“As we become more attuned to the gospel, we’ll have more of a burden for orphans. As we become more adoption-friendly, we’ll be better able to understand the gospel.”
The opening chapter introduces us to some great ideas about the interconnectedness of God’s adoption of us and how that is reflected in our adoption of children. Russel Moore begins to tell us about his own journey of preaching and thinking about the “theology” of adoption without ever thinking about how that relates to earthly adoption of orphans. He does a great job of showing how we cannot appreciate one fully without the other.
Please take a minute to comment on one of the following questions:
“Without the theological aspect, the emphasis on adoption too easily is seen as mere charity. Without the missional aspect, the doctrine of adoption is too easily seen as mere metaphor.” (p.18)
1. What do you think that statement means? How have you seen this to be true in your own life?
2. When thinking about God’s adoption of us, why is it important for us to understand it beyond “mere metaphor”?
3. How does interlinking the two help us see adoption of orphans as more then just charity or a good deed?
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
book discussion starting this week!
We are starting the "Adopted for Life" book study this week! I will be posting an overview of each chapter on Friday or Saturdays with questions for us to discuss/think about. This week, lets read chapters 1 and 2...I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts this weekend!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Preaching vs. Worship
Jeff Purswell does a great job of explaining why preaching is essential to worship:
Throughout salvation history, all the way into the new covenant, God’s Word is at the center of worship. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and every church was nourished on God’s Word, all the way down to the last chapter of the last book that Paul wrote, where he tells Timothy to preach the Word “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
Why? Why so much preaching? Why all this talking? Because the primary way we encounter God in worship is through the preaching of the Word of God.
Think about it this way. Normally, in what we call “worship,” we spend significant time—perhaps the whole time—addressing God, singing to him, praising him, extolling him, praying to him. Wonderful! But in preaching we are no longer addressing God; he is addressing us. Nothing is more important than this moment. And this is why the most important worship leader in your church is your pastor.
That really gets to the heart of preaching. The Bible is not simply a book that we talk about. When God’s Word is faithfully preached, God is addressing us. God is speaking. We hear not merely a man’s voice. We hear the voice of God.
Read the entire post here.
HT: Pure Church
Throughout salvation history, all the way into the new covenant, God’s Word is at the center of worship. The early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and every church was nourished on God’s Word, all the way down to the last chapter of the last book that Paul wrote, where he tells Timothy to preach the Word “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).
Why? Why so much preaching? Why all this talking? Because the primary way we encounter God in worship is through the preaching of the Word of God.
Think about it this way. Normally, in what we call “worship,” we spend significant time—perhaps the whole time—addressing God, singing to him, praising him, extolling him, praying to him. Wonderful! But in preaching we are no longer addressing God; he is addressing us. Nothing is more important than this moment. And this is why the most important worship leader in your church is your pastor.
That really gets to the heart of preaching. The Bible is not simply a book that we talk about. When God’s Word is faithfully preached, God is addressing us. God is speaking. We hear not merely a man’s voice. We hear the voice of God.
Read the entire post here.
HT: Pure Church
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Orphan Sunday this week at Roosevelt!
November 8th is Orphan Sunday and I am VERY excited about some things that will be happening at Roosevelt this weekend!
1) We will be having a ministry spotlight talking about foster parenting/adoption with resources available for families who would like to further consider/pray about becoming foster or adoptive parents.
2) Vocab & Nicole will be teaching a RU class called, "A Biblical View on Adoption" after service (lunch will be provided). You don't want to miss it!
3) We will be launching a new Roosevelt book study. We have 6 copies of "Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches" by Russel Moore. I will be commenting/ opening up for discussing a chapter each week on my blog. I hope to have at least 6 people join me on Sunday in reading/discussing this book. (If you don't attend Roosevelt and would like to join the study, order the book now--we will be starting next week.)
**even if you think you will never foster or adopt, this book is well worth reading. 1) to support our families in the church who do and 2) to have a deeper appreciation of God's adoption of you!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Things you should never say to a family who has adopted children #7 & #8
7.Racial Stereotypes
Please avoid stating any racial stereotypes you may have about my children or any other child. I have friends who have fostered or adopted children from many other races (Hispanic, Caucasian, etc) and all of them have stories of things people have said that would (hopefully) make your mouth drop open. Just apply the “if-you-wouldn’t-say-it-to-an-adult” rule…if you wouldn’t say something to my husband about black people, don’t say it to me about my kids.
