We had to rush our devotions in the morning in order to have breakfast by 7AM and be ready to leave by 8AM. That will be our routine our whole time in Israel. We went first to the Old City, taking some detours due to yesterday's terrorist attack. We walked through the Christian, Armenian and Jewish Quarters, walking very fast. We saw part of a dig right there which shows part of the old Roman Road through this area - with large paving blocks and pillars. We could see from there the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives.
We sat on the Southern Steps of the Temple and heard the story of the events that took place right there on Pentecost. 3,000 people were baptized after the message they each heard in their own language. We could see pools below the steps. We formed pairs and trios and each prayed in our own languages - people from over 50 countries! (This was definitely one highlight of our trip!)
We walked to seethe Temple wall up close. The stones are incredibly large. We could see levels of different eras, the topmost being from the Crusaders, the lowest probably being the base of the Temple. We went to the western wall where you could hear the Muslims chanting their prayers. The men and women went to their respective side of the wall. I knelt by the Wall and prayed and cried.
We were dehydrated most of the time in the hot, dry sun. It was hard to drink enough. I accidentally filled my water bottle from the faucet that was for ceremonial washing!
I did the ceremonial wash later, tipping the two-handled, large cup from side to side. (Yesterday's devotional Woody and I read talked about ceremonial washing. Interesting!)
We went in the bus to a local mall to eat in the food court. Woody had a pita sandwich and I ate five kinds of pastries from a bread shop. All were delicious. One had a vegetable filling and one potatoes.
I slept on the bus during the long drive to the Negev Wilderness to stay at a Bedouin camp. We took a ride on a camel there, watching the sun set over the desert. WOW! The camels followed close to one another, and Woody commented he felt like "camel Kleenex," since the one behind us kept wiping its nose and mouth on his jeans! The colors of the desert mountains were spectacular!
We were welcomed at a large tent with tea, coffee, and bread cooked before us over the fire. We were entertained by an "udo?" concert.
After moving our things to our respective tents - one for the women, one for the men - we met in the women's tent for a Bedouin feast. We were reclined on mats in small groups to share food on a tray in the middle of us. We ate chicken kebobs, lots of sauces, rice, and plenty of flat bread.
After supper we met in yet another large tent and had a good time of teaching, sharing about times of feeling overwhelmed. Richard, from India, was in my small group. Any of our troubles seemed minimal after he shared. Upon his return he will be facing trial for "causing damage to the State." Basically, he will be on trial for his faith.
After the evening meeting Woody, Carlos, Michele and I went and sat out in the wilderness. It was eerie how the desert floor seemed to shine with the reflection of lights in the area. The stars were out, but dust and sand in the air made the night sky hazy. We had a really nice time sitting there on the rocks. (Rocks everywhere! No place to sit comfortably.)
I slept by Michele in the women's tent on two thin pads on the floor, using an old, thin sleeping bag and a sheet to cover me. It was chilly, but OK, and I slept quite well despite the discomforts and stomach pain. My muscles were very tired after all our walking in Paris and today.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Israel At Last! Thursday, March 6
Jetlagged, I felt very groggy getting up, but we had a nice breakfast at our Paris hotel and left by 7:30AM to go to the Charles DeGaulle Airport. We walked about 12 blocks to the train station, Gare d Nord to catch the train to the airport. A really helpful Frenchman directed our way and as he walked a half block ahead of us, he often turned to make sure we were going the right direction. How thoughtful!It rained during the night. It was only barely above freezing, but today felt much warmer because there was no wind.
At the airport we ate our eighth chocolate croissant in 24 hours! Our flight on Air France to Tel Aviv was great. They served me my own special diet and offered seconds on the delicious French bread. There was turbulence over the Alps, but the views of the mountains were spectacular. I was just thinking about maybe getting air sick when the pilot announced that it would be bumpy for another 40 minutes. Yikes! Two minutes later the turbulence abruptly stopped. Yeah!
The Ben Gurion airport is gorgeous! I could hardly believe I was in Israel, but orthodox Jewish dress on all sides made it self-evident. It was hard to shift gears from just being the two of us to suddenly having tons of friends and strangers surrounding us and trying to connect with all the GYI participants. Almost all the Latinos arrived within one hour of our arrival - several separate flights. Immigration held some of the Latinos for over an hour of questioning. The immigration officials didn't understand why Latinos have two last names.
We met up there with River (from Bolivia), Jeffry, Miguel (from Ecuador), Jeff, Mark, and the other Jeffry, along with a number of others. Woody stayed at the airport to help Randy meet up with other participants. I rode on a minibus with a bunch of other GYI folks. I felt very out of place - shyness kicking in! We learned that today 8 Jewish students were killed in Jerusalem by a terrorist. Security was high, but we got through fine. In the van I listened to our driver talk on speaker phone for the whole trip. It sounded like he was arguing with everyone, but I would learn that was pretty typical in Israel. I think he also called his wife. That's the only phone call that he was almost silent for. She talked a lot. Of course, I can't understand a word of what they say! I could understand at least a little French.
I checked in to the Regency Jerusalem on Mount Scopus. We had a buffet supper in a banquet room of the hotel. It was way too crowded, but the food was good - especially all the kinds of bread. I could eat just bread the whole trip! Woody arrived at the tail end of supper. We paid for Internet (almost $20 for one day!) and Woody answered many emails. My stomach was hurting a lot, but still I slept - Woody didn't.
At the airport we ate our eighth chocolate croissant in 24 hours! Our flight on Air France to Tel Aviv was great. They served me my own special diet and offered seconds on the delicious French bread. There was turbulence over the Alps, but the views of the mountains were spectacular. I was just thinking about maybe getting air sick when the pilot announced that it would be bumpy for another 40 minutes. Yikes! Two minutes later the turbulence abruptly stopped. Yeah!
