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We are blessed to support four missionary church planters in different outlying regions of Ethiopia. Each of these is working among largely-unreached people groups, or among groups very hostile to the gospel.  The true gospel that we might take for granted is not readily-available in these places. And in some cases, it has little chance to gain a hearing.

In addition to these works, MCC also has a connection with a godly and seasoned church leader in Ethiopia. Pastor Dr. Tesfaye came to Christ as a child through Finnish missionaries. His father was a spiritist and medicine man, and his mother was just one of his father’s wives.

Today, Pastor Tesfaye trains and mentors many other younger leaders. He often travels to outlying regions, and is one of the mentors to our four church planters.

Last December, we were blessed to support a Training Conference led by Pastor Tesfaye in Hawassa. This area has evangelical churches, but the leaders are still in need of discipleship and teaching. ”Planting Effective Disciple-Making Churches That Are Sustainable, Resilient, Missional, and Multiplying” was the title of the event that brought together nearly 100 young pastors from diverse denominations for three days.

Its aim was to equip leaders with the knowledge, skills, and spiritual foundation needed to lead effective disciple-making churches. In Ethiopia, many who come to Christ find little Bible training. Their discipleship is rich in prayer and fellowship; but since the leaders lack training, they have few tools to deeply ground believers in the Word. These pastors were trained to navigate and counteract the pressing challenges of rising consumerism, the spread of prosperity gospel teachings, the constant threat of tribalism, and the unstable socio-political climate in the country.

Please pray for Pastor Tesfaye, our four missionary church-planters (Epheson, Alebachew, Tesfaye and Henoke) and the attendees at this training. May the Lord continue to grant them courage, hope and every kind of provision for His purposes.

For Christians to thrive in the modern era, there are two spiritual disciplines we must adopt: Digital Detox (fasting from screens) and Intentional Ignorance (fasting from information).

The rapid growth of digital technology has implications for our spiritual formation. The form of connectivity that comes with smartphones and watches is fundamentally new in human history; this isn’t necessarily good or bad, but it is certainly different. Thus, the countercultural spiritual disciplines that serve our growth ought to be different as well.

Spiritual formation and the purposeful means of formation (spiritual disciplines, habits, and practices) are always contextual; the dehumanizing forces of our idols express themselves differently in different cultures. Our culture is the first culture that is radically digital.

Deformative Power of Digitization

Being chronically connected to the internet tempts us to be “like God” in fresh and terrifying ways. We have never before been as tempted to pursue omnipresence and omniscience as we presently are.

When we have 5G internet in our pockets and on our wrists, we are networked into the entire developed world. We can instantaneously observe, communicate, and be interrupted by people on the other side of the planet who are on their phones more easily than our neighbors down the street who are grilling in their backyard or playing in their front yards.

We are more interrupted than ever; our interactions with our closest loved ones and neighbors are more vulnerable to being hijacked by the wants or needs of someone far away as our own attention spans have been truncated by our notification settings.

Information used to be a hot commodity; now it is ubiquitous. With “googling” as the new verb and “GPTing” something right around the corner, access to information is instant. Will we forget what not knowing something for more than 30 seconds feels like?

Omnipresence is one of the characteristics of God. When technology makes us hyper-present, not only can our nervous systems not handle it, but our close friends and loved ones go unloved because we are aloof, distracted, and preoccupied.

Omniscience is also one of the characteristics of God. God can handle knowing all things, we cannot. We are limited, bound, and local by virtue of being embodied. From simple trivia to current events, it is good for us to not know things.

Part of the reason we are so mentally unhealthy as a society is that we are flirting with omnipresence and omniscience. We know too much and know about it, so we are anxious and depressed.

The Power of the Proximity Principle

Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30ff) in response to the question, “who is my neighbor?” In the story, a man is harmed on a road and in need of help. Later, two people travel on the same road, see the man, and then pass by him. But a Good Samaritan travels by where he is lying harmed, sees him, has compassion, and then acts.

