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This episode of the Share Well Podcast is a message from Chad Houck preached at New Heart Foursquare Church in Simi Valley on Mother’s Day, 2010.  The subject was the 23rd Psalm, focusing in on how important it is for us to remember the moments in our lives where God has truely made Himself real to us.  We hope you enjoy listening!

Baseball players all have specific positions on the field.  Some are better at the quick moves required on the infield, others at making the adjustments needed and having the leg speed to cover the relative vastness of the outfield.  One is specialized at delivering the ball, and another specialized at catching it.  There are multiple coaches, some working with the pitchers, others focusing on other aspects of the game, and finally, the GM who heads up the whole show. 

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting
ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
work. – Ephesians 4:15,16

The team trains, each person on the team studies and practices his role, and finally, the team suits up in the team's uniform bearing the team's name, and…

You see, that is where the vision turned odd.  The team was all practiced up, all suited up, and fully equipped…

…BUT NEVER LEFT THE DUGOUT AND TOOK THE FIELD.

Our churches are not the game.  Our churches are the locker room where we put on the name of Christ.  The dugout is where we prepare for the upcoming challenge, but eventually, we have to take the field, each to our own position, and take on our opponent who stands at the plate waiting.  On the field is where churches become "the Church".

Do not be confused.

WE ARE NOT THE SPECTATORS.

WHEN YOU CHOSE TO FOLLOW CHRIST, YOU LEFT THE STANDS.

Now it is time to take the field.

Are you ready to play ball and get a little dirt on your knees, or are you hangin' in the dugout?

Couple great excerpts from the article:

• What emerged from Pritchard's keynote talk was not a passion for the
  environment so much as a passion for people, their health and
  well-being, and particularly for social justice. "If our abuse of the
  environment raises, for example, the rate of debilitating asthma
  attacks, then it is a compassion issue for the church." (Rusty Pritchard, Co-Founder of Flourish)

• South Atlanta pastor Leroy Barber spoke of how his church worked to
  "green my 'hood." His parishioners live with all the unsightly and
  unsanitary things other Atlanta neighborhoods avoid: chemical plants,
  an auto impound lot from another municipality, a landfill, poor public
  transportation. He described his church's efforts to improve the lives
  of their neighbors through economic development, health and nutrition
  programs, and even pedestrian safety campaigns. "That's good news for
  the poor," he said.

• The dominant spiritual message was the need for neighbor love and the social justice activity neighbor love entails.

• A number of social justice ministries were represented at the conference. The most popular booth belonged to Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee,
  (a Share5 Partner ministry!) with its slogan–"Drink Coffee. Do Good."–and its endless urns of
  really good joe. The ministry helps Rwandan genocide survivors to form
  coffee-growing co-ops, then helps them speed their best beans to market
  where they command top prices. These co-op farmers typically increase
  their revenues by a factor of 4.5, exceeding the prices paid in
  fair-trade programs. Land of a Thousand Hills markets their product to
  and through churches.

            (all excerpts pulled directly from the Christianity Today article…)

It is great to hear that there is a movement of compassion finding its way into all corners of Chrisitanity today.  If not compassionate, what are we when it comes to our daily lives?  If we lack compassion, can we really call ourselves Christ-like?