I had the privilege of seeing a Texas hail/lightning storm in March. I have to say, it was pretty freaky. I could barely see the road and some people around me were still driving 30-40 MPH. I guess the Texans are used to it, but it was somewhat scary.
The hailstones seemed like they were as big as golf balls (they weren't), but they sounded like it. I thought they might break through the windshield (they didn't).
The lightning, though: A-mazing. I always think of Psalm 8--when I think of Your wonders, Lord... what is man that You are mindful of him? Lightning is kind of like God, actually. It's scary because it's so powerful, but it's beautiful and awesome and exciting at the same time! You can't help but wonder at it.
April 28, 2008
Love v. Grumpiness
Have you ever driven for 20 hours straight with a bunch of people after having spent a week doing hard labor, and within that 20 hours you only slept for one or two? That's a trial.
This is a test of the amount of love you have for your brothers and sisters in Christ. I've always been able to sleep anywhere but on this last trip to Mississippi I didn't hardly sleep on the way there or the way back.
The littlest things annoy you. Especially through Texas. But this is human nature. We are called to love each other and God never included the statement "except when you don't feel like it."
This is my greatest challenge--I'm not really a loving kind of person most of the time. I always call myself the protege of Oscar the Grouch. But I need to shape up because this is the call of the church: to love God and to love others. I mean, God loves Oscar, too, but as a follower of the living and loving God, we seek to be more like Him, not like puppets (cool as they are).
This is a test of the amount of love you have for your brothers and sisters in Christ. I've always been able to sleep anywhere but on this last trip to Mississippi I didn't hardly sleep on the way there or the way back.
The littlest things annoy you. Especially through Texas. But this is human nature. We are called to love each other and God never included the statement "except when you don't feel like it."
This is my greatest challenge--I'm not really a loving kind of person most of the time. I always call myself the protege of Oscar the Grouch. But I need to shape up because this is the call of the church: to love God and to love others. I mean, God loves Oscar, too, but as a follower of the living and loving God, we seek to be more like Him, not like puppets (cool as they are).
A Memorial
A friend of mine died last week.
I had worked with her at Manfisher Ministries before I came to school in Pueblo. Manfisher was a place that worked with bums and drunks and poor people and not-too-poor people to help furnish their needs.
Lynn knew the worst of it: addiction to pain killers, divorce, single parenthood, poverty. But she loved God! She came through those circumstances and then came to Manfisher to spread the love of Christ to others who were in dire circumstances.
After having come through her own battles, she then had to face her 7-year-old son getting cancer. Which meant chemo in Seattle (a five-six hour drive from where she lived). Lynn was someone you knew God trusted because she went through all this crap.
But then one night last week she just died. I don't even know why. She has two little kids, including the one still fighting cancer, and also an older daughter. Sometimes you have to wonder why: this is the real world.
But I can have hope because there isn't a doubt in my mind that she was a believer. I'll get to see her again someday in a much brighter place than the world she lived in and the world that we live in. Death might not seem fair to us, but to Lynn right now, death is sweet.
I had worked with her at Manfisher Ministries before I came to school in Pueblo. Manfisher was a place that worked with bums and drunks and poor people and not-too-poor people to help furnish their needs.
Lynn knew the worst of it: addiction to pain killers, divorce, single parenthood, poverty. But she loved God! She came through those circumstances and then came to Manfisher to spread the love of Christ to others who were in dire circumstances.
After having come through her own battles, she then had to face her 7-year-old son getting cancer. Which meant chemo in Seattle (a five-six hour drive from where she lived). Lynn was someone you knew God trusted because she went through all this crap.
But then one night last week she just died. I don't even know why. She has two little kids, including the one still fighting cancer, and also an older daughter. Sometimes you have to wonder why: this is the real world.
But I can have hope because there isn't a doubt in my mind that she was a believer. I'll get to see her again someday in a much brighter place than the world she lived in and the world that we live in. Death might not seem fair to us, but to Lynn right now, death is sweet.