The Ben Gurion airport is gorgeous! I could hardly believe I was in Israel, but orthodox Jewish dress on all sides made it self-evident. It was hard to shift gears from just being the two of us to suddenly having tons of friends and strangers surrounding us and trying to connect with all the GYI participants. Almost all the Latinos arrived within one hour of our arrival - several separate flights. Immigration held some of the Latinos for over an hour of questioning. The immigration officials didn't understand why Latinos have two last names.
We met up there with River (from Bolivia), Jeffry, Miguel (from Ecuador), Jeff, Mark, and the other Jeffry, along with a number of others. Woody stayed at the airport to help Randy meet up with other participants. I rode on a minibus with a bunch of other GYI folks. I felt very out of place - shyness kicking in! We learned that today 8 Jewish students were killed in Jerusalem by a terrorist. Security was high, but we got through fine. In the van I listened to our driver talk on speaker phone for the whole trip. It sounded like he was arguing with everyone, but I would learn that was pretty typical in Israel. I think he also called his wife. That's the only phone call that he was almost silent for. She talked a lot. Of course, I can't understand a word of what they say! I could understand at least a little French.
I checked in to the Regency Jerusalem on Mount Scopus. We had a buffet supper in a banquet room of the hotel. It was way too crowded, but the food was good - especially all the kinds of bread. I could eat just bread the whole trip! Woody arrived at the tail end of supper. We paid for Internet (almost $20 for one day!) and Woody answered many emails. My stomach was hurting a lot, but still I slept - Woody didn't.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Israel Trip - A Half Day in Paris!
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7
In my last entry I left us in cold, windy Paris with our luggage safely stowed away at Ville Saint Martin Hotel. We took the Metro to the Louvre station. I will never forget coming up the stairs and my jaw dropping. We were surrounded by the Louvre - and the awe I felt was almost surreal. We didn't go in the museum since we had only a few hours to soak in the city, but we walked in silence, dazzled by the historic beauty of a place I've heard about all my life.
The sky was mostly clear, but the sun was wimpy and the sky seemed faded as if it were huddled up to protect itself from the cold wind. I had on my light green windbreaker and felt like I was in a sea of black clothing and outerwear. It was as if my jacket were shouting, "I'M NOT FROM HERE! HAVE YOU NOTICED?"
We looked down the stree through one arch and could see the Arc de Trioph down the way. History surrounded us. I asked Woody to pinch me and told him that my expectations for Paris were already surpassed.
We walked to a boulangerie and ate a pizza-type thing with chicken and black olives. One of the olives had a pit, and of course I bit down hard on it. Thankfully no teeth broke! The hot chocolate there was a dream and my pizza and Woody's sandwich were perfect. We braced ourselves for the wind and cold (barely above freezing with about 20mph winds) and walked, crossing the Seine, to the Orsay Museum.
The Orsay is in an the old Orleans train station. They have amazing art, statues, and architecture everywhere you turn. The clock on the north was was ornate and huge. We went to the top floor (5th - looking down on the whole station) to see the Impressionists. We both loved it. Van Gogh's Siesta was a favorite of mine. We saw lots of Van Gogh, Sisler, Monet, Manet, Renoir. I liked Manet's La Lecture and Water Lilies. We also say Fantin-Latour, Caillebotte (I liked his), and Pisarro. Whistler's Mother was really gigantic. I wonder why I have that painting so engraved in my mind. We looked for a long time and probably only saw 20% of the displayed art.
We went on the Metro to Notre Dame - free entry! Dark, mammoth. One confessional was active - behind glass. So much stained glass that the huge, beautiful, circular stained glass art high up in the sanctuary are almost overlooked. It was probably 10 stories high inside! The organ was playing. It felt a bit oppressive and dead - devoid of hope, I thought.
From there we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower. It was so cold and we were so tired that we took a look at it and said to ourselves, "Been there, done that, let's go!" The tower itself was almost disappointing - looked like an exaggerated Erector Set or Leggo project. I had opted for seeing the Eiffel Tower over the Arc de Triomph with our last hour of daylight. Wish I'd chosen the Arc. But, we both were VERY happy that we got to see and experience so much of Paris in so little time.
We headed back to the hotel instead of paying a mint for a meal in the center of Paris. The restaurants around our hotel looked crummy and the cheapest meal in them would have been 20 Euros! We had some delicious leftover lunch and added a double cheese baguette and drinks to sup in our room.
All but one person we spoke with today spoke fluent English. Every single person we talked to was very kind and friendly.
We slept pretty well.
In my last entry I left us in cold, windy Paris with our luggage safely stowed away at Ville Saint Martin Hotel. We took the Metro to the Louvre station. I will never forget coming up the stairs and my jaw dropping. We were surrounded by the Louvre - and the awe I felt was almost surreal. We didn't go in the museum since we had only a few hours to soak in the city, but we walked in silence, dazzled by the historic beauty of a place I've heard about all my life.
The sky was mostly clear, but the sun was wimpy and the sky seemed faded as if it were huddled up to protect itself from the cold wind. I had on my light green windbreaker and felt like I was in a sea of black clothing and outerwear. It was as if my jacket were shouting, "I'M NOT FROM HERE! HAVE YOU NOTICED?"
We looked down the stree through one arch and could see the Arc de Trioph down the way. History surrounded us. I asked Woody to pinch me and told him that my expectations for Paris were already surpassed.