The first two stand condemned not simply because they didn’t help, but because they were right there, up-close-in-the-flesh, and able to help, but still didn’t help.

The basic ethical principle here: proximity and ability create responsibility.

Many are plagued by a low-grade sense of chronic guilt and anxiety because our nervous systems are not designed to handle all of the information we have access to in our digital age. Young people, in particular, are plagued with over-responsibility that leads to paralysis and depression.

We end up functioning like the Levite and the Priest in Luke 10:31-32 who are unable or unwilling to love the people right in front of them because we are preoccupied with all of the information, problems, and suffering far away from us.

If we look through the lenses of proximity and ability, some of our info-induced anxiety will dissipate and we’ll have a clearer conscience as we love those who are in the “place” God has placed us (like the Good Samaritan).

Only God can handle omniscience (knowing everything) and omnipresence (being everywhere), and we should repent of our desire to be like God in this way.

The Christian tradition has long practiced the discipline of fasting. Most basically, fasting is depriving oneself of a good thing for the purposes of prayer and growth. Our new context requires two new forms of fasting: fasting from digital devices and fasting from information.

How to Practice Digital Detox

A digital detox is a fast from digital devices, especially your smartphone, smartwatch, or tablet. The digital detox helps us repent of omnipresence. It is a break from being tethered to your electrical umbilical cord and your dopamine pacifier. Here is what I try to make this look like for me:

• Daily: When I walk in the door from work, I leave my phone on a shelf by the door for at least thirty minutes while I play with my kids and reconnect with my wife.
• Daily: I dock my phone at a table on the other side of my bedroom a minimum of 40 minutes before I go to bed and don’t look at it for 20 minutes after I wake up (except to stop my alarm)
• Weekly: A 12-hour Digital Detox that includes going to the park, going on a walk, or going to the gym without my phone.
• Monthly: A 48-hour social media, email, and texting Digital Detox.
• Twice Monthly: Leave my phone at home when I go on a date with my wife.
• Annually: Once per year, a 3-day personal Spiritual Retreat that includes a Digital Detox among other forms of traditional fasting and prayer while I focus on being present to the Lord.
• Annually: Once per year while on vacation, a 5-day total Digital Detox where my phone and computer are all the way off, and I focus on being present to my family.

How to Practice Intentional Ignorance

If it is true that ignorance is bliss, then that explains a lot of our current mental health crisis. The information we are asked to carry and steward is too much for our non-Divine minds.

Intentional Ignorance is the radically countercultural choice to embrace not knowing everything you could know. Here is what I try to make this look like for me:

• Less Updates: I don’t watch Instagram or Facebook stories. I don’t want to know what people are up to all the time.
• Less Breaking News: I unfollow almost all news accounts, especially those that do BREAKING NEWS.
• Less Answered Questions: At least once per day, I let a question go unanswered. What is the actual difference in diameter between the NBA ball and the WNBA ball? I’m going to choose just not to get my phone out and Google that. What happened with that rocket in North Korea yesterday? I choose not to find out the answer to that. In doing so, I pray, “Lord, you are the Omniscient One; because I trust you and your approval I don’t need to know that.” The feeling of enduring ignorance is foreign to us but serves our formation.

Many of these practices are aspirational for me; too often I’m embarrassed at the unhealthy patterns of my own device use. I recommend these habits as someone who knows his own.

Humans are called to have dominion over creation, but too often our own creations have dominion over us. The dual practices of Digital Detox and Intentional Ignorance will help us right the balance of power that our devices have over us as we seek congruence with and fidelity to the Spirit of Christ.

FortheChurch. Digital Detox, Intentional Ignorance and the Proximity Principle. January 18, 2024. Seth Troutt.

https://ftc.co/resource-library/articles/digital-detox-intentional-ignorance-and-the-proximity-principle/

Tell me if this happens at your house.

You circle Mother’s Day on your husband’s calendar with red ink. You leave a note with the URL for your favorite florist on the bathroom sink, along with the number for rush deliveries, just in case. For weeks, you tell your children that Mother’s Day is “Mommy’s special day” and have them rehearse the name of your favorite restaurant so they can drop hints to Daddy.

