Adopt-A-Jesus

Saturday night Mike and I spent a little time at the Scarlet Cord in downtown Brookville. The Cord is a teen ministry center that has been run for the last 20 years or so by a wonderful family in town, and throughout the years they've had many people come along side them to volunteer and provide financial support to it. It's a place where kids can find something to do on a Friday or Saturday night, hang out, eat, play games, or find a listening post. They'll also hear the Gospel. Every night. It's not a cuddly place, but Truth and Grace are in abundance.

Here's their blog: http://thescarletcordteencenter.blogspot.com/

Saturday night I learned a little about the game "Magic", and Mike joined a hoops contest on an old arcade game. We also had a chance to see the documentary, "Adopt-A-Jesus".

The subject of the documentary is Brandt Russo and his friends as they take a renovated school bus run on biofuel through the deep South to share of the message of not ignoring the poor, caring for homeless and hitchhikers, and hearing their stories. Brandt himself spent over a year on the streets homeless to learn to love like Jesus - completely without desire for return or credit. He's still working with the homeless, though now his ministry is on the infamous Skid Row in L.A. The night he came to the Scarlet Cord he talked about the many deaths on Skid Row, the disenfranchised people he meets, and the many, many people like you and me who never think twice of abusing or ignoring them.

I'm still thinking about the emerging church, and feel strongly about the lack of Truth and Justice many preach, but there are some within the emerging church who have strong doctrine and a challenging lifestyle to demonstrate it. I think Brandt is one of them. When I was going to school at Eastern College (now University) in the western suburbs of Philly a group of alum were living in the NE Philly neighborhood of Kensington to reach the homeless, the neglected, and extreme poor. This ministry is called, "The Simple Way". I was fortunate to have opportunities to spend time in the neighborhood to work with the younger kids over the course of a couple school years. Walking from the train station through trash strewn streets and run-down row homes to get to a dilapidated church for tutoring and other after school activities left a huge impression on me. This wasn't a third world nation, and yet it felt and looked like it. Since then I've learned we don't need to head into the urban neighborhoods to find the "least of these".

The documentary is worth checking out, though the film maker is not a believer, and unfortunately his emphasis is in areas that I wouldn't have emphasized (and Brandt wouldn't have either), but it's a poignant look the "least of these" (Mtw 25:31-46). Brandt was heavily influenced by The Simple Way, and so I've included the website for you to peruse. My disclaimer - this is not an endorsement of their politics, just the faith in action. TSW is a pacifist organization and I respect it, but do not endorse or attempt to promote its politics.

Be as the Bereans and read, examine, and wrestle through this with the Holy Spirit... (Acts 17:10-11, Phil 2:12-13)

http://www.adoptajesus.com/

http://www.thesimpleway.org/