The Poor will always be amoung us

I have been Reading Shane Claiborne's book "The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical" and my only regret is that i waited 2 years to get my hands on this book. Shane came to speak when I was in Officer Training School (Salvation Army Seminary) and i missed him because i was in Boston having open heart surgery. When I came back My friend Geoff kept telling about this crazy liberal guy that changed his life. So i was interested but with but i was recovering from surgery and trying not to fall behind in my studies.

Two weeks ago while walking through a Bible bookstore i noticed his book and it has been an amazing journey ever since. Man if new this kat was so cool i would have to my doctors that the aneurysm can wait because i have to see Shaine Claiborne.This book may contain fodder for my next 365 blogs.

on Page 161 Shane explains that he is often asked to speak to wealthy congregations about simple living and often when he speaks about ending poverty someone points out that Jesus said the poor will always be among you yet when Shane is asked he follows with the question: "Are the poor among us?" usually the are not at his conferences.

We live in a country and world where those who 'have' have insulated themselves from those who 'don't'. But it runs deeper than that. Even those of us who like to think of ourselves as part of the solution seem to be missing the boat.

The Salvation Army was begun with an insane notion of "The world for God" and that was not just an evangelical statement. The early salvationists were involved in Social reform (ending legal child prostitution in England, fighting for better factory conditions) The belief was that we could bring all of creation under God's Lordship. (to establish Kingdom) and the Army grew like wildfire.

Now when i look at the Salvation Army we have separated everything. We have contracted out most of our 'social service' out to non salvationist employees.Now i don't have a problem with employees who aren't salvationist many of them are wonderful women and men of God. My concern is that our own people are not working alongside them. Many of the wonderful things we do become a cold distribution of services lacking the love that is the foundation of our faith.

So whats the solution?

Love our neighbors as ourselves.

"Doing The Most Good"

Yes i am going to go there... but first...

This is not an official Salvation Army Blog as such thoughts and feelings represented in the following blog are those of the author and not the the official Salvation Army.

"Doing the Most Good" Is the national brand of The Salvation Army in the united States. It has also been contreversial since it was adopted a couple of years ago. I have never been comfortable with it but until recently i haven't been able to articulate clearly for myself what it is about it that rally bothers me. I know why others don't like it.

1. many argue that it is arogant. That to say we are "doing the "MOST" good is implying that there are others that are doing less good.

2. Some argue that it is to vague, that it leaves it self open to varied misinterpretations.

3. Some think we should just let our actions speak for them selves and stop promoting our selves.

There are other problems that i have heard but i think my issue is deeper.

Doing the most good "for the most people" is one the more common misquote that i hear and i have heard it presented this way both in media and by Salvation Army representitives. The mistake is made because the laguage of this brand is very similiar to the language of Ultilitarianism.

Ultiltarianism is the ethical theory proposed by Jeremy Bentham and James Mill that all action should be directed toward achieving the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. the greatest good for the greatest number of people sounds great at first until it is thought on a little more carefully. The greatest number of people is not "all people", and that means there are people who are inevitably left out.

As The Salvation Army our mission is to Preach the Gospel and Meet Human need in his name without discrimination. It doesn't say how to meet those human needs or who to preach the Gospel to. It is easy to say that we will preach to everybody and meet all the needs but that isn't practical or true.

The truth is resourses are limited and limited resourses means hard decisions. My concern is that this kind of thinking will slowly (or quickly) pearmeate or movement and we begin to make ministry decisions based on 'doing the most good for the most people'. and that leaves the maginalized on the margins it leaves the outcast on the outside looking in it leaves people who don't fit out definition of 'the most' to fall through the cracks.

I have cast my lot with the Salvation Army because it has traditionally cast its lot with 'the least of these' which is for me the essence of a sacrmental live. Christ cast his lot with the 'least of these', or those who fall through the cracks.

I fear this effort to brand our self is simply another move to make our movement respectable and I have no desire to be respectable. Shuld we strive to present out good work to the community in the best possible but honest face? Absolutely should we accept the money offered by outssiders who support what we do yes.

We should not be affraid that our approach is different then that of most of the others that are in the 'bussiness' of helping people. To say we go after the people that no one else wants we take the jobs that others think are hopeless we want the bottom of the barrell becuse God Loves those people and they are valuable to him is something we should be proud of.