We walked to a boulangerie and ate a pizza-type thing with chicken and black olives. One of the olives had a pit, and of course I bit down hard on it. Thankfully no teeth broke! The hot chocolate there was a dream and my pizza and Woody's sandwich were perfect. We braced ourselves for the wind and cold (barely above freezing with about 20mph winds) and walked, crossing the Seine, to the Orsay Museum.
The Orsay is in an the old Orleans train station. They have amazing art, statues, and architecture everywhere you turn. The clock on the north was was ornate and huge. We went to the top floor (5th - looking down on the whole station) to see the Impressionists. We both loved it. Van Gogh's Siesta was a favorite of mine. We saw lots of Van Gogh, Sisler, Monet, Manet, Renoir. I liked Manet's La Lecture and Water Lilies. We also say Fantin-Latour, Caillebotte (I liked his), and Pisarro. Whistler's Mother was really gigantic. I wonder why I have that painting so engraved in my mind. We looked for a long time and probably only saw 20% of the displayed art.
We went on the Metro to Notre Dame - free entry! Dark, mammoth. One confessional was active - behind glass. So much stained glass that the huge, beautiful, circular stained glass art high up in the sanctuary are almost overlooked. It was probably 10 stories high inside! The organ was playing. It felt a bit oppressive and dead - devoid of hope, I thought.
From there we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower. It was so cold and we were so tired that we took a look at it and said to ourselves, "Been there, done that, let's go!" The tower itself was almost disappointing - looked like an exaggerated Erector Set or Leggo project. I had opted for seeing the Eiffel Tower over the Arc de Triomph with our last hour of daylight. Wish I'd chosen the Arc. But, we both were VERY happy that we got to see and experience so much of Paris in so little time.
We headed back to the hotel instead of paying a mint for a meal in the center of Paris. The restaurants around our hotel looked crummy and the cheapest meal in them would have been 20 Euros! We had some delicious leftover lunch and added a double cheese baguette and drinks to sup in our room.
All but one person we spoke with today spoke fluent English. Every single person we talked to was very kind and friendly.
We slept pretty well.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Journal of Israel Trip - First Day and a Half
Tuesday, March 4, and Wednesday AM, March 5
Eric drove us to the airport. I felt like God woke me up an hour before my alarm - 3AM!! - which proved absolutely important since I barely had time to get the essential financial reimbursement forms sent, take a quick shower and be ready by 8AM.
All went well at the San Jose airport. A Cinnabon stand had just opened there, so we were among their very first customers in San Jose. Yum! I felt very excited about the upcoming trip, both for Paris and for Israel. I held expectations loose for Paris since we were only scheduled to be there from 10AM on, and you never know about flight delays!
Once boarded in Costa Rica, our pilot optimistically told us we were departing and arriving on time. His prophecy was not fulfilled. Neither was on time. We did take off from the gate on time, but a few feet later we sat for nearly an hour.
Though we arrived late into Dallas, we still had enough time to step into the Admiral's Club. We enjoyed a quick Shiner Bock, cheese and crackers. Nice perks of the membership! From there we boarded our plane to head on to Paris - about an 8 hour flight. After supper we both slept. I slept more than Woody.
We arrived in Paris on time! YEAH! The Charles DeGaulle Airport and the transport systems were a bit challenging, but we managed to buy a day pass for the RER and Metro trains. Woody had a map on his Palm to find our hotel in Paris. It took good teamwork to figure it out, but we found the Hotel Ville Saint Martin by noon. The room wasn't ready yet, but they graciously stored our luggage for us and we headed out to quickly explore a little bit of Paris!
FYI, it was VERY cold and windy. With only a windbreaker and a warm vest, the cold air took our breath away. The views in Paris also took our breath away, but I'll leave that story for the next blog entry.
Eric drove us to the airport. I felt like God woke me up an hour before my alarm - 3AM!! - which proved absolutely important since I barely had time to get the essential financial reimbursement forms sent, take a quick shower and be ready by 8AM.
All went well at the San Jose airport. A Cinnabon stand had just opened there, so we were among their very first customers in San Jose. Yum! I felt very excited about the upcoming trip, both for Paris and for Israel. I held expectations loose for Paris since we were only scheduled to be there from 10AM on, and you never know about flight delays!
Once boarded in Costa Rica, our pilot optimistically told us we were departing and arriving on time. His prophecy was not fulfilled. Neither was on time. We did take off from the gate on time, but a few feet later we sat for nearly an hour.
Though we arrived late into Dallas, we still had enough time to step into the Admiral's Club. We enjoyed a quick Shiner Bock, cheese and crackers. Nice perks of the membership! From there we boarded our plane to head on to Paris - about an 8 hour flight. After supper we both slept. I slept more than Woody.
We arrived in Paris on time! YEAH! The Charles DeGaulle Airport and the transport systems were a bit challenging, but we managed to buy a day pass for the RER and Metro trains. Woody had a map on his Palm to find our hotel in Paris. It took good teamwork to figure it out, but we found the Hotel Ville Saint Martin by noon. The room wasn't ready yet, but they graciously stored our luggage for us and we headed out to quickly explore a little bit of Paris!
FYI, it was VERY cold and windy. With only a windbreaker and a warm vest, the cold air took our breath away. The views in Paris also took our breath away, but I'll leave that story for the next blog entry.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Tres Volcanes
My dear friend Helen came and spent an awesome week with us. The two of us ventured out to see three of the many volcanoes in Costa Rica. The most spectacular was Poas. We looked down into the turquoise, sulfurous, steaming water below and could also see clear as a bell the other extreme of the rim - nearly a mile away! I'll try to post a photo of Poas when I get it from Woody. Meanwhile, enjoy the photo of Helen on our La Paz Waterfall excursion. If you come to Costa Rica, don't miss that!
