For Saturdays during Lent I have asked you to meditate on the mortality of infants in the world today;
Fact: A child born in a developing country is 13 times more likely to die within the first five years of life than a child born in an industrialized country. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about half the deaths of children under five in the developing world.
Isn't that astonishing? Every one a child of God who due to malnutrition and rampant disease (many diseases we have preventative medicine in the west) is not given the chance to live a full life.
Target 1:
Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
Where are we?
World wide, deaths of children under 5 years of age declined from 93 to 72 deaths per 1,000 live births between 1990 and 2006. That certainly is progress, but we are still left with a staggering number of deaths among those under 5 years old - most of which preventative medicine and medical care that we have in the west could take care of.
However our goal is reduce the 91 by 2/3 (61) or 31 deaths per 1000 by 2015. We have 6 years left and much to accomplish.
I ask you to remember the plight of the newly born in your prayers and to consider making a donation to any respectable child heath oriented group that is working towards improving the health of children under 5.
I also ask you pray the following prayer daily:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thank you, Deacon Gary
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thursday February 26 - MDG#2 Achieve Universal Primary Education
As a continuing Lenten meditation on the MDG’s, today we will look at Achieving Universal Primary Education.
Target 1:
Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling
Recent Status
Globally, 570 million children are enrolled in school. The number of children of primary school age who were out of school fell from 103 million in 1999 to 73 million in 2006. In that year, primary school enrolment in developing countries reached 88 per cent on average, up from 83 per cent in 2000.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the net primary school enrolment ratio has only recently reached 71 per cent, even after a significant jump in enrolment that began in 2000. Around 38 million children of primary school age in this region are still out of school.
In Southern Asia, the enrolment ratio has climbed above »» 90 per cent, yet more than 18 million children of primary school age are not enrolled.
"Projections suggest that without further acceleration, 58 out of the 86 countries that have not yet reached universal primary education will not achieve it by 2015. In all regions, inequalities in access to education are a major barrier to reaching Goal 2. The children most likely to drop out of school or to not attend at all are often girls and those from poorer households or living in rural areas. For example, recent estimations show that 25 per cent of children of primary school age in rural areas of the developing world are out of school, compared with 16 per cent of children in the same age group living in cities."
Please see http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2008highlevel/pdf/newsroom/Goal%202%20FINAL.pdf
Achieving Universal Primary Education is an important step in a country’s move towards economic development. I ask you to pray for the children, parents, teachers and school administrators that all children may have a opportunity for a primary school education. The poorest children are affected the most and children from rural areas.
As part of your Lenten devotions I ask you to pray the following:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thank you.
Target 1:
Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling
Recent Status
Globally, 570 million children are enrolled in school. The number of children of primary school age who were out of school fell from 103 million in 1999 to 73 million in 2006. In that year, primary school enrolment in developing countries reached 88 per cent on average, up from 83 per cent in 2000.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the net primary school enrolment ratio has only recently reached 71 per cent, even after a significant jump in enrolment that began in 2000. Around 38 million children of primary school age in this region are still out of school.
In Southern Asia, the enrolment ratio has climbed above »» 90 per cent, yet more than 18 million children of primary school age are not enrolled.
"Projections suggest that without further acceleration, 58 out of the 86 countries that have not yet reached universal primary education will not achieve it by 2015. In all regions, inequalities in access to education are a major barrier to reaching Goal 2. The children most likely to drop out of school or to not attend at all are often girls and those from poorer households or living in rural areas. For example, recent estimations show that 25 per cent of children of primary school age in rural areas of the developing world are out of school, compared with 16 per cent of children in the same age group living in cities."
Please see http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2008highlevel/pdf/newsroom/Goal%202%20FINAL.pdf
Achieving Universal Primary Education is an important step in a country’s move towards economic development. I ask you to pray for the children, parents, teachers and school administrators that all children may have a opportunity for a primary school education. The poorest children are affected the most and children from rural areas.
As part of your Lenten devotions I ask you to pray the following:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Thank you.
Ash Wednesday - Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
In your devotions today I ask you to meditate on the plight of our poor. MDG Goal number states: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger.
Target 1:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. (yes this includes 1.3 BILLION brothers and sisters)
Target 2:
Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people (given our current world-wide economic downturn, this goal becomes increasingly more difficult - but we must keep it in prayer and a realistic target to continue to work towards)
Target 3:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Recent news on this goal can be found at:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/poverty.shtml
Please remember that although the faces we see regarding poverty seem to be African or Asian, we too have our poor in this country and the current economic times are pushing more people over the poverty line. Some who were able to support their families last year are now without jobs. Some have lost their homes and others who were renters are on the streets because the owners have defaulted on their mortgages.
