4 Levels of Christian Charity

"Its is more blessed than to receive" Jesus said and working in churches and nonprofits allows you to see our culture chasing after the blessing that comes from giving during the Holiday season!


I understand that there are some opportunities that open up from offering hand outs to the poor, relationships can begin, positive learning conversations can start. But there are also some complications that begin from the message that hand outs can send to the receiver. The following quote is from a book that a group of colleagues and I just finished going through. Let me know what you think about it.


Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor by Robert Lupton


"Anyone who has been given the unfortunate task of dispensing free (or nearly free) commodities will soon have familiar war stories to tell. Something seems to go wrong when one with valued resources attempts to distribute them to others in need. The transactions, no matter how compassionate, seem to go sour in the gut of both giver and recipient. A subtle, unintentional message slips through: "You have nothing of worth which I desire in return." The giver remains protected by his one-up status while the recipient is exposed and vulnerable. Little wonder that negative attitudes surface. It becomes hard to be a cheerful giver. And even harder to be a cheerful recipient.

Ancient Hebrew wisdom describes four levels of charity. The highest level is to provide a job for one in need without his knowledge that you provided it. The next lower level is to provide work that the needy one knows you provided. The third level is to give an anonymous gift to meet an immediate need. The lowest level of charity, to be avoided if at all possible, is to give a poor person a gift with his full knowledge that you are the donor.

Perhaps the deepest poverty of all is to have nothing of value to offer in exchange. Charity that fosters such poverty must be challenged. We know from 40 years of failed social policy that welfare depletes self-esteem while honorable work produces dignity. We know that reciprocity builds mutual respect while one-way giving brews contempt. Yet we continue to run clothes closets and free food pantries and give-away benevolence accounts and wonder why the joy is missing.

Perhaps it is our time and place in history to re-implement the wisdom of the ages and fashion contemporary models of thoughtful compassion. Our donated clothes could create thrift stores and job training. Our benevolence dollars could develop mini-economies within the economy — daycare, janitorial, fix-the-widow's-roof services that would employ the jobless in esteem-building work. "Your work is your calling" declared the reformer Luther. Does not the role of the church in our day include the enabling of the poor to find their calling?"

Tim Coburn

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10 things I learned in my 20's

10 things I learned in my 20's

1. If you don't know what to do with your life, start with the opportunities that are in front of you. DO SOMETHING!
2. Don't ignore that old girlfriend you compare every other girl to. With a little persistence you can win her heart! Still can't believe I scored such an amazing wife, love you babe.
3. Raising a child is a lot of work, and is also one of the funnest and most rewarding things you can do with your life. There is nothing like getting home and having your child run and give you a big bear hug, absolutely the best!
4. Humility is all about surrendering your will to someone else's. It's not about lacking confidence.
5. Don't get stuck in life's small details. When the details are weighing you down choose to focus on the bigger vision.
6. Loving God goes hand in hand with loving people. Don't let religion crowd out real relationships.
7. Being cool is way overrated.
8. Travel the path less travelled, make your own. It may take longer to get where you want to go, but it's a lot more fun and you learn things no one else can teach you.
9. Be yourself even when people want you to change. Chances are that you are the change people really want.
10. Find out what you are good at and enjoy doing, then do it.

Tim Coburn

Rest, Relax, Refresh, and other R words

Creating space in life for relaxation and rest is difficult, especially when life never seems to slow down. If you have kids, work more than one job or are passionate about anything then you know what I am talking about. The pace of life is only getting faster and we feel the daily pressure to try to keep up. But just like your computer needs to shut down to install updates and you iphone needs to be shut off every once in a while so it doesn’t go haywire so also we need to take time for reflection, rest, and relaxation. I must be honest, I don’t know how to do this. My life is a nonstop stream of work right now and I fear unplugging from it. Because of finances and the need to provide for my family I am afraid to fall behind the curve of those working around the clock and calendar. I am afraid of turning off, slowing down, and checking out. But I know that I need to in order to truly connect with what this life is about.

Reflect Daily

Rest Weekly

Relax annually

Jeremiah 17: 24-27- 24 But if you listen to me, says the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but keep the sabbath day holy and do no work on it, ²⁵then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings^* who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall be inhabited for ever. ²⁶And people shall come from the towns of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt-offerings and sacrifices, grain-offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank-offerings to the house of the Lord.²⁷But if you do not listen to me, to keep the sabbath day holy, and to carry in no burden through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates; it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.