Show Me the Right Path While I’m Living in the Meantime

“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow.  Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in you”.  Psalm 25:4,5.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the leading of God in the area of compassion and justice.  Compassion meets basic needs; justice asks WHY those needs exist.  In many conversations I’ve had recently, it seems I’m not alone.  This may be an ongoing life long discussion for many and more personal in nature… But, I’m here today so I’m working through my response and how I’m finding involvement.  Just because we don’t have all the answers does not stop us from doing something today.  As someone who loves Jesus and is supposed to live with a changed heart, what is my response to the injustice around me?  Am I turning to the scriptures?  Am I putting my hope in the Lord, being led by the Holy Spirit in my decisions?  King David expressed his desire for God’s guidance and we can learn from the Word of God.  The first step is to want to be guided and to realize that we can find guidance in the Bible.  Psalm 119 is a great place to start.  It tells us of the endless knowledge found in God’s Word. 

I have worked with youth over the years and believe many days they are thinking past me when it comes to compassion and justice.  I think this is great and I feel that many youth have a desire to help the poor and oppressed.  When some are trying to feed a nation, the young heart is giving away his sandwich to a classmate.  Simple acts with powerful impact.  I’m encouraged by youth and know God is using this generation to think past current charitable response.  We do need to work together, spurring one another on in love. Thinking big and planning ahead is important and so is giving away our lunches. Living in the meantime often requires us to use only what is within our immediate grasp, so whatever it is we’ve been given, let’s learn to do good together, seeking justice, demonstrating compassion for people.  This is a life of putting our hope and trust in God, believing He’ll determine our steps and receive all the glory.  I hope that we can seek justice, while giving away our lunch. 

Jayme Hall
Executive Director
Outflow Ministry

Motivation for Helping Others- God's love gives us true motivation

"If I give away all I have...but do not have love, I gain nothing." This is what Paul, the apostle of Jesus, said in his letter to some Christians in a place called Corinth. I've been thinking about these words lately because I'm involved in a ministry that has a focus on helping people, especially those who are homeless and considered poor. I've been thinking about motives- why we do what we do. Do I help someone because it makes me feel good inside? I suppose if that was purely my motive, then I would be acting out of selfishness.  I do think we should feel good inside when we help people, I'm just not so sure it's a helpful motive. The Holy Spirit says through Paul that without love as our motive, then our good deeds are meaningless. Paul goes on to tell us what love is and what it looks like. We quickly learn in the bible that the love that is being talked about is a special kind of love. It's not a superficial sentimentality, but a deep love that can only come from God and by being connected to him.

For someone who follows Jesus, our motive should be a love for him and for others. But how do we tap into this love? Everyone knows you can't force love. Jesus once said that those who have been forgiven much, love much. And those who have been forgiven little, love little. This has provided an answer for me. It is only when I am gripped by the depth of the evil in me that Jesus has forgiven that I am overwhelmed by his love and consequently a love for him and for others. I realize this is not a fashionable message in our culture of self adoration, but I do find it compelling. I wonder how many Christians are acting out of mere duty. C.S. Lewis once said, "Duty is only a substitute for love (of God and of other people) like a crutch which is a substitute for a leg." I realize that we are not perfect and definitely do need the crutch of duty at times, but God's pervasive love should be the overarching motivation in all we do. May we be gripped by God's wonderful forgiveness and consequently filled with his love that overflows to those around us.

Philip Appleby
Director of Programming and Spiritual Care
Outflow Ministry

Community and Shelter

“I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings” Psalm 61:4 

 

A loving homestead can be a refuge. It is shelter from the cold and from the dark. At Outflow Ministry, we wish to provide everyone with a place they can call their home and refuge. This could mean someone who is just dropping in for a cup of coffee and conversation, to an individual who wants to volunteer their time, or to someone in need of a hot shower and meal.

At our men’s shelter, men can come in from the streets and walk into a brightly lit and warm shelter. During the day, we have a women’s drop-in, Oasis, where women can come in for tea or coffee, Scrabble, and company. Bible studies are going on in the early mornings and late evenings with various community organizations. It feels like Outflow is alive and growing in terms of community. Community goes hand in hand with shelter and safety.

At Outflow Ministry, we also try to talk about a spiritual refuge within the Lord, for those who are seeking Him. Sometimes we may have a warm home, but within, there is not a peace or a sense of shelter. That is where the Lord can come in with a peace that helps us weather the storms of life. “And His peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). I came out of a season where I was living for myself and not for the Lord. I had a home and food and friends but I did not feel joy or a sense of day to day peace. Last fall, I found the Lord’s peace one day at church during a worship service. I realized then and there that is what I was missing.

