Tonight I wrote a paper for one of my classes, the topic of which I bet you can guess from the title of this post. I wanted to share it, but it would have been disgustingly long for a blog post, so I gave it its own Google site. Curious parties can find it here.
(Wow, three posts in a day after a month off. What gives, Knox?)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
God story
About a dozen recent University of Wisconsin grads are serving for a year in East Asia, reaching out to college students (and anyone they meet) with the love of Jesus. If you're in need of a good story about what God is doing in this world, one relationship at a time, read this recent blog post from Chris. This is particularly touching for me, because Meggan and I were there on the fall retreat he mentions, we were there with Chris in East Asia when he spent a summer there, and I can remember the blue sweatshirt. Plus, I'm close friends with his roommate who recently had his appendix removed... in a foreign country... Anyhow, enjoy, and pray for Chris, Tom (the newly de-appendicized guy), their team, and God's continued movement in the lives of people in that city.
Study Break!
Meggan found this gem a couple days ago. Enjoy! (Eight days to the end of the semester!!!)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Post-election stream-of-consciousness
WARNING: This post may wander. I'm processing things, so one primary purpose for what I'm about to write is personal therapy. In addition, I hope this will be interesting to you, but also that it will serve as a model for a number of values: introspection, vulnerability, honesty, thoughtfulness, civility.
My heart goes out to Kent Koebke of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, who fought hard and with integrity for a chance at a seat in the state house. Kent, thanks for working your tail off for what you believe in, and God bless you.
Meggan and I went to an election night party last night. The majority of us there were McCain supporters, but we still had a good time. We did a "pick the states" pool - our entry had Obama winning, but we gave McCain way too many swing states, so we didn't take the prize. Thanks to Dan and Erin Breed for a fun time!
I was impressed both by McCain's concession speech and Obama's Grant Park acceptance. I didn't necessarily appreciate Obama's "Yes We Can" refrain, since it strikes me as misplaced hope, but I thought he came out with an unexpectedly muted expression. He was not celebratory; he was (exhausted and) rather sober. He did not look like a man who would quickly let the power go to his head. These are two men of character. God bless 'em both. God, we pray that you would keep president-elect Obama and his family safe from crazy people.
I think sobriety is the appropriate response for all of us at the moment. Let McCain supporters acknowledge our feelings of disappointment, submit our feelings to God, and recognize that He is still the Most High King. Let us recognize that Obama is a good man who will accomplish some good, and let us remember that McCain would have made some mistakes in the Oval Office, too. As for my brothers and sisters who voted for Obama, I won't be your killjoy; feel free to celebrate. But, please, do not mistake Obama for the Savior. Neither the real Savior nor our president-elect would want you to do so. A McCain victory would not have been the end of the world, and I hope you will critically examine the man you elected rather than becoming his unquestioned apologist.
The election of an African-American to the U.S. presidency is an historic occurrence. I wish I could celebrate it with enthusiasm. At the same time, we still have racial issues in our country, and the election actually highlights some of those. Black conservatives were ostracized in their communities for voicing their convictions, and they were dragged around in the dog-and-pony show by white conservatives. Millions of white Americans voted their conscience for Obama (or McCain), but, no doubt, there were many who voted for Obama out of "a sense of history" or latent white guilt (in addition to white supremacists who voted for McCain). I look forward to the increase of Dr. King's dream, that, in growing measure, people "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Still, it is amazing that we've reached a day where we fall short of this dream in ways so very different than the ways we once fell short of it. Praise God for this progress.
Random wondering - which of the following factors contributed most strongly to the defeat of a moderate Republican by a liberal Democrat:
--disapproval of Bush?
--the economic crisis?
--thinly veiled network media biases? (Before you read too much into that comment, see my Oct. 17 post about NPR.)
--image factors (as SNL put it, "Joe Cool vs. Yosemite Sam")?
I have deeply mixed feelings about international reaction to the election. On the one hand, it will be nice to live as a U.S. citizen in Europe during a time when Europe likes my president. On the other hand, I don't think European opinion should matter all that much in my choice of a candidate. I care a heck of a lot more about the opinion of people in countries that could be much more deeply and directly affected by who's in the White House: Iraqis, Afghans, Israelis, and Palestinians; for our foreign aid, Africans; also, our neighbors, especially Mexicans. Life would go on just fine for the vast majority of Europeans whether Obama, McCain, or Ron Paul were living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. In the reverse direction, I have decided never to pass judgment on an Iranian for voting for Ahmadinejad or a Venezuelan for voting for Hugo Chávez unless I actually understand more issues than just how that vote affects their country's relationship with my country.
On a different note, I am saddened for the pro-life cause. How many justices will be appointed by pro-choice presidents and confirmed by a majority pro-choice Senate in the years to come? Beyond that, Amendment 48 (defining life as beginning at conception) got trounced here in Colorado, and a pro-life ballot initiative lost for the second time in South Dakota, 55%-45%. It seems that over a million babies a year will continue to be killed with government approval in our country. This is deeply unjust - not only to the people killed, but also to the people duped by our culture into thinking that murder for personal convenience is an expression of their freedom of choice. Three cheers for crisis pregnancy centers and adoption ministries, but it seems as though we pro-lifers need to reevaluate our political strategies. Do we turn to the 95/10 Initiative proposed by pro-life Democrats? Do we work harder to let the pro-life voice be heard in the marketplace of ideas (for an online example, see here)? Is creative nonviolent protest the answer? Should we put our efforts for the appointment of constructionist justices and the passing of pro-life ballot initiatives on the back burner or not?
For the trifecta, all three items on the ballot that I had strong opinions on (see my Oct. 10 posting) went the other way. :-)
And now, to end on a lighter note... God bless Minnesota! First, they elect an independent governor who happens to be a former pro-wrestler. Now, they come within 500 votes (out of nearly 3 million cast) of electing a comedian to the Senate, in a race where a liberal independent candidate garnered 15%. The recount is on, and Minnesota officially wins pop culture "cool" points (whether that's a good thing or not is up for interpretation).
My heart goes out to Kent Koebke of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, who fought hard and with integrity for a chance at a seat in the state house. Kent, thanks for working your tail off for what you believe in, and God bless you.
Meggan and I went to an election night party last night. The majority of us there were McCain supporters, but we still had a good time. We did a "pick the states" pool - our entry had Obama winning, but we gave McCain way too many swing states, so we didn't take the prize. Thanks to Dan and Erin Breed for a fun time!
I was impressed both by McCain's concession speech and Obama's Grant Park acceptance. I didn't necessarily appreciate Obama's "Yes We Can" refrain, since it strikes me as misplaced hope, but I thought he came out with an unexpectedly muted expression. He was not celebratory; he was (exhausted and) rather sober. He did not look like a man who would quickly let the power go to his head. These are two men of character. God bless 'em both. God, we pray that you would keep president-elect Obama and his family safe from crazy people.
I think sobriety is the appropriate response for all of us at the moment. Let McCain supporters acknowledge our feelings of disappointment, submit our feelings to God, and recognize that He is still the Most High King. Let us recognize that Obama is a good man who will accomplish some good, and let us remember that McCain would have made some mistakes in the Oval Office, too. As for my brothers and sisters who voted for Obama, I won't be your killjoy; feel free to celebrate. But, please, do not mistake Obama for the Savior. Neither the real Savior nor our president-elect would want you to do so. A McCain victory would not have been the end of the world, and I hope you will critically examine the man you elected rather than becoming his unquestioned apologist.
The election of an African-American to the U.S. presidency is an historic occurrence. I wish I could celebrate it with enthusiasm. At the same time, we still have racial issues in our country, and the election actually highlights some of those. Black conservatives were ostracized in their communities for voicing their convictions, and they were dragged around in the dog-and-pony show by white conservatives. Millions of white Americans voted their conscience for Obama (or McCain), but, no doubt, there were many who voted for Obama out of "a sense of history" or latent white guilt (in addition to white supremacists who voted for McCain). I look forward to the increase of Dr. King's dream, that, in growing measure, people "will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Still, it is amazing that we've reached a day where we fall short of this dream in ways so very different than the ways we once fell short of it. Praise God for this progress.
Random wondering - which of the following factors contributed most strongly to the defeat of a moderate Republican by a liberal Democrat:
--disapproval of Bush?
--the economic crisis?
--thinly veiled network media biases? (Before you read too much into that comment, see my Oct. 17 post about NPR.)
--image factors (as SNL put it, "Joe Cool vs. Yosemite Sam")?
I have deeply mixed feelings about international reaction to the election. On the one hand, it will be nice to live as a U.S. citizen in Europe during a time when Europe likes my president. On the other hand, I don't think European opinion should matter all that much in my choice of a candidate. I care a heck of a lot more about the opinion of people in countries that could be much more deeply and directly affected by who's in the White House: Iraqis, Afghans, Israelis, and Palestinians; for our foreign aid, Africans; also, our neighbors, especially Mexicans. Life would go on just fine for the vast majority of Europeans whether Obama, McCain, or Ron Paul were living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. In the reverse direction, I have decided never to pass judgment on an Iranian for voting for Ahmadinejad or a Venezuelan for voting for Hugo Chávez unless I actually understand more issues than just how that vote affects their country's relationship with my country.
On a different note, I am saddened for the pro-life cause. How many justices will be appointed by pro-choice presidents and confirmed by a majority pro-choice Senate in the years to come? Beyond that, Amendment 48 (defining life as beginning at conception) got trounced here in Colorado, and a pro-life ballot initiative lost for the second time in South Dakota, 55%-45%. It seems that over a million babies a year will continue to be killed with government approval in our country. This is deeply unjust - not only to the people killed, but also to the people duped by our culture into thinking that murder for personal convenience is an expression of their freedom of choice. Three cheers for crisis pregnancy centers and adoption ministries, but it seems as though we pro-lifers need to reevaluate our political strategies. Do we turn to the 95/10 Initiative proposed by pro-life Democrats? Do we work harder to let the pro-life voice be heard in the marketplace of ideas (for an online example, see here)? Is creative nonviolent protest the answer? Should we put our efforts for the appointment of constructionist justices and the passing of pro-life ballot initiatives on the back burner or not?
For the trifecta, all three items on the ballot that I had strong opinions on (see my Oct. 10 posting) went the other way. :-)
And now, to end on a lighter note... God bless Minnesota! First, they elect an independent governor who happens to be a former pro-wrestler. Now, they come within 500 votes (out of nearly 3 million cast) of electing a comedian to the Senate, in a race where a liberal independent candidate garnered 15%. The recount is on, and Minnesota officially wins pop culture "cool" points (whether that's a good thing or not is up for interpretation).
Thursday, October 30, 2008
McCain and Obama - global poverty commitments
Here.
As a Christian, I am encouraged that both candidates are committed to addressing issues of global poverty. As a Christian supporter of McCain, I submit that a vote for McCain is more than just a vote against abortion. The GOP is not the party of heartless greed and closed-minded nationalism. (That's not to say there are zero negative influences in the Republican Party; politics is dirty, and you'll find the dirt in both parties.)
As a Christian, I am encouraged that both candidates are committed to addressing issues of global poverty. As a Christian supporter of McCain, I submit that a vote for McCain is more than just a vote against abortion. The GOP is not the party of heartless greed and closed-minded nationalism. (That's not to say there are zero negative influences in the Republican Party; politics is dirty, and you'll find the dirt in both parties.)
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Thinking Christians Talking Politics
Audio from the dialogue between Dan (supporting McCain) and Craig (supporting Obama) is available here.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
More musings - sports & a sermon
Well, the Brewers have decided not to hang on to Dale Sveum as their manager for next year. I'm a little bummed... Attanasio brings a commitment to winning to the organization, but he also brings that L.A. attitude - loyalty is not priority 1-A.
