felix hominum

The Goat that changed lives

Nicholas D. Kristof in the New York Times:

“I am one of the luckiest girls in the world,” Beatrice declared at her graduation party after earning her bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. Indeed, and it’s appropriate that the goat that changed her life was named Luck.

Beatrice’s story helps address two of the most commonly asked questions about foreign assistance: “Does aid work?” and “What can I do?”

The tale begins in the rolling hills of western Uganda, where Beatrice was born and raised. As a girl, she desperately yearned for an education, but it seemed hopeless: Her parents were peasants who couldn’t afford to send her to school.

The years passed and Beatrice stayed home to help with the chores. She was on track to become one more illiterate African woman, another of the continent’s squandered human resources.

In the meantime, in Niantic, Conn., the children of the Niantic Community Church wanted to donate money for a good cause. They decided to buy goats for African villagers through Heifer International, a venerable aid group based in Arkansas that helps impoverished farming families.

A dairy goat in Heifer’s online gift catalog costs $120; a flock of chicks or ducklings costs just $20.

One of the goats bought by the Niantic church went to Beatrice’s parents and soon produced twins. When the kid goats were weaned, the children drank the goat’s milk for a nutritional boost and sold the surplus milk for extra money.

The cash from the milk accumulated, and Beatrice’s parents decided that they could now afford to send their daughter to school. She was much older than the other first graders, but she was so overjoyed that she studied diligently and rose to be the best student in the school.

An American visiting the school was impressed and wrote a children’s book, “Beatrice’s Goat,” about how the gift of a goat had enabled a bright girl to go to school. The book was published in 2000 and became a children’s best seller — but there is now room for a more remarkable sequel.

Beatrice was such an outstanding student that she won a scholarship, not only to Uganda’s best girls’ high school, but also to a prep school in Massachusetts and then to Connecticut College. A group of 20 donors to Heifer International — coordinated by a retired staff member named Rosalee Sinn, who fell in love with Beatrice when she saw her at age 10 — financed the girl’s living expenses.

A few years ago, Beatrice spoke at a Heifer event attended by Jeffrey Sachs, the economist. Mr. Sachs was impressed and devised what he jokingly called the “Beatrice Theorem” of development economics: small inputs can lead to large outcomes.

Granted, foreign assistance doesn’t always work and is much harder than it looks. “I won’t lie to you. Corruption is high in Uganda,” Beatrice acknowledges.

A crooked local official might have distributed the goats by demanding that girls sleep with him in exchange. Or Beatrice’s goat might have died or been stolen. Or unpasteurized milk might have sickened or killed Beatrice.

In short, millions of things could go wrong. But when there’s a good model in place, they often go right. That’s why villagers in western Uganda recently held a special Mass and a feast to celebrate the first local person to earn a college degree in America.

Moreover, Africa will soon have a new asset: a well-trained professional to improve governance. Beatrice plans to earn a master’s degree at the Clinton School of Public Service in Arkansas and then return to Africa to work for an aid group.

Beatrice dreams of working on projects to help women earn and manage money more effectively, partly because she has seen in her own village how cash is always controlled by men. Sometimes they spent it partying with buddies at a bar, rather than educating their children. Changing that culture won’t be easy, Beatrice says, but it can be done.

When people ask how they can help in the fight against poverty, there are a thousand good answers, from sponsoring a child to supporting a grass-roots organization through globalgiving.com. (I’ve listed specific suggestions on my blog, nytimes.com/ontheground, and on facebook.com/kristof).

The challenges of global poverty are vast and complex, far beyond anyone’s power to resolve, and buying a farm animal for a poor family won’t solve them. But Beatrice’s giddy happiness these days is still a reminder that each of us does have the power to make a difference — to transform a girl’s life with something as simple and cheap as a little goat.

I invite you to comment on this column on my blog, www.nytimes.com/ontheground, and join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kristof.

h/t mike

Missional SynchroBlog

What is Missional?

I think it is time to make a bigger effort to reclaim the term, a term which describe what happens when you and I replace the “come to us” invitations with a “go to them” life. A life where “the way of Jesus” informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.

