Try something new in the church world

Over the years, I have spoken at and worshipped in most of CCSC's 41 coalition churches. Being in all of these churches is easily one of the things I enjoy most about my job.

Naturally, the churches vary by denomination.  But they also vary in theology, worship style, interpretation of the gospel, music, and liturgy (vs. no liturgy).  Some churches prefer praise bands, some prefer an organ, and some prefer a cappella. Some follow the lectionary for scripture readings, and some don't.

When I first began working here, these differences stood out.  Now I barely notice them but instead appreciate them. One Sunday, I was at a church that spoke forcefully on a particular social issue; the following Sunday, I was at a different church that also spoke forcefully on that issue, but from a contrasting viewpoint. I chuckled inside and thought how lucky I am to be able to hear, firsthand, how different communities approach difficult issues.

From my desk, these churches are seeking the same thing: to build community and follow the Gospel as best they can.  In doing this, each church develops its own unique style and way of worshipping and serving together.  So I'm uncomfortable when I hear Christians criticizing other churches (or other Christians) for having a viewpoint or style different from their own. Who of us is right 100% of the time?  Not me.

So my challenge is to suggest that you worship, just once, at another church to try something new.  Select a church that is different from your own, and worship there as an experiment in discovering new ways of experiencing church.  A great starting point is the link below, a listing of CCSC's own member churches:

http://www.ccschouston.org/Member_Churches.html.

Technology is great, but...

I was speaking to a group of students about their careers and was asked an almost rhetorical question: "Being tech savvy is the most important skill to have, right?" 

My answer was "no", responding that solid communication skills (writing and interpersonal) were instead at the top of my list.  The room was silent, and I think the students weren't sure how to react.  So I explained that in most fields, you have to be able to get along well with others, speak clearly when expressing your ideas and thoughts, and write well so the reader can act upon your request, idea or proposal.   

Writing is an under-valued skill.  The age of email, texting and social media has killed punctuation and grammar, and it's rare to see a clean, clearly written proposal, article or other piece of writing. 

What does this have to do with CCSC?  We have a couple of positions currently open, so we're receiving many resumes right now.  And most of the resumes have typos, poorly written emails, and if there is a cover letter, it typically has sloppy errors.  We have screened these out: if someone is not detailed enough to send their best to us, their quality of work is probably below what we consider acceptable. 

The people we hire must have the needed skills for that particular job description, but we also look for exceptional communication skills as well as a passion for CCSC's mission and a strong work ethic.

So if there are high school or college students in your life, help them to develop these other skills.  My guess is that most people under the age of 25 have already mastered technology, so this will not set them apart.  But their work ethic and ability to communicate well with others will.

Summer isn't great for everyone

As I write this, my daughter is taking her last final, and my son is already out of school. They are ready for the unstructured days of summer. While they have some responsibilities, most of their summer days will be spent going at a pace considerably lower than the pace we maintain during the school year. Our entire family is grateful for summer!

This ease of summer is in contrast to the lives of the families we serve at CCSC. It's not that these children don't have unstructured days also, but hunger becomes an issue. In public school, students receive breakfast and lunch at school - this is a long-standing federal program designed not only to alleviate hunger but to also enhance a child's ability to learn. (I realize some readers are for federal programs like this, and some are not. My point is not to debate the merits of this program, but to point out what happens in the summer.)

So when summer is out, families are stretched to now provide two additional meals/day for each child. The problem is not one of willpower or desire but a mathematical issue: if you bring in $900-$1,000 of income each month and have two adults and two children living in your home, your income is inadequate. During the school year, you get a break on your food bill, but for the summer months this expense goes up as does your electric bill.

This is why CCSC typically sees a surge in families needing food during the summer months. Hunger in our community trends up.

So this summer I especially encourage you to donate to our food pantries or a food pantry near you. If you have children or grandchildren, take them to the grocery store and have them help you purchase food to donate. You'll not only be helping to feed other families, but also encouraging a young person to share and help others.

A lesson to share

I was at a memorial service for a CCSC volunteer and was introduced to his adult children. Upon hearing where I worked, the daughter said, "volunteering at CCSC changed his life". She went on to explain that her dad often told her that interviewing clients at our food pantry changed his understanding of poverty.  He said he wished he had understood earlier in his life how little he really knew about other people and their situations.  Not just with poverty, but in general.

I find it profound that in the last season of his life, he acknowledged that he knew less about people than he thought he did.  His daughter went on to say that he wished he had had a little more humility and a little less certainty in life.  She smiled, and said "I'm still learning from him."

