It’s interesting what we choose to remember.

I remember throwing an acorn at my teacher in kindergarten. That’s about all I can remember from that year of my life.

I remember how it felt to retaliate against a bully a few years later, but I can not, for the life of me, remember what I was teased about.

And, as a toddler, I can remember bits and pieces of working with my father.

You see, my father maintained and fixed everything himself. No plumbers were called, no professionals utilized. I can remember watching my father rip off the shingles on the house I grew up in. After all, why pay others to do what you can do yourself?

And, when it came to work with my father, I was used for what I could bring to the table. As a toddler, that was not much. I was the flashlight holder, the “I’ll hand you the screwdriver� guy. The fact is my own efforts would really have been in his way.

As a child, I remember helping my dad trim the front tree. Keep in mind that this was no small tree, as it towered high above our two-story home. I can remember sitting on the grass in the front yard, watching dad cut away at limb after limb. I remember the thud that the large ones made as they hit the ground and the cracking sound that small, dead limbs made as they hit branch after branch on their way down. And, I remember talking…asking simple questions that a small child would ask. Dad answered each one.

Cutting the branches just led up to the hard work ahead. After each branch was cut, they were placed on top of one another. And, after stacked, they were bundled with rope so they could be dragged to the curb for trash pickup. My “helpâ€? was really needed here. Since I was too weak to lift branches and too small to wrap the branches in my short little arms, I would put my thumb over the string so dad could tie a knot. And, once bundled, dad would lift the huge load and begin the quick trip to the front curb. I did my best to keep my dad’s longer legged pace, lifting the back of the bundle of limbs â€" feeling no weight from the load at all due to my father’s strength and his bearing of the entire burden.

After years of holding flashlights, helping while he worked on the car, and helping him trim the tree, I now know the truth. My father did not need my contribution, as though I could offer something to his work that he did not already possess. My father asked me to participate in what he was doing because he loved me. Because he wanted to spend time with me. Because he valued the fact that his son voluntarily, and with great joy, wanted to participate in what he valued.

There is some great news in scripture in that we are given a glimpse into what God values as well as the work He loves. He makes these things no secret, no mystery. If fact, Luke recounts that at the beginning of what we would call his public ministry, Jesus stood before his country-men to tell everyone that the Spirit of God was upon him, anointing him for a purpose. The purpose: To preach good news to the poor.

All four gospels recount story after story and parable after parable that deal with the poor, and the oppressed. Jesus told more than one rich man that he lacked a love for the poor, calling his disciples to respond to those that are oppressed, naked, hungry, thirsty, and those that lack. One of the most amazing scriptures to me is from Acts, in which we learn that the early church was more willing to sell their possessions than see others in need. All of our prayers for provision for that homeless man on our street corner is put in perspective once we learn that it is our actions, not our prayers for someone else’s action, that matters to God. (see James 2:16) This is what, and whom, God values.

In his book, Good News about Injustice, Gary Haugen sums it up best:
“God’s prodding sounds much like the appeal my wife and I give to our own children to get them out the door: ‘Mom and Dad are going outside. We’ll help you with your coats if you want to come with us.’ Likewise, I hear Jesus calling, “I’m going outside to a world that needs me. I’ll help you with the courage you’ll need if you want to be with me.�

So, as the church, what do we value? Are we responding to the people that Jesus responded to? Are we still praying that God would meet the needs of those he sent us to serve? It is humbling, really. How many prayers have I prayed, when in reality I should have been the answer to my own prayer? How many more times will I pray that someone would clothe the naked, bring justice to those wronged, feed the hungry, give a cup of water to those that thirst, when I have already been called to respond purposefully?

There is good news here. This is “dad’s work�, and he loves it. After all, how can we contribute? As tree trimming with my father taught me, we are too weak and our arms are too short to do this on our own. We have, rather, been called to participate.

What if worship is really about spending time with God while valuing what He values? What if God just wants us to show up â€" give of our time, resources, and life (there not really “oursâ€? anyway) to love those he seemed so focused on during his ministry here on earth. What if we don’t really get to truly experience the power and presence of God unless we “go outside to a world in needâ€??

I am challenged to respond, though it is easier to pray. I have been called to action, even without a five step plan. After all, as long as I need to learn more, plan more, and strategize more â€" I do not have to act. But I have been called to act, and have been assured that to love God is to value what, and whom, he values. My worship is offering myself as a living sacrifice towards his purposes, what he values.

It’s interesting what we choose to remember. Or, maybe I should say, it’s interesting whom we choose to remember.

As we celebrate the gift of Christ this year, may I â€" may we â€" choose to remember those that Christ embraced. May we give ourselves on behalf of those whom Christ gave himself.

May we voluntarily, and with great joy, have the courage to participate in what God values. Please consider partnering with one of the following organizations:

International Justice Mission (ijm.org) â€" providing justice in Jesus’ name
Living Water International (water.cc) â€" providing a cup of water in Jesus’ name
Food for the Hungry (fh.org) â€" providing food in Jesus’ name.

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