Today

Today starts the real part of our trip. The last day and the first half of today are all tourist stuff in the big city that caters to tourists. This evening we go to Colon where we will be worshiping in a Charismatic Bretheren Church. Either the pastor or the associate pastor is our hostice and he puts the early part of the trip into perspective for me since I know his wife is facing a very serious form of cancer right now and is in the midst of chemo. I heard about this a few months ago so we´ve already been praying, but if you could join in praying with us for her it would be good. His name is Eduardo and hers is Mariela. Pray boldly for healing. You know what? God is enough.

Two Toilets

Today I checked into my hotel room and had to go pee. I went into this really plush bathroom I had and noticed two toilets. One sorta looked liked a urinal, so I thought, ¨wow a toilet to poop in and a toilet to pee in.¨ So I went pee in the urinal looking one, but something seemed wrong the whole time and then when I went to flush it I realized something was wrong. It didn´t flush like any toilet I´ve ever flushed. So I wondered all day until a few minutes ago in a van ride when I got up the courage to ask what the weird looking toilet was. They told me it is what you sit down on after you poop and it cleans your bottom for you. Hmm. that´s interesting and I can´t wait to try it out tomorrow. That´s all from Argentina where I am experiencing a new culture in new and interesting ways every chance I got.

lamb testicles

at lunch today i tried a lamb testicle. i can`t believe i had the balls to try one. i`ve been waiting all day to tell you all that. funny, huh?

greetings

im in argentina and i cant figure out how to use some of the keys on the keyboard. plane ride was long with little sleep but im excited about the week ahead. i will keep you informed as i can.

Don't cry for me...

Tomorrow morning I leave for Argentina. Last night Mandy and I watched the first half of Evida to get me ready. An old college friend used to say that musicals are just like pornos, the only difference is that instead of having gratuitous sex, they have gratuitous singing and dancing. I couldn't agree more.

I've been so busy these last few weeks that I haven't even had time to think about the trip so I'm not too excited, nervous, or anything else yet. I guess I'll start feeling stuff when I start packing tomorrow morning. It's kind of nice to go on a trip like this with pretty much no expectations. Everything then becomes a gift.

Bald Eagel

So I decided to run part of the Gap Trail today. I think I ran 6 3/4 miles today in about 73 minutes. Both are new personal bests for me. It was so beautiful out there, all I wanted to do was praise God.

So I'm jogging along and I ask God if He would bring a deer for me to see and enjoy. I never saw a deer, but I did see a bald eagle. I don't think I ever saw a bald eagle before, at least never in the wild. I ask to see a deer and God shows me a bald eagle! What a good God we serve! He gives us more than we could ever ask for or even imagine. I never would have asked to see a bald eagle, cause you just don't see them, but the Lord knew that today I would have much rather seen a bald eagle. God is enough.

highlights

Had a real good service today, I think because I realized that God is enough. Had lots of college kids there today, most of whom I never met before, it was weird to not personally know a third of the congregation this morning. I never really know how to react to their coming. We had some wonderful highlights this morning.

-Last night Mandy asked me why God has yet to give us someone to help with music, so we prayed about it. Today, one of the college kids came up to Mandy after the service and introduced himself to her. He said he is an international student from Romania and his church back home is just like ours; we sing the same songs, do testimonies the same way and even our bulletins look the same. He told Mandy that at the begining of the service he noticed all the similarities except that he played guitar at his home church. He thought maybe he could play for us, but he said he didn't have enough time. Then he heard me preach on God is enough, so I guess he heard God speak to him and he wants to help us and be commited to us. Go figure, God answers prayers.

-I guy in our church who is having some tough times lately came up after church and said the message of the morning really spoke to him and he rarely if ever gives me feedback like that. I felt it was one of my most scattered sermons in a long time, yet in my weakness God was enough.

-And now my favorite one. This guy (guy A) I've known for over five years now came and told me he was going to come to church today this past week. I've heard that a million times from people who've never showed up and that's ok, but today this guy A shows up. I haven't got to the cool part yet. This guy does not get along at all with one of his neighbors (guy B) who comes to our church. In fact they have each called the cops on each other at least once in the last year. One of those times was two weeks ago when they almost got into a fight and guy A got taken to jail.

So they are in service together and I wasn't worried about them fighting during church, well maybe a wee little bit. The good news is they just didn't fight during the service, but during our shaking hands times guy B went over and shook guy A's hand and said, "Good to see you here this morning."