So let's lose "Doing the Most Good" and adopt "Doing what's Right" "Or Going for the worst" or the hundreds of other possple new slogans or maybe we just stick with on of the old ones like "heart to God Hand to Humanity" (sorry purists the feminists make some valid points too).

On being a Daddy Part2

I Love and Respect My Dad. He spent much of my childhood and early Adulthood teaching me what it means to be a "Carroll" which is funny because the lessons i learned are not universal across the wider Carroll Family. Many members of my extended family have no dealings with my father because of his Convictions concerning both his calling to ministry and to his Wife and Kids.

My Parents together have redefined themselves and our "Carroll" Family. IT is an Honor and deep responcibility that i have to train my son to be first a Man of God and second a "Carroll"

I have a clear understanding of what it means to be both and somethimes I struggle to live up to both. But i Thank Both of my Fathers (Heavenly and Earthly) for their patience and effort in teaching me to be like them.

I pray that My Son Will do better than me on both Counts.

On Being a Daddy

Tomorrow I will be going to Continuing Education, In the Salvation Army newly ordained ministers are required to attend seminaars once a year for their first five years. I theory i think its a good idea. My denomination has a fairly low academic standard for its clergy when compared to other denominations. Our Clergy attends two years of associates level training at the Salvation Army Training college and are then thrown into the riggors of ull time ministry.

No those attending the Training college may have come with any level of prior training from a GED to a PHD and everything inbetween. To me this is the beauty of the Salvation Army anyone can be saved from sin and by the Grace of God be made a "minister of the Gospel" but that also requires us to be vigiliant with regard to faith and continual training of our officers. I was exempted from futher continuing ed at the official SA seminaars because i am fulfilling my requirements locally at Alliance Seminary. However... i missed one and tomorrow i leave with my wife to make it up.

On of the main reasons for me doing my continuing Ed locally was so my wife and I wouldn't have to go together and as a result leave our son over night something we have only done twice in almost 3 yearsMy parents have taken vacation to come and Watch him for us and they Love their Grandson and will do a great Job but that is not the point i am going to miss my son

I just learned that one of my best friends from growing up had His first baby today, a Boy.( http://closetonothingatall.blogspot.com/) And i remembered back to all of the joy i had when Logan was born. he was/is mine a piece of me will live on in him and i was giving the responcibility of help him to be become everything God wants him to be.

De fo Suns

I grew up as pastor's kid yet it wasn't until i was staying over another pastor's kid's house that i wasn't introduced to the concept of daily family devotions. My family was a great family and we did have devotions from time to time but we all had different schedules and as my sister and i grew up our schedules only got worse.

As a family my Wife and I have tried had over the last year to make daily Devotions a priority. The morning doesn't work for us. (we just can't do it) so before Logan goes to bed each night we all gather in his room and read a story from our devotions book then a memory verse then a prayer and whoever prays picks one or two different people each night to pray for.

This time has become real special for me and i have been thinking about more and more because in two weeks My Wife and I will be leaving for a seminaar and we wil miss two nights of Devotions and that is hardest part about being away from my "almost three year old" for me.

The tradition of picking someone to pray specially for was also started by Logan and I hope that while i am away from him he pick me to pray for.

The Mexican 'Philly' Cheesesteak

We have taken an intentionally organic incarnational approach to ministry at my church which ivolves simply being present in our neighborhood. this invovles spending time in the places around the church building. we have done this by hanging on the corner at night with our teens. By playing football in the local park, by taking the train and walking instead of driving to work and church. And by frequenting the neighborhood shops and resturents.

The last one is my favorite. Anyone who knows me knows i love food. I can and do eat anything from anywhere. I am a regular at the West Indian Restruant next door when i walk in they ask me if i will be having chicken or goat today. (usually i take the Goat) there is also a great pan asian restruant down the street. but my favoriate local fare is from a Mexican grocery down the street that recently added a grill and mini restruant to the back.

The other day i decided i was tired of ordering tacos so i asked for a philly cheesesteak. It was on the menu so i gave it a shot.

I watched the 'cook' take a piece of steak and chop it up into little pieces (not thin sliced but real steak chopped) the throw it on the grill then he 'lovingly added oil and Adobo' after letting it sizzle and turning it a few times he put 4 pieces of yellow american cheese and then placed it all on a bulky sub roll before he wrapped it he went to the grill and found every stray piece of steak and added it to my sandwich.

There was nothing 'Philly' about my cheesesteak but... i am in love!!!

"Mexico Azteca Grocery" Of Stapleton Staten Island I thank You