Aggravating Messengers
"One of Satan's favorite ploys to keep us from truth is to make us despise the messenger of truth." If someone speaks a difficult word to us, we will be tempted to ignore the truth by trying to find the same or a similar fault in that person. How true! Today, if we should hear an aggravating messenger, let's filter out the portion that irks us, and find the message underneath that we must apply!
I'm speaking to myself, since I'm headed to church this morning and still generally find the services and messages aggravating and boring.
(Quote from Seeking the Face of God by Gary Thomas. Great book!)
I'm speaking to myself, since I'm headed to church this morning and still generally find the services and messages aggravating and boring.
(Quote from Seeking the Face of God by Gary Thomas. Great book!)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
My Body's Jail
"Behold my soul shut in my body's jail" - Henry Constable
I have a surge of longing to be well and serve Him freely - no more jail time! The longing to forget the cell pushes up and becomes a temptation to falter.
Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work." It is my meat to endure, not escape. If this condition is the meat from His hand, then I would do well to take the snow of His words and lay it on my heart to cool my longing.
(Ideas stolen from Rose from Brier)
I have a surge of longing to be well and serve Him freely - no more jail time! The longing to forget the cell pushes up and becomes a temptation to falter.
Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work." It is my meat to endure, not escape. If this condition is the meat from His hand, then I would do well to take the snow of His words and lay it on my heart to cool my longing.
(Ideas stolen from Rose from Brier)
Monday, January 07, 2008
Sunset Christmas Eve
Do we not hear Thy footfall, O Beloved,Among the stars on many a moonless night?
Do we not catch the whisper of Thy coming
On winds of dawn, and often in the light
Of noontide and of sunset almost see Thee?
Look up through shining air
And long to see Thee, O Beloved, long to see Thee,
And wonder that Thou art not standing there?
And we shall hear Thy footfall, O Beloved,
And starry ways will open, and the night
Will call her candles from their distant stations,
And winds shall sing Thee, noon, and mingled light
Of rose-red evening thrill with lovely welcome;
And we, caught up in air,
Shall see Thee, O Beloved, we shall see Thee,
In hush of adoration see Thee there.
- Amy Carmichael, Rose from Brier, p. 166
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Enlighten my Dust
Once again, I have been struggling with stomach aches and a painful foot. It reminds me of the passage in I Corinthians 15:49, "Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly." It's hard to escape from the earthy, isn't it? Paul truthfully calls it "the body of our humiliation." As Amy Carmichael says about the body, "It will not let us, as we gladly would, forget it."
That's what I would love to do - just forget it! But, it certainly doesn't let me. "Lord, transfigure it; this dust, enlighten it."
On a totally different note, yesterday we hosted the team farewell for M and S. (I cannot write out their names for security reasons.) About 45 people came out for the occasion. One highlight was the testimony of Steve and Jamie - two of our newest team members. They spoke in Spanish, which was a huge thing for them at this phase of language learning! Steve and Jamie came several years ago on a work team and stayed with M & S. They saw "real people," but also people of faith, willing to go and serve. Because of M & S's faith and everyday walk with Christ, Steve and Jamie went back to California and began to pray, desiring to be people of faith as well, willing to go where God would lead.
M & S led them to their first step in the pathway to serve at the Latin America Multiplication Center now. Now M & S are taking yet another huge leap of faith as they head out this week to be true disciples in the midst of a hostile people in the Middle East. Pray for them!!
That's what I would love to do - just forget it! But, it certainly doesn't let me. "Lord, transfigure it; this dust, enlighten it."
On a totally different note, yesterday we hosted the team farewell for M and S. (I cannot write out their names for security reasons.) About 45 people came out for the occasion. One highlight was the testimony of Steve and Jamie - two of our newest team members. They spoke in Spanish, which was a huge thing for them at this phase of language learning! Steve and Jamie came several years ago on a work team and stayed with M & S. They saw "real people," but also people of faith, willing to go and serve. Because of M & S's faith and everyday walk with Christ, Steve and Jamie went back to California and began to pray, desiring to be people of faith as well, willing to go where God would lead.
M & S led them to their first step in the pathway to serve at the Latin America Multiplication Center now. Now M & S are taking yet another huge leap of faith as they head out this week to be true disciples in the midst of a hostile people in the Middle East. Pray for them!!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
High Goals
My e-mentor, Win, once challenged me to set high goals in marriage. To be honest, it was a bit embarrassing for me to try to identify any goals in marriage, let alone high ones. After thinking on this challenge for a week, I called Win back to ask if she would give me an example or two of high goals. The goal that most struck me was a simple, yet surely unattainable goal.
Eliminate selfishness.
Wow! If somehow everyone in the world might attain that goal, what would life be like?
Today I was struck by a paragraph Gary Thomas wrote in his book, Seeking the Face of God. “When we love Christ only for what He brings us, including spiritual feelings, we are loving ourselves, not loving Him, regardless of the sacrifice we think we are offering. The dark night of the soul purifies our motivation and keeps us from becoming like the crowds in the New Testament who followed Jesus, not for His teaching, but for the miraculously supplied bread.” (p. 193)
That’s worth thinking on today! Am I one of the crowd? Why do I pray? What do I pray? What is my desire today? Am I loving myself rather than loving Him? (I don’t think they are mutually exclusive, by the way!)
Eliminate selfishness.
Wow! If somehow everyone in the world might attain that goal, what would life be like?
