Thursday, September 20, 2012

Income Gap Increases in NYC

According to this article, in 2011, poverty in NYC reached its highest point and the income gap in Manhattan is disparaging. 

Check out these additional articles to learn more...
Statement on National Poverty Statistics

City Harvest's 30-30-30 Campaign - a response to the record demand for emergency food in NYC

Learn how YOU can serve with CSM in New York City!

Monday, September 17, 2012

This City…of God


The following is a reading that we, as an organization, meditated upon recently. It was compiled by Austin Sauerbrei, CSM Nashville Associate City Director, and is our heart's desire and prayer as a team that stretches across this nation of cities.

You are the God who has set us
in families and clans and tribes,
in communities and finally in cities.
We give you thanks this day that you are
Lord of this city and all cities.

We pray for this city today and for
Boston and Denver.
For New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Nashville.
For Houston, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., Dana Point and
a thousand other cities.

In all our cities this day there will be crime and sharp moneymaking
and compassion and forgiveness, and generosity,
and regulations about justice and injustice.

Be our God this day and prosper our city.
We pray in the name of the one who wept over the city.


*Adapted from “Prayers for a Privileged People” by Walter Bruggemann

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Our Poverty, God's Dwelling Place


"How can we embrace poverty as a way to God when everyone around us wants to become rich? Poverty has many forms.  We have to ask ourselves:  "What is my poverty?"  Is it lack of money, lack of emotional stability, lack of a loving partner, lack of security, lack of safety, lack of self-confidence?  Each human being has a place of poverty.  That's the place where God wants to dwell!  "How blessed are the poor," Jesus says (Matthew 5:3).  This means that our blessing is hidden in our poverty.

We are so inclined to cover up our poverty and ignore it that we often miss the opportunity to discover God, who dwells in it.   Let's dare to see our poverty as the land where our treasure is hidden."

-Henri Nouwen

Cited from Daily Meditation from Henri Nouwen Blog