Having the biggest crowd we've had in a year doesn't impress me very much, seeing God bring peace, even if just for an hour on Sunday, between two guys who really don't like each other is what keeps me kicking. God is enough.

Pumpkin Show

Mandy and I got to have a date day today. We watched the Ohio State game on tv today and then went to the Pumkin show in Circleville Ohio. Eric Frey, if you are reading this I know you are jealous. It rained on us a little but I got to hold Mandy's hand the whole time so it was worth it.

The show is honestly one of the best, if not thee best street fair in small town America that you are going to find. They have everything in pumpkin: pumpkin burgers, pumpkin pizza (the naz church there has a booth there selling that), pumpkin waffles, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin pie, and the list goes on and on. Good day, real good day.

Argentina is only six days a way and I'm not prepared in any way for it yet.

what a difference a week makes

Last week at this time (Saturday night) I was doing things on my own strength and the next afternoon I was crushed. I complained to God telling Him I didn't have enough on my own to do this myself anymore. God came to me Tuesday and told me that He was enough. God is enough.

I can't really describe the difference that makes with everything, it just does. I look forward to our service tomorrow. I look foward to a lot of things more knowing that God is enough.

What I've learned

God is enough.

The Call

This last week in class one of our prof's talked about the "call." Basically saying if you are not called to the ministry you shouldn't be in it and at times your "call" will be the only thing that keeps you in the ministry. I guess I understand that, especially in the light of this neighborhood I am in. I feel called to it. I have a passion to love this neighborhood and to show this neighborhood Christ's love. I want to see people in this neighborhood come to Christ and to have their lives transformed.

I sometimes wonder how that "call" goes along with my other "call" to be a pastor. I sometimes wonder if they conflict with each other. Do I spend to much time trying to reach this neighborhood that I neglect my call to pastor our church and the people that are a part of it?

This Sunday was a real rough one for me, to be honest, I really didn't even want to go into the sanctuary. It was our first birthday today and we sent lots of invitations out to the people we have gotten to know in our neighborhood these last few years. We probably had the most people we have had in about ten months on a Sunday morning, but still very few neighborhood people. It just breaks my heart and makes me want to cry.

It turned out to be a good service, especially as two people shared their testimonies. Neither one of them was in Church this time last year and to see how their lives have been changed by Christ over this past year has been amazing. I am so thankful for them.

Lots of thoughts run through my mind on a day like today. I don't know what to think. What am I doing wrong is usually somewhere near the top of the list. Another one near the top is why is God blessing us so much with such wonderful gifts? How do I ask this seemingly contradicting question at the same time? I don't know. I see God's blessings and at the same time I see so many of my failings.

I think I think I can do this on my own strength and then get frustrated when I realize I can't. Yet I still try in my own strength. I know all of the right answers in my head, I just got to let them sink to my heart and have the courage to live them out.

The way this call stuff relates to the rest is simple, at least in my mind. If I pastor our church more, and reach out less, that means I trust our church to be the witness to the neighborhood and not just me. Do I want to do it all myself or should I let it be the church that is the real witness of who our risen Lord is?

Disclaimer: these were rambling thoughts late on a Sunday night with too much on my mind. I might not have been coherant when writing this.

Argentina

I leave two weeks from tomorrow for Argentina (oct. 29). I have a lot to get done between now and then. I have lots of prayer requests that are associated with my trip and I just ask that all who read this would say a prayer for me. This is not to say that I am not excited, just that I am counting on God for a lot right now.

one year old

West Side Naz turned one year old yesterday (oct. 12) and we will be celebrating it this Sunday during our Sunday service. "Odd," that's what comes to my mind. A year ago we hardly, if at all, knew some people who we are now deep friends with. Some are walking with the Lord and others are still asking him some tough questions. I'll take that!

Francis

In Dallas Willard' "Renovation of the Heart" he tells this story on page 69:

In chapter 8 of Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi, Francis gives his friend Leo a teaching about what "perfect joy" is. They are trudging through the snow from Perugia to the home of their group at St. Mary of the Angeles. For their brotherhood to give a great example of holiness and edification all lands would not be perfect joy, Francis says. Nor would a great ministry of healing and raising the dead. Nor would possession of all languages and all science, nor all understanding of prophecy and Scripture, and insight into the secrets of every soul. Nor would even the conversion of all unbelievers to faith in Christ.
By this point brother Leo is amazed, and he begs Francis to teach him "wherein is perfect joy." The reply is that if, when they come to their quarters - dirty, wet, and exhausted from hunger - they are rejected, repeatedly rebuffed, and finally driven away by force, then "if we accept such injustice, such cruelty, and such contempt with patience, without being ruffled and without murmuring," and "if we bear all these injuries with patience and joy, thinking of the sufferings of our Blessed Lord, which we would share out of love for Him, write, O Brother Leo, that here, is perfect joy."