Today I was struck by a paragraph Gary Thomas wrote in his book, Seeking the Face of God. “When we love Christ only for what He brings us, including spiritual feelings, we are loving ourselves, not loving Him, regardless of the sacrifice we think we are offering. The dark night of the soul purifies our motivation and keeps us from becoming like the crowds in the New Testament who followed Jesus, not for His teaching, but for the miraculously supplied bread.” (p. 193)
That’s worth thinking on today! Am I one of the crowd? Why do I pray? What do I pray? What is my desire today? Am I loving myself rather than loving Him? (I don’t think they are mutually exclusive, by the way!)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
If This Had Not Been...
Once again, I am challenged by thoughts from Rose from Brier by Amy Carmichael. Today I was reading about a series of events that led to her fall in a pit and caused her to be bedridden with pain for months on end. If just one link in a seemingly insignificant chain or events had not happened, the accident would have been avoided. "If this had not been, this had not followed."
How often do we think about that in life? If only I had waited two minutes more... If only I had watched my step... If only... (You fill in the blank!)
Yet, God certainly does set limits to our suffering. And nurturing the "If Only" thoughts, as Carmichael puts it, "can be vinegar upon niter." (Whatever niter is!!")
Many times we can see the limits God has put on the hand of the enemy, and we rejoice in that. As we Minnesotans say, "It could have been worse." But, what if it was worse? Would that mean that prayers were not answered?
Good question. I sure don't have all the answers. "It is a petty view of our Father's love and wisdom which demands or expects an answer according to our desires, apart from His wisdom."
How often do we think about that in life? If only I had waited two minutes more... If only I had watched my step... If only... (You fill in the blank!)
Yet, God certainly does set limits to our suffering. And nurturing the "If Only" thoughts, as Carmichael puts it, "can be vinegar upon niter." (Whatever niter is!!")
Many times we can see the limits God has put on the hand of the enemy, and we rejoice in that. As we Minnesotans say, "It could have been worse." But, what if it was worse? Would that mean that prayers were not answered?
Good question. I sure don't have all the answers. "It is a petty view of our Father's love and wisdom which demands or expects an answer according to our desires, apart from His wisdom."
Spiritual Temperatures
As a nurse, I know there are several ways you can take a patient’s temperature. I’ve thought a bit on the spiritual implications of each. You might say that a “spiritual oral temperature” is measured by Ephesians 4:29. No unwholesome should word proceed from my mouth – only words which are edifying to others.
The axillary temperature might be measured by our works.
The most important temperature, though, is like what we used to measure in ICU. We had a way of taking a computerized temp of the blood as it came out of the heart. You can’t get much more accurate than that! This “core temp” is what God measures.
Sometimes we mistakenly think that our feelings are a measure of the core temp. Feelings may make our spiritual lives seem easier or more difficult, but they should be neither a measurement nor a guide in our spiritual lives.
There have been times in my life where I have persisted in prayer, even when I had no good feelings to take away from those prayer times. I think God is honored when we honestly begin our time in prayer saying, “Lord, I don’t feel Your presence. I don’t feel like praying. But, I choose to honor You by talking with you and laying my life at Your feet, whether I feel like it or not. I give these moments of prayer as a gift of “walking by faith and not by sight.” (Or, by feelings, I might add!) I trust that You will be glorified even more by this gift today than You would be if I were all excited about my prayer life.
Gary Thomas says, “Feelings are never the yardstick of truth. They will betray the truth far more often than they will confirm it.”
I think that’s the kind of core temp that God is measuring. When He takes away the blessings and the feelings – like Job, will I choose to still honor Him? That’s what it takes to be a man or woman after God’s own heart.
The axillary temperature might be measured by our works.
The most important temperature, though, is like what we used to measure in ICU. We had a way of taking a computerized temp of the blood as it came out of the heart. You can’t get much more accurate than that! This “core temp” is what God measures.
Sometimes we mistakenly think that our feelings are a measure of the core temp. Feelings may make our spiritual lives seem easier or more difficult, but they should be neither a measurement nor a guide in our spiritual lives.
There have been times in my life where I have persisted in prayer, even when I had no good feelings to take away from those prayer times. I think God is honored when we honestly begin our time in prayer saying, “Lord, I don’t feel Your presence. I don’t feel like praying. But, I choose to honor You by talking with you and laying my life at Your feet, whether I feel like it or not. I give these moments of prayer as a gift of “walking by faith and not by sight.” (Or, by feelings, I might add!) I trust that You will be glorified even more by this gift today than You would be if I were all excited about my prayer life.
Gary Thomas says, “Feelings are never the yardstick of truth. They will betray the truth far more often than they will confirm it.”
I think that’s the kind of core temp that God is measuring. When He takes away the blessings and the feelings – like Job, will I choose to still honor Him? That’s what it takes to be a man or woman after God’s own heart.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Willow Creek "Muffs Up Maturity"
Woody sent me an article from October 18, 2007 entitled “Willow Creek Repents?” I think it originated in a Christianity Today's blog, "Out of Ur." I have abridged it below as a follow-up to my own essay called “Muffing up Maturity.”
Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years.
Willow, through its association, has promoted a vision of church that is big, programmatic, and comprehensive. This vision has been heavily influenced by the methods of secular business. James Twitchell, in his new book Shopping for God, reports that outside Bill Hybels’ office hangs a poster that says: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” Directly or indirectly, this philosophy of ministry—church should be a big box with programs for people at every level of spiritual maturity to consume and engage—has impacted every evangelical church in the country.
So what happens when leaders of Willow Creek stand up and say, “We made a mistake”?
