We spent the weekend in Huntsville, Ontario. It's the Muskoka Region, near Algonquin Park. Les Stroud (Survivorman) lives there. Shania Twain has a place there. Who knows WHO else...
Muskoka Community Church is doing well. Multiple stories of significant life change is an indication that God is at work there.
It's a tough place to plant a church, but a perfect one for a guy like Jeremy McClung, a church like GCC, and the Brethren Denomination.
Folks in Muskoka are tired of tradition. They're tired of ritual and legalism. They're longing for something real, fresh, and life-giving.
That's why MCC is doing well. As hard as it's been to gain critical mass, that's just the thing Jeremy and his wife April are really good at...being real, presenting Jesus without religion.
It's a mission work for sure. For many in his church, they've never read the Bible...at ALL.
It was wonderful to get to speak to them on Sunday. They are quite interested in knowing more of God. Who knew...up there in the Great White North God would lead a guy named Jeremy to introduce so many to the REAL Jesus. Very cool!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Blogger Nation
I haven't blogged in a while. In a long time actually. Mostly because I've been busy. How's that for an excuse. And because there are thoughts we have as Christian men and women that wouldn't be tolerated if they were shared publicly. So the filter goes on and we either filter them out or we don't write at all. Guess you know the direction I went.
I also have begun to question the value we place on sharing every little thought we have for all the world to see...as if every thought is worth sharing with anyone with a browser.
Truthfully, a lot of what we call online community these days is more a cry for attention. Take Twitter for example. Perhaps I'm following the wrong 'tweeters' but most of them are simply a day by day account of the big names with whom they are having coffee. Frankly...so what?
Facebook is perhaps better in the sense that you get a sense of digital connectedness with your 'FB friends', what they're doing, what cause they want you to sign up for, etc.
The truth is, most of us lead lives filled with largely insignificant details. Details that don't NEED to be shared. It's true. And that's not bad. It's life.
Most of the time we don't find meaning in the details of our lives...well, not unless we can see God in those details. Like the other day when I was out practicing stall recovery in my airplane and inadvertently wound up in a spin. Actually, I spun it three times just to try to figure out what was going wrong (revealing my learning impairment). The fact that the airplane actually recovered from the spins is the significant detail...as its supposed to be VERY difficult to bring them out of the spin. And its actually forbidden (didn't find that out til later).
So sometimes, details are significant. Like the fact that God had his hand on me and the old bird. But mostly they're just that...insignificant.
So...all that to say this...
I'll be a bit like Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). He once was scheduled to speak at a gathering. But when he got there, he stood after he was introduced and said these words: I have nothing to say. And when I DO have something to say, I will be back!
So...when I actually HAVE something to say...I'll write.
I also have begun to question the value we place on sharing every little thought we have for all the world to see...as if every thought is worth sharing with anyone with a browser.
Truthfully, a lot of what we call online community these days is more a cry for attention. Take Twitter for example. Perhaps I'm following the wrong 'tweeters' but most of them are simply a day by day account of the big names with whom they are having coffee. Frankly...so what?
Facebook is perhaps better in the sense that you get a sense of digital connectedness with your 'FB friends', what they're doing, what cause they want you to sign up for, etc.
The truth is, most of us lead lives filled with largely insignificant details. Details that don't NEED to be shared. It's true. And that's not bad. It's life.
Most of the time we don't find meaning in the details of our lives...well, not unless we can see God in those details. Like the other day when I was out practicing stall recovery in my airplane and inadvertently wound up in a spin. Actually, I spun it three times just to try to figure out what was going wrong (revealing my learning impairment). The fact that the airplane actually recovered from the spins is the significant detail...as its supposed to be VERY difficult to bring them out of the spin. And its actually forbidden (didn't find that out til later).
So sometimes, details are significant. Like the fact that God had his hand on me and the old bird. But mostly they're just that...insignificant.
So...all that to say this...
I'll be a bit like Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). He once was scheduled to speak at a gathering. But when he got there, he stood after he was introduced and said these words: I have nothing to say. And when I DO have something to say, I will be back!
So...when I actually HAVE something to say...I'll write.
Friday, May 22, 2009
He Maketh Me to Lie Down
Almost midnight Monday night an old nemesis returned...kidney stones. I've had more than 30 in my life time. They're not fatal but sometimes I wish they were. The pain is excruciating. And there's not a lot you can do but head to the nearest ER and get medicated...heavily medicated.
WMC did a great job Tuesday morning...as in just after midnight til 6:00am. Great staff. Attentive. Responsive. When you're in a lot of pain that great care matters more.
I wonder when it happens why it happens. Why does God allow suffering? It's an age-old question. C.S. Lewis said suffering poses the single greatest challenge to Christianity.
