Ethiopia Day One

We spent the day with about 75 students. Most are pastors or church workers. They came on Saturday, which is usually a day off from school. When we first arrived only about a dozen students had arrived. I was a little concerned, but we found out that the inner city roads were closed due to a major international development conference that was going on in the city. Eventually the courtyard filled and we began to teach.

We sat outside because so many people came that they did not have a room large enough for the group. I sat under what could easily be described as a brush arbor. Ants walked on the table, birds flew in and out of the proceedings.

Hoopoe

A large Hoopoe came to visit and seemed to be impressed by the teaching.

Initially Getahun suggested that we talk about the end times, rapture, second coming . . ., but we all thought that was a little complicated to do as a panel discussion and with only a couple of days notice. We finally decided to answer the question, “What is the one thing you would want to tell young church leaders?”

Each of us took one area. Jim Palmer talked about church planting. Jim is a member at FBC Athens and is taking a 2 year leave of absence from Nicaragua to help develop the E-Team strategy for Ethiopia. Jim is one of the most successful church planters in Baptist life having help establish 100 churches in the last 10 years. They are all still active churches. He has a wealth of knowledge and insight.

David Edwards, pastor of FBC Corsicana, then taught about the need for faithfulness. We have all seen people fall away from the work of Christ when it gets hard. Looking at this group of young and bright believers we are certain that many of them will undergo persecution as they try to plant churches. This country is about 50% muslim. Yet, God has told us to keep going. He did a great job.

Bruce Webb, pastor of FBC Woodlands was next and he taught about the power of the unity of the church and then talked about the danger of unresolved conflict in the life of a church that keeps it from achieving its potential. His doctoral project is on conflict resolution and his content was excellent. After his presentation the students had many questions. We learned that in this culture that it is very difficult to disagree and still be friends, they rarely deal with conflict in an open way, and that broken relationships are hurting the churches. The topic was timely and very challenging for their culture 

We took a lunch break and Getahun took us to Ricos. The food was fantastic and we began serious conversations about our mission strategy, our mission trips this summer, and our long term goals. I believe it is the beginning of many healthy conversations. 

Eddie Hilburn, pastor FBC Kilgore, plunged into the topic of the minister’s family life. His thesis was that the most crucial decision a young minister can make is a commitment to care properly for their family as the number one ministry goal. He showed how serving the family was the watershed for all true ministry. His challenge to the men was very strong and a stretch for the Ethiopian culture. Our observations to date lead us to believe that this is still a very male dominated society.

I did the last session. We had talked and identified the prosperity gospel and materialistic Western culture that we have encounter in Africa needed to be directly addressed. We wanted them to know that at least our group does not teach these ideas. I taught about the true abundance that God has for our lives and how God wants to overflow through us. I used a tangible example by pouring water into a water bottle until it overflowed on the ground. It was very effective and memorable. 

We finished about 3 and returned to the hotel. Took help our bodies adjust to the time we went for a long walk. We stopped in shops and saw the butchers, the bakers, but no candle stick makers. We bought some bread and bananas and had a great hour just greeting people. We went to the Orthodox church that is across the street and looked at its building. We met a nice young man who gave us some information about the church. 

Upon returning to the hotel I was having the jitters and a full-blown jet lag attack. I crawled into my bed and went far away almost immediately. It was hard to get up an hour later when the alarm went off.

We finished the night with a long and delightful meal. Getahun told the amazing story of his escape from Ethiopia, near death in a refugee camp, his dramatic salvation when someone shared Christ with him. He told of coming to America, getting a job and education, marrying his wife, and her bought with ovarian cancer. He talked about his return to Ethiopia and his heart for these people. We also heard four of the five ministers tell their salvation stories. We will hear number five tommorrow.

We planned our Sunday and then worked on the blog before heading to bed.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.

15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.

17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.

18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “ ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mark 13:34

34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Luke 19:11-27

11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.

12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.

13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

17 “ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth.

21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?

23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

25 “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ ”

Community has little to do with mutual compatibility. Community is grounded in God, who calls us together, and not in the attractiveness of people to each other.

Henri Nouwen, Making All Things New, 82-83.

God is calling you to community tomorrow, come join your family.

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Mark 13:33-37

33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.

