Coup happen all the time. Yet isn't it amazing how one's whole perspective changes when you have a good friend in a country were political unrest is happening. Most of the time i go through my life without thinking twice in a year about countries like Honduras. And i would argue that i am a person who seeks to remain politically and socially aware of the developing world especially Latin America since i hope to retire there someday. yet because heather and i have a dear friend traveling in honduras for the next three weeks i cannot get the country out of my mind.
this morning as i sit in my safe office with the warm california sunshine shining in my window illuminating the keys of my laptop my heart breaks for this country. People just like you and me who now have a curfew and are forced by martial law to be out of the streets. People who only three days ago could walk around in virtual freedom now are completely unsure what the day will bring. I am reminded again that all of life is gift. freedom is gift. and even in a country "like ours" our lives could change in a single moment.
please be in prayer for the country of Honduras, not just today because i have a friend there but everyday, may we be a community of believers who are deeply concerned about the world around us. May we be conscious of the humanity of those around us and stand against anyone who tries to violate that humanity.
and while your at it. pray for my friend Calais and her family as they do acts of love in a country that desperately needs love today.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Parents
My parents are an inspiration. My dad and mom just celebrated their 20th anniversary at First Baptist Church in Wellington Texas. I remember when we moved to Wellington from Oklahoma, as children we thought our world had fallen apart. As a child, it is hard to know what is the will of god or the whim of a parent, and either way you don't have much choice. but i can tell you this, if lives changed and impacted are the test of whether we are obedient to god or not, then my parents have been more than obedient.
Over the last 20 years my parents have seen literally hundreds of student make a decision to fall in love with God and start living in the way of Christ. They have seen many students commit to a lifetime of ministry (including me). They have helped people walk through many difficult issues including suicide, depression, addiction, divorce, death, murder, sickness and every other chaotic life-event you could possibly imagine. They have become townies in a community where that is not an easy task. They have committed to walk alongside their community longer than the majority of the other pastors in town combined. Mom and Dad have seen other pastors come and go for more money, more fame, and new callings, yet they have not wavered on the belief that god brought them to Wellington. Through struggle and triumph, sadness and joy, all the while my parents have not stopped recognizing that their time in this small, isolated community is gift. It is a gift that god has blessed them and our family with. Their calling is a gift from god, and in my humble opinion :) a gift for the town of Wellington.
For some, this may seem like a small thing, but being in ministry myself this longevity, this investment makes an enormous difference.
Therefore, I say thank you. Thank you mom and dad for not only being an example to me but being an example to a whole community. Thank you for choosing to enter my chaos and the chaos of rural America, which if statistics are true, has more chaos per capita then the largest cities in America.
You are powerful examples. So three cheers to the 'rents. Hip! Hip! Hooray! Hip! Hip! Hooray! Hip! Hip! Hooray!
Over the last 20 years my parents have seen literally hundreds of student make a decision to fall in love with God and start living in the way of Christ. They have seen many students commit to a lifetime of ministry (including me). They have helped people walk through many difficult issues including suicide, depression, addiction, divorce, death, murder, sickness and every other chaotic life-event you could possibly imagine. They have become townies in a community where that is not an easy task. They have committed to walk alongside their community longer than the majority of the other pastors in town combined. Mom and Dad have seen other pastors come and go for more money, more fame, and new callings, yet they have not wavered on the belief that god brought them to Wellington. Through struggle and triumph, sadness and joy, all the while my parents have not stopped recognizing that their time in this small, isolated community is gift. It is a gift that god has blessed them and our family with. Their calling is a gift from god, and in my humble opinion :) a gift for the town of Wellington.
For some, this may seem like a small thing, but being in ministry myself this longevity, this investment makes an enormous difference.
Therefore, I say thank you. Thank you mom and dad for not only being an example to me but being an example to a whole community. Thank you for choosing to enter my chaos and the chaos of rural America, which if statistics are true, has more chaos per capita then the largest cities in America.
You are powerful examples. So three cheers to the 'rents. Hip! Hip! Hooray! Hip! Hip! Hooray! Hip! Hip! Hooray!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
reconnection
reconnections are like reconciliation, i know that seems redundant, however i feel like i experience reconciliation the most as my human relationships find reconnection. i got to talk with a long time friend this week and to reconnect and recognize that our spirits are still so interconnected is a touch of divinity. i think this is true when we give our lives to one another. the more you give the more eternal it is. this is true as sean comes and lives with us for the summer as well. connections made 5, 6 years ago are blessing heather and i today. the love that angie and paul gave to me over ten years ago gets to be past on but at the same time it reconnects heather and i to powerful energies (angie and Paul) who continual bless us even in their absence.
today i got a phenomenal email from a dear friend that i have been away from for some time. as i read it my life grew. it was like a plant finding more light even though the plant had enough light to be healthy and because of that new light, the plant thrives even more.