Here's what I know...Jesus is closer in my pain than almost any other place in my life. It might seem strange. But it's true.
So...maybe it doesn't matter WHY. Maybe it's simply that He IS present in our suffering. Comforting. Speaking peace. And thats enough.
WMC did a great job Tuesday morning...as in just after midnight til 6:00am. Great staff. Attentive. Responsive. When you're in a lot of pain that great care matters more.
I wonder when it happens why it happens. Why does God allow suffering? It's an age-old question. C.S. Lewis said suffering poses the single greatest challenge to Christianity.
Here's what I know...Jesus is closer in my pain than almost any other place in my life. It might seem strange. But it's true.
So...maybe it doesn't matter WHY. Maybe it's simply that He IS present in our suffering. Comforting. Speaking peace. And thats enough.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Noticer
Ok...right from the start let me say...I DO NOT read fiction. I don't know why. Perhaps it's just time I don't have or don't choose to use that way. Maybe it's that I spend most of my time reading ministry related/God related books....you know, like the BIBLE.
But when I had the opportunity to read the new Andy Andrews book, The Noticer, I thought, what the heck? I stuck in my carry-on for the flight to Houston and thought...who knows, maybe I'll get bored enough to read it and break my 'no-fiction' rule.
I was surprised. It was REALLY good. Readable. Relevant. INTERESTING! Well written, evoking lots of images, as good writing should. And the main character kept bringing to mind Morgan Freeman(when they do the movie, he's a shoe-in!).
The truth is the book makes some great points...about perspective, about love languages, about life and the influence we can have on others.
This would be THE book to take to the beach this summer. Its a quick read. And it gets inside your head. I'll be thinking about it for a long time. It's the the kind of book that feels like a comfy old pair of boat shoes that carry with them lots of great memories...
It's time well spent. Nice job Mr. Andrews!
But when I had the opportunity to read the new Andy Andrews book, The Noticer, I thought, what the heck? I stuck in my carry-on for the flight to Houston and thought...who knows, maybe I'll get bored enough to read it and break my 'no-fiction' rule.
I was surprised. It was REALLY good. Readable. Relevant. INTERESTING! Well written, evoking lots of images, as good writing should. And the main character kept bringing to mind Morgan Freeman(when they do the movie, he's a shoe-in!).
The truth is the book makes some great points...about perspective, about love languages, about life and the influence we can have on others.
This would be THE book to take to the beach this summer. Its a quick read. And it gets inside your head. I'll be thinking about it for a long time. It's the the kind of book that feels like a comfy old pair of boat shoes that carry with them lots of great memories...
It's time well spent. Nice job Mr. Andrews!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Life...
As I write this, I'm sitting in a hotel in Houston mentally preparing for doing the wedding for my nephew. He's a lawyer here in Houston, about to marry a lady with a PhD in Chemistry. (how DO these people FIND each other) They're a cute couple, young and full of life. They are deeply in love and are so excited about their new life together.
Interestingly enough, they MET as he was coming out of a very tenuous period in his life...a brush with cancer. That brush with mortality changed him. I think that kind of experience always has an effect on us. Perhaps more so when it happens when we're young.
Young people tend to live as if they're bulletproof. Impervious to life's gravest onslaughts. But then it happens...the C-word shows up and all bets are off. For him it's caused him to slow down and enjoy the simple things. Like camping...for their wedding they registered at REI, the outdoors store. Could have been Nieman Marcus or Macy's. But no...REI.
Another thought-provoking thing about all this...as I stand to lead them through the service tomorrow, I'll be flashing back to the day when HE was the ring-bearer at MY wedding...and slowly began to undress right there in the wedding party in the MIDDLE of the wedding. Only the stern look from a groomsman caused him to stop with his shirt and pants still in place. So funny.
As a family we've lost some folks since that wedding years ago. My in-laws both passed away 5 years ago. My maternal grandmother passed away 2 years ago. At the same time, my granddaughter was born a little over 2 years ago.
I guess all this just stands to remind me that life passes...quickly. ON the plan yesterday I read a book all the way through. The book was called The Noticer. It caused me to think...if we're smart...we spend our lifes not just doing...but noticing. Noticing others. Noticing God's goodness. Noticing the ebb and flow of life.
So...over the next 36 hours as Jeremy and Marcelle say "I do" I'll be noticing...and marveling at life.
Interestingly enough, they MET as he was coming out of a very tenuous period in his life...a brush with cancer. That brush with mortality changed him. I think that kind of experience always has an effect on us. Perhaps more so when it happens when we're young.
