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) and the Reformed Church in America (RCA). These two classes with the same name have been divided by denomination, but came together for a training session on Organic Outreach by Kevin Harney, a joint worship service where both Rev. Joel Boot, Executive Director of the CRC, and Rev. Tom DeVries, General Secretary of the RCA preached and a session where President Tim Brown of Western Seminary, Dr. Scot Sherman of Newbigin House of Studies and I spoke about theological education. It all happened in Ripon, California.

(In another highlight, Jackie and I also visited an almond farm for the very first time thanks to Rick and Margie Winters. I was also indoctrinated on how to pronounce -almond!).

I have been at a number of gatherings where RCA and CRC leaders gather together. I know there are concerns about what this may mean for the future, but here is what I do know. This is not about the M word – merger. It is about two other M words – Movement and Mission. God is at work and God is at work before us.

Testimony was given at this joint gathering at how God is breaking down barriers and building bridges. Ministry opportunities are being explored where the witness of the gospel will be spread by working together.

As we face the future together, I will especially remember two key phrases that will help me navigate that future. Rev. Joel Boot preached about the “Urgency of the Mission” and Rev. Tom DeVries preached about the “Breadth of the Kingdom.”

Urgency. When there is a world that is dying – I believe Jesus is calling us all into the mission field. Breadth. When we even have a heart beat of considering how this affects “my” world – I believe Jesus will remind us that it is His Kingdom that will reign.

I do not know the future, but I do know that Aslan is on the move!

Calvin Theological Seminary is joining with numerous other agencies and ministries of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) for the inaugural CRC Prayer Summit. We invite you to pray together for the movement of God’s Spirit and Christ’s leading in our lives, our families, our churches, our ministries, our cities, our nations, and the world! Click here to learn about speakers, workshops, and more.

When
Monday-Wednesday, April 16-18, 2012

Where
All Nations Christian Reformed Church
10000 Foothill Boulevard
Lake View Terrace, CA 91342

Registration
Registration is $100 (until March 31st) and includes:

• General admission: all sessions and workshops
• All meals
• Shuttle service between the recommended hotels and the Summit each day

Late registrations will be $125

Reposted from www.crcna.org