In other news, I had a grand time last night at the Badger hockey game here in Denver. What a wild one! Very entertaining, but a little bit of a heartbreaker - Wisconsin lost to DU, 6-5. Bucky's 0-3-0 to start the season; they can score, but their defense is suspect, and their goalie is hot-and-cold. Also, they've blown a lead in all three games, which doesn't bode well for the season. At any rate, many thanks to Jeremiah Heiser (who plans to date the gal who sang the national anthem) and Andrew Vitek (the greatest D-III college hockey player ever to come out of Hawaii) for making it fun.
And, my sermon from last weekend is online. You can find it here in video or audio. (If you're using this link after a week or so, the sermon will be down the list - week 26 in the Acts series.)
In other news, I had a grand time last night at the Badger hockey game here in Denver. What a wild one! Very entertaining, but a little bit of a heartbreaker - Wisconsin lost to DU, 6-5. Bucky's 0-3-0 to start the season; they can score, but their defense is suspect, and their goalie is hot-and-cold. Also, they've blown a lead in all three games, which doesn't bode well for the season. At any rate, many thanks to Jeremiah Heiser (who plans to date the gal who sang the national anthem) and Andrew Vitek (the greatest D-III college hockey player ever to come out of Hawaii) for making it fun.
And, my sermon from last weekend is online. You can find it here in video or audio. (If you're using this link after a week or so, the sermon will be down the list - week 26 in the Acts series.)
Friday, October 17, 2008
Confession
Hello, my name is Ben. I'm an evangelical Christian, a Republican... and I enjoy public radio.
A lot.
And I'm not just talking about the classical and jazz stations - gimme those two and the news and talk station.
What's wrong with me? Don't I know that 95% of the news media in this country is controlled by the left, and that NPR is basically a socialist propaganda machine? Well, I guess I've chosen to listen for myself. And you know what I've found? I've found public radio news and talk to be the most thorough, thoughtful news and talk on the airwaves. I think their journalistic integrity is second-to-none.
Here's a solid example - today I heard a review of Oliver Stone's new movie, W., a biopic about our current president. Of course, if you believe the hype, like one of my friends at church who calls NPR "NCR" (from his tone of voice, I'm guessing the C stands for "commie"), you'd expect a glowing review. Well, the critic found a few positive elements, then proceeded to tear it down, calling it Stone's "shallowest" film to date. (If you'd like to hear it, go to this page and click the "Listen Now" link to hear it; the text given is incomplete.) It was a thoughtful review from a thoughtful critic who didn't feel a need to scream or call Stone a pinkie to make his point.
You know what else I like about public radio? (Ooh, this one could get me in trouble...) Their fund drives are far more realistic than Christian radio fund drives. In a public radio fund drive, the DJ usually says, "Support public radio because you like to listen to us." On Christian radio, the DJ usually says, "Support our station because people who would never darken the door of a church are coming to know Jesus through our ministry." Really? You think a lot of non-Christians listen to Christian radio? You think they don't pass it right over when they're scanning through the stations? You think the radio is a good evangelistic investment in our country? I'm skeptical. Why can't the Christian stations ask for money on the same basis as the public stations? "Support us because you like listening to Christian music/news/talk/sermons."
So, all that to say - my fellow conservatives (politically and religiously), please give public radio another chance.
A lot.
And I'm not just talking about the classical and jazz stations - gimme those two and the news and talk station.
What's wrong with me? Don't I know that 95% of the news media in this country is controlled by the left, and that NPR is basically a socialist propaganda machine? Well, I guess I've chosen to listen for myself. And you know what I've found? I've found public radio news and talk to be the most thorough, thoughtful news and talk on the airwaves. I think their journalistic integrity is second-to-none.
Here's a solid example - today I heard a review of Oliver Stone's new movie, W., a biopic about our current president. Of course, if you believe the hype, like one of my friends at church who calls NPR "NCR" (from his tone of voice, I'm guessing the C stands for "commie"), you'd expect a glowing review. Well, the critic found a few positive elements, then proceeded to tear it down, calling it Stone's "shallowest" film to date. (If you'd like to hear it, go to this page and click the "Listen Now" link to hear it; the text given is incomplete.) It was a thoughtful review from a thoughtful critic who didn't feel a need to scream or call Stone a pinkie to make his point.
You know what else I like about public radio? (Ooh, this one could get me in trouble...) Their fund drives are far more realistic than Christian radio fund drives. In a public radio fund drive, the DJ usually says, "Support public radio because you like to listen to us." On Christian radio, the DJ usually says, "Support our station because people who would never darken the door of a church are coming to know Jesus through our ministry." Really? You think a lot of non-Christians listen to Christian radio? You think they don't pass it right over when they're scanning through the stations? You think the radio is a good evangelistic investment in our country? I'm skeptical. Why can't the Christian stations ask for money on the same basis as the public stations? "Support us because you like listening to Christian music/news/talk/sermons."
So, all that to say - my fellow conservatives (politically and religiously), please give public radio another chance.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday musings
We voted! Meggan and I got our ballots in the mail yesterday, did some research, filled 'em out, and handed 'em in today. Some observations:
Voting in Colorado is a lot of work. We voted on nine national, state, and local races; chose whether to retain or reject seventeen justices; and made up our mind on eighteen state and two local referenda. Fourteen of the statewide issues are amendments to the state constitution - that's a big deal to me; you don't amend a constitution on a whim. On another complicating note, four of the eighteen statewide referenda have been pulled by the unions that proposed them as a result of successful negotiations with certain business leaders, so those votes don't matter. Is it possible to be an educated voter? Yes. Will the vast majority of voters be deciding many significant issues on a whim? I'm afraid so...
So, out of 46 choices, we voted the same on 42. (Not bad...?) I don't consider myself to be an expert on all 46 issues, but I'll offer my opinion on one race and two Colorado constitutional amendments:
President: John McCain. McCain is the right kind of moderate - he swings to the center on the very issues where he should disagree with his Republican counterparts. In particular, his approach to immigration is realistic and compassionate. (Sidenote - I was discouraged to see how many Republican candidates I could vote for see the immigration issue as black-and-white. But, hey, I live in Tom Tancredo's old congressional district - what did I expect?) In addition, I have hopes that McCain could nominate Supreme Court justices that might overturn Roe v. Wade. On the other hand, Obama would be a move far to the left on many issues; he is not a moderate; on the rare occasions that he disagrees with his Democratic counterparts, it's in the radical direction. On abortion, he's as pro-choice as you can get. Don't get me wrong - if Obama were to get elected, I think he would make a good president. As an American living in Europe, people might like me better knowing that Obama is my president. Certainly, if Obama wins, my life will not fall apart... but he didn't receive my vote. At any rate, I urge you to pray for both candidates.
Amendment 48: Yes. This is one of only two constitutional amendments that I voted for. A person is a person.
Amendment 50: No. Generally speaking, an expansion of the gambling industry exploits the poor.
------------
Speaking of politics, things are all set for the upcoming dialogue on campus between my friends Craig and Dan:
Come join us on October 23 - bring your rotten eggs and tomatoes! See this post for more details.
------------
It's bittersweet, but I'm cheering for the Phillies in the NLCS. (How 'bout that Brett Myers at the plate? But I'll tell you what, Brad Lidge is gonna blow a save before the postseason is over.)
Voting in Colorado is a lot of work. We voted on nine national, state, and local races; chose whether to retain or reject seventeen justices; and made up our mind on eighteen state and two local referenda. Fourteen of the statewide issues are amendments to the state constitution - that's a big deal to me; you don't amend a constitution on a whim. On another complicating note, four of the eighteen statewide referenda have been pulled by the unions that proposed them as a result of successful negotiations with certain business leaders, so those votes don't matter. Is it possible to be an educated voter? Yes. Will the vast majority of voters be deciding many significant issues on a whim? I'm afraid so...
So, out of 46 choices, we voted the same on 42. (Not bad...?) I don't consider myself to be an expert on all 46 issues, but I'll offer my opinion on one race and two Colorado constitutional amendments:
President: John McCain. McCain is the right kind of moderate - he swings to the center on the very issues where he should disagree with his Republican counterparts. In particular, his approach to immigration is realistic and compassionate. (Sidenote - I was discouraged to see how many Republican candidates I could vote for see the immigration issue as black-and-white. But, hey, I live in Tom Tancredo's old congressional district - what did I expect?) In addition, I have hopes that McCain could nominate Supreme Court justices that might overturn Roe v. Wade. On the other hand, Obama would be a move far to the left on many issues; he is not a moderate; on the rare occasions that he disagrees with his Democratic counterparts, it's in the radical direction. On abortion, he's as pro-choice as you can get. Don't get me wrong - if Obama were to get elected, I think he would make a good president. As an American living in Europe, people might like me better knowing that Obama is my president. Certainly, if Obama wins, my life will not fall apart... but he didn't receive my vote. At any rate, I urge you to pray for both candidates.
Amendment 48: Yes. This is one of only two constitutional amendments that I voted for. A person is a person.
Amendment 50: No. Generally speaking, an expansion of the gambling industry exploits the poor.
------------
Speaking of politics, things are all set for the upcoming dialogue on campus between my friends Craig and Dan:
Come join us on October 23 - bring your rotten eggs and tomatoes! See this post for more details.
------------
It's bittersweet, but I'm cheering for the Phillies in the NLCS. (How 'bout that Brett Myers at the plate? But I'll tell you what, Brad Lidge is gonna blow a save before the postseason is over.)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Credimus
We believe in God the Father, Lord of heaven and earth. He is not like human beings, yet he cares deeply for us.
We believe in Jesus the Messiah, who is God in the flesh - sent by the Father as an expression of compassion, truth, and justice. He heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, and proclaims freedom to the oppressed. He was unjustly tortured and executed, and he rose from the dead on the third day. He calls us to follow him in life with God and love of others.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who lives within us individually and among us as the church. He empowers us to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and he plants within us the Father's love for the people around us.
We believe the world is broken, fallen, and yet beautiful. God desires to redeem his creation, and he chooses to use his people, the church, as his ambassadors in this mission.
We submit ourselves to our loving Father God.
We commit to following Jesus in word and deed.
We will speak words of truth and life to our family of faith and to the world around us. We give ourselves to serve God and others in all we do.
We believe in Jesus the Messiah, who is God in the flesh - sent by the Father as an expression of compassion, truth, and justice. He heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, and proclaims freedom to the oppressed. He was unjustly tortured and executed, and he rose from the dead on the third day. He calls us to follow him in life with God and love of others.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, who lives within us individually and among us as the church. He empowers us to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and he plants within us the Father's love for the people around us.
We believe the world is broken, fallen, and yet beautiful. God desires to redeem his creation, and he chooses to use his people, the church, as his ambassadors in this mission.
We submit ourselves to our loving Father God.
We commit to following Jesus in word and deed.
We will speak words of truth and life to our family of faith and to the world around us. We give ourselves to serve God and others in all we do.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Go Brew Crew!
Yesterday, after a roller-coaster September, my beloved Milwaukee Brewers won the National League Wild Card. Gotta say, I'm pretty excited. The last time the Brewers punched their ticket for the playoffs, I was seven months old. (The guy who hit the homer to win yesterday's game was not yet a zygote at the time.) If you're into all the feel-good details, this article, written by a guy I went to high school with, sums it up pretty well.
Twenty-six years ago...
...and yesterday. (Just one question - who let that kid come to the game in a Red Sox jersey?)
Twenty-six years ago...
...and yesterday. (Just one question - who let that kid come to the game in a Red Sox jersey?)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Evangelical Political Dialogue
What: Dialogue between an Obama supporter and a McCain supporter, both evangelical Christians
When: Thursday, October 23; 11:00 AM
Where: The chapel on the Denver Seminary campus (6399 S. Santa Fe Dr.; Littleton, CO)
Why: To glorify God in our engagement of politics
What's this all about? Why hold a political dialogue on a religious campus? Well, for starters, God cares about people, and people are affected by politics. A church that cares about people should care (at least a little) about politics. To approach it from the opposite direction, it is impossible for me, as a Christian, to separate Christianity from my engagement of my citizenship. It is my responsibility to think Christianly in my political engagement.