The one I hear most often has to do with the assumption that black or Hispanic families are more likely to have their children in foster care (under that statement lies an assumption that black/Hispanic families are worse parents then Caucasian families). The fact is a majority of the children who enter the system in Arizona are Caucasian; however, most foster and adoptive families will only take white kids/won’t take minorities—that is why there are so many minority children waiting for adoption.
8.“Is it because of the drugs?”
I haven’t had this said to me, but several of my friends have. When their toddler is running all over the place or doing something that seems a little different then the “average” child, sometimes well meaning people ask if it is because the child was exposed to drugs in the womb. It would be the same as me walking up to you during your 2-year old's screaming tantrum and saying, “your child is so abnormal, what on earth happened to them that made them so difficult?” Any parent would be taken aback to that statement.
Please avoid stating any racial stereotypes you may have about my children or any other child. I have friends who have fostered or adopted children from many other races (Hispanic, Caucasian, etc) and all of them have stories of things people have said that would (hopefully) make your mouth drop open. Just apply the “if-you-wouldn’t-say-it-to-an-adult” rule…if you wouldn’t say something to my husband about black people, don’t say it to me about my kids.
The one I hear most often has to do with the assumption that black or Hispanic families are more likely to have their children in foster care (under that statement lies an assumption that black/Hispanic families are worse parents then Caucasian families). The fact is a majority of the children who enter the system in Arizona are Caucasian; however, most foster and adoptive families will only take white kids/won’t take minorities—that is why there are so many minority children waiting for adoption.
8.“Is it because of the drugs?”
I haven’t had this said to me, but several of my friends have. When their toddler is running all over the place or doing something that seems a little different then the “average” child, sometimes well meaning people ask if it is because the child was exposed to drugs in the womb. It would be the same as me walking up to you during your 2-year old's screaming tantrum and saying, “your child is so abnormal, what on earth happened to them that made them so difficult?” Any parent would be taken aback to that statement.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Things you should never say to a family who has adopted children #5 & #6
5. You’re a saint. I could never go through the pain of a child returning to the birth family or hearing their stories of abuse.
Foster parents aren't saint, I promise. When people allude to the fact that there is something “tough” about foster parents for being able to “handle” the stories of abuse, it just makes me think that they don’t have any close friends who are foster parents. The kids who don’t get to be adopted, especially when they are returning to unsafe homes—breaks the hearts of foster parents. We aren’t tough. It rips our hearts out, but the pain of a grown, healthy adult who fosters is nothing compared to an abused child having no where to live and no where to be safe. This statement says that it is better to protect your own heart and life from pain then to alleviate the pain and suffering of an innocent, abused child. This is not the gospel we have been called to and I'm sure if we each really thought about it, would admit its better to risk our own pain then to let an abused child have no home to live in.
6. God’s given you a special call
Okay, this is my least favorite statement. I wasn’t “called” to adopt or foster children any more or less then every other Christian I know. Again, read above verses…God's word is filled with a command to care for orphans and the poor and the New Testament gives a beautiful example of God adopting us into his family--we are all called to care for the orphans. There are exceptions, if you have marital issues that need to be worked on, don’t want any children, or have legitimate reasons for not being able to, then that is fine. No one should do it out of guilt or obligation. But healthy, loving families who like children should be actively involved in supporting adoptions and fostering.
There are at least 5 churches that have more members in them then Arizona has kids in the foster system waiting for placement. We have no excuse. If we believe in caring for life and abortions ending, then it makes sense to start with caring for the orphans we have already.
Instead of thinking of these families who adopt as “selfless” and “special”—just think of them as normal. If couples don’t have to pray to make sure God wanted them to get pregnant in the first place…then why do couples need to be “called” to adopt? I never hear Christians say, “God called me to get pregnant.” Too often we think/pray for God to “open the door” for us if he wants us to adopt. More of us should pray, “God, I know you’ve called us to care for the orphans and it would be an honor to do this! Please let me be one who gets to serve in such a great way! I’m going to start taking action toward this and if you don’t want it to happen, close the door.”
