Classic Humor

Nothing spiritual or profound today. Just a great laugh from a classic comic. This is Jack Benny at his best. Enjoy!

He has the whole world in his hands

How the world was changed by the birth of that one baby boy - Emmanuel, God-with-us, Jesus! And it continues to change as 20th and 21st century technology and commitment to missions has spread the good news in ways unprecedented until now. Perhaps we really are close to the day when Jesus will come again!

Check out this report from the Pew Forum on the size and distribution of the world's Christian population.


From the Executive Summary:
A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 2.18 billion Christians of all ages around the world, representing nearly a third of the estimated 2010 global population of 6.9 billion. Christians are also geographically widespread – so far-flung, in fact, that no single continent or region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity.
      A century ago, this was not the case. In 1910, about two-thirds of the world’s Christians lived in Europe, where the bulk of Christians had been for a millennium, according to historical estimates by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Today, only about a quarter of all Christians live in Europe (26%). A plurality – more than a third – now are in the Americas (37%). About one in every four Christians lives in sub-Saharan Africa (24%), and about one-in eight is found in Asia and the Pacific (13%).
      Although Europe and the Americas still are home to a majority of the world’s Christians (63%), that share is much lower than it was in 1910 (93%). And the proportion of Europeans and Americans who are Christian has dropped
from 95% in 1910 to 76% in 2010 in Europe as a whole, and from 96% to 86% in the Americas as a whole.
      Almost half (48%) of all Christians live in the 10 countries with the largest number of Christians. Three of the top 10 countries are in the Americas (the United States, Brazil and Mexico). Two are in Europe (Russia and Germany), two are in the Asia-Pacific region (the Philippines and China), and three are in sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia), reflecting Christianity’s global reach.
      Although Christians comprise just under a third of the world’s people, they form a majority of the population in 158 countries and territories, about two-thirds of all the countries and territories in the world.


You can read the full report HERE.


May you and those you love have a merry and blessed Christmas.

When an angel came to announce the birth of Jesus, he said “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” And Christmas continues to be a season with much rejoicing. Does this mean that everything is right in the world, or even in our lives? No. But, as Christ-followers we can still find joy in our…

1)Forgiven Past. The apostle Paul tells us that “Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Rom. 5:1) All of us some things in my past we’re ashamed of. Isn’t it amazing that, through faith in Jesus, we can know that our sin account is completely clean before God?

2)Future Prospects. Paul continues, “We confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Rom. 5:2) When Christ-followers look to the future, we see glory – the promise of eternal life in a new heaven and a new earth. It’s good to know that no matter how bad things are, better times are coming.

3)Present Pressures. Paul says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rom. 5:3-4) Meeting Jesus didn’t take away any of the problems in the shepherd’s lives. They still were poor, and were still governed by a brutal dictator. But they now had HOPE. When we live in hope, because we know we are justified, then our whole attitude to pressure changes. And as we abide under pressure, our perseverance yields strength and character.

This is what the Christian life is all about. The ability to rejoice in our present pressures, and in our future hope, because of the surety of our forgiven past. Rejoice!

Second Sunday of Advent - Peace

This morning we lit the second candle on our Advent Wreath, which is the candle of “Peace.” 

The word for peace in Hebrew (the language Jesus spoke) is Shalom, and it has a much deeper meaning than the way we use the word “peace” in English. While “peace” can simply mean that there is no fighting going on, Shalom implies wellness, wholeness, and harmony. 

So, when we affirm that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” we are saying that he is the one who brings harmony and wholeness to our lives and to the world. Jesus came not just to pay the price for our sins (which he did), but to bring wellness to life; to bring harmony to our relationship with God. He addresses not just the consequences of our sin, but also our underlying mixed up, tattered, dissonance of our sin-sick lives. 

This Advent, we wish Shalom for you and all those you love.

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

"Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the greatest rock anthems of the 70s. Now, with some new words, and a few puppets, it's being used to tell the greatest story ever told. Enjoy!

The Knots Prayer

A friend sent this to me. I found this prayer so profound that I want to share it with you.

The Patience of God

One of the greatest promises in the Bible is the promise of Christ’s return. Someday, Jesus will come back and gather his followers to spend eternity with him in Heaven. He will also, we are told, come to judge the world. The natural question is, “What is he waiting for?”