It is also my responsibility to behave Christianly in my political engagement. During an election year, political conversations in our country often go in one of two directions. On one side is the cat-fighting dominated by image, slander, rumors, and sound bites; on the other side are those who choose not to talk about anything in order to keep the peace. The hope is that this coming event will rise above these two unfortunate options. To that end, the conversation between the participants will be one of convicted civility - not a debate where the two sides try to defeat one another, but a dialogue where two people honestly and amicably discuss their differences so audience members can come to their own conclusions. This is possible for a number of reasons:
--The contributors have far more in common in Christ than they have differences in political philosophy.
--The contributors have the Spirit of peace, kindness, and self-control living inside them and between them.
--The contributors find their ultimate hope in a kingdom that is not of this world.
(UPDATED OCT. 3) The event is sponsored by the Vernon Grounds Institute of Public Ethics. Participating as a supporter of John McCain will be Dan Breed; supporting Barack Obama will be Craig Blomberg. Dan is an associate pastor in Westminster, a seminary alumnus (M.Div. '06), a man with academic and practical experience in politics, and one of my mentors. Craig is a professor of New Testament and my recent boss. I am personally honored to call them both friends.
Consider yourself invited!
(UPDATED OCT. 28) The event was a success; we had a nice crowd, and I've heard lots of feedback in the days since then. Audio from the event is available here.
When: Thursday, October 23; 11:00 AM
Where: The chapel on the Denver Seminary campus (6399 S. Santa Fe Dr.; Littleton, CO)
Why: To glorify God in our engagement of politics
What's this all about? Why hold a political dialogue on a religious campus? Well, for starters, God cares about people, and people are affected by politics. A church that cares about people should care (at least a little) about politics. To approach it from the opposite direction, it is impossible for me, as a Christian, to separate Christianity from my engagement of my citizenship. It is my responsibility to think Christianly in my political engagement.
It is also my responsibility to behave Christianly in my political engagement. During an election year, political conversations in our country often go in one of two directions. On one side is the cat-fighting dominated by image, slander, rumors, and sound bites; on the other side are those who choose not to talk about anything in order to keep the peace. The hope is that this coming event will rise above these two unfortunate options. To that end, the conversation between the participants will be one of convicted civility - not a debate where the two sides try to defeat one another, but a dialogue where two people honestly and amicably discuss their differences so audience members can come to their own conclusions. This is possible for a number of reasons:
--The contributors have far more in common in Christ than they have differences in political philosophy.
--The contributors have the Spirit of peace, kindness, and self-control living inside them and between them.
--The contributors find their ultimate hope in a kingdom that is not of this world.
(UPDATED OCT. 3) The event is sponsored by the Vernon Grounds Institute of Public Ethics. Participating as a supporter of John McCain will be Dan Breed; supporting Barack Obama will be Craig Blomberg. Dan is an associate pastor in Westminster, a seminary alumnus (M.Div. '06), a man with academic and practical experience in politics, and one of my mentors. Craig is a professor of New Testament and my recent boss. I am personally honored to call them both friends.
Consider yourself invited!
(UPDATED OCT. 28) The event was a success; we had a nice crowd, and I've heard lots of feedback in the days since then. Audio from the event is available here.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Can I get an "amen"?
In a few weeks (Sunday, October 12), I'll be preaching at Bethany Church, our church home here in Littleton. We're working through the book of Acts, and the text I'll be teaching from is Acts 17:16-34. For those of you who are in the area, I'd be honored if you came to hear me.
A mini-update on life - August was truly wonderful with family and friends in the Midwest. At the same time, it's nice to be back into the swing of another semester. Rick, Lynn, and John are here in Colorado at the moment on vacation; we've had some quality time with them here in Denver and in Estes Park, and we'll see them again on Friday. Meggan is plugging away in preparation for her capstone project on helping churches incorporate dance into the corporate worship setting. I've got a gig with the Sliders (five dudes singing pop a cappella) in a couple weeks, which should be fun. I'm also hoping to get involved in some capacity with the youth ministry at Bethany, in light of God's leading toward youth ministry for me when we return to Spain. There's another event in the making as well; I'll share more about that in the near future...
A mini-update on life - August was truly wonderful with family and friends in the Midwest. At the same time, it's nice to be back into the swing of another semester. Rick, Lynn, and John are here in Colorado at the moment on vacation; we've had some quality time with them here in Denver and in Estes Park, and we'll see them again on Friday. Meggan is plugging away in preparation for her capstone project on helping churches incorporate dance into the corporate worship setting. I've got a gig with the Sliders (five dudes singing pop a cappella) in a couple weeks, which should be fun. I'm also hoping to get involved in some capacity with the youth ministry at Bethany, in light of God's leading toward youth ministry for me when we return to Spain. There's another event in the making as well; I'll share more about that in the near future...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Good News: Epilogue
What might some concrete expressions of this humble response, this in-breaking of heaven on earth, look like?
--Pray. Talk to God. Acknowledge your need for Him. Ask Him to lead you and guide you. Praise Him for His goodness.
--Seek out a mentor. Find someone who walks with God, someone from whom you know you could learn some things, and ask to spend time with him or her on a regular basis. This takes intentionality. You have to go after it. It's not easy to find someone and get going, but the benefits will prove to be more than worth the effort.
--Get involved in a church. By "church," I mean a group of people following God together. This can look different in different circumstances; it might be Sunday morning in a pew or Tuesday night in someone's living room. The important thing is that this group is seeking God, doing life together, and loving the people around them. In addition to its own benefits (see part four on needing other people), this is probably where you'll find a mentor.
--Read the Bible. The Bible is a record of God revealing Himself to humanity, and it serves as our primary written guide for life. It's also a "living book," because as you read it, you will find it changing you in ways other books do not. For better or worse, it's not a simple book to read. There's no one perfect place to start, but many people recommend the book of John (the fourth book of the New Testament), and I suppose that's as good a place as any to get going. As a supplement, consider How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth, by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.
If you have reservations about following this path, ignore them. Wait... no... that would be ridiculous. Explore your thoughts and feelings. What gives you pause, and why? Talk with someone about it. (I'm available! Blog comment, email, phone...) For intellectual reservations, a good place to start is The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel.
I'd like to address one common reservation. If you genuinely consider this good news I've been sharing, you have probably recognized that following Jesus is an exclusive path. The idea of any spiritual path being true at the exclusion of other paths is highly unpopular in our world today, but I hope you can see why this is the better way to see things. Frankly, the pluralist perspective ("all roads lead to God") is existentially unsatisfying. In its attempt to validate all spiritual paths, it actually robs every single spiritual path of its meaning. Yes, there are common threads in many religions and philosophies, but the fundamental differences cannot be ignored. To say that it doesn't matter if one is a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, humanist, hedonist, or nihilist is an insult to followers of all of those paths (except the nihilist, of course).
Those who believe in a single path above other paths are often accused of being closed-minded or conceited. I am not trying to make a statement of cultural superiority. (How could I? My culture doesn't embody this good news.) This is a statement of the superiority of Jesus of Nazareth. Also, while following Jesus is the exclusively true path, it is not a path of exclusion. No person is barred from following Jesus by nature of their birthplace, ethnicity, gender, past evildoing, or any other trait. All people are invited to follow Jesus.
--Pray. Talk to God. Acknowledge your need for Him. Ask Him to lead you and guide you. Praise Him for His goodness.
--Seek out a mentor. Find someone who walks with God, someone from whom you know you could learn some things, and ask to spend time with him or her on a regular basis. This takes intentionality. You have to go after it. It's not easy to find someone and get going, but the benefits will prove to be more than worth the effort.
--Get involved in a church. By "church," I mean a group of people following God together. This can look different in different circumstances; it might be Sunday morning in a pew or Tuesday night in someone's living room. The important thing is that this group is seeking God, doing life together, and loving the people around them. In addition to its own benefits (see part four on needing other people), this is probably where you'll find a mentor.
--Read the Bible. The Bible is a record of God revealing Himself to humanity, and it serves as our primary written guide for life. It's also a "living book," because as you read it, you will find it changing you in ways other books do not. For better or worse, it's not a simple book to read. There's no one perfect place to start, but many people recommend the book of John (the fourth book of the New Testament), and I suppose that's as good a place as any to get going. As a supplement, consider How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth, by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart.
If you have reservations about following this path, ignore them. Wait... no... that would be ridiculous. Explore your thoughts and feelings. What gives you pause, and why? Talk with someone about it. (I'm available! Blog comment, email, phone...) For intellectual reservations, a good place to start is The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel.
I'd like to address one common reservation. If you genuinely consider this good news I've been sharing, you have probably recognized that following Jesus is an exclusive path. The idea of any spiritual path being true at the exclusion of other paths is highly unpopular in our world today, but I hope you can see why this is the better way to see things. Frankly, the pluralist perspective ("all roads lead to God") is existentially unsatisfying. In its attempt to validate all spiritual paths, it actually robs every single spiritual path of its meaning. Yes, there are common threads in many religions and philosophies, but the fundamental differences cannot be ignored. To say that it doesn't matter if one is a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, humanist, hedonist, or nihilist is an insult to followers of all of those paths (except the nihilist, of course).
Those who believe in a single path above other paths are often accused of being closed-minded or conceited. I am not trying to make a statement of cultural superiority. (How could I? My culture doesn't embody this good news.) This is a statement of the superiority of Jesus of Nazareth. Also, while following Jesus is the exclusively true path, it is not a path of exclusion. No person is barred from following Jesus by nature of their birthplace, ethnicity, gender, past evildoing, or any other trait. All people are invited to follow Jesus.
Good News: Part Four of Four
So, even though we have corrupted God's beautiful creation, He has pursued us and made restoration possible. Jesus - who is God in the flesh - has shown us the way to life and satisfied God's justice against evil.
How are we to respond to this unfathomable love?
First, any response must be truly humble. It should be clear by now that all goodness comes from God; even those remnants of goodness that we find in ourselves in our tainted state can come from no other source. How could we possibly respond to this true, infinite love that covers our brokenness with pride? Get out of your head (and heart) the idea that you are worthy of even a sliver of the love God lavishes on us.
A humble response consists in acknowledging and acting upon one's needs. Our foremost need is for God Himself. We need His forgiveness for our self-centeredness; we need His enduring, loving presence to fill our lives with true meaning; we need His guidance for every moment from now on.
We also need other people, and we need God in the midst of our relationships. We cannot follow Jesus on our own. How could we love one another without... one another? And how could we expect to follow the demanding path of real love in a world of hatred, division, and counterfeit love, apart from surrounding ourselves with others who shared this vision for real love?
Oddly, a third thing we need is work. We need a mission from God, and the mission He gives us is broader than you might think. It includes the work of empowering the weak, giving a voice to the voiceless, proclaiming that which is good, denouncing evil, teaching about the ways of God, and inviting others to join us in this mission. It also includes creating things - works of art, inventions, organizations, new life, and more. Really, any form of service is a part of God's mission for us, from cleaning house to filing taxes and just about anything you can imagine. When we engage our work God's way, following His leading, this work is transformed. The mundane is infused with value. Where we would once cut corners ethically or engage in outright evil practices, we can now be used by God as agents for that which is good and true, and God can even use us to pull others from evil actions to beautiful actions.
This is heaven. It is the generous gift of God. It starts on this earth for those who embrace Jesus and follow Him. It continues into the afterlife, where it will be freed from the messiness that yet corrupts it in this life.
