Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART II: T HEOLOGICAL AND M ISSIOLOGICAL P RINCIPLES AND I NSIGHTS • 107

B. Expectation: the poor as actors rather than acted upon.

Poverty is not so much the absence of goods as it is the absence of power – the capability of being able to change one’s situation.

~ Robert C. Linthicum. Empowering the Poor: Community Organizing Among the City’s ‘Rag, Tag, and Bobtail.’ Monrovia, CA: MARC, 1991. p. 10.

The Church must be the place where the poor are expected to take leadership. We must know this about the poor even before they know it about themselves. We must ensure that the require ments that are established for leaders are fully biblical but are not expressed in middle-class cultural forms. Paternalism can take two equally deadly forms: not expecting the poor to lead or simply giving leadership that a person is not equipped for as a kind of tokenism.

1. The Upside-Down Kingdom

Ps. 18.27 – You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

Isa. 23.9 – The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. Ezek. 21.26 – this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. Luke 6.20, 24 – Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. . . .” But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. James 1.9-10 – The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.

Luke 1.52 – He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.