The Bible gives us the answer: The Lord isn't slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn't want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act. 2 Peter 3:9

In other words, there’s still room in Heaven. God wants every seat filled. God wants your neighbor, your coworker, your family member to experience the love of Jesus, accept his forgiveness, find new life in Christ, and live forever with him in Heaven. Yes – even that neighbor!

And, God has a plan for getting them there…  YOU! Why hasn’t Jesus returned yet? He’s waiting for you! What can we do to hasten his return? Share our faith in Jesus Christ with our lost and hurting world. And the world we’re talking about starts right at our doorstep.

Isn’t it amazing that God has entrusted us with such an important task? So, let’s get to it!

To be perfectly honest...

I just finished reading To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man’s Year of (almost) Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie. by Phil Callaway. If you're looking for something nice to put under the tree for a book love in your life (especially a guy), this one might be just the thing.

Of course, you have to believe that Phil Callaway is telling the truth to really enjoy this memoir about the year he accepted a challenge to go twelve months without telling any lies. Really. None. Not even little white ones! Imagine how it would affect your job if you were brutally honest – all the time. How about your marriage? Your friendships? Your church?

You’ll have to read the book to find out how successful Callaway was in his quest. Let me assure you, you’ll be glad you did. Callaway is a gifted humorist, and almost every page will bring a grin, a chuckle, or even an outright guffaw. But he’s also a very human man who is trying to figure out how to be a husband, writer, entertainer, and even a golfer, while living out his Christian faith.

At times the book is brutally honest, most remarkably when he shares his deeply personal struggle to avoid having an extramarital affair. His isn’t a simple statement that “I was tempted, but I triumphed because…” No, Callaway shines the light of honesty into some of the darkest parts of his soul as he shares his very real struggle to remain faithful to his wife. His candor, publishing all of this in a book that his wife and friends will read, is humbling. It’s also a good model of how Christians should deal with temptation – sharing the struggle with trusted friends, rather than trying to overcome it by our own strength of will.

And are there times when it’s better to stretch the truth? Callaway writes, “How honest should a person be when in church? Do I tell the pastor that the sermon was great, but it was like a pie it needed some shortening? Do I shake his hand and say, ‘Pastor, that sermon was… uh… timely’? Certainly I should stop telling Jerry Root, ‘I love your tie!’”

Phil Callaway is not a perfect guy. What’s cool is that he doesn’t pretend to be. He lays it all out there for us to see, but always with a wink and a nudge so that we don’t pity him, admire him, or despise him. We just like him, because he’s a regular guy, doing the best he can. Just like us – but a lot funnier!

To Be Perfectly Honest: One Man’s Year of (almost) Living Truthfully Could Change Your Life. No Lie.” by Phil Callaway. The title says it all.

The publisher, Multnomah Books, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

To Serve our Neighbors

In ancient Israel, the people asked what they had to do to please God. The prophet Micah answers: 

“O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NLT)

To put it quite simply, service to others puts legs on our faith. 

Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, got right down in the dirt  and served the poor, outcasts, and sinners. It only stands to reason that if we are truly “Christ-followers,” we will follow his example by serving our neighbors in practical ways.

Wouldn't it be great if the first thing people think of when they think of First Presbyterian is “That’s the church that’s always helping people”? Who can you serve in the name of Jesus today?

Growing up

“If you haven’t grown up by the time you’re 50, you don’t have to!” At least, that’s what someone’s status said on Facebook.

It’s tempting to think of how nice it would be to go back to the halcyon days of our childhood – a time with no stress and no worries. Of course, anyone who has raised children knows that this image of childhood is bunk. Being a kid is hard, and the problems kids face that seem insignificant to adults are monstrous at them. Our mistake is that we picture being kids again, but with all our adult knowledge, skill, and perspective. While staying a kid forever sounds good in fantasy, in reality it wouldn’t be so great at all.

So I wonder why there are so many believers who settle for being “Peter Pan Christians.” So many have never gotten beyond a Sunday School understanding of our faith, and are trying to use tools appropriate for spiritual children to wrestle with adult problems and needs.

Is your faith growing? Can you name at least one way that you’ve become more spiritually mature in the past year? Five years? Something you’ve learned? Some way you’ve come to know God better or love God more? Some way you’re living more faithfully or obediently in the grace of God?