Not long ago Willow released its findings from a multiple year qualitative study of its ministry. Basically, they wanted to know what programs and activities of the church were actually helping people mature spiritually and which were not. The results were published in a book that was recently released. Hybels, the executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, called the findings “earth shaking,” “ground breaking,” and “mind blowing.”
Hybels previously taught that if more people participate in sets of activities on a more frequent basis, more disciples of Christ will be produced. This has been Willow’s philosophy of ministry in a nutshell: The church creates programs/activities. People participate in these activities. The outcome is spiritual maturity. Up until now Willow Creek has put all of its eggs into the program-driven church basket.
You can understand Willow’s shock when the research revealed that “Increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more.”
Speaking at the Leadership Summit, Hybels summarized the findings this way. “Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into, thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually… Other things that we didn’t put that much [staff and] money into is stuff our people are crying out for.”
Having spent thirty years creating and promoting a multi-million dollar organization driven by programs and measuring participation, and convincing other church leaders to do the same, you can see why Hybels called this research “the wakeup call” of his adult life.
Hybels confesses, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between service [sic], how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.”
In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage.
Does this mark the end of Willow’s thirty years of influence over the American church? Not according to Hawkins. “Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture.”
(If you haven’t read “Muffing Up Maturity,” skip down and see what I wrote about this very subject before I read the article about Willow Creek.)
Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years.
Willow, through its association, has promoted a vision of church that is big, programmatic, and comprehensive. This vision has been heavily influenced by the methods of secular business. James Twitchell, in his new book Shopping for God, reports that outside Bill Hybels’ office hangs a poster that says: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” Directly or indirectly, this philosophy of ministry—church should be a big box with programs for people at every level of spiritual maturity to consume and engage—has impacted every evangelical church in the country.
So what happens when leaders of Willow Creek stand up and say, “We made a mistake”?
Not long ago Willow released its findings from a multiple year qualitative study of its ministry. Basically, they wanted to know what programs and activities of the church were actually helping people mature spiritually and which were not. The results were published in a book that was recently released. Hybels, the executive pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, called the findings “earth shaking,” “ground breaking,” and “mind blowing.”
Hybels previously taught that if more people participate in sets of activities on a more frequent basis, more disciples of Christ will be produced. This has been Willow’s philosophy of ministry in a nutshell: The church creates programs/activities. People participate in these activities. The outcome is spiritual maturity. Up until now Willow Creek has put all of its eggs into the program-driven church basket.
You can understand Willow’s shock when the research revealed that “Increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more.”
Speaking at the Leadership Summit, Hybels summarized the findings this way. “Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into, thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually… Other things that we didn’t put that much [staff and] money into is stuff our people are crying out for.”
Having spent thirty years creating and promoting a multi-million dollar organization driven by programs and measuring participation, and convincing other church leaders to do the same, you can see why Hybels called this research “the wakeup call” of his adult life.
Hybels confesses, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between service [sic], how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.”
In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage.
Does this mark the end of Willow’s thirty years of influence over the American church? Not according to Hawkins. “Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture.”
(If you haven’t read “Muffing Up Maturity,” skip down and see what I wrote about this very subject before I read the article about Willow Creek.)
What Are You Reading?
Here are titles and brief notes about each of the books I’ve read (or am reading) so far in 2007.
1. The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg – OK, but Seeking the Face of God is WAY better!
2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyesvsky – Worth reading the classic, but Dostoyevsky’s mind was sick and the book is depressing.
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandr Dumont – Light, long and REALLY fun to read!
4. Patrick by Stephen Lawhead – It has its parts that are violent, but it was a great book.
5. The Great Influenza by John M. Barry – very poorly edited (should have been 300 pages instead of nearly 500), but fascinating to learn more about the influenza epidemic of 1918
6. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence – I like meditating on it a sentence at a time. There are some things I don't like about it, though. Ask me about it.
7. Get me Out of That Pit! by Beth Moore – I like her studies better than her books. This one should have been a pamphlet.
8. Seeking the Face of God by Gary Thomas – Excellent!
9. Night by Eliezer Wiesel – You are better off reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Wiesel’s experience in concentration camps is similar to Ten Boom’s – only she redeemed her suffering and came out with HOPE.
10. Boxers to Bandits by Stephen Fortosis and Mary Graham Reid – Not the best writing or editing, but still very worth the read. I loved learning about the pioneer Christian missionaries to China and seeing what God did back then!
11. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway – My least favorite Hemingway piece so far. I stuck with it because I hope to see Paris next year – ever so briefly en route to Israel!
12. Mountain Light by Lawrence Yep – Juvenile fiction – not super-well written, but interesting.
1. The Life You’ve Always Wanted by John Ortberg – OK, but Seeking the Face of God is WAY better!
2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyesvsky – Worth reading the classic, but Dostoyevsky’s mind was sick and the book is depressing.
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandr Dumont – Light, long and REALLY fun to read!
4. Patrick by Stephen Lawhead – It has its parts that are violent, but it was a great book.
5. The Great Influenza by John M. Barry – very poorly edited (should have been 300 pages instead of nearly 500), but fascinating to learn more about the influenza epidemic of 1918
6. The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence – I like meditating on it a sentence at a time. There are some things I don't like about it, though. Ask me about it.
7. Get me Out of That Pit! by Beth Moore – I like her studies better than her books. This one should have been a pamphlet.
8. Seeking the Face of God by Gary Thomas – Excellent!
9. Night by Eliezer Wiesel – You are better off reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. Wiesel’s experience in concentration camps is similar to Ten Boom’s – only she redeemed her suffering and came out with HOPE.
