Category: WorldVenture

This Week…

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I’ve been thinking about this verse.

I’m writing this in a hotel somewhere. The words, “God’s love and Christ’s endurance,” in this verse has not let go of me. I’ve actually never thought of the last two words very deeply until now.

When I think of Christ’s endurance, I think of Him taking my sin on the cross. It sounds so simple said this way, but if you have watched the movie, The Passion, you’d understand His choice wasn’t so simple or painless. He endured.

And so must we…

Matthew Henry’s Commentary says:

“That a patient waiting for Christ may be joined with this love of God. There is no true love of God without faith in Jesus Christ. We must wait for Christ, which supposes our faith in him, that we believe he came once in flesh and will come again in glory: and we must expect this second coming of Christ, and be careful to get ready for it; there must be a patient waiting, enduring with courage and constancy all that we may meet with in the mean time: and we have need of patience, and need of divine grace to exercise Christian patience, the patience of Christ (as some read the word), patience for Christ’s sake and after Christ’s example.”

As I finish out the week, pray for Friday and Saturday. God knows…

 

Navajo Art

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An overlook gave us the opportunity to take a break from driving for a while. Some Navajos had set up some booths there, too.

We admired the artistry of the Navajo gifts. One woman in particular created Christmas ornaments from pottery, paint, and horse hair. The price was reasonable–$25.

I mentally marked this spot. Positioned high above the canyons and several hours from our home town, I knew this is where I wanted to return. It’s a long ways to drive just to buy some Navajo gifts.

The Navajos, like the Hondurans, hold a special place in my heart. The Navajos captured my heart since the first short term missions trip I instigated on my own. I traveled to Kayenta, Arizona twice; once to discover my missionary heart, and the second time, because I fell in love with the people.

Have you ever heard a church service in Navajo? 

I was blessed to hear their native language, and I encourage you to do your own soul searching and visit these people. This small congregation drives up to fifty miles every Sunday to hear the Word of God. The pastor of that church spends a lot of time in his car driving to spend time with his congregation and serve them. You could say they are committed to their church congregation.

I still recall how that pastor urged me to get a degree. At the time, I wasn’t seriously considering a degree. Now it is something I am seriously considering. I want to really understand the Bible so I can lose my fear of misusing it. Because of my past, I take Biblical accuracy and truth very seriously. Often, before I use a verse, I will look up the commentaries and writings around it to understand the context. I rely heavily upon different books and commentaries to make sure I get the meaning right.

That’s where my mind drifted as I stood so close to the blue sky overlooking the canyons that were etched into the earth.

We reluctantly returned to the car empty-handed. Even though it is a long way to drive to buy gifts for others, their work is one-of-a-kind.

Some photos from today:

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Glen Canyon Dam
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Cameron, Arizona

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Don’t be a Judge and Jury #Marketing #SocialMedia

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Social media is the judge and jury of the world. It doesn’t take much to discredit someone. It is all about algorithms and who can spin the story the most to get more readers and advertising dollars. A hashtag can be hijacked, a mere suspicion becomes judgment, and the key is to choose carefully what we share as that perpetuates a story, an agenda, a controversy, or a movement. As I thought about this I began examining my own sites.

What kind of story do you want to share? How can we use social media to change the direction of our world, unite our Christians, and encourage honest and helpful dialogue without condemning the other for being courageous enough to speak?

A Broken Day #WindowsUpdate #UpdateHell

My day was unrecoverable. An entire day of the big anniversary layout of Microsoft Windows Ten that took over 8 hours on a Dell laptop and still wasn’t done. I prematurely ended it and went back to my original version of Windows 10.

Meanwhile, I engaged in some entertaining photos, some housecleaning, grocery shopping, and a run while waiting for windows to update.

It’s 5:10 pm and I am exhausted. Who knew this update would cause so much stress! 

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A Response: What Makes a Good Missionary?

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When I read this article, I drank it down like cold water on a parched day. I wanted to know the answer the same as this author to the question, “What makes a good missionary?” 
 
The article goes into the differences of persecution between Islam and other countries and governments. As I read this, I, too, felt kicked in the gut. The missionary needed the people he served. I would never have thought of that as love, but the persecuted believers saw the western man as loving because he borrowed from them instead of his western friends. Re-translate this to evangelism in your local communities: “What makes a good evangelist?” 
 
“Rarely did the apostle Paul create dependency upon himself. Often in his letters, Paul expressed how desperately he needed his brothers and sisters in Christ. He called those friends by name years later. He never forgot them. When possible, he returned to be with them. When he could not go, he sent them someone else. And he faithfully wrote to them, expressing his love, encouragement, and correction. In a word, he needed them,” the author says. 
 
Social media is about creating community, expressing that need, being the church online, and challenging us to need and be needed. The people you speak to on the field also have a purpose and are not lesser people as sometimes we may come off as looking. As a missionary wet-behind-the-ears, I want to, 
 
“…bury my pride and unpack some humility…become a brother (sister), a friend, and a peer. I would care more about the names of my brothers and sisters on the “mission field” and less about the numbers of baptisms, people discipled, churches planted, and orphanages built. I would take to heart the lesson of John the Baptist, saying about a local believer what John said about Jesus: I must decrease so that he can increase (John 3:30). I would invite local believers to lead in the light while I served in the shadows. I would have pressed into what it meant to really need them.” 
 
I am too independent. Raising support is teaching me to depend on people, to love better, to put God first above my politics, and daily it stretches and humbles me. I am learning to disciple people and wish for their success over mine. In the past two years, I have learned more, been stretched often, and know that God is taking the “ugly” out of me. His Word (the Bible) is challenging me. I am also learning that I don’t know as much as I think I know, and this attitude is important to maintain all of my life no matter how old I grow. 
 

Committing to One Thing

If you are having trouble connecting with your church family, are you trying to connect with them?

What I am finding is how often people say they can’t seem to connect with others, but are uncommitted to opportunities that come up.

Maybe is easier than yes or no.

Risk is better avoided. Uncertainty can be dealt with, but knowing someone doesn’t want to hang out with you is hurtful.

Or we’re just over-committed. 

A friend was relieved when I stopped creating more websites. He doesn’t understand how I work, but the websites each have their own brand and purpose which satisfies my creative nature. I can work contentedly within these sites. That’s the key. Knowing when to stop and be able to work within the dimensions you have created to make meaningful connections and serve your community.

Being slightly under over-committed might make room for those connections that you desire. Do you know what you could do with that free time? 

  • Risk saying yes or no, and be known as someone people can depend on to show up for things.
  • Build a thick skin for rejections that will come.
  • Don’t take a no personally.
  • Be available.

That last is one of my rules.

Be available means being slightly under over-committed so I can serve others through listening and loving by spending time with others either online or in person. My to-do list is not more important than the people I come to know in person or online. And that means, I show up to serve every day, and I encourage you to do the same. More than this, I encourage you to risk that emotional connection with others.

 

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