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident, and attending worship on Sunday mornings is simply not enough food to grow the spiritual soul. That’s why we try so hard to get everyone into a Growth Group – a place where you can wrestle with your faith, dig into the meat of God’s word. If Growth Groups aren’t your thing, I challenge you to develop a spiritual growth plan, and stick to it! Don’t know how? Give us a call. We’ll be glad to help.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Tomorrow night I’ll be beginning a new Growth Group (Small Group) studying the book You Were Born for This: 7 Keys to a Life of Predictable Miracles. I mention this because when I was given a review copy of YWBFT, I was expecting to hate it.

The author, Bruce Wilkinson, is best known as the author of The Prayer of Jabez, and frankly, I found Jabez a bit thin. It was inspiring, but to this day I don’t think the biblical prayer says or even implies all that Wilkinson says it does.

So, I was pleasantly surprised to find that YWBFT is not only built on solid, biblical ground. It’s also a book that has completely challenged my understanding of how God works miracles in everyday life. It has really challenged my traditional reformed and Presbyterian comfort zone.

Wilkinson’s premise is that God uses everyday people to work miracles in the lives of people around them. If we want to be bearers of God’s miracles, we have to be aware of opportunities that God places in our path, open to being used when the opportunities arise, ready to give up our agenda to follow God’s agenda, and guided by the Holy Spirit so that whatever God does through us is to God’s greater glory.

The book is replete with stories of Wilkinson feeling a “nudge” from God when doing something very ordinary such as flying in an airplane, driving down the road, or walking down the sidewalk. His attention is drawn to a person he would otherwise overlook. Recognizing God’s prompting, he initiates a conversation with this friend or stranger, only to discover that they have been asking God to help them with a problem that Wilkinson is uniquely equipped to solve. In every case it is clear to both Wilkinson and the other party that God brought them together at this time and place to miraculously provide for that need.

This isn’t a book about lame people walking, empty vessels being filled with wine, or time standing still. It’s a book about how we can learn to be available to God to meet genuine human needs, in a way that can only be explained by saying “It’s a God thing.”

When Wilkinson suggested that we begin each day by praying for God to use us to do a miracle in someone’s life, it made me face my own reluctance to set aside my agenda for God’s agenda. I don’t want God to ask me to talk to a stranger. I don’t want to be delayed in reaching my destination to help someone on the side of the road. I don’t want to risk embarrassment or failure. So to ask God to use me today – not sometime, but today – requires me to demonstrate radical trust and genuine sacrifice. Perhaps the reason we see so few miracles is that so few of us are truly available to God.

So I’m leading a Growth Group, not only to teach this book, but to wrestle with my own faithfulness. I know I want God to use me. Now I just need to want it enough (and trust God enough) to actually be used!

An Idea Whose Time Will Never Come

I was driving down the road, enjoying the wooded hillsides as the trees are just starting to show their fall color. Suddenly, I noticed the brake lights of the car in front of me flash on. In fact, all of the cars around me seemed to be slowing down. And then I saw it, off to the side of the road, a Police car.

You know the feeling. The adrenaline shoots into your system. Your heart starts pounding faster. Your right foot moves toward the brake pedal while your eyes quickly shift to the speedometer. “What is the speed limit here, anyway?” Off to the right is a sign: 45 mph. Your speed: 55 mph. “Oh no. Oh, please, don’t let him stop me…” (or something to that effect)

Fortunately for me, the flashing lights never appeared in my mirror. But as I continued toward home, I came up with a practical idea that I’m certain will never be used.

You see, I’m one of those people who actually try to obey the speed limit. The main reason I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket in 38 years of driving is that I rarely speed, and when I do, it’s even more rarely on purpose.

(Confession time: I get a perverse sense of satisfaction as I drive southbound into Dunellen on Washington Ave., tap my brakes to go from 40 to 25 mph, and imagine the frustration of the rapidly moving cars behind me as they are forced to slow down. I get an even greater and more perverse sense of satisfaction when one of them decides to zip past me on the right, only then to discover the Dunellen cop watching from down the road. I know, I preach grace and mercy, but sometimes justice can be sooooo satisfying – at least when it happens to someone else!)

Even though the signs say “Speed Limit,” we all treat them like they mean “Suggested Speed. Don’t let us catch you going more than five or ten miles per hour faster than this!”

So, here’s my idea. It’s simple, elegant, and can almost certainly be accomplished with existing technology: Install a chip in every car that receives a radio signal telling it the posted speed limit from transponders installed in every major highway. Then, program the chip such that it the car simply will not go faster than the posted speed limit!