How are we to respond to this unfathomable love?
First, any response must be truly humble. It should be clear by now that all goodness comes from God; even those remnants of goodness that we find in ourselves in our tainted state can come from no other source. How could we possibly respond to this true, infinite love that covers our brokenness with pride? Get out of your head (and heart) the idea that you are worthy of even a sliver of the love God lavishes on us.
A humble response consists in acknowledging and acting upon one's needs. Our foremost need is for God Himself. We need His forgiveness for our self-centeredness; we need His enduring, loving presence to fill our lives with true meaning; we need His guidance for every moment from now on.
We also need other people, and we need God in the midst of our relationships. We cannot follow Jesus on our own. How could we love one another without... one another? And how could we expect to follow the demanding path of real love in a world of hatred, division, and counterfeit love, apart from surrounding ourselves with others who shared this vision for real love?
Oddly, a third thing we need is work. We need a mission from God, and the mission He gives us is broader than you might think. It includes the work of empowering the weak, giving a voice to the voiceless, proclaiming that which is good, denouncing evil, teaching about the ways of God, and inviting others to join us in this mission. It also includes creating things - works of art, inventions, organizations, new life, and more. Really, any form of service is a part of God's mission for us, from cleaning house to filing taxes and just about anything you can imagine. When we engage our work God's way, following His leading, this work is transformed. The mundane is infused with value. Where we would once cut corners ethically or engage in outright evil practices, we can now be used by God as agents for that which is good and true, and God can even use us to pull others from evil actions to beautiful actions.
This is heaven. It is the generous gift of God. It starts on this earth for those who embrace Jesus and follow Him. It continues into the afterlife, where it will be freed from the messiness that yet corrupts it in this life.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Good News: Part Three of Four
In the midst of the bad news, the love of God is not absent. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Though we have ignored Him, His eye is on us. Though we flounder without Him, He continues to bless us in spite of ourselves. Though we have insulted Him, He pursues us.
His pursuit of us was most dramatically demonstrated two thousand years ago. The incorruptible God of the universe took on corruptible flesh. He voluntarily left the comfort and exaltation of heaven to become one of us. He gave up everything to demonstrate His love for us in a manner we could grasp.
What a beautiful love He has shown us! It is not the self-centered bastardization of love we worship in our culture today. It is a deeply emotional love - God is truly enamored with us - but it is so much deeper than a merely emotional love. It is a volitional love, a faithfulness to us regardless of our faithfulness. The compassion of this love is not so empty as to ignore our faults: God forgives our faults, then empowers us to overcome them.
This is Jesus of Nazareth. He healed the sick. He proclaimed freedom to the oppressed. He gave us a new standard for good, beautiful, and true. He spoke with authority, but as a servant rather than a despot. He taught us how to love one another.
His love is sacrificial. While our relationship with God was yet divided in a way we could not restore, Jesus made restoration possible. He satisfied God's justice against our twisted, broken, self-centered hearts and minds when He was tortured and killed. He was innocent; we are guilty. We deserved what He got. He took the punishment for our crime on His shoulders.
On the third day, He rose from the dead. Historical fact. Proof of His victory over death. We can now have hope that our suffering on this earth means something - it is an opportunity to identify with Jesus in His suffering, and He is our model that suffering has been defeated and will one day disappear. Futility has been defeated and will disappear. Self-centeredness has been defeated and will disappear. Division has been defeated and will disappear.
His pursuit of us was most dramatically demonstrated two thousand years ago. The incorruptible God of the universe took on corruptible flesh. He voluntarily left the comfort and exaltation of heaven to become one of us. He gave up everything to demonstrate His love for us in a manner we could grasp.
What a beautiful love He has shown us! It is not the self-centered bastardization of love we worship in our culture today. It is a deeply emotional love - God is truly enamored with us - but it is so much deeper than a merely emotional love. It is a volitional love, a faithfulness to us regardless of our faithfulness. The compassion of this love is not so empty as to ignore our faults: God forgives our faults, then empowers us to overcome them.
This is Jesus of Nazareth. He healed the sick. He proclaimed freedom to the oppressed. He gave us a new standard for good, beautiful, and true. He spoke with authority, but as a servant rather than a despot. He taught us how to love one another.
His love is sacrificial. While our relationship with God was yet divided in a way we could not restore, Jesus made restoration possible. He satisfied God's justice against our twisted, broken, self-centered hearts and minds when He was tortured and killed. He was innocent; we are guilty. We deserved what He got. He took the punishment for our crime on His shoulders.
On the third day, He rose from the dead. Historical fact. Proof of His victory over death. We can now have hope that our suffering on this earth means something - it is an opportunity to identify with Jesus in His suffering, and He is our model that suffering has been defeated and will one day disappear. Futility has been defeated and will disappear. Self-centeredness has been defeated and will disappear. Division has been defeated and will disappear.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Good News: Part Two of Four
This is the bad news part of the good news.
You shouldn't be alarmed by that. If you've been around this world any length of time, you know all too clearly that there's a lot of bad news. You also know that much good news tastes sweeter because of the contrast between bad news and good news. As finite creatures, we experience the brilliance of light more deeply in its contrast with darkness.
So, what is the bad news? You don't need me to tell you. Famine; war; disease; oppression; murder; adultery; jealousy; hatred; greed; lust; pride. Good things tainted, twisted, warped, and broken. In the work of our hands, it means futility. Within our hearts and minds, it means self-centeredness. In our most sacred relationships, it means division.
This includes division between us and God. In our natural state, our self-centeredness is a slap in the face of the God whom we should rightfully consider the center of everything. This self-centered condition creates an enduring division between us and God, as we proclaim by both action and inaction that we do not need God. He is justifiably angered and grieved, and we continue in a state of empty narcissism.
This is hell. It is our just reward. It starts here on earth. If nothing changes about this state of affairs, it continues into the afterlife, where it will be robbed of the shades of light that can yet be known in this life. In our natural state of being, there is nothing we can do on our own to climb out of this pit.
You shouldn't be alarmed by that. If you've been around this world any length of time, you know all too clearly that there's a lot of bad news. You also know that much good news tastes sweeter because of the contrast between bad news and good news. As finite creatures, we experience the brilliance of light more deeply in its contrast with darkness.
So, what is the bad news? You don't need me to tell you. Famine; war; disease; oppression; murder; adultery; jealousy; hatred; greed; lust; pride. Good things tainted, twisted, warped, and broken. In the work of our hands, it means futility. Within our hearts and minds, it means self-centeredness. In our most sacred relationships, it means division.
This includes division between us and God. In our natural state, our self-centeredness is a slap in the face of the God whom we should rightfully consider the center of everything. This self-centered condition creates an enduring division between us and God, as we proclaim by both action and inaction that we do not need God. He is justifiably angered and grieved, and we continue in a state of empty narcissism.
This is hell. It is our just reward. It starts here on earth. If nothing changes about this state of affairs, it continues into the afterlife, where it will be robbed of the shades of light that can yet be known in this life. In our natural state of being, there is nothing we can do on our own to climb out of this pit.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Good News: Part One of Four
Before the beginning, God is love - Father, Son, and Spirit living in perfect community, perfect harmony. Out of the overflow of this love, God created the heavens and the earth. Everything that exists is a result of His love and finds its meaning in Him.
You are a result of His love, and your true meaning is in Him.
Your family, friends, community, and any work that you put your hands to are the results of His love, and they all find their true meaning in Him.
You are a result of His love, and your true meaning is in Him.
Your family, friends, community, and any work that you put your hands to are the results of His love, and they all find their true meaning in Him.
Good News: Preface
As we've been seeing friends and family in Colorado and Wisconsin, it's been an honor to hear many people say that they've been reading the blog throughout the summer. Thank you! We're blessed to know that so many people care. (You care. Thanks.)
I'd like to take a few posts to talk about our base motivations, the deepest truths that drive us to do what we do. Some of you share these motivations, and others do not. It is my prayer that those of you who don't share them will genuinely consider them. I ask this not because my thoughts are anything special; while the words here are mine, none of this is truly original. To say it another way, this is very personal, but it is not unique to us - it is God's truth for all people as He has revealed Himself throughout human history. So, please chew on it, and feel free to ask questions if you have any.
I'd like to take a few posts to talk about our base motivations, the deepest truths that drive us to do what we do. Some of you share these motivations, and others do not. It is my prayer that those of you who don't share them will genuinely consider them. I ask this not because my thoughts are anything special; while the words here are mine, none of this is truly original. To say it another way, this is very personal, but it is not unique to us - it is God's truth for all people as He has revealed Himself throughout human history. So, please chew on it, and feel free to ask questions if you have any.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
London in eight hours - or less!
Step One: Arrive at Heathrow with an eight-hour layover and wisely decide not to drive yourself crazy by spending all eight of those hours in the airport.
Step Two: Go through customs and pay through the nose to ride the underground (mind the gap) to Covent Garden.
Step Three: Walk around a bit. (Pictured here is genuine Church of England, Tony! St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, a house of worship for the past 375 years. Smelled of incense inside & the whole deal. Could’ve celebrated the Eucharist at 1:00pm if we hadn’t had a plane to catch.)
Step Four:
British Museum. Free, and chock full of good stuff that the Brits plundered from all sorts of civilizations over the years. Best relic - the Rosetta Stone, which Meggan deciphered in approximately twelve minutes, leaving plenty of time for shenanigans like getting scared by a scarab beetle. (Hey, it’s not like you can really appreciate it all the way it deserves to be when you’ve been up since 3:30am local time, but we did our best.)
Step Five: Grab a tasty lunch, then back on the tube to the airport.
Step Six: Back through security with plenty of time to spare, compose a lovely blog post, then find the lack of free WiFi disturbing. Wait to publish the post until later.
We’re back in Denver - woohoo!! It really does feel great to be home, seeing good friends, sleeping in our own bed (for two nights, at least). We’ve also had a good time lately naming our “bests” and “favorites” from these two months (“best meal,” “favorite tourist site,” etc.).
Another snippet of God’s leading from our summer: We’re thinking about working with high school youth in the greater Madrid area. It feels right to have our focus narrowing like that. At the moment, we think this would be primarily my ministry involvement, while Meggan would be in a supportive role, perhaps mentoring young women and (*gasp*) raising a kid.
Caution - shameless tourist...
Step Two: Go through customs and pay through the nose to ride the underground (mind the gap) to Covent Garden.
Step Three: Walk around a bit. (Pictured here is genuine Church of England, Tony! St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, a house of worship for the past 375 years. Smelled of incense inside & the whole deal. Could’ve celebrated the Eucharist at 1:00pm if we hadn’t had a plane to catch.)Step Four:
British Museum. Free, and chock full of good stuff that the Brits plundered from all sorts of civilizations over the years. Best relic - the Rosetta Stone, which Meggan deciphered in approximately twelve minutes, leaving plenty of time for shenanigans like getting scared by a scarab beetle. (Hey, it’s not like you can really appreciate it all the way it deserves to be when you’ve been up since 3:30am local time, but we did our best.)Step Five: Grab a tasty lunch, then back on the tube to the airport.
Step Six: Back through security with plenty of time to spare, compose a lovely blog post, then find the lack of free WiFi disturbing. Wait to publish the post until later.
We’re back in Denver - woohoo!! It really does feel great to be home, seeing good friends, sleeping in our own bed (for two nights, at least). We’ve also had a good time lately naming our “bests” and “favorites” from these two months (“best meal,” “favorite tourist site,” etc.).
Another snippet of God’s leading from our summer: We’re thinking about working with high school youth in the greater Madrid area. It feels right to have our focus narrowing like that. At the moment, we think this would be primarily my ministry involvement, while Meggan would be in a supportive role, perhaps mentoring young women and (*gasp*) raising a kid.