To help reclaim it, I propose a synchronized blog for Monday, June 23rd on the topic, “What is Missional?”

There are any number of ways one could blog on this topic. You could illustrate what the term means, describe what it is not and how it is wrongly used, define the term, explore its misuses, explore its theological foundations, or you name it.

from the Blind Beggar via the Weary Pilgrim, who has a list of bloggers participating.

ps - Malcolm's post on the topic (which he refers to in the comments) can be found here.

sol cafe - "service sunday"

This Sunday the Sol Cafe will be gathering at the Ronald McDonald (7726-107 Street) house to do some cooking, cleaning, and baking. The home houses families with sick children, so that they can stay in the city at minimal cost while their children receive medical treatment. We will be changing from our normal meeting time to 4:30 for this week, so that we can get supper on the table by the house's normal dinner time.

The plan is to cook supper for all the families that are staying there, and bake some treats to leave behind. Also, we'll help out with any cleaning or other routine duties that the staff need help with.

Sol Cafe

cheer up - it's St Boniface Day! missionary and martyr

When Boniface saw that all things had been properly taken care of, he took up the work he had dreamed of in early manhood, the conversion of the Frisians. With royal consent, and with that of the pope previously given, he in 754 resigned the Archdiocese of Mainz to his disciple Lullus, whom in 752 he had consecrated bishop, again commenced a missionary tour, and laboured with success to the East of the Zuider Zee.

Returning in the following year, he ordered the new converts to assemble for confirmation at Dorkum on the River Borne. The heathens fell upon them and murdered Boniface and fifty-two companions (according to some, thirty-seven). Soon afterwards, the Christians, who had scattered at the approach of the heathens, returned and found the body of the martyr and beside him the bloodstained copy of St. Ambrose on the "Advantage of Death". The body was taken to Utrecht, afterwards through the influence of Lullus removed to Mainz, and later, according to a wish expressed by the saint himself during his lifetime, to the Abbey of Fulda.

New Advent

Boniface was martyred on June 5, in the year of our Lord 755.  He was in the midst of doing what he both loved and was called to do:  fulfill the great commission.

 

some food for thought on local mission...

One of my favourite reads is the Weary Pilgrim.  Ron often has very interesting things to say.  I was reminded of a recent post of his this afternoon, after a local get together of some Anglicans who are interested in mission. Just a bit of a discussion starter, that's all:

Get rid of your building...move back into your neighborhoods where you live, meet in peoples houses (and no I'm not talking house church ). Meet around a meal, invite the neighbors. Talk about issues in the neighborhood/ community. Talk about life, community, work...weave common threads into the conversation. Talk about the Kingdom, Jesus his redemptive imagination of a new creation. Invite, eat and talk...something very mysterious and communal happens in the midst of food and conversation.

Now if you've spread your church out into the surrounding community and neighborhood like salt and yeast, you're wondering how to keep it all together. Years ago that might have been an issue, but in the world of high speed technology it's not. Find someone who has some techno savvy, a people person, a connector, who can be your community network person. (this might be your only paid staff person, it would be money well spent ).

Maybe once a month, rent a hall, get together as a larger community...share stories about what the smaller groups are doing. Have an agape meal, a huge potluck.

Get rid of your paid pastor... (There, that should be good for allot of hate mail), but honestly in this day and age do we need to pay someone to teach. I've been in the church for almost 30 years, and really I've heard nothing new...it's mostly recycled, and like doing another lap on the track. There is great teaching that can be accessed on the Internet, allot of colleges and seminaries have downloads, pod casts. Again this is something your network guy could set up. And hey, lets release people to use there spiritual gifts. Release people to teach, do pastoral visits, healing ministries...