Think of the benefits!

• Reduced traffic accidents because nobody is speeding
• Reduced fatalities from accidents, because they will happen at lower speeds
• Increased fuel economy with an enormous saving to our nation’s fuel supply, thus reducing our dependence on foreign oil
• No speeding tickets
• Reduced insurance premiums

“Ah,” you say. “But your forgetting the liabilities! People sometimes need to exceed the posted limit in order to perform emergency maneuvers.” Easily solved. Design the car’s computer so that when you floor the gas it automatically overrides the speed restriction, but only for a limited time or distance.

“But what about the towns that rely on revenue from tickets?” Come on, you’re really clutching at straws.

And the cost? Even if we only did major highways, and phased in the chips over a period of years, the benefits would more than pay for themselves.

But as I said, it will never happen. Even you probably don’t want it to happen, do you? Most people wouldn’t. Why? Because most of us believe we have a right to speed. Even if we don’t do it often, we want to know that we could. I don’t want ANYONE else to control what I do in my car.

I’ve come to believe that our sinful nature is most dramatically displayed in the mundane things we do. Things like driving, where we know the law, but think of ourselves as just slightly above the law – where we’ll cross the line just enough that we figure we won’t get caught.

And we rationalize:  “Everyone is going faster. I’m just going with the flow of traffic.” (Eve ate the fruit, why shouldn’t I? The other kids cheat on their tests, and I really need to pass this class. No one my age is a virgin – I feel like such a loser!)

One of my favorite definitions: RATIONALIZE = Rational Lies

Ultimately, sin is our innate desire to set ourselves above God. It’s demonstrated in our constant efforts to set ourselves to set ourselves above the authorities that God has placed over us.

Thanks be to God for his forgiveness, freely given in Christ Jesus.

As Christ-followers, we’re called to surrender our entire life to him. But sometimes, in order to surrender it all, we need to let go one piece at a time. So, today, let’s YIELD just a little more our lives to Christ’s control. “Jesus – take the wheel.”

Don't Give Up

I try to start every day  by reading God's Word and spending some time in prayer. While I confess that I don't always succeed in this goal, I can testify that the days I consciously begin in the presence of God are the best days in my life.

To help me get focused, I often read daily devotional guides that I receive by email. Two of my favorites are "The Upper Room," and "The Catch."

This morning's "Catch" knocked me off of my feet and onto my knees. I've copied it below, but better yet, I encourage you to go to John Fisher's website and sign up to get his free words of wisdom delivered to your inbox as well.

Blessings!
-------

Don’t give up

Posted on September 22, 2011 by jwfisch

“Don’t give up; please don’t give up.” Those were the words uttered in the mind of a dying man but never heard outside his head. And for 45 minutes, two flight attendants didn’t. They took turns administering CPR on the man’s heart and alternately breathing air into his lungs. 45 minutes of either futility or life support – no one knew. All they knew was, the man had had a heart attack and stopped breathing while on a flight, and the pilot had radioed the nearest airport, but it took 45 minutes to go through the whole landing procedure.

Forty-five minutes, sometimes sliding along the floor as the plane lurched upon impact. The landing was rough, but the women kept on. Sometimes tempted to quit, but never yielding. An emergency medical team met the plane in the airport, and with the proper machines, they were able to get a strong pulse and revive the man.

How do I know this? One of those flight attendants was my wife. It’s one of her most memorable moments as a flight attendant, her job when I met her. And as she and her co-worker came off the plane they were greeted by applause from the passengers who waited for them so they could show their appreciation. It was Marti’s fantasy come true. The only thing missing was the six o’clock news.

But the most remarkable thing about this story was what she found out later. She found out that the whole time they were keeping him alive, the man was semi-conscious. He could hear everything; he just couldn’t open his eyes or speak. And the whole time he kept thinking, “Don’t give up on me; please don’t give up.”

We all have spiritually resistant friends and relatives who appear, for all we know, to be spiritually dead. We might assume them to be in the category that Paul described as those who are not being saved, but are perishing. And yet how do we know for sure that they might not be only spiritually comatose – unable to speak, but still crying out from some place deep inside: “Don’t give up on me; please don’t give up.”

That’s why you never give up on anyone. Even the most resistant, obnoxious, foul-mouthed unbeliever might still be one who, deep down inside, is being saved. Don’t give up on them. Spiritually breathe for them. Right up until the very end, because you never know.