Baptism is a lot funner than we make it
Friday night was a great picture of the church in Paul's day, I think. Hopefully, most won't think us blasphemous for doing what we did, but we baptized two people in the Atlantic. Well, I didn't; I just carried their towels.
Our three male leaders baptized two women in the group. First, the leaders told us what baptism was about, then the women gave their testimonies and people who knew them testified on their behalfs that they were walking with Christ, and then we went out to the water and two of the leaders "dunked" them.
It was a great picture of the church as a whole. Not as a denomination or as a specific church body. We all had different beliefs here and there, but baptism isn't about joining a church, it's about publicly displaying that you're part of the church.
Today, you have to be something like a pastor in most circles to baptize people. But who was John the Baptist? Now we think we was amazing, but he certainly didn't have any formal training--he walked around in camel clothes and ate locusts for crying out loud! I think that baptism becomes so unreal because it's so outlined--do this and do that--when really it's your testimony to the world. Why make it so specific and boring? It should be exciting and celebratory!
Church... work on this...
Our three male leaders baptized two women in the group. First, the leaders told us what baptism was about, then the women gave their testimonies and people who knew them testified on their behalfs that they were walking with Christ, and then we went out to the water and two of the leaders "dunked" them.
It was a great picture of the church as a whole. Not as a denomination or as a specific church body. We all had different beliefs here and there, but baptism isn't about joining a church, it's about publicly displaying that you're part of the church.
Today, you have to be something like a pastor in most circles to baptize people. But who was John the Baptist? Now we think we was amazing, but he certainly didn't have any formal training--he walked around in camel clothes and ate locusts for crying out loud! I think that baptism becomes so unreal because it's so outlined--do this and do that--when really it's your testimony to the world. Why make it so specific and boring? It should be exciting and celebratory!
Church... work on this...
April 27, 2008
The Know-It-All-Ness Contest
Friday was a great day in Bay Saint Louis, my friends. I got to be in the group that cut down three rather tall trees that were threatening the integrity of a couples' house.
Today was a lesson in know-it-all-ness. The guy we were helping out knew how to cut down trees with only one or two people, but his body was too beat up to do it anymore. Well, I swear we spent an hour conjecturing on how it would be done even though the guy told us how to best do it. We even practiced on a smaller tree.
Eventually, though, we gave in. His way was faster, easier, and safer. And Dave still got to use the chainsaw. What we had to do was get a rope tied around the targeted tree and then use a pulley-like system connected to another tree--this would get the tree to go down in the approximate direction that we wished. Plus, no one would be in the way of the tree as it fell.
Well, it worked! And it was amazing watching these giant trees fall to the ground! And I would have to say that Brian won the contest for the least know-it-all-ness even though he was probably the most capable of all us college-age people. Humility, even though most desired for us by God, isn't common, so it's obvious when present.
Today was a lesson in know-it-all-ness. The guy we were helping out knew how to cut down trees with only one or two people, but his body was too beat up to do it anymore. Well, I swear we spent an hour conjecturing on how it would be done even though the guy told us how to best do it. We even practiced on a smaller tree.
Eventually, though, we gave in. His way was faster, easier, and safer. And Dave still got to use the chainsaw. What we had to do was get a rope tied around the targeted tree and then use a pulley-like system connected to another tree--this would get the tree to go down in the approximate direction that we wished. Plus, no one would be in the way of the tree as it fell.
Well, it worked! And it was amazing watching these giant trees fall to the ground! And I would have to say that Brian won the contest for the least know-it-all-ness even though he was probably the most capable of all us college-age people. Humility, even though most desired for us by God, isn't common, so it's obvious when present.
By Now I'm Getting Sun Stroke...
Well, we started digging on Wednesday afternoon and didn't get the poles situated until Thursday afternoon. That was some hard work, I tell you what! If ever you want upper body strength, dig out holes 4 and a half feet deep with a post hole digger.
There was literally a swamp underneath our feet. It even smelled like sulfur because of all of the swamp gasses. We had to bucket out water so that the mud would be solid enough for us to dig out. Some people were covered in mud and clay, others covered themselves in mud and clay just for fun.
