Floods in Mozambique
Waters have flooded parts of Northern Mozambique over the last 6 weeks or so, but it looks like the worst is over. The floods have been compared to the ones in 2000, which came three days after I got there. His blog brings back memories of my time doing relief work after the floods. Here's his latest post: The End in Sight???
Monday, February 25, 2008
The World Is Flat moment #2
As we hopped out of our rental car at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, the worker came bounding over to us and said, "Hola!" I answered in Spanish, and we completed the transaction that way. As we were walking away, I noticed his name tag said 'Amin.' He asked where I learned Spanish, and he told me he was actually from Indonesia. I asked him some questions based on what I knew of Indonesia from my friends who are from there. An odd situation!
As we hopped out of our rental car at the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, the worker came bounding over to us and said, "Hola!" I answered in Spanish, and we completed the transaction that way. As we were walking away, I noticed his name tag said 'Amin.' He asked where I learned Spanish, and he told me he was actually from Indonesia. I asked him some questions based on what I knew of Indonesia from my friends who are from there. An odd situation!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Eric Park has an excellent post on his blog about our culture's views of sexuality, using the Britney Spears saga as a bit of a case study. Check it out here.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Repentance
I'm watching a PBS program I recorded a while ago on Andrew Jackson. What a complicated man! I think he exemplifies some of the paradoxes that make up our country. He was strong and idealistic; definitely a man of action. He was determined and always certain he was right, whether he was or not.
He also fought for the rights of the common man on the one hand, but the definition of the common man did not include women, blacks or Indians. He presided over much of the Indian removal, including the Trail of Tears. He broke countless treaties with Indian chiefs and tribes in order to provide farmland for the common white man.
I think the broken treaties and the removal of the Indians from their land is still a sin that affects our nation. Almost anyone who owns property in the United States is benefiting from land that was taken from its rightful owners. A sin on that scale cannot go un-repented.
Interested in reading more about racial reconciliation? Check out Living in Color, by Randy Woodley. He challenges us to get out of our bubbles and live the church like God created the world: with great variety! I studied with Randy at Seminary. He and his wife have a great vision for ministry among Indians. Learn more about Eagle's Wings Ministry here. Click on the link labeled "Ministry". Plus they have a farm for sale in Kentucky, if you are interested!
I'm watching a PBS program I recorded a while ago on Andrew Jackson. What a complicated man! I think he exemplifies some of the paradoxes that make up our country. He was strong and idealistic; definitely a man of action. He was determined and always certain he was right, whether he was or not.
He also fought for the rights of the common man on the one hand, but the definition of the common man did not include women, blacks or Indians. He presided over much of the Indian removal, including the Trail of Tears. He broke countless treaties with Indian chiefs and tribes in order to provide farmland for the common white man.
I think the broken treaties and the removal of the Indians from their land is still a sin that affects our nation. Almost anyone who owns property in the United States is benefiting from land that was taken from its rightful owners. A sin on that scale cannot go un-repented.
Interested in reading more about racial reconciliation? Check out Living in Color, by Randy Woodley. He challenges us to get out of our bubbles and live the church like God created the world: with great variety! I studied with Randy at Seminary. He and his wife have a great vision for ministry among Indians. Learn more about Eagle's Wings Ministry here. Click on the link labeled "Ministry". Plus they have a farm for sale in Kentucky, if you are interested!
Joey and the Golden Oldies
My birthday was last week. I heard Joey, my two-and-a-half year old, singing 'Happy Birthday' in the other room. Then right after that he started singing "Baby, baby, can't you hear my heart beat"! He and Samuel (4) have discovered my Best of Herman's Hermits CD, and that has been getting a lot of play recently. Samuel's favorite is "I'm Henry the VIII I am."
My birthday was last week. I heard Joey, my two-and-a-half year old, singing 'Happy Birthday' in the other room. Then right after that he started singing "Baby, baby, can't you hear my heart beat"! He and Samuel (4) have discovered my Best of Herman's Hermits CD, and that has been getting a lot of play recently. Samuel's favorite is "I'm Henry the VIII I am."
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The World Is Flat moment #1
I have a Mozambican friend who lives near Dallas. For a couple of weeks before I went I tried to call and was never able to connect with him. Finally I shot him and email. I found out he was in POLAND! We talked via Skype while I was in Dallas. We were talking in Portuguese, and I thought he said he was in Bologna, Italy. Turns out he said "Polonha"=Poland. Either way, via Skype I am speaking from Dallas with my Mozambican friend to Poland in Portuguese. What a world.
I have a Mozambican friend who lives near Dallas. For a couple of weeks before I went I tried to call and was never able to connect with him. Finally I shot him and email. I found out he was in POLAND! We talked via Skype while I was in Dallas. We were talking in Portuguese, and I thought he said he was in Bologna, Italy. Turns out he said "Polonha"=Poland. Either way, via Skype I am speaking from Dallas with my Mozambican friend to Poland in Portuguese. What a world.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The pic in my banner is a deee-licious fried oyster po' boy from Kimball's Seafood in Pass Christian. In addition to the great experiences I had in my trip to Mississippi and Texas, I got to do some good ole food tourism. Shrimp, crayfish, catfish, BBQ ribs, BBQ brisket, BBQ pork (Memphis style & North Carolina style), oysters on the half-shell, soft-shell crab... I know how to take culinary advantage of my journeys.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Ok, the kids are a bit older now than in my last post. A friend of mine gave me the needed kick in the behind to start blogging after my false start 2+ years ago.