Please keep in your prayers for today the plight of the extreme poor. Ask God to enlighten you on how you may help. Yes, one person can make a difference.
Please add this prayer to your devotion today:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessings,
Target 1:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. (yes this includes 1.3 BILLION brothers and sisters)
Target 2:
Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people (given our current world-wide economic downturn, this goal becomes increasingly more difficult - but we must keep it in prayer and a realistic target to continue to work towards)
Target 3:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger
Recent news on this goal can be found at:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/poverty.shtml
Please remember that although the faces we see regarding poverty seem to be African or Asian, we too have our poor in this country and the current economic times are pushing more people over the poverty line. Some who were able to support their families last year are now without jobs. Some have lost their homes and others who were renters are on the streets because the owners have defaulted on their mortgages.
Please keep in your prayers for today the plight of the extreme poor. Ask God to enlighten you on how you may help. Yes, one person can make a difference.
Please add this prayer to your devotion today:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessings,
Lent 2009
During the season of Lent, I will be asking you to remember in your daily devotions one of the Millennium Development Goals
Wednesdays: Eradicate extreme poverty
Thursdays: Achieve Universal Primary education
Fridays: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Saturdays: Reduce Child Mortality
Sundays: Improve Maternal Health
Mondays: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases
Tuesday: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Each day I will try to give you an update on each goal, and any news that pertains to that goal.
I also ask you to add the following prayer to your Lenten devotions:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I invite you to allow yourself to become more aware of the plight of many of our brothers and sisters who suffer from poverty and disease. God's concern for the poor is unrelenting. He wants us to join our concerns with His and to take action. Prayer is the first and most important step. Then allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your response would be the next step. Acting on the promptings of the Holy Spirit would be the final step.
Wednesdays: Eradicate extreme poverty
Thursdays: Achieve Universal Primary education
Fridays: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Saturdays: Reduce Child Mortality
Sundays: Improve Maternal Health
Mondays: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases
Tuesday: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Each day I will try to give you an update on each goal, and any news that pertains to that goal.
I also ask you to add the following prayer to your Lenten devotions:
Most loving God,
as your desire for mercy for the poor is unrelenting,
may we be unrelenting in our pursuit of mercy for all;
as your compassion for the suffering of the poor knows no limit,
may our hearts overflow with compassion for all;
as you long for justice for the poor,
may we strive for justice for all.
Open our eyes to the structures of oppression from which we benefit,
and give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
and perseverance to continue our work until it is finished.
Breathe your life-giving Spirit afresh into your Church
to free us from apathy and indifference;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I invite you to allow yourself to become more aware of the plight of many of our brothers and sisters who suffer from poverty and disease. God's concern for the poor is unrelenting. He wants us to join our concerns with His and to take action. Prayer is the first and most important step. Then allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your response would be the next step. Acting on the promptings of the Holy Spirit would be the final step.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Reconciliation in Rwanda
Since 2003 I have had a friendship with a priest from Rwanda name Fr. Philbert Kalisa. He is the executive director of REACH (Reconciliation, Evangelism and Christian Healing). He started this organization in 1996 following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda where 1.2 million people (Tutsi’s and Hutu moderates) were murdered by Hutu militia. It was horrific. In some cases people were told to go into the local church, then the gunmen came and murdered everyone (once in awhile a few survived to tell the story).
I helped start the REACH_USA board of directors (which I am still on) in 2004. Our website is here:
http://www.reachusa.org
The work of REACH has been very successful in bringing peace and unity back to Rwanda. Now offenders who did the genocide are coming out from prison. REACH is helping them and their victims to be reconciled and for the offenders to be accepted back in their communities. It is very difficult and heartbreaking work (with REACH’s support one offender went to a grandmother whose family of 28 he had murdered, and knelt before her asking for her forgiveness – she forgave him after an hour of conversation).
I invite you to see this utube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aD0zlT4n50
What REACH has accomplished can be a model for other countries.
In Christ,
Gary
I helped start the REACH_USA board of directors (which I am still on) in 2004. Our website is here:
http://www.reachusa.org
The work of REACH has been very successful in bringing peace and unity back to Rwanda. Now offenders who did the genocide are coming out from prison. REACH is helping them and their victims to be reconciled and for the offenders to be accepted back in their communities. It is very difficult and heartbreaking work (with REACH’s support one offender went to a grandmother whose family of 28 he had murdered, and knelt before her asking for her forgiveness – she forgave him after an hour of conversation).
I invite you to see this utube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aD0zlT4n50
What REACH has accomplished can be a model for other countries.
In Christ,
Gary
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