On Thursday I got to do the funnest thing yet: ride the lawn tractor. John Deere, baby! We shoveled dirt and mud to our heart's content into the tractor's trailer and back out again. The piles of dirt needed to be moved so that the cement truck could get sufficiently close the next day. So, we leveled out some ground for Miss Cunningham's daughter, Tidi. She's probably going to plant some tomatoes now.
I'm sure I picked up trash this day, too, but I'm pretty positive I blocked that from my memory. It's funny how the most humble acts of service in the world are probably the least enjoyable.
There was literally a swamp underneath our feet. It even smelled like sulfur because of all of the swamp gasses. We had to bucket out water so that the mud would be solid enough for us to dig out. Some people were covered in mud and clay, others covered themselves in mud and clay just for fun.
On Thursday I got to do the funnest thing yet: ride the lawn tractor. John Deere, baby! We shoveled dirt and mud to our heart's content into the tractor's trailer and back out again. The piles of dirt needed to be moved so that the cement truck could get sufficiently close the next day. So, we leveled out some ground for Miss Cunningham's daughter, Tidi. She's probably going to plant some tomatoes now.
I'm sure I picked up trash this day, too, but I'm pretty positive I blocked that from my memory. It's funny how the most humble acts of service in the world are probably the least enjoyable.
Strategic Positioning
The third day of Katrina relief was kind of discouraging at first. I mean, from working with real people who need real help to picking up trash. Big difference.
My team came across a house that we actually shouldn't have entered--we were technically trespassing. It still had clothes hung up in the closet. On the door was written in mud, "We are OK." Two years later. Incredible.
It was also on this day that two of my team members came across a man by the name of Frank (I think). He was building a house for Miss Cunningham, a very nice elderly lady. He was building a house for Miss Cunningham by himself. Eventually he would get help from two or three Mennonites, but that's still a measely amount of people for building a house.
So this house had to be 11 feet up in order to meet insurance guidelines, and the holes that had been dug by a machine the day before had partially collapsed. Word to the wise: don't build a house on swamp ground. So, we told him that we just happened to have 30 people and were looking for more projects.
He was astounded. He had just been asking God how He was going to get this done: it looked hopeless. But God uses His people--He organizes them in a way we don't understand. Who would have thought that 32 college students from Colorado would end up helping this particular person in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi? God would.
My team came across a house that we actually shouldn't have entered--we were technically trespassing. It still had clothes hung up in the closet. On the door was written in mud, "We are OK." Two years later. Incredible.
It was also on this day that two of my team members came across a man by the name of Frank (I think). He was building a house for Miss Cunningham, a very nice elderly lady. He was building a house for Miss Cunningham by himself. Eventually he would get help from two or three Mennonites, but that's still a measely amount of people for building a house.
So this house had to be 11 feet up in order to meet insurance guidelines, and the holes that had been dug by a machine the day before had partially collapsed. Word to the wise: don't build a house on swamp ground. So, we told him that we just happened to have 30 people and were looking for more projects.
He was astounded. He had just been asking God how He was going to get this done: it looked hopeless. But God uses His people--He organizes them in a way we don't understand. Who would have thought that 32 college students from Colorado would end up helping this particular person in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi? God would.
April 21, 2008
Buena Suerte!
On the second day of my trip to the Gulf Coast, my group did homeless ministry (which sounds weird but I don't know how else to say it). A lot of people are still homeless or pretty close to it because of Katrina. They are cold and hungry so we brought them food and a few pieces of clothing.
My greatest adventure on this day was utilizing my poor Spanish skills. I did alright, I think, but luckily we were able to find a fluent Spanish speaker at a Catholic diocese office that dealt specifically with migrants and immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries. Like this man.
He was from Honduras, had been in the US for six months, and didn't speak any English. His 17-year-old son had been caught on the Texas border trying to cross illegally. He was in prison, so his father was looking for him. Can you imagine your son being in a prison in Texas, but you don't know which one, and you can't speak the language to ask people for help? How frustrating and hopeless a situation!
Well, hopefully he was able to work it out. I think I did as much as I could. His son probably had already been deported. But I can't help but wonder...