That all sounds strange at first, but I really think Francis was on to something.

Fight

Today at the bus stop was the first fight that happened while we have been there serving hot chocolate. We ended up breaking it up and it wasn't too serious, but sad. I know both the boys really good and I gave one of them a real good lecture afterwards. It made me remember a few of the fights I got into in middle school.

Then about an hour later I heard about how one of my good friends in the neighborhood got arrested for beating on his mom while being drugged up last night. It all adds up to making you a little bit sad, but not suprised. How long O Lord?

4 miles

Long day in Seminary yesterday...left at 7am and got back at 1030pm. Classes until 4 were really good, but then I had Greek, not looking forward to two quarters of Greek. to theo agape estin (God is love). So I came home a little depressed last night, but this morning I got up a little late and went to the YMCA and ran 4 miles on the treadmill! I reached my goal a month early. The real challenge comes in actually running in the race.

a church building

There is this church in our neighborhood that is up for sale and we are interested in buying it, but should we be? I'm scared about being locked into a building and having it determine what we can and can't do. But here is what we like about it.
-fellowship hall for an after school program
-fellowship hall that can be a community center
-fellowship hall where kids can wait for the bus on cold days
-fellowship hall for weekly church dinners
-sanctuary with pews, which can all be ripped out
-it is in our neighborhood
-close to the park
-shows the neighborhood we are in this for the long haul
-I could still walk to work
-24 hour place of prayer

What we don't like about it
-cost $250,000
-not handicaped excesible
-long narrow sanctuary, not round like I would rather have
-too much parking, we're a neighborhood church!
-even harder to convince people that the church is the called out ones, not a building.
-gas bill, electric bill, water bill, leaky pipes bill, leaky roof bill, vandalism...
-whose gonna take care of it?

Does anybody out there have any thoughts or prayers on this one?

For those of you interested in my rock climbing adventure from earlier this summer that I gave a glimpse of a few blogs ago, here is a better picture. The guy on top of the rock is our guide, who was really good, but really expensive. Yes, that is the ocean in the background. 

Here is My wife and myself on our honeymoon over three years ago. We were at the spam museum and gift shop. I love my wife tons. She is the best thing, outside of Christ, that ever has happened to me. Actually, I don't think she happened to me outside of Christ. I think Christ gave her to me. Not like she was destined for me or anything like that, but she is a wonderful gift from God. 

Constantine

I went to the Mayor's annual prayer breakfeast this morning. It was odd. Every politician in town was there as well as most of the pastors. A friend just told me that Tony Campolo once said the last thing we need is another born again leader. We had one once, his name was Constantine, and we all know what trouble that caused the Church.

The speaker for the morning, some county judge, got up and spent a lot of time talking about the Constitution, ten commandments, prayer in schools, homosexuals, and all the other hot button topics in our country today. Basically saying we need to put God back in this country cause we're going to Hell in a handbasket.

Granted we probably are going to Hell in a handbasket, but is that the way to go about it. I think we first must admit that we are no longer a Christian country (and probably never were). We must begin to see the issues in the terms the New Testament Church saw it; not as Church and state, but as Church and World. The state is a part of the world, plain and simple. At times they might help us and that could be good, but we should never count on there help or expect it.

We seem to want the state to smash our opposition and do what we want done. I rather like to think the Church needs to be subversive. By being who we were called to be and changing things from below. By washing feet, sticking up for the powerless, boldly preaching the Gospel to all, letting our selves be doormates, feeding the hungry, and loving the unloveable.

Somehow putting all our energy into forcing prayer into schools, forcing the Ten Commandments into court houses, and forcing our country to ban homosexual marriages doesn't seem like what the New Testament Church had in it's mission statement. They understood the world was going to act like the world (remember the state is part of the world) and they needed to act like the Church. Maybe we need to stop expecting so much from the world and start expecting more from ourselves.