13 Letters: Doin God Dirty.

    Last week, I began a new type of curriculum for Tuesday night bible study with the high schoolers.  In it, we will explore the 13 letters written by Paul, but in a cool new way.  The curriculum is produced by a group of Christian rappers who decided to make a song about each one of these Pauline letters.

    I think these songs are great and they connect with my kids very well, and there is also a video showing people from neighborhoods like theirs talking about real issues in their lives.  I like this a lot, because instead of this white guy from Arkansas trying to teach them and mentor them, it's who have been in their shoes, on their streets. 

        Over the years we've come up with different phrases to describe what happens when we sin.  We have the general "sinning against God," or "wronging God,"  or "going against God."  There's also the poetic sounding ones "going our own way,"  or "taking our own path instead of God's."  If I sit here long enough I'm sure I could come up with my own that could be quite humorous/sacrireligious like "slapping God in the face." 

      This past week, we studied the letter of Philemon and his experience with Onesimus stealing from him and running away.  I begin to show this video and it gets to the part where they are talking about the comparison to Philemon and Onesimus, and our own interaction with God.  Paul tells Philemon to forgive Onesimus and make treat him as a brother.  In the same way we are allowed to return to God after we sin.  One very cool and urban guy described it as this "Philemon must know how God feels when we find ourselves doin Him dirty."  "Doin Him dirty," I like that, in my non urban upbringing I would have never described it like that, but it works really well. 

        So I you my readers, I encourage you to read Philemon, it takes three minutes, and remember the forgiveness we receive daily for when we do God dirty.

Don't Just Pray.

  So tonight I found myself heading up to Impact to get some work accomplished since I've missed a lot of the week being sick.  I went in a different than I usually do in the main building and I was surprised to see someone standing right in front of the door at the welcome booth.  Which was weird since no one usually there except for Sundays. 

  Tonight, I stumbled upon one of our outdoorsmen (they aren't homeless, they just live outdoors) reading Psalms 5.  Which was awesome to walk in on and made me smile.  And it reminded me in James 2 where it talks about not just wishing someone well who is in need or just praying for them, but actually doing something for them.  It's cold in Houston, and I'm glad I'm at a place that seeks to keep people warm through the night and faith is never dead.


  What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

Grace and Peace.

God is Love

Hello my faithful readers.  I've made it to Houston finally, thanks to a lot of you!  So here's a video I enjoy.

Fundraising Letter

Over the past three summers I have been blessed to intern with the Impact Houston Church of Christ in Houston, TX.   Last summer (2010) I served Impact Houston as the High School Director and the leaders of Impact have asked me to return as the permanent High School Minister starting in January.  This was a nice surprise and an answer to many of my prayers.  Impact’s youth programs have grown over the past few years, and there is a real need for another person on our youth team focusing on high school students.    

As High School Director, my responsibilities will include transporting the kids to and from church, organizing different service projects and mission trips, coordinating and leading bible studies, and giving the kids opportunities to enjoy positive experiences that they would not otherwise have.

  As High School Director, I will not only be focused on kids in the youth group, but also on reaching out to kids not in our youth group.  Our Youth Director, Dennis, and I have been praying and making plans to grow the high school group and to help our kids succeed in their faith after they have graduated and moved on from our group. 

Since Impact is a mission church, it is supported by other congregations throughout the United States.  Impact’s budget is devoted to running the programs that reach out to the communities surrounding the church.  Nearly all the ministers that work at Impact are supported by other congregations as domestic missionaries.  As High School Director, I will be one of these domestic missionaries, thus I need to build a network of financial and spiritual support.  On the attached page, I have listed my estimate of monthly expenses while living in Houston.  For the year, I estimate that I will need $35,000. 

I would like you to be a part of this ministry with me.  I am hoping that you might financially and prayerfully support me in this effort.  I encourage you to come see the good work that is being done in Houston.  I also encourage you to keep up with the things that I am doing there by reading my blog:  followinghiscalltohouston.blogspot.com.  With God’s grace and strength, I hope to shine like the noonday in a dark world, just as it says in Isaiah 58:10.

If you would like to contribute in any way to my mission effort, you can contact me directly at 479-670-2363, or by email jcarso1.61803@gmail.com.  If you wish to send a check, you can make it out to either West-Ark Church of Christ or Impact Church of Christ, and put my name in the memo line to designate it for me, and send it to the respective address below.

Grace and Peace,

John Carson


Westark Church of Christ                         Impact Church of Christ
900 N. Waldron                                       1704 Weber St.
Fort Smith, AR 72903                              Houston, TX 77007

God is good.