34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.

36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” Luke 12:35-38

35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.

37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

A person who wants to lead a spiritual life cannot do so without the prospect of suffering and death. Living spiritually is made possible only through a direct, uncushioned confrontation with the reality of death.

Henri Nouwen, Letters to Marc about Jesus, 29-30.

WRITE. Write a simple will. Make an appointment to have a will drafted. Review your current will.

Write a simple description of your funeral. What you want and why. This is a profound gift to your family.

You need to be ready to die. First, in your soul are you prepared to stand before God?

Second, if you were to die today would your family be able to find the important documents? You owe it to them to take care of these things.

They way you handle this might witness to others more profoundly than any other words you can say. Are you in fact unafraid to die because you have a relationship with Jesus, if not then you might want to secure that relationship right now.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Intercessory Prayer

John 17:1-26

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.

8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.

12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Jesus calls his disciples to live in his name, to pray in his name, to meet in his name, to welcome little children in his name, to cast out devils in his name, to work miracles in his name, and to preach repentance to all nations in his name.

Henri Nouwen, The Monk and the Cripple, 9.

To the left is the Vietnam memorial wall. It is filled with names. These are the names of those who sacrificed fighting for freedom. The first time I went to the wall I was overwhelmed that my Dad’s name was not on the wall though it easily could have been. The power of this memorial is in the names. The power of our life is in the name of Jesus.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Prediction of the Disciples’ Flight

John 16:29-33

29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.

30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.”

31 “You believe at last!” Jesus answered.

32 “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus’ response to our worry-filled lives is quiet different. He asks us to shift the point of gravity. He wants us to live in it, but firmly rooted in the center of all things. He speaks about a change of heart. When we worry, we have our heats in the wrong place.

Henri Nouwen, Making All Things New, 41-42.

When we really believe Jesus then we need to structure our lives with the power of Jesus at the center. Fear of the world will push him to the side (which he predicates will happen to each of us), Jesus says we don’t have to react that way in fact he says we can have peace even in trouble because he has overcome the world.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Prayer in the Name of Jesus

John 16:23-28

23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.

26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

Just as we cannot force a plant to grow but can take away the weeds and stones which prevent its development, so we cannot force anyone to such a personal and intimate change of heart, but we can offer the space where such a change can take place.

Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out, 76-77.

Jesus’ presence in the world changed everything for the world. Jesus is the space where we can truly change. The promise of the scripture is that in Christ you might experience true and complete joy today. You just have to ask.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Sorrow Turned to Joy

John 16:16-22

16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

17 Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”

18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’?

20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

Mother Teresa and Jean Vanier consider joy the main characteristic of those who walk among the dying and the disabled. Their joy comes from that deep rooted knowledge that, while the whole world lies in the power of the Evil One, we truly belong to the God whose name is love and who showed us that love is the total vulnerability of Jesus.

Henri Nouwen, The Duet of the Holy Spirit, 10.

Grief can turn to joy. This is a fundamental truth. It happens in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He reveals that it can happen for us in any area of our life. Is there some grief in your life? Ask God to help turn your grief to joy.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Work of the Paraclete

John 16:5-15

5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief.

7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:

9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me;

10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;

11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

In prayer we often will catch ourselves wanting to receive our loving God by putting on a semblance of beauty, by holding back everything dirty and spoiled, by clearing just a little path that looks proper.

Henri Nouwen, `, 6.

Ask God for the conviction of sin. Be incredibly honest for this is the work of the Holy Spirit and the best evidence that God is at work in your life. If there is no guilt, there is no Spirit

Saturday, January 24, 2009

On Persecutions

John 16:1-4

1 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.

2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.

3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.

4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

Celebration is so healing precisely because it lifts up the truth that we do not belong to the restricting, limiting, and destructive power of our world, but to God whose name is life and love.

Henri Nouwen, Duet of the Holy Spirit, 10.

God wants to give you a glimpse of eternity tomorrow, come ready to worship.

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Witness of the Paraclete

Henri Nouwen, Celibacy, 87.

Imagine meeting with God. You are going to spend the day together. God wants to spend time just with you. What would you talk about? No problem solving, what deep insight would you like to hear about? What music would you like to share together? What beautiful place would you like to visit?