with each reconnection i become even more excited about how god connects us in relationships. these relationships have deep and lasting effects even years separated don't destroy the effects, and affects of love shared.
as i read and study philippians i see this same reality in paul's words to the church in philippi. the bonds we make in love are not destroyed. not by prision, not by miles, not by conflict, or suffering love remains. As love is reconciled or reconnected healing, peace, rest, depth and hope is created.
today i got a phenomenal email from a dear friend that i have been away from for some time. as i read it my life grew. it was like a plant finding more light even though the plant had enough light to be healthy and because of that new light, the plant thrives even more.
with each reconnection i become even more excited about how god connects us in relationships. these relationships have deep and lasting effects even years separated don't destroy the effects, and affects of love shared.
as i read and study philippians i see this same reality in paul's words to the church in philippi. the bonds we make in love are not destroyed. not by prision, not by miles, not by conflict, or suffering love remains. As love is reconciled or reconnected healing, peace, rest, depth and hope is created.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
thursday..
it has been an incredibly busy but good week. We are all prepping for the easter services, the wine tasting, and the summer children's adventure. alot going on. my prayer for the day is that god would grant me wisdom, discernment, and a voice of truth. with all thats going on i need these things.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
the crack known as facebook
I have been on face book for a few months now and it is such a crazy networking system. Email, IM, a wall, etc. a million ways for someone to discover something about you. It sucks you in and before you know it, you have been on for a few hours. it is insane.
Its been a while....
i have been away from this for a while and thought it time to return. it seems to keep me balanced. so for an update... we have been in the church (bethel) for 4 months and are in love with our new world. Our home is phenomenal, our community is a place full of unconditional love, and we got a new dog. ya you heard me right. we got a greyhound that we have named gentleman. he is a great gentle guy.
school has been good this semester as well. I have been taking this great class on the prophetic voice in America. it has been a powerful voice in my life as i seek to be a spiritual leader at bethel. more of that to come.
this week we are reading the memoir of John Dear, A Jesuit activist who has stood against nuclear weaponry for most of his adult life.
heather is doing great. she still likes her job as an after school teacher, and has recently started working at bethel in the morning with the Wise Owls (older preschool.) she is a great teacher so anything that uses those gifts are good.
school has been good this semester as well. I have been taking this great class on the prophetic voice in America. it has been a powerful voice in my life as i seek to be a spiritual leader at bethel. more of that to come.
this week we are reading the memoir of John Dear, A Jesuit activist who has stood against nuclear weaponry for most of his adult life.
heather is doing great. she still likes her job as an after school teacher, and has recently started working at bethel in the morning with the Wise Owls (older preschool.) she is a great teacher so anything that uses those gifts are good.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
the time has come.
we are officially official. I am the new pastor of Bethel Lutheran in Encino. My start date in December 1st and i will preach my first Sunday there on the 14h of December. Heather and i will attend this Sunday morning as well since it is the beginning of advent.
as i lay in my bed typing this tonight, my mind is calm, and we look forward with great anticipation to all that is ahead. I am old enough in the ministry to know and understand that much of what is to come will not be easy. there will be rough roads and glorious roads, yet we long to walk them alongside this beautiful and diverse community.
The last year and 5 months have truly flown by. we have grown to know and love our great grandparents (heather's side) and have built cherished relationships with her family. laurie has been an inspiration to us and a beacon of hope in an ocean of monotony. marcie and paul have given us fabulous moments of fun and relaxation, and grammy has given us her consistent love. this is just the beginning of the depth of new relationships we have been blessed to experience. There is also my wonderful family and friends who have been constantly supportive, challenging, refreshing and beautiful during our time in orange county.
please be in prayer for us as we begin to look for a place to rent. as we finish out the semester of school and as we press on with our new community. (God, it feels so good to say those words!)
continued peace and hope.
as i lay in my bed typing this tonight, my mind is calm, and we look forward with great anticipation to all that is ahead. I am old enough in the ministry to know and understand that much of what is to come will not be easy. there will be rough roads and glorious roads, yet we long to walk them alongside this beautiful and diverse community.
The last year and 5 months have truly flown by. we have grown to know and love our great grandparents (heather's side) and have built cherished relationships with her family. laurie has been an inspiration to us and a beacon of hope in an ocean of monotony. marcie and paul have given us fabulous moments of fun and relaxation, and grammy has given us her consistent love. this is just the beginning of the depth of new relationships we have been blessed to experience. There is also my wonderful family and friends who have been constantly supportive, challenging, refreshing and beautiful during our time in orange county.
please be in prayer for us as we begin to look for a place to rent. as we finish out the semester of school and as we press on with our new community. (God, it feels so good to say those words!)
continued peace and hope.