Foster parents aren't saint, I promise. When people allude to the fact that there is something “tough” about foster parents for being able to “handle” the stories of abuse, it just makes me think that they don’t have any close friends who are foster parents. The kids who don’t get to be adopted, especially when they are returning to unsafe homes—breaks the hearts of foster parents. We aren’t tough. It rips our hearts out, but the pain of a grown, healthy adult who fosters is nothing compared to an abused child having no where to live and no where to be safe. This statement says that it is better to protect your own heart and life from pain then to alleviate the pain and suffering of an innocent, abused child. This is not the gospel we have been called to and I'm sure if we each really thought about it, would admit its better to risk our own pain then to let an abused child have no home to live in.
6. God’s given you a special call
Okay, this is my least favorite statement. I wasn’t “called” to adopt or foster children any more or less then every other Christian I know. Again, read above verses…God's word is filled with a command to care for orphans and the poor and the New Testament gives a beautiful example of God adopting us into his family--we are all called to care for the orphans. There are exceptions, if you have marital issues that need to be worked on, don’t want any children, or have legitimate reasons for not being able to, then that is fine. No one should do it out of guilt or obligation. But healthy, loving families who like children should be actively involved in supporting adoptions and fostering.
There are at least 5 churches that have more members in them then Arizona has kids in the foster system waiting for placement. We have no excuse. If we believe in caring for life and abortions ending, then it makes sense to start with caring for the orphans we have already.
Instead of thinking of these families who adopt as “selfless” and “special”—just think of them as normal. If couples don’t have to pray to make sure God wanted them to get pregnant in the first place…then why do couples need to be “called” to adopt? I never hear Christians say, “God called me to get pregnant.” Too often we think/pray for God to “open the door” for us if he wants us to adopt. More of us should pray, “God, I know you’ve called us to care for the orphans and it would be an honor to do this! Please let me be one who gets to serve in such a great way! I’m going to start taking action toward this and if you don’t want it to happen, close the door.”
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Things you should never say to a family who has adopted children #3 & #4
3. Do they have the same fathers? or Are they siblings?
There are certain close friends (especially those who understand and support adoption) that I may chose to discuss this with. However, this is can be an inappropriate question to ask a family for several reasons.
1. If Vermon and I have adopted them—then OF COURSE they have the same mother and father.
2. This question again goes back to DNA and really doesn’t matter—if they really are biologically half siblings, does that make any difference since they were raised together from birth? Do you think their little minds process that they are “half siblings?” Of course not! In fact, Niko and Mya have a “biological” 2 year old brother and whenever I say that this little boy is their brother Niko quickly corrects me that he is their cousin. He always tells me, “Mom, his parents are my auntie and uncle—he can’t be my brother!”
3. The answer very well may give you a bad opinion of the birth mother and my children may not want you to know the answer to that. Their life story belongs to them and how they chose to share it will be up to each one individually. Would you randomly ask a single mom if her three children all have the same father? If you wouldn’t ask an adult a question about their life because it might be embarrassing or hurtful for them, then it probably isn’t an appropriate question to ask about my children (since they will be adults too at some point).
4.“You know what I mean”
Whenever someone says some of the above things to me and I explain to someone that Niko and Mya are children of my own and that I would have been happy only adopting…this is always the response I get.
My answer to this statement is almost always, “no, I don’t know what you mean.” A better way to respond is, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have worded it that way." :)
There are certain close friends (especially those who understand and support adoption) that I may chose to discuss this with. However, this is can be an inappropriate question to ask a family for several reasons.
1. If Vermon and I have adopted them—then OF COURSE they have the same mother and father.
2. This question again goes back to DNA and really doesn’t matter—if they really are biologically half siblings, does that make any difference since they were raised together from birth? Do you think their little minds process that they are “half siblings?” Of course not! In fact, Niko and Mya have a “biological” 2 year old brother and whenever I say that this little boy is their brother Niko quickly corrects me that he is their cousin. He always tells me, “Mom, his parents are my auntie and uncle—he can’t be my brother!”
3. The answer very well may give you a bad opinion of the birth mother and my children may not want you to know the answer to that. Their life story belongs to them and how they chose to share it will be up to each one individually. Would you randomly ask a single mom if her three children all have the same father? If you wouldn’t ask an adult a question about their life because it might be embarrassing or hurtful for them, then it probably isn’t an appropriate question to ask about my children (since they will be adults too at some point).
4.“You know what I mean”
Whenever someone says some of the above things to me and I explain to someone that Niko and Mya are children of my own and that I would have been happy only adopting…this is always the response I get.
My answer to this statement is almost always, “no, I don’t know what you mean.” A better way to respond is, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have worded it that way." :)
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