Building Update

Back in early December I posted about a couple of things that Wonder City needs to be able to grow. (Go to http://urbanminista.blogspot.com/2006/12/needed-for-growth.html to read the post). One of those was a larger facility. I mentioned that there was a proposal before the Missouri Street elders to purchase the First Church of the Nazarene as a new home for Wonder City.

At that time the elders were in the process of adding new elders and decided to wait until they were on board to make a decision. Two new elders have now been added and they are ready to move forward with making a decision. Although nothing is official at this point, everything looks positive. I have met with them several times to discuss the building and answer questions. I have also met with several of them individually over the past couple of months.

Please continue to pray that God’s will will be done. I am hopeful that we will be in our “new” building no later than middle July.

Depending On God

This week I was speaking with a Missouri Street church member who was asked by another church member, “Do you depend on God in all areas of your life?” At first he answered, “Yes.” When pressed on the issue he had to admit that he didn’t. His wife had cooked his breakfast that morning and he hadn’t depended on God to provide for his physical needs. He had to admit that he only depended on God for the spiritual areas of his life. My guess is that is true for most middle-class Americans. Even if we live paycheck to paycheck we still don’t have to rely on God for our physical needs. We have our jobs and we know that we will have food on the table every meal. It may not be a fancy meal, but there will be food on the table, clothes on our backs, and roofs over our heads.

However, it is the opposite for those ministered to by Wonder City. They depend on God to meet their every physical need. The challenge for them is to depend on him for their spiritual needs as well. Many we minister to don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Many don’t know where they will sleep that night. I have even noticed this year how many people are wearing lightweight, early fall or late spring, jackets during these extremely cold winter days—because that is all they have. They depend on God for everything they have—from the shoes on their feet, food on their tables, and clothes on their backs (as one song we sing says).

However, for the poor to depend on God spiritually is another story. Addictions run rampant in our neighborhood. Addictions to drugs and alcohol are the most evident. But, there is also gambling and sex addictions as well. These are used as coping mechanisms for the daily struggles of life. When life gets to be too much to handle, many in our neighborhood turn to these vices to escape reality. The bottle or the joint becomes the spiritual answer to life’s problems—not God. Every Sunday we have a time for church members to stand up and say what God has done for them that week. Over and over again we here things like—“healed me, paid this or that bill, etc.” Rarely do we hear—“forgave my sins,” or some other spiritual answer. However, in my experience in more traditional church settings this is exactly the answer that is given, and rarely does someone answer “by putting food on my table this morning.”

As this distinction was brought to the forefront of my mind again, I realized that the struggle for each one of us to is put God first in all areas of our lives. Where we struggle is different for each of us based on where we are in life. Some need to hear the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (the physical needs Jesus spoke of in verses 25-32) will be given to you as well.” Others need to hear what Jesus said to the rich ruler, “Sell everything you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Lk. 18:22). The rich ruler needed to learn dependence on God for his physical needs and not rely on his wealth.

I would like to challenge your dependence on God, as mine has been challenged by this question. Do you depend on God in all areas of your life? Are there areas where you depend on something or someone, instead of God to fulfill your needs? As you ask yourself these questions, take note of the areas in which dependence on God is lacking, and strive to depend on God in every aspect of your life.