Connecting...

This message continues a series of thoughts about our Vision Statement:
“A multicultural family, growing in faith, connecting people with Christ.”

“Connecting.” It always amazes me that I can be in a room full of people, and still feel alone. You would think that living in New Jersey, the most densely populated state, everyone would be overwhelmed with friends. But the truth is, we live in one of the most lonely cultures on earth. People, people, everywhere, and not a friend to be found.

The Bible says that one of the reasons we so often feel disconnected from people is because we’re also disconnected from God. Our disobedience, selfishness, and inward focus creates a barrier between us and God. It’s a problem we call “sin.” And, since God made you specifically in order to be in a relationship with you, that sin-separation leaves us feeling lost and alone.

The good news is that God is always eager and ready to bridge that gap with the love and forgiveness that comes through Jesus. There’s nothing God wants more than to get connected with you, share the joys and hurts of your life, love you with perfect love. What’s more, when we get our lives plugged into a personal relationship with God, we are also invited into a community of Christ-followers (called the Church) where we can experience and share God’s love with other folks like us – in other words, imperfect people, loving God, and trying to live that out with one another.   More next week…!

IMPACT!

On Sunday, September 18, I'll be starting a new teaching series called IMPACT!
Check out this short video for a sneak preview.

(Please forgive the unfortunate screen shot they used to start the video. 

It looks like I'm showing off my clear braces!)

Ten Years since 9/11

Nine years ago, on the 1st anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I was honored to have the following devotion published in "The Secret Place." The words still seem relevant today, as we prepare for the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

--------------------

SCRIPTURE: Luke 14:28-33

Thought for the day: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10 (NRSV)

A year ago today, my wife and I watched, along with the rest of the nation, as terrorists destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center, only twenty miles or so from our home.  It was only later that we realized we had witnessed the deaths of two members of our congregation, along with thousands of others including those on the hijacked airliners and in the Pentegon.  Not only people died on that day.  Those towers were chosen because they represented the financial strength of our nation.  Their destruction, accomplished with such ease and at so little cost, shook the sense of security that so many had placed in the things of this world.

As the towers crumbled, I remembered a Scripture chorus we sometimes sing in worship.  “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.  The righteous run into it and they are saved.”

One year later, let’s remember that neither military might nor financial strength can make us secure – only the eternal refuge of our mighty God.

Prayer: Lord, as we remember the dead and comfort the living, help us to remember that you alone are our refuge and strength, through Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

I encourage you to use the comments section from this blog to post your prayer requests related to 9/11

A Satisfying Sequel

What I've been reading...

I just finished reading Life Everlasting, by Robert Whitlow, which is the sequel to Life Support. Actually, to call this a sequel is a bit of an understatement. It’s more like “Volume Two.”  Set in Santee, South Carolina, both books feature Alexia “Alex” Lindale, an up-and-coming divorce lawyer who finds her life, and her legal practice, dominated by her overbearing client, Rena Richardson.

We know, but Alex doesn’t, that Rena is slowly but surely going insane, and that she is guilty of trying to kill her husband, Baxter, by throwing him off a cliff. Throughout the first book, Baxter was lying in a coma, while Rena struggled to have life support removed before he might wake up and identify her as the attempted murderer she is. Working against her, unknowingly, was Ted Morgan, who is using music therapy to channel God’s healing power into Baxter’s paralyzed body. Ted, by the way, and Alex, are rapidly falling in love.

In Life Everlasting, Rena’s plans continue to unravel as Baxter begins to awaken. Alex tries to sort out her faith and her feelings for Ted. The police are closing in on the truth. And, a crime syndicate has its own reasons for wanting to cover up what really happened on the cliff.

I’ve got to say, while I enjoyed Life Support, I found Life Everlasting to be even more engaging. The characters have become far more complex and three-dimensional. The plot twists are more surprising, and the excitement continues to build throughout the story. The only disappointment is that the ending seems a bit contrived, as all the loose ends come together too quickly.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve not been much of a fan of Christian fiction, because too many authors put the religious content first and the story second. Whitlow successfully weaves faith into this legal thriller so that it become an integral part of the story, rather than an obligatory add on.

I recommend you read both books, in order. I’m glad I did. You can read more about it at www.christianbook.com.

The publisher, Thomas Nelson, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Mexico Report

My wonderful wife, Kathy, and my amazing daughter, Natalia, recently traveled with other members of our church on a mission trip to Mexico. Here's a letter they sent to family and friends describing their experience!