Caution - shameless tourist...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tying a Bow On the Trip
Sara and Ana, two campers. Sara became Ana’s big sister over the course of a week, largely because Sara cared for Ana more than her actual big sister does. Sara knows Jesus, and it shows.
This is us with our friends Mariano and María after a fun day at a theme park. (Spanish lesson - “Esa montaña rusa me mareó.” = “That rollercoaster made me queasy.”)
Liliana and Meggan are happy after a little Spanish coffee and chocolate-filled croissant.
The Roman aqueduct in Segovia is still strong, beautiful, and awe-inspiring after more than 2,000 years.
The cathedral in Segovia. (That's for you, Chone-chone!)
Nicole Gudeman “pets a horse” at the castle in Segovia.
Meggan with Angel, Sheryl, Navi, Nicole, and Ed Gudeman.We leave Spain in 20 hours! (On a 7am flight... followed by an eight-hour layover in London...) We think we’ll go into town in London to see Covent Gardens and/or the British Museum. We’ll get to Denver Wednesday evening local time, have two days of unpacking, repacking, and seeing friends, and then hit the road for the Midwest on Saturday.
So, what has God been teaching us during our time here? Where do we sense he is leading us next? It has been a rich time, and we couldn’t do it all justice in blog format. We will continue to share more about our answers to these two questions in the coming weeks, but for now, I’ll just say one thing:
God is faithful; he is in control; and he knows what he’s doing.
Monday, July 21, 2008
¡Cachorro!
A PUPPY!!!! (Not for us, but hey, we can still celebrate!)Sunday the Gudemans invited us to join them as they went to a local dog rescue area. Against their expectations to wait a few more days, they came home with a dog that very day. It was a privilege to be a part of the family moment... not to mention fun for us as dog-lovers (rumor has it Meggan asks me if we can get a dog a few times a day). Navi, the newest Gudeman, was found by the shelter on Christmas Day (Navidad in Spanish; hence, the name). They're actually the second family to take her home from the shelter, but the vice which brought her back the first time is not a problem for the Gudemans (she digs holes; nowhere to dig in an apartment). She's a lovely pup - we didn't hear her bark once, and she already knows that the kitchen is off-limits. We'll check with them soon to see how the first night went.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Not Much News, but Clowns and Jellyfish
Monday night was the big performance of Wet Side Story. It was a long day keeping the children from 8:30am until 6:30pm (when they started getting ready), but it all worked out in the end.
Tuesday, we took the children to an Aquarium. Though Aquarium is a bit of a strong word. There is a really nice Aquarium attached to the zoo here, but it was a little too expensive. So, instead, someone found a pet store that sells fish and gerbils and has two levels of exhibits in the basement. There were several very large snakes, including a yellow and white snake which I'd never seen before, little Australian squirrels that look sort of like tiny raccoons, a very sad looking armadillo, prairie dogs, a giant dinosaur-looking turtle, spiders, and several fish. Not bad for 2€ a kid. Then, we went to McDonalds and bought the kids ice cream cones.
I'm not going to lie. It was pretty delicious. But, I've always been a sucker for soft-serve, or as the beautiful people of Vermont call it, Creamy.We'd like to live in Vermont one day.
Ben and I have enjoyed several nice walks lately. It is really common for people to walk at night because the sun sets so late here. One night, Ben and I totally disagreed on how to get home. He was definitely right.
Yesterday, we walked about 3 miles to pick up tickets to Swan Lake in Madrid. Ben surprised me and is taking me to celebrate our 50th Month-iversary. What a guy!
Last night, we went to a park and a plaza, all dressed up to try and attract children to come to the camp next week. Currently we only have four children this session. So, it would be great if more kids came...but not too many as we have limited space and disciplinary skills. It was really fun though. Our friend, Dario, is a professional clown. So, he was the main part of the "show."That's about it. Like the title says, not much news. We are enjoying ourselves, but we're anxious to go home, see friends and family, meet our new niece. When I think about living here, I know that I'll be able to do it. There will be some things that I'll love; others that I'll hate. For example, the peaches here continue to be amazing, but I really don't like croquetas (small, deep-fried nuggets of mashed meat and milk). I realize that's a really stupid example. Let me think of a better one. The people here are so loving, the city is filled with beautiful, green parks, the architecture (though we haven't seen a ton) is rich, and the coffee is delicious (back to food again, Meggan!). Not to mention that the Gudeman family is a huge draw for me to return here. I really enjoy talking with and hanging out with their kids, Mark, Angela, and Nicole. On the other hand, other things I don't like so much. Fashion is so important here - everyone is always dressed up. I'll miss the casual feel of the US. And obviously family will always be what I miss the most.
That said, I am grateful to God for the opportunity to return here if it is his will. This may be a country of hard soil for the gospel, but it is a wonderful place in many ways. So...join us!
Until next time,
-meggan
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Day in the Life: Friday, July 11
We woke up around 6:45am, in time to see the sunrise. Liliana (our flat-mate and co-worker at the camp), Meggan, and I left our flat just after 7:30. We took the Metro (underground) and arrived at ARS School of Music and the Arts by 8:45.
The urban camp has eight kids enrolled for two-plus weeks, Monday through Friday, 9am-2pm. The kids have time in music, dance, painting, English, crafts, and theatre. Our primary role this day was to finish the costumes (or, as Meggan prefers to call them, “wearable crafts”) for the camp production of “Wet Side Story,” a bilingual musical about dolphins and jellyfish becoming friends and cleaning up the ocean together after an oil spill. Here’s Meggan working on a fish costume:
It’s good to get the kids outside for a while, so half of the adults went with them to the park for their mid-morning snack. Also in the park, they had their time with Nestor the painter (a very talented Bolivian with a gallery in Toledo) decorating traditional fans with finger-paint.
The late morning (translation: 12:30-2:00pm) was spent in rehearsal for the play. The last of the parents didn’t come for the kids until, say, 3pm, after which we ate lunch together as a team (this is a normal lunch time in Spain – lunch is the big meal, dinner is a little smaller, and both are shifted about 3 hours later than we’re used to in the U.S.). Our team is multicultural/multinational; Meggan and I are two of three white Americans, and two of the adjunct music teachers are Spaniards, but no two other people come from the same cultural background (on a team of 13). Here our flat-mate Liliana (who is Mexican) shows off a salad made by the professional chef on our team, Anthony (a Greek guy raised in England):
After lunch and a brief team meeting, Meggan and I got haircuts. We went to a nearby salon, where a good friend of the camp directors gave us great cuts with European style. For me that meant she didn’t trim my neckline as much as I would normally like (mullets are cool here for some reason), but her general hair advice was great – grow it out & get highlights (coming soon in a few months). As for Meggan, she got the best haircut she’s ever had. Afterwards, we took a leisurely stroll through the largest of Madrid’s many spacious natural areas, where we enjoyed a delicious Spanish melon.
Then we took the Metro to Lavapiés, a picturesque neighborhood with a population more international than our team (and the stores and restaurants to show for it). We walked around a bit, then sat on a park bench reading good books and people-watching.
At 8:30 we met our friend Enric, the director of the Pequeños Gigantes camp from the week before. He took us to his apartment, most of which is the buhardilla (attic) of his building, low-slanted roofs and all. We sincerely enjoyed one another’s company for about three hours over a delicious three-course meal.
We took the Metro home and got to bed a little after 12:30. All in all, a full and fulfilling day. (We slept very well; thanks for asking.)
Monday, July 7, 2008
All Good Gifts
Before we left for Aguas Vivas, Meggan and I took some time to pray, reflect, and collect ourselves after the news that we received on Friday night (see previous entry).
In that time, the Lord told Meggan that the week would be a gift to us. And it was. Aguas Vivas is a camp facility situated about an hour north of Madrid. It is absolutely beautiful, as you can see.
We joined the director, Enrique, and the team of counselors: Eugenio, Luna, Marta, Dámaris, Mariano, María, Juan-An. The team was so wonderful; we felt immediately welcomed into the family.
We arrived at the site on Saturday night to decorate. We weren't really sure what could take all night and the next morning, but that's because we'd never seen a camp so lovingly decorated. The theme was the story of Joseph; thus the decoration theme was Egypt. We cut out and painted nearly life-size mummies, Egyptian people, hung posters and Egyptian characters, prepared games, and finally went out to dinner as a team in the late-night Spanish style.
The 24 children arrived Sunday afternoon, and the fun began! In total, there ended up being 27 children as three more arrived. The days were filled with daily tournament games outside,
trips to the local pool, crafts, workshops, and night activities. Several times Meggan was very nostaligic, remembering her very precious summer working at Arrowhead Bible Camp when she was 19.
In terms of the language, Meggan went through the normal feelings of frustration and joy as she learned and learned more. By the end of the week, she was more comfortable than ever, both in the quickness with which words would come to mind when speaking & in the ability to understand the accent. As for me, the week was a time of IMMENSE growth in the language; there's nothing like immersion, and this was our one week interacting heavily with people who spoke almost no English. In addition to comfort in speaking and listening, I picked up some important vocabulary for using in conversation with Spanish boys - words like culo (butt), pedo (fart), eructo (burp), and mocos (snot).
We continue to learn flexibility here. Meggan had prepared a dance to teach the children in her workshop; however, she shared the workshop with another counselor, and the workshop only met 2 days. Thus, they only had time to learn the other counselor's dance. She still enjoyed herself very much.
We are now back in Madrid, staying in the sixth and last apartment of our time here. It is a lovely apartment (huge in fact) that is owned by a local church. It is close to the metro and a grocery store - so we're very well settled.
Speaking of flexibility again, we have been assigned to head up the crafts for the next three weeks, though Meggan had planned to teach or assist in teaching the dance classes. We are slowly learning what it means to be open to serve in all ways. We will also meet with various other missionaries in the weeks to come, including the Gudemans who have recently returned to Spain. We also have a few "dates" with the counselors from Aguas Vivas.
Thank you for all your prayers and emails. Meggan sat in the Music School this afternoon, very teary-eyed, feeling very loved by all your emails of encouragement. We are learning what it means to trust. It is a place of contentment, even when we don't understand. Love to you all.
In that time, the Lord told Meggan that the week would be a gift to us. And it was. Aguas Vivas is a camp facility situated about an hour north of Madrid. It is absolutely beautiful, as you can see.We joined the director, Enrique, and the team of counselors: Eugenio, Luna, Marta, Dámaris, Mariano, María, Juan-An. The team was so wonderful; we felt immediately welcomed into the family.
We arrived at the site on Saturday night to decorate. We weren't really sure what could take all night and the next morning, but that's because we'd never seen a camp so lovingly decorated. The theme was the story of Joseph; thus the decoration theme was Egypt. We cut out and painted nearly life-size mummies, Egyptian people, hung posters and Egyptian characters, prepared games, and finally went out to dinner as a team in the late-night Spanish style.The 24 children arrived Sunday afternoon, and the fun began! In total, there ended up being 27 children as three more arrived. The days were filled with daily tournament games outside,
trips to the local pool, crafts, workshops, and night activities. Several times Meggan was very nostaligic, remembering her very precious summer working at Arrowhead Bible Camp when she was 19.In terms of the language, Meggan went through the normal feelings of frustration and joy as she learned and learned more. By the end of the week, she was more comfortable than ever, both in the quickness with which words would come to mind when speaking & in the ability to understand the accent. As for me, the week was a time of IMMENSE growth in the language; there's nothing like immersion, and this was our one week interacting heavily with people who spoke almost no English. In addition to comfort in speaking and listening, I picked up some important vocabulary for using in conversation with Spanish boys - words like culo (butt), pedo (fart), eructo (burp), and mocos (snot).
We continue to learn flexibility here. Meggan had prepared a dance to teach the children in her workshop; however, she shared the workshop with another counselor, and the workshop only met 2 days. Thus, they only had time to learn the other counselor's dance. She still enjoyed herself very much.