A refuge speaks safety and peace. What would it look like if we felt that everywhere we went? If the idea of a refuge and safety extended from a purely physical sense but also could be understood spiritually? We can find the calm in the storm even in the stormiest bit. That is where the Lord is beyond remarkable; when we find him as our Rock and our shelter even in those difficult seasons. We are wrapped up and sheltered from the wind that is not strong enough to tear us down and uproot us. That is also where community comes in – when we have brothers and sisters who can pray for us and give us a cup of coffee with a smile.

We are better together. Outflow Ministry can be a home and shelter for everyone, no matter your circumstances. We have a vision for the future and hope to expand this idea of shelter and refuge.

Blessings,

Laura Duncanson

Community Liaison
Outflow Ministry 

Dignity by Invitation

The criminals crucified with Jesus have been on my mind a lot in recent days, and along with them the intent and nature of crucifixion. I love the little, short parts of stories that tell us an immeasurable amount about our God. Four verses in Luke tell a story that shortens my breath. There is a lot to see there, and I have been missing something: dignity.

Consider the situation: at least three guys were hung up on crosses that day. The spectacle was intended to destroy any trace of dignity from criminals. They were stripped, beaten, mocked and put up on display for hours. In the midst of suffering the same indignities as Jesus, one of the criminals joined the mockers. Luke 23:39 says that he "scoffed." He said, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us too, while you're at it!" The other criminal, however, said, "Don't you fear God even when you've been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (40-42)

This is where the story gets really exciting. This is where we usually think about hope and life in the promise of Jesus. Jesus says (I am so overwhelmed at this statement!), "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (43) With these words, Jesus brought so much to the criminal and to every person throughout history who has had the pleasure of reading his story—hope for a future, and life in the very face of death. On top of all that, dignity. On that horrific day, in the midst of shame and cruelty and mockery, Jesus gave the criminal dignity. He extended an invitation into Paradise. I am certain there is no greater dignity than to be given a home with the Almighty.

 

Jesus offered the ultimate dignity to the criminal and to us—life with Him in Paradise. It is important to remember that He offers the same to every person we meet and treat them accordingly, as immortal beings. In his essay The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis reminds us: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal ... it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. ... Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses.” We can elevate dignity by inviting people in as well. At Outflow, we strive to do this by inviting men into the shelter, inviting the community to supper, inviting women to Oasis, inviting people into conversation and prayer. There are many things we all can to do restore dignity to those from whom it has been stripped, and they often begin with an invitation.

Chanelle Morgan
Office and Community Coordinator
Outflow Ministry

Sent in Pairs

 Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge: “What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.” (Luke 10:1-2, The Message)

Luke is a striking Gospel. Of late, I have been reading large portions of it in single sittings. It is a challenging book, both in its depth and in its length. Part of the focus of Luke is Jesus’ role as a teacher and prophet. These aspects of Luke focus my mind on the bits that provide guidance in how to approach ministry. The commission to the seventy disciples stands out the most. I wasn’t hit so much by what Jesus wanted them to do but instead by how Jesus wanted them to do it. Jesus shows us how seriously he takes partnerships.

God created us to be bound by space and time. With the exception of a few particular miracles, God the Son himself had these same boundaries during his time on earth. This means sending the seventy out in pairs had a real consequence. It likely took more time for Jesus and his team to serve people because they were in pairs. Thirty-five teams of two can only be in thirty-five places at a time. Seventy lone rangers can be in seventy places at a time.

The fact that Jesus would prioritize partnerships in spite of such a consequence should remind us to do the same. Even though seventy people could have been in seventy places, I don’t think they would have been as effective as the thirty-five teams were. Jesus understood that ministry can be difficult.

Having comrades to work alongside makes the Outflow staff stronger than we would be if we each did our own thing. Ministry partners provide accountability. Ministry partners provide different perspective. Ministry partners provide support in happy and not-so-happy situations. Ministry partners bring a different skill set. In short, ministry partners make people better at ministry. Outflow has worked very hard to create partnerships within our staff. None of us can effectively demonstrate the Kingdom if we are alone. Jesus built his Kingdom as a community.

We may be able to take the benefits of partnership further. In the same way that individual Outflow staff members are less effective if we don’t work with the rest of the team, it is important for Outflow to work within a larger group of service providers in Saint John. We value the work done by others in the community. We’ve enjoyed getting to know the teams at the Sisters of Charity, The TRC, Housing Alternatives, Coverdale, The Human Development Council, and others. In the coming weeks, months, and years we hope to get to know some of the other teams that do great work in Saint John. Simply put, no one organization is able to do everything. There are a lot of good groups in Saint John. As we connect with one another and work together, each of us can excel at what we are good at. Ultimately, this helps us to better serve and love our guests, neighbours, and friends.           

Tony Dickinson

Director of Homelessness and Housing Services

Outflow Ministry