Found a blog called Grits & Grace.
Found this great bit there…
My wife and I are participating in a group study of Dr. John R.W. Stott’s “New Issues Facing Christians Today”. It’s a very challenging and, personally speaking, very convicting book. I won’t get into the meat of the study, but I wanted to share something from the book. Stott argues that many well-intentioned Christians “prattle, plan and pray” but ignore the real need. He tells of a homeless woman whom a parish priest promised to pray for as a brush-off, and who wrote the following poem:
“I was hungry and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger
I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release
I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance
I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health
I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of your God
I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me
You seem so holy, so close to God – but I am still very hungry and lonely and coldouch…
I was convicted because she could have very easily been writing that poem for me.
Matthew 25:35-36 says, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
I am reminded that as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. As the church, we are not only to hear the word, but to act on it. By “doing” we are following God’s will out of love and gratitude for our salvation.
loved reading this…that’s all I got.
The Great Comission is what we call Matthew 28:18-20. But what about Matthew 25? Isn’t that a very urgent comission as well. Jesus taught his discples to be fishers of men but he also washed their feet and taught them to do the same for one another. He said He came to seek and save the lost but He also said He came to be servant of all. These two things must go hand in hand or they are weak. Feeding the hungry is less helpful if they are not given anything for their everlasting souls. But its equally offensive to come preaching the gospel with no intention of ministering to the basic needs of people’s lives. Jesus certainly modelled a balance of these two in His ministry. His church should follow in His steps!
scrawney
We get all caught up in the Great Distractions, my cousin Michael Koops calls it that, and we forget about the important stuff. This stuff.
Thanks for stopping by the ol’ blog. Yeh, it’s almost like Stott could’ve stopped the book right there. That poem has really made an impact on my heart and conscience. Now…what will I do with it? THAT is going to be a true test for me.
You’ve got some good stuff here. Caedmon’s Call is one of my favorites as well.
Cheers!
David.