Monday, October 20, 2008
the new normal...
Life over the last year has been interesting. we are striving to establish the new normal, while trying to maintain hope in our future. i spent a long time talking to Dino about the oddness of this middle space which we find ourselves in. Part has been incredible, part much less. this week is the vote. ya the big one the one where the church decides our future. i am vastly excited by this but with a deep nervousness. a sense of abandon. a recognition that it is truly out of my control. As a control freak i am sure that is where the nervousness comes in.
i have been having a new awakening recently. a new old avakening. i have been going to a matthew class at our church, and reading mark scandrettes book soul graffiti. both are the precurser to my awakening not to mention my two ethics classes this semester. in ethics i am continualy awakened to how truly grey life and moral choices are. every moment and in all actions we each act(hopefully) on the best information and on the entirity of our histories. this is great except each and every action has a reaction, and we dont control those reactions. thus reaction is not under our control, our response is... i know i am rambling. i guess what i am thinking about first is that things grow increasingly less clear in life. even our positive actions sometimes the best action we know how to make can hurt those around us and even others that we have never met.
second... in reading matthew an the the scandrette text i am reawakened to the boldness of christ. both in voice and in action. there was a distinct decisiveness to his action. and it is quite different in my opinion than most of the Church makes it out to be. there was a revalutionary character to christ's actions that he calls us toward. JUSTICE... MERCY...Love these are central to his action and speach. there is a real awareness of the poor and hurting. there is a deep understanding of humanity, its needs, its interconnectedness of spirituality and physicality. can we be the church without truly meeting the needs of the world? can we be the church without dirrect interaction with those the church currently holds as outsiders? can we be the church without be politically active and socially responsible?
As i approach the next month full of possibilities. I wonder how to move the church forward? not my church the Church...
more ramblings to come. one thing is certain we are moving toward a new, new normal.
i have been having a new awakening recently. a new old avakening. i have been going to a matthew class at our church, and reading mark scandrettes book soul graffiti. both are the precurser to my awakening not to mention my two ethics classes this semester. in ethics i am continualy awakened to how truly grey life and moral choices are. every moment and in all actions we each act(hopefully) on the best information and on the entirity of our histories. this is great except each and every action has a reaction, and we dont control those reactions. thus reaction is not under our control, our response is... i know i am rambling. i guess what i am thinking about first is that things grow increasingly less clear in life. even our positive actions sometimes the best action we know how to make can hurt those around us and even others that we have never met.
second... in reading matthew an the the scandrette text i am reawakened to the boldness of christ. both in voice and in action. there was a distinct decisiveness to his action. and it is quite different in my opinion than most of the Church makes it out to be. there was a revalutionary character to christ's actions that he calls us toward. JUSTICE... MERCY...Love these are central to his action and speach. there is a real awareness of the poor and hurting. there is a deep understanding of humanity, its needs, its interconnectedness of spirituality and physicality. can we be the church without truly meeting the needs of the world? can we be the church without dirrect interaction with those the church currently holds as outsiders? can we be the church without be politically active and socially responsible?
As i approach the next month full of possibilities. I wonder how to move the church forward? not my church the Church...
more ramblings to come. one thing is certain we are moving toward a new, new normal.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
new year....
Sorry i have been away. i have been working on another blog for a class on immigration reform. Life has been crazy. heather and i have been do our best to remain patient for a church vote. it was moved again from the 12th to the 27th. God willing it will occur this time. i am not sure if heather will be willing to wait any longer. i do not blame her for that because i too am growing weary. I have recently read a book by Andy Stanley that makes the point that the longer that God takes to prepare you for a call is directly connected to the task that he is calling you toward. (aka moses and Israel in the desert). while we haven't been waiting 40 years we have been waiting for over a year now and our hearts and beings crave to move forward from this space of preparation to a entering the new land. heather found out today that she didnt get another job. please pray that she gets something soon. we need this. she is so abundantly talented and gifted and is beyond pleasant and loving i long for a church or organization to see in her all those that know her see.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
updates.
Heather is doing well after her accident. she is going to the doctor this afternoon to get her back checked out for saftey sake. We have found a new car. We are buying heathers dad's mazda tribute. This has been a great help as we are both in the job search process.
That being said I have a call interview on sunday in Encino. This is a big meeting and if all goes well we will proceed in the call process with this church. This is extremely exciting and we covet your prayers and support.
this has been more than a year of patiently waiting to see what god is going to do. As we wait, we are enjoying the journey and waiting in expectation of a beautiful future.
That being said I have a call interview on sunday in Encino. This is a big meeting and if all goes well we will proceed in the call process with this church. This is extremely exciting and we covet your prayers and support.
this has been more than a year of patiently waiting to see what god is going to do. As we wait, we are enjoying the journey and waiting in expectation of a beautiful future.
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