We are now back in Madrid, staying in the sixth and last apartment of our time here. It is a lovely apartment (huge in fact) that is owned by a local church. It is close to the metro and a grocery store - so we're very well settled.
Speaking of flexibility again, we have been assigned to head up the crafts for the next three weeks, though Meggan had planned to teach or assist in teaching the dance classes. We are slowly learning what it means to be open to serve in all ways. We will also meet with various other missionaries in the weeks to come, including the Gudemans who have recently returned to Spain. We also have a few "dates" with the counselors from Aguas Vivas.
Thank you for all your prayers and emails. Meggan sat in the Music School this afternoon, very teary-eyed, feeling very loved by all your emails of encouragement. We are learning what it means to trust. It is a place of contentment, even when we don't understand. Love to you all.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Dazed and Confused
Last night, Ben and I met with Héctor, director of the school of music and dance in Madrid that we once considered Aslan Center for the Performing Arts. As it turns out, the website is out of date, and the ministry once called Aslan does not actually exist. What it has been for the past year is a school of music and dance, owned and directed by Héctor and his wife, Lilli. Most of the faculty are non-believers. The ministry strategy is completely based on relationship building, or friendship evangelism. Nothing about the school is overtly Christian by any means.
Anyways, we met with Héctor last night (Lilli was teaching a class). We'd been anticipating this meeting for over a year. I, in particular, felt that I had a lot riding on this meeting. Seeing the website and their ministry (obviously at the time we didn't know that it was out of date) was really the first time that I said, "Yes, Lord, I will go." It seemed to be the perfect fit, even in light of the new information about their ministry focus (the school is what always interested me more than the performance troupe the old website spoke of).
However, Héctor told me last night that I need a degree in dance, preferably a major, perhaps a minor, to teach there. This is a legal requirement of Spain, he said. I told him that I didn't have a degree in dance. He said that I could be an assistant teacher and still help in other ways, but Ben and I still feel very... well... dazed and confused. Is this a door closing? I had asked that day for a big sign, telling God that I wanted to be on his path, not just a "good" path. Is this that sign? We do not know.
What I do know is that I feel at peace. Or perhaps shocked? I don't know what the future holds. God is in control. Please pray for wisdom and discernment. Please pray for me that I wouldn't believe things that the enemy would want me to believe, like that I've been fooling myself all this time, thinking I was good enough to teach dance. Or that I don't have a place in Spain at all, only Ben does. I'm struggling with questions like that right now. Are my degrees worthless?
Lord, I cling to your word. Isaiah 30:19-21
19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Anyways, we met with Héctor last night (Lilli was teaching a class). We'd been anticipating this meeting for over a year. I, in particular, felt that I had a lot riding on this meeting. Seeing the website and their ministry (obviously at the time we didn't know that it was out of date) was really the first time that I said, "Yes, Lord, I will go." It seemed to be the perfect fit, even in light of the new information about their ministry focus (the school is what always interested me more than the performance troupe the old website spoke of).
However, Héctor told me last night that I need a degree in dance, preferably a major, perhaps a minor, to teach there. This is a legal requirement of Spain, he said. I told him that I didn't have a degree in dance. He said that I could be an assistant teacher and still help in other ways, but Ben and I still feel very... well... dazed and confused. Is this a door closing? I had asked that day for a big sign, telling God that I wanted to be on his path, not just a "good" path. Is this that sign? We do not know.
What I do know is that I feel at peace. Or perhaps shocked? I don't know what the future holds. God is in control. Please pray for wisdom and discernment. Please pray for me that I wouldn't believe things that the enemy would want me to believe, like that I've been fooling myself all this time, thinking I was good enough to teach dance. Or that I don't have a place in Spain at all, only Ben does. I'm struggling with questions like that right now. Are my degrees worthless?
Lord, I cling to your word. Isaiah 30:19-21
19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Friday, June 27, 2008
Good food, blessed couple
Do we look happy? Well, yesterday was a pleasant day. This is us in front of the national library after enjoying a free museum, some window shopping, and a pleasant stroll. Just an hour later, we would be enjoying our first meal in a restaurant we would recommend to others - delicious, great atmosphere, and reasonable prices. And, I guessed the right bathroom ("C" is for "Caballeros").
Spaniards have been happy lately, too. Spain is on to the final of the Euro Cup against Germany after giving Russia a drubbing for the second time in the tournament. This shot is from the Plaza de Colón (Colón = Columbus), where lots of folks gather to watch the games. I decided to stay away from the Plaza and the pubs, which I'm sure were crazy again last night. Alas, we will miss the final......because it's Sunday night, and we'll be up at Aguas Vivas (Living Waters) by then. Aguas Vivas is a retreat center where one of the churches we're connected with is having its children's camp next week (they call the week Pequeños Gigantes = Little Giants). We will go there tomorrow and get back to Madrid next Sunday. While there, we'll be corralling the kids, teaching dance (Meggan) and rhythm (Ben as the assistant) workshops, doing a dance for the kids during the counselor talent show, teaching two Bible lessons (Meggan), and doing whatever else our wonderful leader Enrique tells us to do.
Please pray for us throughout the week; it will probably be our most intensive immersion experience, which is a great learning opportunity and probably a high-stress environment. In addition, we might not have much time alone together to encourage one another, so we will need to press into the Lord (and be creative in carving out some time together). Also, of course, pray for the camp kids. The church's hope is that we will have a mix of Christian kids and their non-Christian friends. Pray that God would be at work in children's hearts and minds (and in their parents' lives as well).
We probably will not have net access all week, so we expect this will be our last post for awhile. When we return to Madrid, we will jump into ministry with ARS School of Music and the Arts. ARS has day camps throughout July. Tonight we are meeting with the directors, Héctor and Lilli Ramírez, to discuss our roles with them. We have been anticipating this conversation for a long time! Meggan could potentially see herself serving with ARS when we come here in the future. We'll have more to share about all that a couple weeks down the road.
A pretty tree in Retiro Park. Hasta luego.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Church, Chorizo, and a Good Cry
Church
Yesterday, our fourth Sunday in Spain, we attended La Elipa Church, named for the neighborhood in which it is located. What a wonderful experience. We arrived at 10:30am for Sunday School, basically a bible study in the main room. The topic was evangelism, particularly an examination of what is a personal testimony. Lots of interaction between the leader and the listeners, even a question from a young girl who was visiting with a friend. There is a lot to be said about the Spanish quality of speaking your mind. There is little walking on eggshells here.
The service began at 11:30am with a few songs. Unfortunately, they didn't have overheads for all of them, so Ben and I had to clap and look a bit stupid as everyone else sang. Then, there was a time to share a reading if the Spirit led, or to pray out loud. Several songs were requested during this time, which the band played. The sermon followed, on Matthew 14: Jesus walking on the water. I understood about 90% of the sermon. It was really wonderful. The speaker hypothesized that the reason Peter starts to sink in the water is not because he doubts that Jesus is God, all powerful, and certainly greater than the storm. Of course Peter knew that Jesus was greater. Rather, Peter doubted because he perhaps started to feel that he was unworthy to be walking out to Jesus on the water. He started realizing his own overwhelming sin, his insignificance compared to Jesus. In that moment, Peter's eyes left Jesus: that is why he started sinking.
That was quite profound for me. I've been recently thinking, God, why me? Don't you know that moving overseas will probably be harder for me than for a lot of people? Don't you know that I will really miss my family, that I want a "normal" life, etc. And of course, God knows all of that. None of those things are surprises to him. That is both comforting and freeing. I don't have to try to squelch those parts of me. God knows those parts of me; he made me to love my family and cherish home.
And yet he still chose me to do this. I don't know why, and I don't have to know why. Or perhaps it is more so that he has called all of us to go. Could it be that most of us wait for a call to go, don't hear it, and thus stay? But, the Great Commission is clear, calling us all. Could it be that we should be waiting for a call to stay? Should "Go!" be the default? For anyone considering mission, Western Europe is a dark place, needing the light of Christ. Come with us! (Enough preaching for now.)
Back to church. After the sermon, the floor was again opened for people to share thoughts, request songs, lead prayers, etc. We then took communion. It was perfectly silent and the bread and wine (interestingly white) were passed. Each ate or drank as the bread or cup came, and I missed the communal aspect at Bethany (our church in Littleton).
However, as a whole, I had never experienced such a community-oriented service ever before. I felt like I was seeing the body in worship together. It was a really special time.
Chorizo (by Ben)
Last night provided a neat moment around 11:20pm. I stepped onto our back patio to hear the whole country of Spain celebrating the victory over Italy in the Euro Cup. What a noise!
The experience
was oddly sweetened by the fact that I was feeling okay. About nine hours earlier, I made the dubious decision to go for the chorizo sandwich at lunch. Mr. Sausage left me the direction he came around the 78th minute of the soccer match, and if you're like me, you can identify with the fact that I felt much better after vomiting. (In honor of all our art museum trips, we'll give this picture a name - "Sweet Recovery.") He still did a minor number on my sleeping - my normal resting postures brought on waves of mini-nausea, so I had to sleep on my back (fitfully) until around 5:45am, and my lower back is rather sore this morning.
And that, my dear friends, is a faithful rendering of all my dealings with Sr. Chorizo. For its veracity you can appeal to my lovely wife, who babied me tremendously well in my time of need.
A Good Cry (back to Meggan)
After church, we attended a meeting for La Elipa's camp to be held at a facility called Aguas Vivas (living waters). Unfortunately, the three hour meeting was far from pleasant for me, though of course the people are all lovely and the camp will be great for the 23 children currently registered. The group of people going up have been friends for some time and have worked many camps before. In addition, all had many ideas and thoughts to share. All that adds up to many jokes, fast talking, and many talking at once. Sadly, I only understood about 25% of the meeting, despite all my straining. It was very frustrating and discouraging, and I left with not a small headache. For the first time, I thought, "I can't do this."
After getting home, I cried a little, but was encouraged by Héctor, the director of the arts camp, who assured me that Spaniards speak very quickly, even for him, a native South American Spanish-speaker. His words were kind, but I know that the week at Aguas Vivas will be very challenging for me.
Please continue to keep language acquisition in your prayers for both of us.
Yesterday, our fourth Sunday in Spain, we attended La Elipa Church, named for the neighborhood in which it is located. What a wonderful experience. We arrived at 10:30am for Sunday School, basically a bible study in the main room. The topic was evangelism, particularly an examination of what is a personal testimony. Lots of interaction between the leader and the listeners, even a question from a young girl who was visiting with a friend. There is a lot to be said about the Spanish quality of speaking your mind. There is little walking on eggshells here.
The service began at 11:30am with a few songs. Unfortunately, they didn't have overheads for all of them, so Ben and I had to clap and look a bit stupid as everyone else sang. Then, there was a time to share a reading if the Spirit led, or to pray out loud. Several songs were requested during this time, which the band played. The sermon followed, on Matthew 14: Jesus walking on the water. I understood about 90% of the sermon. It was really wonderful. The speaker hypothesized that the reason Peter starts to sink in the water is not because he doubts that Jesus is God, all powerful, and certainly greater than the storm. Of course Peter knew that Jesus was greater. Rather, Peter doubted because he perhaps started to feel that he was unworthy to be walking out to Jesus on the water. He started realizing his own overwhelming sin, his insignificance compared to Jesus. In that moment, Peter's eyes left Jesus: that is why he started sinking.
That was quite profound for me. I've been recently thinking, God, why me? Don't you know that moving overseas will probably be harder for me than for a lot of people? Don't you know that I will really miss my family, that I want a "normal" life, etc. And of course, God knows all of that. None of those things are surprises to him. That is both comforting and freeing. I don't have to try to squelch those parts of me. God knows those parts of me; he made me to love my family and cherish home.