Young people tend to live as if they're bulletproof. Impervious to life's gravest onslaughts. But then it happens...the C-word shows up and all bets are off. For him it's caused him to slow down and enjoy the simple things. Like camping...for their wedding they registered at REI, the outdoors store. Could have been Nieman Marcus or Macy's. But no...REI.
Another thought-provoking thing about all this...as I stand to lead them through the service tomorrow, I'll be flashing back to the day when HE was the ring-bearer at MY wedding...and slowly began to undress right there in the wedding party in the MIDDLE of the wedding. Only the stern look from a groomsman caused him to stop with his shirt and pants still in place. So funny.
As a family we've lost some folks since that wedding years ago. My in-laws both passed away 5 years ago. My maternal grandmother passed away 2 years ago. At the same time, my granddaughter was born a little over 2 years ago.
I guess all this just stands to remind me that life passes...quickly. ON the plan yesterday I read a book all the way through. The book was called The Noticer. It caused me to think...if we're smart...we spend our lifes not just doing...but noticing. Noticing others. Noticing God's goodness. Noticing the ebb and flow of life.
So...over the next 36 hours as Jeremy and Marcelle say "I do" I'll be noticing...and marveling at life.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Time Away
Years ago as I was being trained to be a church planter (I doubt planting ONE church really makes me a planter), I was given a very sage piece of advice: once a month get away and be with the Lord.
It seemed simple enough. Just go away and be with the Lord. So that's what I did...I intentionally blocked off 24 hours in my schedule each month to get away.
It was a time of listening..a time of waiting on the Lord. I'd take my Bible and a legal pad and go. Typically, the first few hours were an exercise in turning down the background news. It's amazing how much noise we live with.
When we owned a boat, it made a perfect place to retreat to. When we didn't, I'd rent a cabin or a hotel room.
Somewhere along the way I got busy. And I stopped getting away. Too many important things to do. So much to attend to.
I never realized how much perspective God can provide in just 24 hours away...until I stopped getting away. Unhealthy habits like workaholism returned. Margins disappeared. Vision, both for my personal life and the church began to get really fuzzy.
Enough is enough. It's time to get back to doing what worked...what will still work if I'll engage.
Jesus made a habit of retreating from his very fruitful ministry on a regular basis. If it worked for him, it'll work for us.
Let the retreating begin!!!
It seemed simple enough. Just go away and be with the Lord. So that's what I did...I intentionally blocked off 24 hours in my schedule each month to get away.
It was a time of listening..a time of waiting on the Lord. I'd take my Bible and a legal pad and go. Typically, the first few hours were an exercise in turning down the background news. It's amazing how much noise we live with.
When we owned a boat, it made a perfect place to retreat to. When we didn't, I'd rent a cabin or a hotel room.
Somewhere along the way I got busy. And I stopped getting away. Too many important things to do. So much to attend to.
I never realized how much perspective God can provide in just 24 hours away...until I stopped getting away. Unhealthy habits like workaholism returned. Margins disappeared. Vision, both for my personal life and the church began to get really fuzzy.
Enough is enough. It's time to get back to doing what worked...what will still work if I'll engage.
Jesus made a habit of retreating from his very fruitful ministry on a regular basis. If it worked for him, it'll work for us.
Let the retreating begin!!!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Denominations, Movements, and Other Things
I'm in not-so-sunny Ashland, Ohio for denominational executive council. It's here where we wrestle, on behalf of the Brethren Church, with things political, financial, and strategic.
One big question this week: are we a national church with international partners or an international church. The implications are enormous either way.
If we ARE an international church, then our funds get dispersed around the world. If, on the other hand, we simply have international partners, then our funds largely get spent at home.
Given the current economic climate (I know one church where 25 families are now unemployed), it would be tempting to keep the funds at home.
But then I read the book of Acts and I see desperately poor churches giving to other churches simply because there was a need and the Spirit said give!
GCC is an international church. We have chosen to form close supportive relationships with like-minded church leaders around the world, starting in Kenya, then Malawi and Mozambique, and who knows...maybe Mexico.
These relationships, like the Acts relationships are a mutual blessing. We share our resources, they share the ministry opportunity. They get help. We get a cross-cultural experience for our folks at home.
And it does something else...it reminds us as Americans that there is a bigger world our there and that it's not just about OUR needs.
Our position as an international church allows us to experience the Acts story for ourselves...and really, how does it get any better than living in the pages of the book of Acts?!
One big question this week: are we a national church with international partners or an international church. The implications are enormous either way.
If we ARE an international church, then our funds get dispersed around the world. If, on the other hand, we simply have international partners, then our funds largely get spent at home.
Given the current economic climate (I know one church where 25 families are now unemployed), it would be tempting to keep the funds at home.