I've had a lot of frustrating and joyful moments in the past month or so since my last post.  A month ago I didn't know if I'd ever get enough funds to make it to Houston.  I had many of my wonderful friends encourage me and support me in the setback I was experiencing, but there was one thing I kept hearing in their voices, and it's something I've always know deep down.

God is good.

And all of the sudden money started coming in.  I don't know if it's that people realized I was short or what, but money started coming in.  Then the missions committee at Westark found some more money that they could give me.  Just a few nights ago, I sat in the living room of an amazing young family listening to their ideas to raise more funds for my work at Impact, and that they want to give me 200 a month.  Today I sit across from my own flesh and blood, who intend to support me as well. 

So today on this Christmas Eve, I anticipate the birth of the Christ, the same Christ who calls me to be like him in this world.  And I remember that God is good.

Grace and Peace to you all.

Quick the Vampires are Coming!

       This past weekend Dan Bouchelle from the Missions Resource Network guest spoke at Westark.  I really enjoyed what he had to say, especially his Parasite vs. Bone marrow analogy about how missions is viewed by churches. 
      
       He used the idea of parasites feeding off a body, I'll use the idea of vampires, because I need to be hip since I work with teenagers.  Now vampires are invited in just like missionaries sometimes are, and in some places are probably treated like such.  Almost as if the missionaries suck away from blood or life from the church, and then go out and somehow go out and take life to non believers?  That doesn't make a lot of sense.  Bloodsuckers just kill period.

       Now, Dan may have blew some minds on Sunday, when he continued his metaphor by talking about bone marrow.  I know my ears perked up when I heard him say bone marrow.  Partly because it's a strange phrase, and that dislodged bone marrow once put me in a coma and almost killed me.  If that last sentence is the first time you've heard of bone marrow, I'd like to add that it's not supposed to kill you like vampires.  Bone marrow is the stuff that produces more red blood cells which keep you alive.  In the same way, missionaries like myself are sent out to produce life and goodness in the places that we go.  We carry the resurrection of Jesus that has shaped our lives so much out to the places we go.  In fact, all the church is supposed be like bone marrow, otherwise how will it grow?  

      

Runaway Fields, Oxen, and Brides

        I've just returned from a week of recruiting interns for our upcoming summer.  We traveled to Searcy, then St. Louis, and then finished off in Oklahoma City.  Every time I go off to recruit I get excited because I get to talk to people about Impact, and try to get them to come intern for a summer.  Sometimes people are easily convinced, and it makes my job easy, and then they come intern.  Other times people listen to our spill about Impact, and take some information, and leave and never come back. 

       There is a third group I often encounter and it is a fascinating group to deal with.  This group doesn't ignore me, or just take my free stuff and leave.  This group listens about Impact, and sees that there is something good and holy happening in Houston.  Yet they start coming up with different reasons to not come and intern.  The two most popular excuses being, "I need to take classes," or "I need to work this summer."  Both of which make me want to vomit.  I've done both of those things, and they're horrible.  There's also the favorite church answer, "I'll pray about it."  This frustrates me quite a lot, because I don't think you need to pray about joining in what God is doing.  You may need to decide about where you should join God's work. 

       It makes me think of this story in Luke 14, where someone says "Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the Kingdom of God," to Jesus.  Jesus goes on and tells of a master who is having a great banquet and invites many guests.  When the servant is sent out to tell the guests everything is ready, they begin to make excuses.  The first says I just bought a field and I must go see it.  As if the field is going somewhere.  The second says I just bought some oxen and I need to try them out.  What?  Shouldn't you try them out before you buy them?  The third says, I just got married.  Which may be the most reasonable excuse given.  Well the master doesn't like it and tells the servant to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame. 

      It makes me think of this one instance while recruiting last week.  Josef and I were talking to this kid about interning, and once he had heard enough and seem interested, he was leaving.  As he left we offered him a shirt. His response was, "I need it in a small."  Which was weird since he was about my size, and me and Josef shared a look that said, what a weirdo. 

      Turns out, this kid is the only one who returned an application that day.  Which humbled me, and got me to thinking about Luke 14.  Often times the smart kids, talented bible majors or youth ministry majors get invited and pushed towards our "feast" at Impact.  But those guys usually go somewhere that they'll get paid, so I'll take the guys who are a little weird, because everyone that works at Impact has to be a little weird.  To all the weirdos out there like me, please come intern, even if you wear tight shirts.  Because you'll probably be really good.