And yet he still chose me to do this. I don't know why, and I don't have to know why. Or perhaps it is more so that he has called all of us to go. Could it be that most of us wait for a call to go, don't hear it, and thus stay? But, the Great Commission is clear, calling us all. Could it be that we should be waiting for a call to stay? Should "Go!" be the default? For anyone considering mission, Western Europe is a dark place, needing the light of Christ. Come with us! (Enough preaching for now.)
Back to church. After the sermon, the floor was again opened for people to share thoughts, request songs, lead prayers, etc. We then took communion. It was perfectly silent and the bread and wine (interestingly white) were passed. Each ate or drank as the bread or cup came, and I missed the communal aspect at Bethany (our church in Littleton).
However, as a whole, I had never experienced such a community-oriented service ever before. I felt like I was seeing the body in worship together. It was a really special time.
Chorizo (by Ben)
Last night provided a neat moment around 11:20pm. I stepped onto our back patio to hear the whole country of Spain celebrating the victory over Italy in the Euro Cup. What a noise!
The experience
was oddly sweetened by the fact that I was feeling okay. About nine hours earlier, I made the dubious decision to go for the chorizo sandwich at lunch. Mr. Sausage left me the direction he came around the 78th minute of the soccer match, and if you're like me, you can identify with the fact that I felt much better after vomiting. (In honor of all our art museum trips, we'll give this picture a name - "Sweet Recovery.") He still did a minor number on my sleeping - my normal resting postures brought on waves of mini-nausea, so I had to sleep on my back (fitfully) until around 5:45am, and my lower back is rather sore this morning.And that, my dear friends, is a faithful rendering of all my dealings with Sr. Chorizo. For its veracity you can appeal to my lovely wife, who babied me tremendously well in my time of need.
A Good Cry (back to Meggan)
After church, we attended a meeting for La Elipa's camp to be held at a facility called Aguas Vivas (living waters). Unfortunately, the three hour meeting was far from pleasant for me, though of course the people are all lovely and the camp will be great for the 23 children currently registered. The group of people going up have been friends for some time and have worked many camps before. In addition, all had many ideas and thoughts to share. All that adds up to many jokes, fast talking, and many talking at once. Sadly, I only understood about 25% of the meeting, despite all my straining. It was very frustrating and discouraging, and I left with not a small headache. For the first time, I thought, "I can't do this."
After getting home, I cried a little, but was encouraged by Héctor, the director of the arts camp, who assured me that Spaniards speak very quickly, even for him, a native South American Spanish-speaker. His words were kind, but I know that the week at Aguas Vivas will be very challenging for me.
Please continue to keep language acquisition in your prayers for both of us.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Superficial likes and dislikes about Spain
Likes...in no particular order
1. Peaches are in season here, and I really love peaches. The spanish word for peach (for all you language buffs) is "el melocotón."
2. Public transportation is amazing. The Metro (underground) and the Renfe Cercanías (above ground) are very efficient and inexpensive train systems.
3. The countryside is really lovely. We took the Renfe to El Escorial on Monday. The hour and a half ride was mostly in the rain, but the country was so green and beautiful. Once we reached El Escorial, we were taken by car to little cities nearby. Wildflowers and tall grasses covered the land.
4. Friends in Spain are friends for life. It takes a little longer to make friends here (so we've been told), but once made, they are fiercely loyal and honest. Spaniards will definitely tell you if they don't like your new haircut. Even if you don't ask.
5. IKEA.
6. You can order a cup of coffee and stay as long as you want in a restaurant.
7. The coffee (café con leche) is quite good.
8. Having a clothes-line in the back yard.
9. Lots of dogs everywhere.
10. Lots of Fanta or Trina flavors.
11. The juxtaposition of old and new architecture.
12. Quite a bit of green space in the cities since most people live in apartments, not houses.
13. Relatively inexpensive travel within Europe.
14. Lots of walking everywhere. Even at night, it is really safe to walk. Walking just for fun is called "pasear."
15. Learning to REALLY cook from scratch.
16. The possibility of raising kids who could be fluent in another language.
17. Trying new foods.
18. Big apartments aren't that uncommon. I always want to have a place for guests to stay with us comfortably.
19. Lots of common space where people just hang out.
20. Going out to eat with friends is to enjoy "sobremesa," which means the talking. Food is important, too, but that hanging out is more important.
21. Nutella.
Dislikes...in no particular order either.
1. Late nights. I have never been a night person, but I'm getting better. The sun sets here at about 10/10:30pm in the summer, so it is always later than you think it is, which helps. All the same, I prefer early mornings. But, breakfast at 7am is pretty tough because no one eats lunch before 2pm.
2. Children can begin school at age 2 or 3. It is not mandatory until age 5 or 6, but breaking the norm can bring criticism to your door. See number 4 above.
3. The summer is really hot in Madrid. But, come to think about it, it is hot everywhere in the summer. Even in the Shire...I mean, Wisconsin: the Shire of my heart.
4. The Spanish fry a lot of food; bad for my cholesterol. But, the churros aren't really my thing anyways. The cup of chocolate, on the other hand...or should I say warm chocolate pudding!
5. The "new tolerance" of Postmodernism is very strong here. Certainly it's in the US, too. But, there we continue to live with the false illusion that we're still a "Christian" culture. The same problems face youth today in Spain: pressure to smoke, drink, have sex etc. But, here it is a lot more visible everywhere.
6. Life is very expensive in Madrid.
7. Lots of poop on the sidewalks, but not as much as I thought. The price of lots of doggies around, I guess.
8. You can't walk on the grass in public places.
9. Family very far away.
10. I can't find Teriyaki sauce or hummus anywhere.
11. Milk isn't always refrigerated. I like really cold milk.
12. People have mentioned not having chocolate chips. I'd rather chop up some awesome chocolate to make cookies, personally. But, still - what is so special about chocolate chips that makes them so "rare" and expensive here? Let's work on this, import people.
13. Learning to REALLY cook from scratch.
14. Knowing that no matter how long I live here, in many ways I will always be an outsider.
15. The constant process of learning to understand EVERY word people say, not just getting the "jist" of what they're saying.
16. Dryers (for clothes) aren't that common here, but you can find them.
17. The possibility of our future kids never knowing normal life in the US; being far away from extended family; being "third- culture kids."
18. In our garden, there is an enormous, black, flying, buzzing bug.
19. Lots of nudity in advertisements.
20. Learning to drive here and passing the very difficult exam here will be a huge step of faith for me. Some drivers are crazy!
21. When you order shrimp in a restaurant, they come with their heads still on.
1. Peaches are in season here, and I really love peaches. The spanish word for peach (for all you language buffs) is "el melocotón."
2. Public transportation is amazing. The Metro (underground) and the Renfe Cercanías (above ground) are very efficient and inexpensive train systems.
3. The countryside is really lovely. We took the Renfe to El Escorial on Monday. The hour and a half ride was mostly in the rain, but the country was so green and beautiful. Once we reached El Escorial, we were taken by car to little cities nearby. Wildflowers and tall grasses covered the land.
4. Friends in Spain are friends for life. It takes a little longer to make friends here (so we've been told), but once made, they are fiercely loyal and honest. Spaniards will definitely tell you if they don't like your new haircut. Even if you don't ask.
5. IKEA.
6. You can order a cup of coffee and stay as long as you want in a restaurant.
7. The coffee (café con leche) is quite good.
8. Having a clothes-line in the back yard.
9. Lots of dogs everywhere.
10. Lots of Fanta or Trina flavors.
11. The juxtaposition of old and new architecture.
12. Quite a bit of green space in the cities since most people live in apartments, not houses.
13. Relatively inexpensive travel within Europe.
14. Lots of walking everywhere. Even at night, it is really safe to walk. Walking just for fun is called "pasear."
15. Learning to REALLY cook from scratch.
16. The possibility of raising kids who could be fluent in another language.
17. Trying new foods.
18. Big apartments aren't that uncommon. I always want to have a place for guests to stay with us comfortably.
19. Lots of common space where people just hang out.
20. Going out to eat with friends is to enjoy "sobremesa," which means the talking. Food is important, too, but that hanging out is more important.
21. Nutella.
Dislikes...in no particular order either.
1. Late nights. I have never been a night person, but I'm getting better. The sun sets here at about 10/10:30pm in the summer, so it is always later than you think it is, which helps. All the same, I prefer early mornings. But, breakfast at 7am is pretty tough because no one eats lunch before 2pm.
2. Children can begin school at age 2 or 3. It is not mandatory until age 5 or 6, but breaking the norm can bring criticism to your door. See number 4 above.
3. The summer is really hot in Madrid. But, come to think about it, it is hot everywhere in the summer. Even in the Shire...I mean, Wisconsin: the Shire of my heart.
4. The Spanish fry a lot of food; bad for my cholesterol. But, the churros aren't really my thing anyways. The cup of chocolate, on the other hand...or should I say warm chocolate pudding!
5. The "new tolerance" of Postmodernism is very strong here. Certainly it's in the US, too. But, there we continue to live with the false illusion that we're still a "Christian" culture. The same problems face youth today in Spain: pressure to smoke, drink, have sex etc. But, here it is a lot more visible everywhere.
6. Life is very expensive in Madrid.
7. Lots of poop on the sidewalks, but not as much as I thought. The price of lots of doggies around, I guess.
8. You can't walk on the grass in public places.
9. Family very far away.
10. I can't find Teriyaki sauce or hummus anywhere.
11. Milk isn't always refrigerated. I like really cold milk.
12. People have mentioned not having chocolate chips. I'd rather chop up some awesome chocolate to make cookies, personally. But, still - what is so special about chocolate chips that makes them so "rare" and expensive here? Let's work on this, import people.
13. Learning to REALLY cook from scratch.
14. Knowing that no matter how long I live here, in many ways I will always be an outsider.
15. The constant process of learning to understand EVERY word people say, not just getting the "jist" of what they're saying.
16. Dryers (for clothes) aren't that common here, but you can find them.
17. The possibility of our future kids never knowing normal life in the US; being far away from extended family; being "third- culture kids."
18. In our garden, there is an enormous, black, flying, buzzing bug.
19. Lots of nudity in advertisements.
20. Learning to drive here and passing the very difficult exam here will be a huge step of faith for me. Some drivers are crazy!
21. When you order shrimp in a restaurant, they come with their heads still on.
What is Coke Zero, anyway?
*WARNING* - RELATIVELY FRIVOLOUS POST. (Translation: If you don't care, you're in good company.)
When you eat out here in Spain, it's not very common to drink just water. You can order a glass from the tap, but even those who do that most often have something else to drink (soda, coffee, wine, or beer). Meggan and I usually drink water when we're out to eat in the U.S. - it's free, calorie-free, and more refreshing than other beverages. So, this has become a case of one of those minor adjustments one makes when crossing cultures.
I could turn this into a conversation about how great Spanish coffee is, or about my enjoyment of La Casera (a Spanish brand of sugar-free soda), but let's turn to something that translates back to all of you reading from the U.S.: Diet Coke (here it's "Coke Light") and Coke Zero. When we're hoping to hang on to the calorie-free beverage scheme, these are two viable options. This brings up a reasonable question - why two caffeinated, zero-calorie, aspartame-sweetened colas from the same company? Why, Atlanta?
(Clearly I have a theory, or I wouldn't have brought it up.) The answer must have something to do with marketing. Here's a thought - the next generation is starting to count its calories, so their consumption of regular Coke is dropping, but they won't drink Diet Coke because "it's for old people," or "it's what my parents drink" (that's for you, Dad). Enter the Coke Zero brand. Slick marketing campaign, clearly aimed at a younger generation. And for that reason, I thought, "Rubbish. I officially reject the junk as Diet Coke 2.0 and not worth my time."
