Ecuador Central is a part of the world I’ve been to (2 short-term medical missions), which is a long way from saying I can speak as an expert on anything there. From what I observed, there is life and hope present in the Evangelical churches. The Roman Catholic Church, I regret to say, seems to be part of the “problem” in a lot of areas (with the exception of a few religious orders and priests who dare to swim against the stream), having a centuries-long history of endorsing and contributing to the systematic oppression of the poor and the Quechua Indians.
A lot of the Quechua are nominally Catholic, with broken-down church buildings in the Andean villages, where a priest might visit once or twice a year. They identify themselves as Catholics, but meanwhile worship the spirits of nature. There is little or no discipleship of any kind, until they get exposure to Evangelical Christians. Then they drink in the Gospel eagerly, and lives change.
Where is the Anglican Church in all of this? It’s a non-player, absorbed in its internal problems. Not that I can say we’re any better in the Episcopal Church USA. (There’s a brave SAMS couple working in Quito, but as far as I know they keep a low profile as Anglicans and get zero support from the Diocese.)
The PB’s “abundance and scarcity” analysis might be true, but the real scarcity has to do with excitement about the Gospel.
A famine of the word of God.
Pax Christi!
Chuck Bradshaw, Hulls Cove, Maine
Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. (1 Samuel 3:1)
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it…” (Amos 8:11-12)
The Gospel message of salvation through the Cross is just not in her lexicon. For Shori, it’s all about material salvation food, clothes, prosperity and her pansexual agenda, not spiritual redemption. The Bible says we prosper as our souls prosper, as sin (false worship and craven appetites) is overcome and we are brought from death of sin to eternal life and reunion with God. Decades of welfare and sending material and financial aid to foreign lands have shown that without redirecting and reordering our appetites, only corruption and dependency is achieved, not lasting prosperity and health. Shori and the UN liberals are promoting abortion and pansexuality that are known to be spiritually, emotionally and physically unhealthy for individuals and societies.
Yes, Mrs Schori, I suppose all conflict starts with rich people fearing they don’t have enough… like your fears. You simply must take what belongs to others to satisfy your cravings for power and prestige.
Acts 6 re-mix with PB choice of categories: “It would not be right for us live in scarcity of our prayers and presenting the ministry of the Word, in order to sort out the lack of abundance in daily distributions to our widows.”
base: Acts 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.â€
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Ecuador Central is a part of the world I’ve been to (2 short-term medical missions), which is a long way from saying I can speak as an expert on anything there. From what I observed, there is life and hope present in the Evangelical churches. The Roman Catholic Church, I regret to say, seems to be part of the “problem” in a lot of areas (with the exception of a few religious orders and priests who dare to swim against the stream), having a centuries-long history of endorsing and contributing to the systematic oppression of the poor and the Quechua Indians.
A lot of the Quechua are nominally Catholic, with broken-down church buildings in the Andean villages, where a priest might visit once or twice a year. They identify themselves as Catholics, but meanwhile worship the spirits of nature. There is little or no discipleship of any kind, until they get exposure to Evangelical Christians. Then they drink in the Gospel eagerly, and lives change.
Where is the Anglican Church in all of this? It’s a non-player, absorbed in its internal problems. Not that I can say we’re any better in the Episcopal Church USA. (There’s a brave SAMS couple working in Quito, but as far as I know they keep a low profile as Anglicans and get zero support from the Diocese.)
The PB’s “abundance and scarcity” analysis might be true, but the real scarcity has to do with excitement about the Gospel.
A famine of the word of God.
Pax Christi!
Chuck Bradshaw, Hulls Cove, Maine
Now the young man Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. (1 Samuel 3:1)
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it…” (Amos 8:11-12)
The Gospel message of salvation through the Cross is just not in her lexicon. For Shori, it’s all about material salvation food, clothes, prosperity and her pansexual agenda, not spiritual redemption. The Bible says we prosper as our souls prosper, as sin (false worship and craven appetites) is overcome and we are brought from death of sin to eternal life and reunion with God. Decades of welfare and sending material and financial aid to foreign lands have shown that without redirecting and reordering our appetites, only corruption and dependency is achieved, not lasting prosperity and health. Shori and the UN liberals are promoting abortion and pansexuality that are known to be spiritually, emotionally and physically unhealthy for individuals and societies.
Yes, Mrs Schori, I suppose all conflict starts with rich people fearing they don’t have enough… like your fears. You simply must take what belongs to others to satisfy your cravings for power and prestige.
Acts 6 re-mix with PB choice of categories: “It would not be right for us live in scarcity of our prayers and presenting the ministry of the Word, in order to sort out the lack of abundance in daily distributions to our widows.”
base: Acts 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.â€
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
And from a different perspective, you can see why the Unions don’t make use of Jesus’ parable re: payment as their guiding light.