Mercy

As a community of mercy, we endeavour to enable people to overcome challenges by actively participating in their lives. This requires that we be known in the community in which we exist. Our actions will be intentional and reflected in the allocation of our time and not less than 20% of our resources.

Taking 20% of our total income and giving it away is a sacrifice. We spend 25-30 % less than the average church on administration and internal ministry.

But more important, more defining has been the commitment to actively participate in the lives of those in need. These are a few ways we live our value as a community.

We have both a local and international presence. The most obvious today is our participation with HIV Edmonton. Urban Bridge sponsors the walk, we volunteer and we will walk as a community next week. A number of us volunteer at different times in the year for HIV Edmonton.

We partner with Catholic Social Services by volunteering to cook and eat with the residents of Kairos House, an aids hospice in the city.

Internationally we work with a local church in Kigali Rwanda in support of those with HIV Aids and orphans. Our partnering church in Kigali Christian Life Assembly takes the sick off the street, putting them in a transition home sponsored by us. We help provide safety, shelter, food, medication, funds for school and the love of Christ. When they are well enough they are encouraged to find a house and look for work. We support them for six month after they find their house and get settled in their job. I have met some of these widows and what I see is truly transformative.

We have recently given money for to the Slave Lake fire victims and the East Africa drought.

We are exploring ways to shift some of our emphasis from compassion to Justice, to be involved with those fighting human trafficking.

These are just a few of the things that we do. Why do we do this?

It makes our church relevant.

We gain acceptance.

It makes us feel good.

It gives us a sense of purpose.

In our case we gain some notoriety with our involvement in the world of HIV & Aids.

The Bible has over 100 references to Mercy: acts of Justice and compassion; The John the Apostle of Love in a sermon he preached said we should do it for the love of God.

But if anyone has enough money to live well, and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person? 1 John 1:17 NLT

Amos an Old Testament prophet told the ancient nation of Israel what happens to those who are not merciful.

“This is what the LORD says: For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name.’” Amos 2:6-7 NIV

Each of these reasons has merit but are they good enough reasons for you or for Urban Bridge Church?

Is our effort making enough of a difference? We are a small church; our contribution is less than a drop in the bucket of the world’s problems. Maybe we should spend 10% rather than 20%. We could spend some of that time and money for the spiritual formation of this community. Hire a part time person to run smaller groups or Urban Kids. That would be money well spent.

Why mercy?

James an early church father says:

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. James 1:27 NLT

He was reminding those first followers of Christ that justice and compassion, mercy was central to their faith. James understood, he assumed, that a pure and lasting religion encompassed the whole person: body and soul. He taught that justice and compassion was a natural extension of a pure and lasting belief in Christ.

Not long after, the church would be challenged by a Greek philosophy that challenged this assumption and affects us to this day.

Gnosticism was and is a dualism, creating separation between the material and spiritual world. This became a big deal in the church by the second century.

Belief in Christ’s physical resurrection was challenged; many believed that Christ was not a physical being but that his presence was an illusion.

In the extreme this thinking valued the spiritual and debased the physical believing that our bodies, creation, all things physical were part of our fallen nature a corrupted creation to be endured temporarily so why waste effort on them.

This is one reason Christ’s humanity and physical resurrection is essential to our faith. It affirms our faith for today: our whole being: body, mind and spirit have value. Consequently it is Christianity that  drives acts of mercy through out the world and it gives us hope for a future better creation.

Unfortunately this dualism has managed to survive in the church. We are influenced more often than we realize.

The Evangelical church often speaks of saving souls. We do not save souls we save the whole person; body, soul and mind.

Consequently followers of Christ subscribe to a faith that neglects the transformation of body and mind. This often manifests in lifestyles and behaviour (Sins) that are in conflict with the Spirit of Christ.

We over spiritualize to the neglect of body and mind. Caring for others, serving the poor and feeding the hungry are often the solution to our spiritual lethargy and problems.

Julie Clawson tells it this way: What gets valued is not the actions of faith — caring for others, studying the word, serving the poor, tending to creation, feeding the hungry — but finding spiritual contentment deep down in one’s soul…letting-go of any obligation to help build a better World. And therein lies the problem. When faith is all about a dualistic escapism, it sadly allows no room for mercy. Julie Clawson embodied theology - http://blog.sojo.net/2011/08/22/embodied-theology/

I have struggled my whole adult life with spiritual elitism, arrogance, and intolerance for those not like me. I can be impatient, critical, unbending.

My involvement in acts of mercy is transforming me. Yes I have greater self-awareness and yes I have had to improve my coping skills. But it is more than that. I am being transformed spiritually.

Oh I am still all those things, but less so. And in the future by God’s grace even less so yet.