Me too, I thought.

The man who passed away was gentle, dignified and a pleasure to be around.  I would not characterize him as being anything less than gracious and kind.  So if this wonderful man admits he doesn't have all the answers and a bit more humility was needed in his character, then without hesitation, I profess the same need.

His memorial service was beautiful and reflective of his priorities in life: faith and family.  I walked away from the service with a gold nugget of wisdom and send a special thanks to his daughter for sharing one of her dad's last life lessons.

What's your legacy?

Two nights ago, CCSC held its annual Azalea Dinner to celebrate our mission and raise funds.  In the midst of the evening, we received news that our founder, Dean Robinson, had passed away after a long illness. Because of the timing of the news, we were able to take a moment to lift him and his family up in prayer, and celebrate all that he was to our organization and the wider faith community.

Dean was an ordinary person who used his unique skills, talents and personality to live his faith.  By this I mean that he was not superhuman: he had talents and flaws, good traits and bad traits, ways of doing things that were good and habits that weren't so good.  He was human, just like each of us.

What makes him great (to me) is that he harnessed all that was within him, the good and the bad, and picked up his cross to follow Jesus.  He didn't wait until he was perfect to begin to live a Christ-centered life; he just lived it as best he could.

And along the way, he founded CCSC, Amazing Place Houston, and a variety of programs at St. Luke's Methodist Church.  Every great thing that he did just happened to help other people. 

Not many of us will found and create organizations.  But each of us has the ability to use all that we are - the superb as well as the imperfect sides of ourselves - to live our faith daily.  So make peace with your flaws and talents, gather them up, and use them as Dean did: to help others and make a difference in your world. 


Below is a picture of Dean and his wife Beverly at a prior Azalea Dinner.

I had a pity party last week

Last week I had a virus, one that makes you feel miserable and wishing scientists would find a cure for the common cold.  In addition, my husband was out of town, so I was single-parenting while feeling crummy.  It wasn’t a great week.

I confess that I felt sorry for myself.

Then, my virus cleared up, my husband came home, and life settled back into its normal axis. 

This week I sat through a client interview of a single mother who has children about the same age as mine, and I realized that my hard week is her life. 

She doesn’t have another adult in her home to swap advice and daily chores with, and she lives paycheck to paycheck, worrying about things I take for granted. How will she pay for her daughter’s prom dress? Her son is growing, so his appetite is escalating. Will they run out of food this month?  How can she spend quality time with her children when she works so much just to pay for the basics?

I wonder how she manages the pressure and emotional strain.  It must affect her outlook on life.  

Without a doubt, life can be hard for all of us at times, so I don’t mean to imply that we should minimize our personal challenges.  However, I sometimes need a reminder that the burdens I carry are not quite as heavy as those others carry.  Knowing this helps me put my life into perspective.

I am most definitely not complaining about my “bad week” anymore. 

 

What kind of driver are you?

If you read my last post, you’ll see that I address the misconception that all poor people are alike and cheat the system.  A friend read the post, and with great humor, she emailed me a parallel quote that Houston’s drivers are also not all alike:  some cut you off in traffic, some are angry, some are gracious, some are slow, etc…  You’ll have to read my last blog to catch the humor in her writing – I think she had a bad experience on Highway 59 near the construction on Weslayan. 

Also on the heels of posting that last blog, one of our volunteers shared this story of a client we recently helped.

It’s a two-parent family with a four-year old and a seven-month old.  Dad is a dental hygienist, certified in the State of California.  They lived in California, but the cost of living was too high, so they made the big decision to move to Houston.  Our cost of living is considerably less, plus Houston is a city of opportunity.

Unfortunately, they made a mistake that has cost them dearly.  They didn’t realize that his professional certification does not transfer over in Texas, so instead of earning a decent wage in his field of work, he is earning just above minimum wage, working in a restaurant.  The mother cares for the children full-time, so until the youngest begins kindergarten, she cannot contribute much to the household’s income.

The volunteer told me this family is stressed, and Dad works a lot, just to pay the bills.  Becoming recertified will cost him time and money, and they are trying to address those barriers.  In the meantime, CCSC provided food and clothing to the family and connected them to other resources to help their situation.

They are not cheating the system, but are doing their best in a difficult situation.  It is the mission of CCSC to be a safety net for families such as these.  We represent the church in saying, “this family is suffering and is worthy of help – let’s do what we can to soften the hard circumstances of their life.“  And we do it with kindness.