Ragamuffin: grace

Everyone is invited

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ot long ago Bono, the lead singer for U2, stated in an interview with beliefnet.com the following: “The most powerful idea that’s entered the world in the last few thousand years is the idea of grace - grace is the reason I would like to be a Christian.”

Phillip Yancey tells the story about a woman and her fiancé. They went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and planned their wedding reception. They both had expensive tastes so the bill totaled $13,000. Soon after the planning was all done the groom got cold feet and backed out of the wedding. The woman, who ten years before had spent some time in a homeless shelter, knew that the Hyatt contract was binding so she decided to use her meal and money that was going to be spent on the wedding to treat the down-and-out of Boston to a night on the town. She got everything rolling by changing the menu to boneless chicken in honor of the groom, and then she sent invitations to the rescue missions and homeless shelters across the city. That night people who were accustomed to peeling half-eaten pizza off cardboard now were dining on chicken cordon bleu. Hyatt waiters in tuxedos served hors d’oeuvres to senior citizens propped up on crutches. Bag ladies, homeless persons, and addicts took one night off from their hard life on the sidewalks and danced to big band music. It was a party to remember. It was a picture of grace.

Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven will be that kind of party. Everybody is invited. You are invited - it’s an invitation of grace. That is the idea of grace. That is why I am a Christian!

Ragamuffin appears every Monday on theRubicon. Find past Ragamuffin posts and a bio of Capt. Jay Davis here.

Ragamuffin: Bob and I (5)

Part five - the final installment

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ack to Bob and the conversation we had at Starbucks… when we left him last time, he seemed isolated and lonely,  a little angry and discouraged. As we talked … or as he talked to me and I sat and listened … Bob repeated that he was concerned about the Army of the future.

I asked Bob how the church services were going. He told me a few weeks back that he was going to try some untraditional things in the service to hopefully shake things up and get youth more interested. I was totally shocked when Bob said a cuss word and then said …”They make me so mad!”

“Mad?” Trying to veil the fact that I was totally taken back at the fact that Bob had just said a word I thought would never come from his mouth. But I understood it was his frustration talking. He some more on his mind that he needed to share. So I listened.

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Ragamuffin: Bob and I (4)

Part 4

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ack to Captain Bob and the conversation we had at Starbucks (or Part 4)…

Bob has got his second wind and wants to finish off on several other concerns that are noticeably robbing him of his joy in ministry.

“Jay it seems like I can manage the corps finances but with my kids it is hard to handle my own finances. It is my fault - Barb (his lovely and capable wife) says I give in to the kids too much. That might be true but before I became an officer I could buy this and that and not worry too much about finances. Now, I have to watch every coin that leaves my pocket. In a regular job I could ask for a raise…”

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Ragamuffin: Bob and I (2)

Part two

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ack to Captain Bob and the conversation we had at Starbucks…

When we left Bob in our last blog he was a little angry (okay maybe very angry). He was discouraged and feeling like he just needed to vent. I took note of his feelings and the concerns he had expressed. I made mental notes of our dialogue because by this time I thought - “this is something that other officers might echo.”

By the way, Captain Bob knows I am sharing this in confidence with the people who read this blog on Mondays and gave his permission. I told him it might help others in some weird way.

Well, anyway, back to Bob…

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Ragamuffin: Thecla

… she baptized herself

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his lady was said to be a friend of Paul. If she were alive today she might be a Salvation Army officer. She stood for a strength and equality. According to a general second century tale, Acts of Paul and Thecla, she was a native of Iconomium who was so awed by the preaching of St. Paul on being virtuous that she broke off her engagement to marry Thamyris to live a life of virginity. Later Thecla was ordered burned to death.

When a storm conveniently extinguished the flames, she escaped with Paul and went with him to Antioch. There she was condemned to the arena with wild beasts but again escaped death when the beasts did no harm to her. It is said that the female lions protected her from the male lion.

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Ragamuffin: David

Where did David get such courage?

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avid in 1 Samuel 17:32-37 remembers a time when he faced danger. It has implications for David’s life in the encounter with Goliath. That experience of the lion and the bear helped to groom him for the day when he would face a Goliath-sized problem.

Someone said, “The choices we make, make us”. This is so evident in the life of David. Whether these choices are good or bad they tend to affect our character and identity. Most people know – or have casually heard – the story of David and Goliath. The portion of David’s life concerning the lion and the bear may not be so well known yet it is important to the formation of the person we come to admire as David. The formation of David came from his experience as a youth.

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Ragamuffin: A call

… for Bible preaching and teaching

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emember this old song? The B I B L E – yes, that’s the book for me…

The need for a Biblically uninformed people to know more of God’s word is evident. As this website demonstrates, there are often efforts to know the Bible academically. Although this is good – it is not good enough. The average layperson in our churches knows little of the Bible’s teaching or does he/she have a Biblical worldview.

While I hear a few great preachers/teachers, there seems to be a shortage of quality preaching. By “quality” I specifically speak of content. God uses us with our various personalities so our presentation and delivery may vary but the quality must be there.

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Ragamuffin: Jesus

… the best ‘name above all names’

“A knowledge of the real Jesus is essential. The reality of an individual who has set the western calendar, permeated human thought and history for over 2,000 years, and influenced the culture of the dominant nations for a millennium demands to be taken seriously.”
 Joel Edwards, An Agenda for Change

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esus – I have always liked that name… that aspect of the man who died on the cross. He has many names and titles.

Savior: Yes, this is so true. He is my Savior. He has saved me from my own self many times. Savior is a vital aspect of Jesus but I still like “Jesus” the best.

King: It is right to say He was, or is, the King. King of kings. This means something practical to me – He rules and reigns in my everyday life. He certainly deserves the title “King” but I still like “Jesus” the best.

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Ragamuffin: fathers

Some experts say that if you are a fatherless child you are:

• 5 times more likely to commit suicide
• 32 times more likely to run away
• 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
• 9 times more likely to drop out of school
• 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
• 9 times more likely to end up in a state operated institution
• 20 times more likely to end up in prison.

Fatherless children are at higher risk when it comes to drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide, poor educational performance, teen pregnancy, and criminal behavior. Not exactly a promising future. › Continue reading

Ragamuffin: great awakening

… a broad social agenda

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e heard Jim Wallis at the USA National Pastors Convention in San Diego in February. He has a heart for justice issues. He was there promoting his new book. He has been a controversial voice for social justice since his early-’70s days. But, he says “There is a Religious Left in this country, and I’m not a part of it.” His newest book is called, The Great Awakening. He says that theologically conservative evangelicals (especially young ones) are flocking to his message and are “deserting the Religious Right in droves” because it attempted to “restrict the language of ‘moral values’ to just two issues — abortion and gay marriage.”

“For years I have been called a progressive evangelical, but people said that was a misnomer,” says Wallis, who turns 60 in June. “The misnomer is becoming a movement.”

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