My greatest adventure on this day was utilizing my poor Spanish skills. I did alright, I think, but luckily we were able to find a fluent Spanish speaker at a Catholic diocese office that dealt specifically with migrants and immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries. Like this man.
He was from Honduras, had been in the US for six months, and didn't speak any English. His 17-year-old son had been caught on the Texas border trying to cross illegally. He was in prison, so his father was looking for him. Can you imagine your son being in a prison in Texas, but you don't know which one, and you can't speak the language to ask people for help? How frustrating and hopeless a situation!
Well, hopefully he was able to work it out. I think I did as much as I could. His son probably had already been deported. But I can't help but wonder...
Fear v. Love: Death Match
During spring break, I stayed in Pass Christian (pronounced pass krish-tee-ann') at a place called Camp Gospel. I could see the beach from the camp. It was always beautiful.
Our first day of work, we picked up trash and debris. It was ridiculous. There wasn't as much trash as there were remnants of houses. My group found most of a bathroom--bathtub, part of a toilet, a sink still in the counter top, and even some really nice granite floor tiles. The group next to us covered an area maybe 35 feet long and 29 feet wide and stayed there all day because of the amount of debris in that one small location. It was great: it was an adventure finding as much junk as possible.
Anyway, during this first escapade, we came across a sleeping water moccasin (aka very poisonous snake). It was not so fun anymore finding bathroom parts. This sense of fear came over me and I no longer was enjoying this experience. I finally realized what fear felt like, at least some kind of fear. It was a knowledge that I could die if I got bit and I could get bit by cleaning out this swamp land.
So then, how does "perfect love cast out fear" like it says in the Bible? I knew that what I was doing was for the Lord and the snakes had no power over me. If He wanted one to bite me so be it, but they couldn't do anything to me that God didn't first permit. And besides, if I did die, I would go to Heaven to be with my Savior face to face forever. A love for God and His presence which led to a love for His work and His Kingdom cast out the fear and I was once again able to have an amazing time (though perhaps with a little more caution).
Our first day of work, we picked up trash and debris. It was ridiculous. There wasn't as much trash as there were remnants of houses. My group found most of a bathroom--bathtub, part of a toilet, a sink still in the counter top, and even some really nice granite floor tiles. The group next to us covered an area maybe 35 feet long and 29 feet wide and stayed there all day because of the amount of debris in that one small location. It was great: it was an adventure finding as much junk as possible.
Anyway, during this first escapade, we came across a sleeping water moccasin (aka very poisonous snake). It was not so fun anymore finding bathroom parts. This sense of fear came over me and I no longer was enjoying this experience. I finally realized what fear felt like, at least some kind of fear. It was a knowledge that I could die if I got bit and I could get bit by cleaning out this swamp land.
So then, how does "perfect love cast out fear" like it says in the Bible? I knew that what I was doing was for the Lord and the snakes had no power over me. If He wanted one to bite me so be it, but they couldn't do anything to me that God didn't first permit. And besides, if I did die, I would go to Heaven to be with my Savior face to face forever. A love for God and His presence which led to a love for His work and His Kingdom cast out the fear and I was once again able to have an amazing time (though perhaps with a little more caution).
April 10, 2008
Obeying the Great Commission through Drama
Drama is one of the best ways of following the great commission: it shows in a very short time and interesting manner the message of the gospel.
One thing I often don't like about dramas is the extremity--not everybody struggles with alcohol, drugs, sex (the classic sins)--but we have to admit that many do. Also, there are so many dramas that do the same thing, but again we have to admit that human nature has never changed so why should the message going out to it change?
The following drama is very well done and its message is wonderful--the message will remain the same for all eternity that Jesus saves.
One thing I often don't like about dramas is the extremity--not everybody struggles with alcohol, drugs, sex (the classic sins)--but we have to admit that many do. Also, there are so many dramas that do the same thing, but again we have to admit that human nature has never changed so why should the message going out to it change?
The following drama is very well done and its message is wonderful--the message will remain the same for all eternity that Jesus saves.
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