But then I read the book of Acts and I see desperately poor churches giving to other churches simply because there was a need and the Spirit said give!
GCC is an international church. We have chosen to form close supportive relationships with like-minded church leaders around the world, starting in Kenya, then Malawi and Mozambique, and who knows...maybe Mexico.
These relationships, like the Acts relationships are a mutual blessing. We share our resources, they share the ministry opportunity. They get help. We get a cross-cultural experience for our folks at home.
And it does something else...it reminds us as Americans that there is a bigger world our there and that it's not just about OUR needs.
Our position as an international church allows us to experience the Acts story for ourselves...and really, how does it get any better than living in the pages of the book of Acts?!
Friday, March 20, 2009
GCC Mens Retreat Begins!
Canaan Valley Resort in West Virginia will never be the same...the men of GCC are here! Matt and Todd led us in some awesome worship, Don, the men's ministry director told his story and shared his health challenge of this week. Don recieved healing this week...a genuine miracle!
I shared out of Philippians 1.
These guys are in for a great weekend!
I shared out of Philippians 1.
These guys are in for a great weekend!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Chilling in Joburg
We're relaxing in Johannesburg, bags checked for Dulles, hanging out near our gate. Reentry is difficult. From mud huts to the 'City of Gold' as they call it here. We're rested and ready for the two longer legs...8 hours to London, 6 hours from there to Dulles. We're anxious to get home and begin planning the 2010 trip. So...who's up for the NEXT trip???
Chileka Airport is a miniature study in inconsistency and chaos theory. Procedures change from trip to trip. This time around we were required to exchange our money and take less than 3000 mk's (Malawan kwacha's). Going through a random pat down the young man asked me how much I had on me and tried to get me to exchange the rest (I had to show him my wallet and count the kwacha's I was exiting with). You never know if he really wants me to exchange it or surrender the rest to him to avoid the hassle. We finally made it through. Hey Rick, guess what? No exit charge this time! The gate lounge is a curious mix of languages. It's hot!
Friday, March 13, 2009
It's Saturday morning. It's a mix of excitement and sadness. We all miss our family and friends and consistent hot showers, but we feel like we have friends and family here too. Rogers and his team as well as friends in the villiage. There is such a love for God in these people. Perhaps fueled by ongoing need for the essentials like food, shelter, and health care. Or perhaps it's just that they peed simpler lives out of necessity.
It is an inexplicable thing that these villages in Malawi would be connected with a village in Virginia named Winchester.
We'll head to the airport at 9:00 'American time' (close to 9:00). Chileka Airport isn't a study in efficiency. So we get there very early and then haveca cold coke in the upstairs bar and grill that looks like something out of Casablanca.
We're making our way back to Blantyre from Magaleta. Our visit was well recieved. The chiefs of four different villages came to welcome us as well as pastors six or eight of our churches. Mike Mountain is still there and apparently stll bears my name. Amazing.
We spent time with the orphans. Almost 100 of them now. They speak some english and are very well behaved. We are still providing them a meal a day. Not enough. But better than starvation.
We worshipped under a tree as we did in Dowa, Masenjere, and Monkey Bay. One of the pastors in Magaleta proposed that if we can buy corrugated roofing, they'll make the bricks. Sounds like a job for Pastor Rick and Scott!
As a whole the village is barely getting by. They will consume the corn crop long before the next growing season. Then they will all go hungry. One pastor said that without help, soon all that will be left will be the mountain...everyone will starve.
It is very hard to look in the eyes of men and woman desperate to feed themselves and their families.
1 John 3:17....James 2:17
"now that I have seen, I am responsible..." Brooke Fraser
We're on the road to Magaleta in the Mwanza region. Funny, it didn't seem this far last time! We're travel weary. Calculating at breakfast, we have traveled almost 2000 kilometers this week.
Byron stayed at the lodge today: he caught a cold and feeling pretty rough. Pray for him-head colds and air travel don't mix well.
We have an orphanage here, housed in two different buildings.We're just 11 kilometers out now, but the last 11 are rough. And now Rogers is driving!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
This is it...our last full day in Malawi. It's a cool clear sunny morning as we head down for breakfast. Our thoughts are a mix of travel preparation and how we can help GCC Malawi develop a self-sustaining model. As the church here grows by serving the poorest if the poor, we together must help them discover the means to feed the poor. GCC America will never have enough. Father, meet us in this profound sense of need. Amen.
We're safe and sound back in Blantyre. We left at 7 this morning, it's 8:30 now. We're bone weary, but a very good day. Dinner at a little place nearby called Blue Savannah(somtimes we call it Al Jazeera...we'll explain later). Even Rogers is worn out. Tomorrow we visit Roger's home village...Magaleta, 100 kilometers from here.
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