Dear Family and Friends,

Natalia and I had a wonderful time together in Mexico, and our church team, along with another church, built five two-room houses for five families in just four days!

The best part of the experience for me was being with Natalia. She is turning into an awesome teenager, a hard worker, and is great with children. She spoke with the kids in Spanish, played with them, carried them around, and just loved them. She helped with the Vacation Bible School (as did I) every day and hung out with the kids afterwards. She was just thriving--except when she got mad that the guys weren't letting the girls help to put on the roof!

Natalia and I shared a tent together, made shadow puppets at night, and helped each other get organized in the morning (mostly she helped me!). At night the whole group (about 70-75 men, women, teens, and children)  sat around the campfire singing songs of worship and sharing stories and thoughts from the day.

The Lord blessed us with relatively cool weather during the day (no higher than 85 degrees--honestly). The sun was intense, but a cool breeze would stir from time to time. I learned how to lay a foundation, hammer nails almost as well as the guys, mix cement, and make and spread stucco. I had the joy of speaking with the widow whose house we were working on, and she shed tears of grief over the loss of her husband three years ago and tears of joy over receiving the addition to her house.

Let me explain that "our family" consisted of this widow and her two adult sons who still live with her, though they are in their thirties or forties. Their house is on the side of a hill in the town. They and a number of other families were relocated from the region of Chiapas (where they lived in what was essentially a drainage ditch that repeatedly flooded) to this impoverished neighborhood on the outskirts of Tijuana. They were given old pieces of scrap lumber and left to rebuild their houses and their lives.

Our family's first room contained two beds, a dining room table, a TV, a photo of the husband/father, and his ashes. It was quite cluttered with other dingy possessions, no windows, and a packed dirt-and-rock floor. The next room was quite small and had a rickety table, a propane stove, a few pots and pans, and a makeshift shelf for a few plates and cups. Every time it rained, water flooded into the kitchen and blew in through the shabby roof. Under the kitchen table, on the dirt floor, were two hens, a few chicks, and some eggs that hatched while we were there. The kids were fascinated to watch the chicks hatch, and then to hold them and watch them grow in the few days that we were there. (On the last day a few of our team members built a chicken coop for the chicks and hen, to protect them from the neighbors' dogs.) The family used these chickens for their eggs, for their meat, and would sell some for cash.

It was behind the kitchen that we build an 11' by 22' house/addition separated into two rooms with a cement foundation/floor. The new construction has glass windows and a door that locked. It had stucco walls and a tarred slanted roof. The family was planning to move their beds into those two rooms and create a true living room in their outer room. Our team also connected the old kitchen roof with the roof of the new addition in hopes that the kitchen would now stay dry during rainstorms.

The two sons have worked in construction and stuccoed three walls of their new home in the time that our team struggled to stucco one wall! The sons took pride in their work, and it looked very nice when they were done. They even had a friend come join them for a while. They also put an smooth, expert finish on the foundation floor, which we had left rather bumpy the day before. It was great that they could work alongside us and take ownership in the building of these rooms.

There were many tears flowing as we gathered together on Thursday afternoon to dedicate the house to the Lord and present the family with their keys and some small housewarming presents. Our prayer is that the Spirit of the living, loving God will shelter their hearts and lives as the new addition to their house shelters them.

Thank you for your financial support and prayers as we participated in this trip! God bless you always! Perhaps someday you will also be able to travel to another country (or impoverished parts of our country) and help those in need. Not only does it help those in need--it changes us!

Love,

Kathy (& Natalia) 

P.S. It's not too late to donate to our trip support, as some funds are actually still needed to pay off our expenses. Please prayerfully consider donating if you haven't already. Just click HERE!

What I've been reading (continued)

I love a hard-boiled detective story, and while The Corruptible by Mark Mynheir doesn’t rise to the top of the genre, it still provided a satisfying summer read.

Ray Quinn, private eye, used to be an Orlando homicide detective, but was forced to retire when he was shot, permanently damaging one of his legs. But he’s still got lots of friends on the force, and unlike most fictional private eyes, he prefers to work with the police instead of against them. When he is hired to find a computer hard drive that contains valuable information belonging to a rich client, it seems like he’s hit the jackpot. That is, until the guy who apparently stole the goods, an ex-cop and former friend of Ray’s, ends up murdered.

