spring brings many things…
buds on trees
birds that sing
warmer days
sitting on the sidewalk chairs at greenberrys instead of being inside…
and too much spring season work to do
that’s why I’m not bloggin much, nor even emailing as usual…
too busy is not good… must slow the pace down and appreciate those things I listed above…
Filed under Uncategorized
here on earth the worldwide body of Christ is all part of one, the Church… we don’t all speak the same language, worship the same, and even those of us who speak the same language have a diversity of style and jargon that we are not always quite sure what is going on… but that’s okay… we sit at the table because of the Grace of Jesus… if there is a head to this table, He is sitting there…
I’m just glad to be invited, aren’t you?
Filed under Uncategorized
This afternoon I broke out the kafe set, and decided to take my first try at Bosnian kafe…
I called my friend Mark… and the process has begun… the first cup wasn’t quite right, the second cup (which had set longer in the grounds) was better… I did discover the necessity of getting a little bit of grounds with the sip… ahhhhh… more posts I’m sure… click here to see the pix from the FEB07 trip.
Filed under things Central European
Obama states…
“Many of the leading lights of the Revolution, most notably Franklin and Jefferson, were deists who–while believing in an Almighty God–questioned not only the dogmas of the Christian church but the central tenets of Christianity itself (including Christ’s divinity). Jefferson and Madison in particular argued for what Jefferson called a “wall of seperation” between church and state, as a means of protecting individual liberty in religious belief and practice, guarding the state against sectarian strife, and defending organized religion against the state’s encroachment or undue influence.” (p. 217)
Filed under culture
Back a few months ago, I picked up Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope. It has not been priority reading. But it has gone from a window sill, to bedside table (a worthless place for meeee…zzzzzzzzz) and to the table beside my spot in the living room. So yesterday when I didn’t feel like heavy reading I picked it up and began where I left off maybe a month ago… I was in the chapter titled “Faith.” I was and am facinated by what the man has to say. It sounds to me like he will be worshiping Him forever. He writes in this chapter what amounts to a “Beliefs Thesis” (my students will get that) without the theological jargon.
“I felt God’s spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.” (p. 208)
huh…
capitalized pronouns and all…
can Rush say this? oh, sorry…
further, Mr. Obama says…
“But religion is rarely practiced in isolation; organized religion, at least, is a very public affair.” (p. 213)
and
“Our failure as progressives to tap into the moral underpinnings of the nation is not just rhetorical, though. Our fears of getting ‘preachy’ may also lead us to discount the role that values and culture play in addressing some of our most urgent social problems.” (p. 214-5)
“…the problems of poverty and racism and the uninsured… are also rooted in societal indifference and individual callousness–…” (p. 215)
interesting, very interesting…
Filed under culture
“Communicating the truth to Muslims for understanding.”
A guy who lives in the Middle East spoke in chapel today. I am not identifying him for security reasons… he spoke about connecting with Muslims. These are the notes I took, they sound exactly like connecting with PMs
You need to be sure that the words are understood.
The speaker must understand what the listener is hearing.
To Muslims the deed weighs as much as the word.
Historical context is important to understanding and communicating the truth.
Collective identity, not individuality is important in understanding context.
Job, life choices and activities are our idenity in the West
verse
family, family heritage and relating to Muhammed in the muslim world.
In the West – choice
In the East – history
Religion is a birth thing not a personal choice.
Muslims are taught that the decline of the islamic empire was the result of straying from correct teaching… [Compare to modern jihadist teachings that are dividing muslim generations in west
how to reach? I need to blog about this]
some steps
1) understand identity
2) importance of language – live in the language
3) respect Islamic culture and history
living in a middle eastern ctiy
1) provide a safe and familiar environmment… Be aware of what is happening around us
2) permanance
3) community – being in community
4) orient our lives toward culture
5) relationships in the language and culture
I think there are amazing parallels to working among PMs
Filed under experience, the self
kingdom travelin' 