Make Mission your Mission...Now that you have eliminated most of your expenses build the Kingdom. Make mission a core value, make it apart of the DNA of your community. Mission should not be a ministry, it needs to be relocated into the heart of the community. Think local and global. Make it the responsibility of the smaller groups in the neighborhood/ community to react to any needs they see in there locality. Look at global projects the larger community can invest in.

either or both and

Almighty God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life; Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP)

Nothing earthshakingly deep, just a simple reminder that there is a deep unity between those things we are called to believe - the death of Christ (a sacrifice for sin), and an outward following of his way (an example of godly life).  I was reminded of this aspect of the collect for the Second Sunday After Easter (BCP) while perusing Magicstats. 

This prayer wonderfully encapsulates the both/and of what we might be tempted to otherwise separate.  We recognize the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and are called to live after his example.  We receive and we endeavour.  This prayer reminds us not to separate the two.  All too often we can fall into an either/or.  "It doesn't matter what you believe, it's how you live".  "It doesn't matter how you live, it's what you believe."  Believing in and receiving the grace of the cross goes hand in hand with a lifestyle indicative of conscious imitation of Christ.

Pope Benedict's address to the American Bishops

For an affluent society, a further obstacle to an encounter with the living God lies in the subtle influence of materialism, which can all too easily focus the attention on the hundredfold, which God promises now in this time, at the expense of the eternal life which he promises in the age to come (cf. Mk 10:30). People today need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of their lives. They need to recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love. It is easy to be entranced by the almost unlimited possibilities that science and technology place before us; it is easy to make the mistake of thinking we can obtain by our own efforts the fulfillment of our deepest needs. This is an illusion. Without God, who alone bestows upon us what we by ourselves cannot attain (cf. Spe Salvi, 31), our lives are ultimately empty. People need to be constantly reminded to cultivate a relationship with him who came that we might have life in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). The goal of all our pastoral and catechetical work, the object of our preaching, and the focus of our sacramental ministry should be to help people establish and nurture that living relationship with "Christ Jesus, our hope" (1 Tim 1:1).

Read the whole address here.

Voices for Habitat 2008 - May 4th at 7.00 p.m.

‘Voices for Habitat’ is an annual variety concert to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity Edmonton. ‘Voices 2008’ will be its third year; previous performers have included Chris Wynters, the Edmonton Christian Male Choir, Rob Heath, and Samantha Schultz. For its first two years the concert was held at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church on the south end of the city, but has now outgrown that venue and is moving this year to St. Timothy’s Anglican Church (8420-145 St.).

Habitat for Humanity Edmonton is a charity which builds simple, decent and affordable homes for families. HFH sells homes to families at no profit, and finances a zero-interest mortgage. They offer the opportunity to purchase a new home and begin to build equity through a mortgage. The vast majority of the work of HFH is carried out by volunteers. HFH is a faith-based charity but is supported by people from all faith backgrounds and none. You can find out more information about them from their website.

Voices for Habitat 2008 will be held on Sunday May 4th at 7.00 p.m. The following performers will be participating:

Alex Boudreau and Tim Chesterton, two solo performers who are often seen together in the folk/roots music scene in Edmonton. Alex is a talented lead guitarist and singer-songwriter who plays with Carrie Hryniw, the Bloomin’ Thistles and other local musicians. Tim is an arranger and performer of traditional folk songs, supplemented with a growing body of his own compositions.

Michael Chase is a local Christian singer-songwriter who has recently released his first CD. You can hear some of his music on his MySpace page here.

The Piatta Forma Choir is a Leduc Community Choir consisting of singers of all ages. In keeping with Leduc’s historic heritage, the group chose the name Piatta Forma which is an Italian phrase for “Oil Platform”. Under the direction of Arlene Klonteig, the choir has been promoting music and an appreciation of the arts in Leduc since 1998. The choir began with a small enthusiastic group of singers, and over the past 10 years, has grown to a number of 35 singers. The choir has competed in numerous competitions both at the local and provincial levels, including the Alberta Music Festival, with great success. The group also performs several concerts each year.

The Sheril Hart Trio is made up of Sheril Hart on vocals and keyboards, Jamie Philp on guitar, and Lindsay Woolgar on bass. Together they perform a very accessible jazz-based style of music which has delighted audiences in local venues such as Hulbert’s. Sheril is a strong vocalist, and both Jamie and Lindsay are much in demand as backing musicians for other local acts.