Ray, his apprentice Crevis (like a split in a rock), and former client and friend Pam, rapidly find their own lives in danger as they try to unravel a complicated plot of revenge, greed, and murder. In the first half of the book, tends to overdo the descriptive language typical of this genre: “He had a brown flattop haircut as tight as a boot brush and a chin cleft deep enough to hide a TV remote.”

And, although this is marketed as Christian fiction, the religious elements were integrated into the story fairly smoothly. I say “fairly” because there were a few times when the realities of writing about hardened underworld characters clashed with the author’s choice of language. For instance, at one point the head of a criminal motorcycle gang says, “That snitch put me in federal custody and stole twelve years of my life. He got almost everyone in this room some time in prison. I don’t think ‘miffed’ quite covers what I feel for that traitorous, no-good, filthy, lowlife narc cop piece of sewage.” Now, I applaud Mynheir’s decision not to use profanity in this book. But it would have been better to skip it than substitute this silly and unbelievable tirade.

Like all good detective stories, you probably won’t figure out “who done it” until moments before (or after) Ray Quinn solves the case. Then you’ll slap your forehead, because all the clues were there – you just missed them. The story was just good enough to keep me reading, but not so engaging that couldn’t put it down. And it did leave me wanting to find out happens next. All in all, a good read.

The publisher, Thomas Nelson, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Finally, “Christian” fiction with a bite!

I’ll admit it up front. Although I’m a pastor, I have never been much of a fan of “Christian Fiction.” All too often the characters are two-dimensional, the plot is linear and predictable, and the message is spiritually simplistic and heavy handed. Far too many authors feel that for it to be a Christian book, the gospel must be overtly explained and every moral question must be black and white. So, it was with some reluctance that I sat down to read Life Support by Robert Whitlow. Well, I’m happy to tell you that I was pleasantly surprised.

Life Support is a legal mystery that will grab your attention and keep you up most of the night. The question isn’t “Who done it?” We learn that in the first chapter. The question is, “Will she get away with it? And what will she do next?” But it’s even more complicated than that.

The heroine is Alexia “Alex” Lindale, a bright young divorce attorney with her eyes on a partnership at her law firm in the southern town of Santee. But soon the law becomes a matter of life and death as one man clings to life in intensive care, while his wife and father battle over who will decide whether, or when to remove life support. Greed, insanity, guilt, and fear drive Alex into an ever deepening web of deceit.

Meanwhile, Alex starts to fall in love with a local pastor who shares her love of classical music. The romance is realistic, tentative, and satisfying. Whitlow manages to write the pastor character as a real human being instead of the typical caricature of a saint, a buffoon, or a hypocrite found in so many other stories.

While there are clear Christian themes throughout the novel, Whitlow succeeds in weaving the spiritual with the temporal in a way that feels as natural as breathing. What pleased me most was Whitlow’s comfort with moral ambiguity. This isn’t to say that there’s no sense of right and wrong. It’s just that, as in the real world, we sometimes have to make judgments between shades of gray. Because Alex is such a well-written and sympathetic character, you can’t help rooting for her even when she is (unknowingly) working on behalf of a client who is up to no good – even murder!

Go ahead! Take the plunge! Life Support is a satisfying journey that will leave you asking, “I wonder if that could happen to me?”  Check it out yourself on Christianbook.com.

The publisher, Thomas Nelson, provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Multicultural

For the next few weeks I'll be writing some thoughts about our church's vision statement in our Sunday bulletin. I'll also share them here!

A Few Words about our Vision Statement:

It is our vision to be “A multicultural family, growing in faith, connecting people with Christ.”

“Multicultural.” On the surface, you might think this is about the fact that our church worships in two languages, Spanish and English. But culture is about much more than language.

Among our English speaking members, some hail from England, Italy, the Caribbean, and countries around the world. Our Spanish speaking members come from Guatemala, Colombia, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and more, and these individual countries differ as much as the many countries of Europe. Not only that, we have cultural differences based on our age, race, economics, and upbringing. Each of us brings unique gifts (and challenges) to the body.

It’s significant that God waited until a day when people from all over the world, with a cornucopia of languages, were in Jerusalem before he gave birth to the church with the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:5-11).

Being intentionally multicultural requires much shared sacrifice. It would certainly be easier to be in a church where everyone is “like us.” But, in God’s opinion, it’s our differences, woven together into one tapestry, that make His church beautiful.