Then Mother’s Day comes. You still have to make breakfast. The kids don’t dress themselves. The flowers don’t arrive, and your husband takes the family through the drive-through on your way home from church. The result? You spend the day stewing. You are miserable, and so is your family.

Maybe that’s not how it works for you. Maybe you are celebrated exactly how you want to be each Mother’s Day. But for most, this holiday can often be a major disappointment.

And you know what? Our husband and kids aren’t to blame.

Thinking we’re the center of the universe, even if it’s only for a day, misses a major point—namely, that we are not the center of the universe. We are a part of a family, an important part, yes, but we’re not so important that we’ve earned the right to demand adoration, affection, and a pass on serving others.

Here are some biblical truths that I need to be reminded of as Mother’s Day approaches. I hope they are helpful for you, too.

1. Humility is a twenty-four hour calling.

Matthew 23:12 doesn’t leave much room for tooting our own horn or demanding that our family toot it for us. It says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

This lifestyle of humility defines us as followers of Christ. It isn’t something we switch on and off. Mother’s Day is just like every other day in that it offers an opportunity to humble yourself and therefore live like Christ.

2. Motherhood is not a burden. It’s a gift!

Psalm 127:3 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” If you are blessed enough to have children, your gift has already been delivered.

When you live out the gospel in your home, you are protesting sin. When you ask for and freely give forgiveness with your family, you are protesting bitterness. When you elevate God’s Word at the breakfast table, you are protesting the lies the enemy is screaming in the public sphere. What an opportunity! What a privilege! What a gift.

3. Remember who you serve.

I know that your kids probably don’t send thank-you notes very often, and your husband doesn’t always notice all the things you do to keep the plates spinning. But the truth is you don’t work for their approval.

Colossians 3:23–24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

There is not a single act of service done in Christ’s name that He does not notice. He pays particular attention to you, even keeping meticulous records of your life (Ps. 56:8–9). God does not take for granted what is done in love. When we expect others to fulfill our need for affirmation, a root of idolatry is revealed. God sees you. God loves you. God rewards those who faithfully serve Him. You will only find yourself fulfilled when you are working to please your Creator.

4. Service is our mission.

In John 13:12–14 we read, “When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.’”

Serving your family demonstrates Christ to them and to families who are crumbling because they don’t know how to serve each other. Psalm 100:2 urges us to “serve the LORD with gladness!” Losing sight of this mission, even for a day, won’t make for a happy heart or a happy family. Serve, momma, and keep on serving. Today. Every day. Our mission is to love others sacrificially. It’s a full-time job that starts at home.

If you still feel like you can’t go on without a thank-you this Mother’s Day, may I sincerely thank you? Thanks for being a great mom! Thanks for doing the heavy lifting required to teach your kids about Jesus and for parenting according to God’s plan, even when it’s countercultural. Thanks for modeling service every day of every year, even when you don’t feel like it. And this Mother’s Day, thanks for finding practical ways to live like it’s not about you so that the people around you know it’s all about Him.

ReviveOurHearts. Rethinking Mother's Day. May 9, 2019. Erin Davis

https://www.reviveourhearts.com/blog/re-thinking-mothers-day/

This year there have been lots of changes in the Shine Ministry. We have new core team members and some have stepped back.

There have been new families stepping up to serve together, as well as new community groups.

There have been significant staff changes at the school, including a new principal, counselor and office staff.

But God. The one constant is God. He never changes. And His purpose for us serving at A. Montoya is still the same – to be the visible hands and feet of Jesus. To “shine” His light in a world that desperately needs Him. To participate in mutually transformative relationships, creating real and lasting change.

As I was reflecting on all the ways God has been at work in the ministry this year, I see so many ways His plans were better than ours.

We saw barriers and problems, but God provided answers and ways that far exceeded our ideas. The Lord opened paths and relationships that had been difficult in a most gracious manner.

