Tuesday saw half of our team heading west 2.5 hours to Petauke. We have about a dozen or so pastors there. And we have another dozen or so from Lusaka/Chongwe that traveled east to meet us in the middle. So our morning meeting was attended by about 25 pastors.
We are tweaking our mission just a little bit this year. I am announcing the retirement of the term "vulnerable", the term that we have used to describe the church members who are ultimately benefiting form the corn stores that we purchase and distribute each month. That term is kinda vague, and and we have always had trouble defining exactly who those people are. This year, God taught us about one of the Greek words used for "poor" in the NT: ptochos. There are lots of different types of poverty in the world, but this word is best translated as "destitute." It is referring to someone lacking in one of the necessities for life: food, water and/or shelter.
Jesus announces "good news to the poor(destitute)" when he is rejected at Nazareth...and also, when he reclines at the table with the Pharisee throwing the feast, he tells that Pharisee that he shouldn't invite "your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors"; but instead, you should invite "those who are poor(destitute), maimed, lame or blind." That critical teaching from our Savior should probably be taught more in the U.S., but I've never heard it done so. The fact is we in America are missing out on an incredible opportunity for eternal payback from God because of this.
That isn't the case for you guys who support S2S. We call these days Feast Days because we do exactly that. We have likely fed close to 1,500 at the 2 feasts we have thrown so far. And Jesus tells you, "Good job, these folks will never be able to pay you back. But don't worry, God will reward you for eternity for this one!" (my accurate paraphrase...check out Luke 14:12-14).
I digress. So we are announcing the term "destitute" to our pastors this year. We actually reduced the number of bags that we are giving out at each church this year, specifically so we can try to laser in on the most hungry. We have loosely described S2S as providing 2 meals a day to families who are previously eating 3-7 meals a week. That has been true, but is still a bit vague. Now we are asking the churches to identify the most destitue among their members, those whose caloric intake is so low that they won't be able to sustain life for very long at their current rate. And yes, unfortunately, there are plenty of those households in Zambia.
So far, our 3 hour meetings which are 1/2 Remedial S2S and 1/2 Advanced S2S have gone very well. We have now met with about 60 of our 130 pastors...and we are now on the same page with that group.
Also, the cover photo shows me and my friend Godrick leading our gathering in communion. At every communion service I've ever been to, I've been encouraged to do a self-examination. It feels like a bit of a spiritual checkup. At times I've been enocuraged to use that time to consider my own personal sin and confess and repent to clean up my act. At others I've been admonished to consider my relationships with other church members and use that time to get those back in line.
Those are both great things to do, but I honestly don't think that is what Paul is worried about in 1 Corinthians 11. There is a specific charge that Paul is accusing the Corinthian church of. In verse 22 he questions them, "Or do you look down on the church of God, and embarrass those who have nothing?" So the correction for their snobbery is offered in verse 33, Paul tells them to welcome those less fortunate believers. As is frequently the case, the translation language in that verse is a challenge, but it seems the restitution should fit the crime. So the next time you are examining yourself at the Lord's Table, maybe focus on a consideration of how you have related to the most needy brothers and sisters on the globe. It is a bit of a challenge in wealthy America...but if you continue to support the work S2S is doing in Zambia, then we are all off to a good start!
Well, it is back to the farm this morning. We must get the poultry building completed today. My main task will be to assist our procurement team to make sure all of the materials necessary to complete the building are on site on time. That task likely sounds easier than it really is, at least in Chipata, Zambia. Please pray specifially for that effort today.
Here we go...