Here is what is on my mind: serving and the Kingdom. I just got back from a week-long trip to Mississippi and Dallas. The first part was to help build some houses for people who lost theirs in Hurricane Katrina. The second part was to attend a church-planting conference. What I came away with: You can't serve God without serving others.
In Pass Christian, MS our group (about 25 from two churches) worked in several different places. I was on a team of 3 (Peggy, Ron, and me) who worked laying tile and hardwood flooring in Ms. Jeanette's new house. She is currently living in a "Katrina cottage" until her new house is completed by volunteer labor. While the labor is donated, she is responsible for purchasing all the supplies and materials used in it's construction. She was so pleased with the work we were doing for her. It was very satisfying, and a blessing to be able to help out someone who had lost so much.
Then I flew to NorthWood Church in Keller, TX, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. I met other
members of the Crossroads management team (Steve, Mike, R.J., and Jerrel) for a conference that was ostensibly about church planting. But it was about much more than that! In actuality it was talking about how we do church. Key learning points: 1) Get involved in the community where you are. 2) Get involved internationally as soon as possible.
More about #1- This means not waiting for others to come to our church, but rather going to them. Our church does a fairly good job of this, but there is so much more. They talked about becoming involved in your community through each of the different domains of life, not just the religious sphere. In fact, there is no "religious sphere" of life. God and his Kingdom overlays all the domains of society. What are these domains? Bob Roberts includes agriculture, economy, science & technology, education, and some others. How can we use the domains in which God has placed us for his glory?
I think one thing that needs to change is our view of work. It is not just something that earns us money so we can survive or enjoy the weekends. Work is God-honoring. He has given you the talents you use in your career, whatever it is. Before the Fall, there was work. We didn't have to toil and worry like we do now ("sweat of our brow"), but there was work, and it was good.
When we re-capture a godly view of work, we can see that our vocations can be used for his purposes. I'm not just talking about having a Bible study at your workplace. I'm talking about using your work to change the community for the better.
More about #2- This is where a lot of my passion lies. My wife and I were in Mozambique for a year and a half, and the experience changed our lives. Our church has taken the tack of reaching our own areas first (our Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria) and then going international. We have changed that position and are looking to get more involved internationally. Just like our local involvement, this will be in many domains of life. We hope to focus on one or two countries in order to maximize our impact.
Our church's mission is to transform the world by making disciples who make disciples. We're taking some great steps toward that.
Here is what is on my mind: serving and the Kingdom. I just got back from a week-long trip to Mississippi and Dallas. The first part was to help build some houses for people who lost theirs in Hurricane Katrina. The second part was to attend a church-planting conference. What I came away with: You can't serve God without serving others.
In Pass Christian, MS our group (about 25 from two churches) worked in several different places. I was on a team of 3 (Peggy, Ron, and me) who worked laying tile and hardwood flooring in Ms. Jeanette's new house. She is currently living in a "Katrina cottage" until her new house is completed by volunteer labor. While the labor is donated, she is responsible for purchasing all the supplies and materials used in it's construction. She was so pleased with the work we were doing for her. It was very satisfying, and a blessing to be able to help out someone who had lost so much.
Then I flew to NorthWood Church in Keller, TX, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. I met other
members of the Crossroads management team (Steve, Mike, R.J., and Jerrel) for a conference that was ostensibly about church planting. But it was about much more than that! In actuality it was talking about how we do church. Key learning points: 1) Get involved in the community where you are. 2) Get involved internationally as soon as possible.
More about #1- This means not waiting for others to come to our church, but rather going to them. Our church does a fairly good job of this, but there is so much more. They talked about becoming involved in your community through each of the different domains of life, not just the religious sphere. In fact, there is no "religious sphere" of life. God and his Kingdom overlays all the domains of society. What are these domains? Bob Roberts includes agriculture, economy, science & technology, education, and some others. How can we use the domains in which God has placed us for his glory?
I think one thing that needs to change is our view of work. It is not just something that earns us money so we can survive or enjoy the weekends. Work is God-honoring. He has given you the talents you use in your career, whatever it is. Before the Fall, there was work. We didn't have to toil and worry like we do now ("sweat of our brow"), but there was work, and it was good.
When we re-capture a godly view of work, we can see that our vocations can be used for his purposes. I'm not just talking about having a Bible study at your workplace. I'm talking about using your work to change the community for the better.
More about #2- This is where a lot of my passion lies. My wife and I were in Mozambique for a year and a half, and the experience changed our lives. Our church has taken the tack of reaching our own areas first (our Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria) and then going international. We have changed that position and are looking to get more involved internationally. Just like our local involvement, this will be in many domains of life. We hope to focus on one or two countries in order to maximize our impact.
Our church's mission is to transform the world by making disciples who make disciples. We're taking some great steps toward that.
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