There is a huge tutoring need at the school and at the beginning of the year it seemed like an enormous hurdle to get it up and running. But God provided a way and our tutoring coordinator stepped right in and organized not only our volunteers, but another organization’s volunteers as well.

I was overwhelmed by the amount of work and food needed to provide over 3,400 meals to families over the winter break – but God provided the biggest turnout of volunteers we’ve ever had. Families were blessed through that endeavor – the families receiving food, and just as much the MCC folks that served together.

I was asked just last week when I was at the school, “Why are you here helping? You don’t even have kids at this school.” And I was able to share about how we care about the school and the community there.

It may seem like a small thing to bake cookies, or shelf library books, or show up on a landscaping day, but God uses it for His glory. To show a hurting world that He loves them and cares about them.

We’d love to have you join us in this ministry. Talk to me or anyone else on the Shine Core Team. You’ll get to experience firsthand all the ways the Lord is using our church in our community school to transform lives, including maybe just yours. 

On several occasions Jesus instructs, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35; see similar Matt 19:30, Mark 10:31 and Luke 13:30). Jesus also lives out this principle by washing the disciples’ feet (John 13). Since we do not customarily wash feet today, what does this “first being last” look like in the twenty-first century? During our recent mission trip to Bolivia, I saw firsthand this principle in action—I caught a glimpse of Jesus at work.

This spirit of servanthood was quietly evidenced in the everyday practices of the Food for the Hungry (FH) staff that we came to work alongside. It was nothing that they celebrated; rather, it is just the way they work. I am not even sure that they think much about it as it’s the Spirit at work in them.

One example relates to the life choices of one of the staff. As I rode on the bus, I had the opportunity to talk about life (e.g., family, careers, faith) with him. I learned that he was trained as an engineer and had originally followed that job path as an operator of a hydropower facility. But after volunteering with FH he decided that he wanted to make it his full time vocation. Rather than pursuing a career that would bring more wealth and status he chose to serve the needy. He told me it was the best decision he ever made and has found deep joy in the work he is doing.

But serving the most vulnerable is just what FH is all about. While improving access to needed resources like food, water, education and jobs is part of what they do, their engagement with the community is much more personal. FH views poverty through the lens of broken relationships with God, others (spouse, family, community), their environment (housing, clean water) and themselves (their view of themselves). So, they build relationships with the struggling child, overwhelmed mother, and jobless father, one at a time. The work of FH is not measured in projects completed, but relationships established. It looks like “washing feet” to me.

I also observed this servant-heartedness spilling over to others outside their target community.  Every driver, food vendor and server that they contracted was always rewarded with a generous tip, plate of food, and word of appreciation. I was also impressed to see the effort made to serve those donating to FH. In particular we had several MCC families that sent gifts with the team for their sponsored children. In each case FH staff tracked down the sponsored child and their family and transported them to the FH offices so that pictures and videos could be taken showing the family receiving the gift. All was done to simply bless the donor.

The MCC team was also very fortunate to be the object of service by the FH staff. It should be noted that MCC is not particularly special in that FH receives teams just like MCC almost every month from all over the U.S. Nevertheless, they made us feel special. They addressed our needs, making sure we were well fed, comfortable, entertained and most importantly included in the work they are doing. But the service went beyond the physical aspects of our stay; they worked to establish a relationship with each of us. They made us feel valued in their eyes and God’s. This was clearly evidenced on the last night of our stay during our final dinner together. Food, stories, pictures, gifts and contacts were shared, mixed with a lot of tears. Although we were only together for four days, often challenged by a language divide, deep relationships were forged through the work of the Spirit.

The FH staff provides a great example of what it means to “become last”. We would do well to learn from their example. In fact, we have numerous opportunities to serve our FH brothers and sisters in Bolivia. We can start by praying for them regularly (as a start see today’s prayer points). We can serve through financial support in the form of a designated gift or the monthly support of a child. We can also support with our time by participating in the next MCC mission trip to Bolivia and see firsthand how God is working in this community.

For more information contact Elisa Trullinger or Vince Tidwell.