The Bloomin’ Thistles are Marty and Lil Siltanen, Alex Boudreau and Lindsay Woolgar. They first came together a year ago to play at Marty’s CD release party, and had such a good time that they’ve continued to perform together occasionally since then; recent venues have included Homefest 2007 and the Blue Chair Café. Marty’s original songs, written in an accessible storytelling style, are the backbone of the group’s repertoire, but other members also get to showcase their talents.

The House Kats: Take some vintage blues and ragtime, add in some contemporary R&B, a little folk, a lot of swing, some country, some originals, and the odd top forty song...then put it in the hands of 3 veteran musicians, and you have the House Kats. They are quickly making a name for themselves as one of Edmonton’s most engaging concert acts. It's a love of live performance and a feel for roots music that has made their recent concerts so memorable. The band is made up of three of the most sought after side-men in town: Marc Ladouceur on guitar and mandolin, Don Marcotte on stand-up bass, and Terry Nadasdi on guitar. One reviewer calls their live show ‘part symphony, part carnival, and all fun’.

Tickets for Voices for Habitat are $10 plus agency fees and are available from the Acoustic Music Shop, Blessings Christian Marketplace, Myhre’s Music, and Tix on the Square.

ps I pretty much took this whole post from Tim's announcement, (which has all the links & pics) and I'll upload the pics from his site later.

my Lord & my God

It has seemed to me that the story of "doubting" Thomas is not about doubt in general, but about a specific kind of doubt in particular.  Of course one can take from the story some general principles and ideas, and use it as a jumping off point for a discussion about the nature and place of a general kind of doubt.  But I rather suspect that the doubt of Thomas is not exactly the same kind of doubt one might encounter everyday.

Thomas was, of course, a Jew.  And as a Jewish disciple, I suspect that his doubts did not revolve around general questions of the existence of God.  Thomas was not an early 20th century existentialist philosopher, nor a 1st century Dawkins.  It was not a question of the existence of God - Yahweh - around which Thomas' doubts hovered.  It was a much more specific kind of question.  Thomas does not ask "Is there a God?".  Rather, what he really asks is "Who is Jesus?".

Thomas' declaration is a result of this encounter, not the prelude to it.  It is only after he has an encounter with the Risen Christ that he declares "my Lord and my God".  And it is here in these two small words that we most often run into trouble.  The Risen Christ is both Lord (the One to whom we owe allegiance, the One we are called to follow and obey) and God (the One whom we worship).

I find it fascinating that Jesus offers Thomas the sort of "proof" which he wanted.  "Unless I put my hands in the nail holes, and my hand in his side, I will not believe".  This strikes me as a very different sort of "proof" than we are accustomed to.  Yet I am not certain from reading the text that Thomas takes advantage of that "proof".  Perhaps an encounter with the Risen Christ changes Thomas' need for such proof.  Thomas seeks neither an argument or apologetic for the existence of God;  he seeks an encounter with the Person of the Risen Christ.  And so, I gather, do we.

Good news, then good advice

When I’m talking to people about the Gospel I sometimes ask them, ‘What do you think the essential message of Christianity really is?’ Far and away the most common reply is something like this: ‘Love thy neighbour’. On this understanding, a Christian is someone who loves their neighbour, tries to be a good person and so on. People will even say to me, “I don’t go to church, but I try to be a good person, and I think that’s more important’.

There’s a basic problem with this answer, and I’ll tell you what it is. In the New Testament the essential Christian message is called ‘the Gospel’, and the word ‘Gospel’ means ‘Good News’. But ‘love thy neighbour’ is not good news – it’s good advice. Quite excellent advice, in fact; the world would be a much better place if people just learned to love their neighbour as they love themselves. I don’t have a word to say against that idea; I just want to point out that it’s not the first and most important part of the Christian message. The first and most important part is not a bit of advice, but a wonderful announcement of good news.

thoughts from Tim