Then I tasted the stuff, and the marketing is actually somewhat accurate - it tastes a lot more like regular Coke than Diet Coke/Coke Light ever has. It's definitely not the same as the sugary stuff, but it's a decent alternative. It seems they know the palate of their target market; we youngsters want to have our Coke and eat it, too (?). Of course, even if this is a better taste than Diet/Light, they know they can't touch that brand, because it has its own following. So, Atlanta wins again.
Other things that may interest no one but me...
--It's fun to be in Europe for the Euro Cup. What an ending to Croatia/Turkey last night! Go Spain. I hope to catch at least one game in a pub with crazy Spaniards. Pray for my survival.
--Meggan and I are movie people, and we've seen some good ones (and bad ones) at people's homes this summer. The best - "El Abuelo" ("The Grandfather"), a beautiful Spanish film about family, loyalty, and the changing of the guard in Spanish society; the worst - "Never Say Never Again," perhaps the worst James Bond movie ever made (what made Sean Connery think that was the script he should come back for in his return to the role?).
*COKE ZERO UPDATE*
August 10 - Meggan and I were watching the Olympics last night, and a Diet Coke ad came on featuring a very young and hip-looking cast. Meggan pointed out that this means they're marketing Diet Coke to our generation (or at least to people who want to feel young - but that's another story). Anyhow, this is certainly pertinent information which may require that I modify my theory...
When you eat out here in Spain, it's not very common to drink just water. You can order a glass from the tap, but even those who do that most often have something else to drink (soda, coffee, wine, or beer). Meggan and I usually drink water when we're out to eat in the U.S. - it's free, calorie-free, and more refreshing than other beverages. So, this has become a case of one of those minor adjustments one makes when crossing cultures.
I could turn this into a conversation about how great Spanish coffee is, or about my enjoyment of La Casera (a Spanish brand of sugar-free soda), but let's turn to something that translates back to all of you reading from the U.S.: Diet Coke (here it's "Coke Light") and Coke Zero. When we're hoping to hang on to the calorie-free beverage scheme, these are two viable options. This brings up a reasonable question - why two caffeinated, zero-calorie, aspartame-sweetened colas from the same company? Why, Atlanta?
(Clearly I have a theory, or I wouldn't have brought it up.) The answer must have something to do with marketing. Here's a thought - the next generation is starting to count its calories, so their consumption of regular Coke is dropping, but they won't drink Diet Coke because "it's for old people," or "it's what my parents drink" (that's for you, Dad). Enter the Coke Zero brand. Slick marketing campaign, clearly aimed at a younger generation. And for that reason, I thought, "Rubbish. I officially reject the junk as Diet Coke 2.0 and not worth my time."
Then I tasted the stuff, and the marketing is actually somewhat accurate - it tastes a lot more like regular Coke than Diet Coke/Coke Light ever has. It's definitely not the same as the sugary stuff, but it's a decent alternative. It seems they know the palate of their target market; we youngsters want to have our Coke and eat it, too (?). Of course, even if this is a better taste than Diet/Light, they know they can't touch that brand, because it has its own following. So, Atlanta wins again.
Other things that may interest no one but me...
--It's fun to be in Europe for the Euro Cup. What an ending to Croatia/Turkey last night! Go Spain. I hope to catch at least one game in a pub with crazy Spaniards. Pray for my survival.
--Meggan and I are movie people, and we've seen some good ones (and bad ones) at people's homes this summer. The best - "El Abuelo" ("The Grandfather"), a beautiful Spanish film about family, loyalty, and the changing of the guard in Spanish society; the worst - "Never Say Never Again," perhaps the worst James Bond movie ever made (what made Sean Connery think that was the script he should come back for in his return to the role?).
*COKE ZERO UPDATE*
August 10 - Meggan and I were watching the Olympics last night, and a Diet Coke ad came on featuring a very young and hip-looking cast. Meggan pointed out that this means they're marketing Diet Coke to our generation (or at least to people who want to feel young - but that's another story). Anyhow, this is certainly pertinent information which may require that I modify my theory...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Random pics and candid thoughts
Tonight we'd like to give you a window into what we're currently thinking and feeling about our future. We see this summer as a journey of discernment, so this stuff is obviously very important. For better or worse, we're putting pretty much everything out in the open in this post. To intersperse the serious with some lighter fare, a smattering of pictures are included, too. (Three cheers for visual aids!)
Kids: There are
a lot of questions surrounding kids and living in a foreign culture. The first question for us is, when do we start trying for our first? There are a lot of factors at play in this decision, and we've gone back and forth from earlier to later a few times. Right now, we think we want to aim for our time in Wisconsin the year after we graduate from seminary. That comes with certain perks and other challenges, and our minds could change again, and the Lord could always surprise us... but that's where we sit right now. (Exciting! Scary! Life!)
Mission agencies: We've met with many Spaniards and missionaries thus far, and we'll continue to meet with more, but we feel a particular connection with two agencies - WorldVenture and OMS. We feel relationally connected to both of these missions, we believe we are philosophically aligned with each, and we would be happy to be a part of either of their teams. There is one particular advantage to feeling a connection to people in two agencies - wherever we land, we believe we will have a connection with mentor-figures from outside our own organization in addition to those within it. The obvious difficulty associated with this dual connection is that we have to choose who we will go with, and we're not yet sure how.
With this matter on her heart, Meggan was distracted this morning during the time she had planned to be reading her Bible. As the distraction stirred, she was prompted by the Holy Spirit to turn her focus to the reading she had purposed to do. She turned to Isaiah 30:
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:18-21, ESV)
We believe the same God who spoke this word to his people some 2700 years ago desires to do an analogous work in our lives. So rather than worry about the choice before us, we will wait for him, and we believe he will answer us, and when we hear his voice, we will walk where he leads us.
On an unrelated note, they love Pope John Paul II here. This is a statue of him outside the Cathedral of Santa María Real de la Almudena. The same day Meggan and I were married in Madison - May 22, 2004 - Prince Felipe, heir apparent to the throne of Spain, married the woman now known as Princess Letizia at this cathedral. (How's all that for random?)
Ministry focus: At the moment, we think the following might accurately depict our ministry a few years from now. The big idea is relationships. We will be building relationships with the people in our community with the hope of earning their trust. From this platform of trust, we hope for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our friends, because people will not receive the truth when they hear it from a source they don't trust (no matter how deeply and universally true it is). We see ourselves
meeting people through a handful of venues - our fellow parents in the neighborhood, our fellow artists, Meggan with her dance students, and I with a focus on teenagers (community contacts and/or the non-Christian friends of Christian youth). That last bit - me in what's called "youth ministry" in the U.S. - is the newest piece, and the one still more up in the air than the other ones.
Madrid (and its surrounding areas): We like this area. In spite of being a large international city, it has retained significant natural character. As for the non-natural, the history continues to fascinate us. (After all, we are from Wisconsin and Colorado, two places where the oldest man-made structures still standing are under 200 years old.) Also, you can get anywhere on the various train systems; depending on where we landed, we might not need a car (though I'm guessing we will have one). We have encountered a number of neighborhoods we would enjoy. One of our great desires for a neighborhood would be a natural congregating place where the people get together in the evenings and get to know each other. In one neighborhood we've visited, this place was a park that the backyards of scores of row houses faced; elsewhere, it was a central courtyard in an apartment complex. One neighborhood where this kind of connection does not naturally occur is where we're currently staying. We definitely like staying here right now, but gates, walls, fences, vines, trees, and bushes set us off from our neighbors. The effect is aesthetically pleasing, but it makes relationships harder to foster.
Here's the courtyard of one apartment complex where the community really does come together.
This is the beautiful backyard garden at our current residence - a pleasure to enjoy, but one of a handful of barriers separating us from our neighbors.
You know a city is advanced when even its lawyers are worthy of their own statue...
...though
the presence of a museum devoted to ham across the street brings that conclusion into question. (Actually, this is a chain of restaurants called "Museum of Ham." The U.S. thinks up Planet Hollywood, and Spain gives us this. As they say, "Spain is different!")
Toto, we're not in North America anymore.
Thank you for your continued prayers; you bless us.
Kids: There are
a lot of questions surrounding kids and living in a foreign culture. The first question for us is, when do we start trying for our first? There are a lot of factors at play in this decision, and we've gone back and forth from earlier to later a few times. Right now, we think we want to aim for our time in Wisconsin the year after we graduate from seminary. That comes with certain perks and other challenges, and our minds could change again, and the Lord could always surprise us... but that's where we sit right now. (Exciting! Scary! Life!)Mission agencies: We've met with many Spaniards and missionaries thus far, and we'll continue to meet with more, but we feel a particular connection with two agencies - WorldVenture and OMS. We feel relationally connected to both of these missions, we believe we are philosophically aligned with each, and we would be happy to be a part of either of their teams. There is one particular advantage to feeling a connection to people in two agencies - wherever we land, we believe we will have a connection with mentor-figures from outside our own organization in addition to those within it. The obvious difficulty associated with this dual connection is that we have to choose who we will go with, and we're not yet sure how.
With this matter on her heart, Meggan was distracted this morning during the time she had planned to be reading her Bible. As the distraction stirred, she was prompted by the Holy Spirit to turn her focus to the reading she had purposed to do. She turned to Isaiah 30:
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:18-21, ESV)
We believe the same God who spoke this word to his people some 2700 years ago desires to do an analogous work in our lives. So rather than worry about the choice before us, we will wait for him, and we believe he will answer us, and when we hear his voice, we will walk where he leads us.
On an unrelated note, they love Pope John Paul II here. This is a statue of him outside the Cathedral of Santa María Real de la Almudena. The same day Meggan and I were married in Madison - May 22, 2004 - Prince Felipe, heir apparent to the throne of Spain, married the woman now known as Princess Letizia at this cathedral. (How's all that for random?)Ministry focus: At the moment, we think the following might accurately depict our ministry a few years from now. The big idea is relationships. We will be building relationships with the people in our community with the hope of earning their trust. From this platform of trust, we hope for opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our friends, because people will not receive the truth when they hear it from a source they don't trust (no matter how deeply and universally true it is). We see ourselves
meeting people through a handful of venues - our fellow parents in the neighborhood, our fellow artists, Meggan with her dance students, and I with a focus on teenagers (community contacts and/or the non-Christian friends of Christian youth). That last bit - me in what's called "youth ministry" in the U.S. - is the newest piece, and the one still more up in the air than the other ones.Madrid (and its surrounding areas): We like this area. In spite of being a large international city, it has retained significant natural character. As for the non-natural, the history continues to fascinate us. (After all, we are from Wisconsin and Colorado, two places where the oldest man-made structures still standing are under 200 years old.) Also, you can get anywhere on the various train systems; depending on where we landed, we might not need a car (though I'm guessing we will have one). We have encountered a number of neighborhoods we would enjoy. One of our great desires for a neighborhood would be a natural congregating place where the people get together in the evenings and get to know each other. In one neighborhood we've visited, this place was a park that the backyards of scores of row houses faced; elsewhere, it was a central courtyard in an apartment complex. One neighborhood where this kind of connection does not naturally occur is where we're currently staying. We definitely like staying here right now, but gates, walls, fences, vines, trees, and bushes set us off from our neighbors. The effect is aesthetically pleasing, but it makes relationships harder to foster.
Here's the courtyard of one apartment complex where the community really does come together.
This is the beautiful backyard garden at our current residence - a pleasure to enjoy, but one of a handful of barriers separating us from our neighbors.
You know a city is advanced when even its lawyers are worthy of their own statue......though
the presence of a museum devoted to ham across the street brings that conclusion into question. (Actually, this is a chain of restaurants called "Museum of Ham." The U.S. thinks up Planet Hollywood, and Spain gives us this. As they say, "Spain is different!")
Toto, we're not in North America anymore.Thank you for your continued prayers; you bless us.
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