NT Wright says: The resurrection should give us faith in a God intent on setting right the wrongs, motivating us to take action so that  “let thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” begins to form in the lives we touch. Pg 214 Surprised by Hope

When we understand that conversion to Christian extends beyond me, and my salvation. We see a redemptive role in all creation. In the wholeness of our relationship with Christ we challenge those things that diminish humanity: Justice and compassion.

Wright says: Justice, beauty and evangelism come together and become part of the same larger whole, which is the message of hope and new life that comes with the message of Jesus’ resurrection. Pg 230 Surprised by Hope

Christ’s commission to us in Matt 28:18 reminds us that we his disciples are to be change agents on both heaven and earth, the physical and the spiritual:

“I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 8: 18-20 NLT

Why Mercy? It is fundamental to the whole expression of our faith as followers of Christ: body, soul and mind.

What can you do to make Mercy to be an everyday expression of your faith?

How can this community help?

Hi All
We spent part of the day with leaders of HIV-Aids support groups which were initiated by the Mercy ministry of Christian Life Assembly of Kigali  the local church we are working with.  I am humbled. Rwanda continues to have a strong stigma against those who suffer with the disease and it takes a highly committed church to be upfront about this and a brave person to attend let alone lead a neighbourhood group. They were singing when we arrived. If I had a coffee in my hand I could have  been convinced that I was in Heaven.

The group leaders  were upbeat and feeling good about their situation which they attribute to a couple of things: group support and faith in Christ. Their faith is simple: Before they committed to following Christ they were despondent and now they are not. I think we in the west may be making Christianity  too complicated.

Yesterday we visited the group home that Urban Bridge funding initiated and supports – powerful . Wait till you see the video and photos Jordan captured!

For the past 2 years Urban Bridge Church has taken one Sunday away from our regular service to participate in something we care a great deal about: The AIDS Walk for Life.

This year Urban Bridge Church will once again be sponsoring the event as a community, but we wanted to go above that and participate in raising funds as individuals from Urban Bridge Church.

If you are interested in joining the Urban Bridge Church team (there is still time) in raising individual pledges, or you would like to sponsor our team, please click here

There are also plenty of opportunities to volunteer for the event, and if you would like to do so please contact Pascal at pascalbelzile@gmail.com

Even if you can’t volunteer or sponsor us, please join us in the Walk for Life on September 20, 2009 at 11am. The 5km event begins at Churchill Square.

Here is a thank you from Taanis, a resident of Kairos House for whom the Urban Bridge community purchased a set of new dentures to help restore “her smile”.

Click here to read the thank you letter in PDF format.

Click here to read more about Kairos House and our involvement there.

“Hard to believe that I’ve been here for almost a month! I know I know.. everyone told me that time would fly by… It’s going really great. Meeting some amazing people and patients. Seeing God’s healing hand on physical and spiritual lives. The people here are so hungry for God’s presence and truth in their lives, it’s refreshing to see! And I’m even getting my African dance on… ha ha.
God Bless,
Esti”

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To make a donation sponsoring Esther, use this link: https://secure.mercyships.org/webinfo/staffsupport
Though it says to use the last name, there is an error. If you want to choose to sponsor Esther, select “Esther Blumer”—using her first name and then follow instructions to make a donation.

We believe we are all called to follow the missional example of Christ, and to live out mercy wherever we live.

The Great Giveaway is a way to give flight to the mercy ideas of you and your smaller group. Over the past couple of years, we have built up a dedicated pool of funds just for mercy ministry, and we need your help to know how best to spend those dollars. If you or your smaller group are aware of a need, or can dream up a way to serve your community (be it a literal, physical neighborhood, your workplace or anywhere else you have connection), we want to support your vision financially.

The process is simple. Download the attached form, tell us the need, the cost and when you need the money. That’s it. That’s The Great Giveaway, and it can’t happen without YOUR vision.

What will you give away?

mercy-give-away-request-form

PS >> Watch here for Great Giveaway Videos as we capture the “giveaways” with our “Flip” cameras.

In case you missed it, or just want revisit the memories, here are some photos from the day.

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Urban Bridge is taking to the streets this Sunday in support of those affected by HIV/AIDS in Edmonton.

The Scotiabank AIDS Walk For Life takes place this Sunday, IN PLACE OF OUR REGULAR CHURCH GATHERING. The walk starts at 1 PM at City Hall with registration starting at 11 AM. You must arrive and register to walk sometime before 1 PM. If you are volunteering, you may need to arrive earlier. If you have not signed up to volunteer yet and would like to, contact Misty (of HIV Edmonton) at misty.b@hivedmonton.com.

We believe there are many ways to worship God, and that showing others the love of Christ is one of the best. That is what we will be doing and we bring the presence of Christ, through our lives and our service, to the heart of the city at this weekend’s AIDS Walk for Life.

Get all the details on the Edmonton walk here >> http://www.aidswalkforlife.ca/Edmonton.htm

Here are some photos from last year’s incredible walk.

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