Orphan Sunday
On the second Sunday of each November, Christians around the world unite in standing for vulnerable children. As Christ-followers, we know that we have been adopted by God (Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:5, Eph. 1:5) and that we are each in turn called to care for the fatherless (James 1:27). Over the past year, Paradox partners have written about the theological basis for orphan care, shared personal stories about their adoption journeys, and provided a glimpse into the heart of orphans in our community. Today, and throughout all of November (which is National Adoption Awareness Month), we urge you to remember orphans in your prayers. Do you have a desire to obey God’s commandment to care for the orphan but are not sure what to do? The first step is simple, yet powerful: pray. As you pray, meditate on key Scriptures about children and the fatherless: A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. -Psalm 68:4-5 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. -Deuteronomy 10:17-19 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. -Psalm 82:3-4 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. -James 1:22 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand.The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the o pressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.-Psalm 10:14, 17-18 Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. -Isaiah 1:17 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -James 1:27 Next, pray for children without parents in Fort Worth, for children in the foster system, and for adoptive and foster parents. Pray that these children would come to know their Heavenly father who generously gives peace, protection, and grace, and also that God would provide them with loving, Christ-following parents. Pray that the worldwide Church would rediscover the Biblical mandate to care for widows, foreigners, and the fatherless. Pray for awareness among Christians about the global plight of orphans and that this awareness would lead to a burning desire to take action on behalf of the fatherless. At Paradox, we believe in the power of prayer. We believe in our calling to be light that pushes back darkness in this city as God renews it by the power of the Gospel. What a force for justice the Paradox Church would be if we all united in prayer for the orphan this month! For additional ways to care for the orphan, including specific agencies needing volunteers in Fort Worth, see this blog post. If you have questions about orphan care at the Paradox Church, don’t hesitate to email us at orphancare@theparadoxchurch.com. Bethany EdwardsParadox Deacon of Orphan Care