Comments on: High Plains Grifter http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/ //in the glow, then it fades Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:41:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: daniel so http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2544 daniel so Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:40:08 +0000 http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2544 LT -- Good to hear from you! I was beginning to worry :) Thanks for sharing your story. It must be so frustrating to have the willingness to enter into someone's problem and try to offer something more than just a quick handout, and yet be rejected. But, somehow, that's the calling, right? * * * Mixtapes forever! I'm working on a new one for January, which probably means it will be ready by March or so... LT — Good to hear from you! I was beginning to worry :) Thanks for sharing your story. It must be so frustrating to have the willingness to enter into someone’s problem and try to offer something more than just a quick handout, and yet be rejected. But, somehow, that’s the calling, right?
* * *
Mixtapes forever! I’m working on a new one for January, which probably means it will be ready by March or so…

]]> By: LT http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2539 LT Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:13:17 +0000 http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2539 hey daniel. happy new year! great post because it resonates deeply with what we face here on vine st in philly regularly. we're highly visible alongside other neighboring homeless agencies that receive a steady stream of souls. so many guys ring our bell and we're confronted with the same dilemma almost every week. it's been over a year for me here in this place. some are regulars. some even come to our services. each time we're presented with a story and unfortunately the stories never check out. it's tough on the heart ain't it? it's so tough to say no. it's even more difficult when we get accused for not helping being that we're a church. i want to help. i do desperately. i want to help them holistically too. i'm willing to get dirty. we often tell them, "come spend time with some of our servant leaders in our congregation so that they can hear your complete situation and then we can work out the best way to help you" and each time so far, they've said no very clearly with conviction in their eyes and walked away. sometimes frustrated and upset. i haven't been able to walk away from these situations easily. i just stand there behind the glass doors to my church watching them fade away into the city. btw love reading your stuff and all your music related posts. more mixtapes and playlists! hey daniel. happy new year!
great post because it resonates deeply with what we face here on vine st in philly regularly. we’re highly visible alongside other neighboring homeless agencies that receive a steady stream of souls. so many guys ring our bell and we’re confronted with the same dilemma almost every week. it’s been over a year for me here in this place. some are regulars. some even come to our services. each time we’re presented with a story and unfortunately the stories never check out.
it’s tough on the heart ain’t it? it’s so tough to say no. it’s even more difficult when we get accused for not helping being that we’re a church. i want to help. i do desperately. i want to help them holistically too. i’m willing to get dirty. we often tell them, “come spend time with some of our servant leaders in our congregation so that they can hear your complete situation and then we can work out the best way to help you” and each time so far, they’ve said no very clearly with conviction in their eyes and walked away. sometimes frustrated and upset. i haven’t been able to walk away from these situations easily. i just stand there behind the glass doors to my church watching them fade away into the city.
btw love reading your stuff and all your music related posts.
more mixtapes and playlists!

]]> By: daniel so http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2495 daniel so Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:48:16 +0000 http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2495 Christian -- Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. Too often, the complexity of dealing with poverty causes us to avoid it altogether. There's a funny paradox in going to serve others: often, *we* end up being the ones who are truly blessed. Christian — Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. Too often, the complexity of dealing with poverty causes us to avoid it altogether. There’s a funny paradox in going to serve others: often, *we* end up being the ones who are truly blessed.

]]> By: Christian http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2493 Christian Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:27:16 +0000 http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2493 Don't know where that very last line came from - must have hit the wrong key. Don’t know where that very last line came from – must have hit the wrong key.

]]> By: Christian http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2492 Christian Wed, 09 Jan 2008 18:25:51 +0000 http://headsparks.com/2008/01/09/high-plains-grifter/#comment-2492 Yeah, this is always a struggle. The head of a men's recovery shelter (Christ centered) has said to not even give beggars (what word should I use?) even food. He says that as long as we are helping them to live on the street we are enabling them to deny their circumstances which prevents them from seeking help. I don't know for sure about that (mental illness is not always that rational) but it does make sense. I love the parable in Matthew 25 but I don't think it is always about giving to the poor. Like you said, the implication is more personal, more comitted than just that. I remember one day when I passed the same beggar on my way to lunch that I passed a couple times of week. I was in the custom of handing him some money. This day all I had was my credit card so, rather embarassed, I asked if I could instead buy him lunch. He said yes and we had a very enjoyable meal in which I learnred something about him. In the end it was I who was ministerd to in this exchange. I love that Yeah, this is always a struggle. The head of a men’s recovery shelter (Christ centered) has said to not even give beggars (what word should I use?) even food. He says that as long as we are helping them to live on the street we are enabling them to deny their circumstances which prevents them from seeking help. I don’t know for sure about that (mental illness is not always that rational) but it does make sense.

I love the parable in Matthew 25 but I don’t think it is always about giving to the poor. Like you said, the implication is more personal, more comitted than just that. I remember one day when I passed the same beggar on my way to lunch that I passed a couple times of week. I was in the custom of handing him some money. This day all I had was my credit card so, rather embarassed, I asked if I could instead buy him lunch. He said yes and we had a very enjoyable meal in which I learnred something about him. In the end it was I who was ministerd to in this exchange.

I love that

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