10. Boxers to Bandits by Stephen Fortosis and Mary Graham Reid – Not the best writing or editing, but still very worth the read. I loved learning about the pioneer Christian missionaries to China and seeing what God did back then!
11. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway – My least favorite Hemingway piece so far. I stuck with it because I hope to see Paris next year – ever so briefly en route to Israel!
12. Mountain Light by Lawrence Yep – Juvenile fiction – not super-well written, but interesting.
13. Praying God's Word by Beth Moore - Basically a book that re-words Scripture into prayers - something I enjoy a lot!
What are YOU reading?
What are YOU reading?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
He Is in My Boat
I’d like to share an idea from Amy Carmichael’s book first published in 1933. Rose from Brier was given to me by my very special friend and mentor, Win Couchman. I have read it carefully many times and continue to be blessed by the thoughts presented.
It is normal at times to have fears “spring to life.” We wonder if all is well. No human voice can reassure us. “We must have our Lord’s, His very own.” Like the disciples in the midst of the storm, when urgent fears assail us, we cry out, “Master, carest Thou not?”
It is a needless cry because the Master is right there in the boat. 2 Timothy 1:12 says, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
“Storms may lie ahead. The waves may break into the ship. There is no promise of a calm passage. Let us settle it, therefore, in our hearts, as something that cannot be shaken, that our first prayer, our deepest desire, shall be not for blue skies and sweet airs, but that we may always have the ungrieved Presence of the Captain and the Master in our ship.”
Here’s part of a poem Carmichael wrote about the assurance of the Master’s care before our urgent call.
Lord, is all well? Oh, tell me; is all well?
No voice of man can reassure the soul
When over it the waves and billows roll;
His words are like the tinkling of a bell.
Do Thou speak; is all well?
Across the turmoil of the wind and sea,
But as it seemed from somewhere near to me,
A voice I know – Child, look at Calvary;
By the merits of My Blood, all is well.
Whence came the voice? Lo, He is in the boat;
Lord, wert Thou resting in Thy love when I,
Faithless and fearful, broke into that cry?
O Lord, forgive; a shell would keep afloat
Didst Thou make it Thy boat.
He is in the boat!
It is normal at times to have fears “spring to life.” We wonder if all is well. No human voice can reassure us. “We must have our Lord’s, His very own.” Like the disciples in the midst of the storm, when urgent fears assail us, we cry out, “Master, carest Thou not?”
It is a needless cry because the Master is right there in the boat. 2 Timothy 1:12 says, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
“Storms may lie ahead. The waves may break into the ship. There is no promise of a calm passage. Let us settle it, therefore, in our hearts, as something that cannot be shaken, that our first prayer, our deepest desire, shall be not for blue skies and sweet airs, but that we may always have the ungrieved Presence of the Captain and the Master in our ship.”
Here’s part of a poem Carmichael wrote about the assurance of the Master’s care before our urgent call.
Lord, is all well? Oh, tell me; is all well?
No voice of man can reassure the soul
When over it the waves and billows roll;
His words are like the tinkling of a bell.
Do Thou speak; is all well?
Across the turmoil of the wind and sea,
But as it seemed from somewhere near to me,
A voice I know – Child, look at Calvary;
By the merits of My Blood, all is well.
Whence came the voice? Lo, He is in the boat;
Lord, wert Thou resting in Thy love when I,
Faithless and fearful, broke into that cry?
O Lord, forgive; a shell would keep afloat
Didst Thou make it Thy boat.
He is in the boat!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Muffing Up Maturity
Yesterday I read an article that Woody sent to me. It was written by Gordon MacDonald. Some of you may recall that MacDonald is familiar with “muffing up.” Unlike other fallen Christian leaders, MacDonald humbly repented of his sin, and God has seen fit to continue to use him, just as he used a king named David who muffed up centuries ago. MacDonald is now editor at large of Leadership magazine and chair of World Relief.
Martin Thornton said, “A walloping great congregation is fine and fun, but what most communities really need is a couple of saints. The tragedy is that they may well be there in embryo, waiting to be discovered, waiting for sound training, waiting to be emancipated from the cult of the mediocre.”
Joel Osteen has made it big. Let me promise you, he has a walloping great congregation. In Houston – what used to be the Rockets’ stadium – Lakewood Church hosts three services with an average attendance of 16,000 per service. On Larry King Live he was introduced as a “megapastor.” Woody kiddingly told me, “Hey! I want to be a mega-super-hyper-maxi-pastor!” Osteen’s main goal is to make people feel really good about themselves and believe that God has better things for them - both in this life and the life to come.
MacDonald writes about how we as a church are not too bad at bringing people to Christ and doing basic discipleship. It is possible to have programs - and the modern church loves programs! - that bring people to Christ and take them through booklets that teach them the basics of the faith. But programs rarely produce true mature Christians.
We are good at producing “churchy Christians,” but listen to how MacDonald describes the holy, Christ-like, and godly man or woman of God : “I have in mind those who walk through all the corridors of the larger life – the market-place, the home and community, the playing fields – and do it in such a way that, sooner or later, it is concluded that Jesus’ fingerprints are all over them.”
Like I was hearing on Tom Dooleys’ Through the Bible podcast, these are people who - just by the way they live - leave behind them a trail that makes people ready to hear about Jesus. It’s hard to define a mature Christian, but you are likely to know one when you see one. The marks of maturity include a spiritual devotional life that is self-sustaining, wisdom in human relationships, humble service, and comfort in the everyday life in the real world where faith is lived out among unbelievers.
How many people do you know that are like that? Have we forgotten how to raise saints? What are we doing wrong? Reading the wrong books? Doing the wrong studies? Preaching wrong? Too much emphasis on self-help? Too much application in church of the world’s principles of success?
Mature Christians are formed in many ways, but one important key is through mentoring.
When I was a young wife and mother and missionary in Bolivia, I realized that I sorely needed a godly woman to mentor me. During one furlough I decided to approach several mature women that had experience in ministry as well as being a godly wife and mother. I was shocked and sorely disillusioned when one after the other, they refused to share their lives and wisdom with me. One of them told me bluntly, “I have nothing to teach you.” I almost got down on my knees to beg her, “Can’t you teach me some of what you know about following Christ and serving others? You host many people in your home. Can you give me tips on having a healthy balance between hosting guests and caring for family? Can you at least give me some recipes that are easy to fix for big groups?”
“No.”
The answer was final. And my heart was broken. I could only go to God and say, “You have to help me! I want to do this right and well. Help me, please!”
Mentoring might involve sharing a helpful book with someone, but it goes way beyond sharing recipes and reading books. As we read that book, we talk of life and we pray about ways that God needs to change us and how to go about that. Mentoring takes place on the streets of life – learning how to live as a Christian in the nitty-gritty of life. “Mature Christians are made one by one through the influence of other Christians already mature,” says MacDonald.
I’ve been writing a devotional. A couple of weeks of Su’s Daily Devos focus on the reality of suffering in our lives. Mature Christians grow through suffering. A sense of inadequacy is the stepping stone to dependency on God. Wrestling with questions and doubt are the springboard to growth. Mature Christians fail forward, as has MacDonald. They say a strategic “no” when others are indulging themselves with “yeses.” And they fall and learn to get up again. As MacDonald says from his own personal experience, “Mature Christians are experts at repenting and humility.” Mature Christians learn under one who has gone before so that “his/her life becomes a textbook on Christ’s work in us.”
Just like my failed search for a mentor over 20 years ago, young people today are failing to find mentors. People of my generation are more interested in cruises than modeling Christ. As MacDonald puts it, they are “too busy, too distracted, too secretive, and too afraid.” He doesn’t add that they are also too immature! Maturity in Christ has not been among their long-range goals!
I hope and pray along with Gordon MacDonald that we won’t lose a new generation of young Christians who couldn’t get past infancy because we were unwilling or unable to “emancipate an embryo,” or at least share a recipe!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Whingy Su
This morning I was looking at the story of Elijah when he fled from Jezebel. I was focusing on I Kings 19:7 where the angel of the Lord came a second time and said, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.”
How often do I find the journey too great for me? I think I am a very weak person, because I find myself thinking that more times than not!
Isn’t it ironic that I can take great courage in the fact of my own great weakness?
Amy Carmichael wrote, “We never reach the place where we pass beyond the compassion of our God. His compassions fail not; they are new every morning; never tiring of us, always strong for our help.” (Emphasis mine.)
I love the thought that His compassions never get tired of me. I get tired of myself! I try not to whine, or, as the Brits put it, whinge, but I think I am a born whinger. But His compassions are new every morning. They never get tired of Whingy Su.
I want to read more about the life of Julian of Norwich. She evidently faced physical difficulties, illness and pain. In the book Revelations of Divine Love it tells of the ¨fifteen shewings¨ that fell fair and steadily, each following another, gladdening her heart.
Yet after the fifteen shewings, ensued a period of silence and remission. “Suddenly all my body was fulfilled with sickness as it was afore. And I was as barren and as dry as if I never had comfort but little. And as a wretched creature I moaned and cried for feeling of my bodily pains and for failing of comfort, spiritual and bodily.”
At that point, God granted her these words of comfort: Thou shalt not be overcome.
“He said not: Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be afflicted; but He said, Thou shalt not be overcome.”
I take courage in the fact that Julian of Norwich was a born whinger. She experienced supernatural comfort in the midst of trial. But, she also experienced the despair of silence in the midst of pain, comforted only with the promise, Thou shalt not be overcome.
God loves us and enjoys us, and He wills that we love and enjoy Him as we mightily trust in Him. That’s my prayer today.
May I mightily trust in You!
How often do I find the journey too great for me? I think I am a very weak person, because I find myself thinking that more times than not!
Isn’t it ironic that I can take great courage in the fact of my own great weakness?
Amy Carmichael wrote, “We never reach the place where we pass beyond the compassion of our God. His compassions fail not; they are new every morning; never tiring of us, always strong for our help.” (Emphasis mine.)
I love the thought that His compassions never get tired of me. I get tired of myself! I try not to whine, or, as the Brits put it, whinge, but I think I am a born whinger. But His compassions are new every morning. They never get tired of Whingy Su.
I want to read more about the life of Julian of Norwich. She evidently faced physical difficulties, illness and pain. In the book Revelations of Divine Love it tells of the ¨fifteen shewings¨ that fell fair and steadily, each following another, gladdening her heart.
Yet after the fifteen shewings, ensued a period of silence and remission. “Suddenly all my body was fulfilled with sickness as it was afore. And I was as barren and as dry as if I never had comfort but little. And as a wretched creature I moaned and cried for feeling of my bodily pains and for failing of comfort, spiritual and bodily.”
At that point, God granted her these words of comfort: Thou shalt not be overcome.
“He said not: Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be afflicted; but He said, Thou shalt not be overcome.”
I take courage in the fact that Julian of Norwich was a born whinger. She experienced supernatural comfort in the midst of trial. But, she also experienced the despair of silence in the midst of pain, comforted only with the promise, Thou shalt not be overcome.
God loves us and enjoys us, and He wills that we love and enjoy Him as we mightily trust in Him. That’s my prayer today.
May I mightily trust in You!
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
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