I'm back from Greece/Turkey, and there's a lot still to take in. Honestly, the experience was not what I expected it to be. It's a completely different place from Israel, different but equal significance, but nothing that I was expecting.
Now that I'm back and I'm trying to figure out how to share the experience I wonder how much of it I actually took in. A lot of this trip was working through feelings and emotions as I reflected upon the past year. Sitting on a bus for hours everyday gives you a lot of time to think. Working through anger, frustration, discouragement, feelings of inadequacy, Paul dealt with all of that. And that is what I believe God was trying to teach me there.
I was able to work through some thoughts about the church and ministry. I had the opportunity to go to a Greek Orthodox church in Thessaloniki and as I walked through the church looking at the ornate items there I thought, what would Paul say to this. Dr. Nielson was there, and he and I talked about the idea of what church buildings were then and are today, the differences in how we see the building and the significance it has. All of it is about finding balance, finding the right mix between having a building worthy to be called the House of God, and a building that doesn't neglect ministry for the sake a beautiful building. I'm not sure that I've found what that balance is yet, but I think that is the most important thing I take away from this.
I'm glad I went, I realized things that I knew but had just never realized that I knew. I don't know that any of the expectations I had going in were met, but that's ok. And now as the process of taking it all in and figuring out how to apply it to life begins, I'm glad its a day by day thing that I don't have to figure out all at once.
Peace be with you
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
In the footsteps of a Man, part 1
Today I leave on another adventure to the other side of the world. From Januray 8-January 25 I will be in Turkey and Greece traveling to the different cities of Paul's missionary journeys, I get to do a devotion out of Philippians at Philippi(And going to the location of the Battle of the 300, Spartan's are awesome).
As I've been preparing for this journey I've begun to see Paul in a different way. Whenever I read one of his letters I would always get the sense that this guy was the super Christian no one else could ever be, he walked into a city, started a successful, rock solid church, and when issues arose after he had left he wrote a letter knowing exactly what to say. Paul was untouchable and always had the answers, I could never be like him.
But in preping for this class I began to see another side of Paul, the human side. The side of him that had a life that really sucked. The side of him that dealt with whinny people who needed to grow up. The side of him that dealt with mobs wanting to kill him. I began to wonder if in his letter writing he ever hesitated before he started a sentence thinking, "God, this is really going to tick some people off, are you sure this is what I have to say?"
To me, Paul is no longer the super Christian that I could never be, rather, I now see Paul for what he really was, a Pastor. Paul was a man trying to do the will of God, trying to be more like Christ. He knew the junk that came with leading people into Christlikeness. He knew the struggles that come with preparing a message that people have to hear but would probably be offensive to some. He knew what it was to work with stubborn people.
I now see Paul simply as a man who understands what I'm going through, a man who is relatable, a man who made it.
Peace be with you
As I've been preparing for this journey I've begun to see Paul in a different way. Whenever I read one of his letters I would always get the sense that this guy was the super Christian no one else could ever be, he walked into a city, started a successful, rock solid church, and when issues arose after he had left he wrote a letter knowing exactly what to say. Paul was untouchable and always had the answers, I could never be like him.
But in preping for this class I began to see another side of Paul, the human side. The side of him that had a life that really sucked. The side of him that dealt with whinny people who needed to grow up. The side of him that dealt with mobs wanting to kill him. I began to wonder if in his letter writing he ever hesitated before he started a sentence thinking, "God, this is really going to tick some people off, are you sure this is what I have to say?"
To me, Paul is no longer the super Christian that I could never be, rather, I now see Paul for what he really was, a Pastor. Paul was a man trying to do the will of God, trying to be more like Christ. He knew the junk that came with leading people into Christlikeness. He knew the struggles that come with preparing a message that people have to hear but would probably be offensive to some. He knew what it was to work with stubborn people.
I now see Paul simply as a man who understands what I'm going through, a man who is relatable, a man who made it.
Peace be with you
Thursday, January 6, 2011
2010 Recap
As 2011 begins people are making resolutions. I made one, but only one person knows what it is, and it will stay that way until it is fulfilled. But as we look forward and look at thing to change or improve upon, I can't help but looking back.
Honestly, 2010 was very rough in a lot of ways, but in all of that I look back at what God brought me through, and taught me along the way.
Heart break, and showing me what love really is and how He loves me, and how his plans really are more incredible than we ever could have planned. at the beginning of 2010 I was pursuing an incredible girl, but it wasn't the will of God. I didn't understand why, but now I do, and now I'm with my best friend. I still can't believe I'm with her. Every time I sit with her, hold her hand, hug her, I can't believe it's her.
Frustration, and how He has a plan to work everything out for the best for those who are striving for Righteousness. I was in Michigan for most of the year, working in a struggling church, but with people who really do love Jesus. A lot of things happened that I won't talk about, but in all of that God worked. The young adult ministry went from being basically non-existent to ministering to over 20 college and career age people. The teens went through a process learning what this whole Christian thing is about, and really began to get it. He brought me to a group of youth pastors who were nothing short of a blessing from God, they loved me, ministered to me, and encouraged me through the roughest days, and I am forever grateful to all of you. Personally, God showed me so much about His character and His heart. And when the time was over He opened the exit door.
Church, the role of a pastor as a leader and servant, how crucial vision is, how to build a team, how to lead that team, the importance of unity to the survival of the church and it's ability to building the kingdom of God.
There was a lot in 2010 that really sucked, some of it I still don't get, and honestly some of it I may never understand. But I take everything I have learned and I apply it to the life. I take what I learned about God and mold my life more around it, I take what I learned about pastoring, and I apply it my future staff and congregation, and with that everything I've learned culminates in the church God will one day place me in to shepherd and serve.
Even the times in life that absolutely suck are part of Gods plan. In a few days I leave for a couple weeks in Greece and Turkey walking in the footprints of the Apostle Paul. Preparing for this has shown me a new aspect of his life and it leaves me knowing that I have letters written close to 2,000 years ago from a man who went through all of this and understands it all.
As we head into this next year, I simply want my prayer to be, God make me more like Christ. "Help me to love like you loved, to serve like you served, to speak only words of truth, help me to care like you cared for a world in despair, help me to love like you." (Johnny Diaz)
Peace be with you
Honestly, 2010 was very rough in a lot of ways, but in all of that I look back at what God brought me through, and taught me along the way.
Heart break, and showing me what love really is and how He loves me, and how his plans really are more incredible than we ever could have planned. at the beginning of 2010 I was pursuing an incredible girl, but it wasn't the will of God. I didn't understand why, but now I do, and now I'm with my best friend. I still can't believe I'm with her. Every time I sit with her, hold her hand, hug her, I can't believe it's her.
Frustration, and how He has a plan to work everything out for the best for those who are striving for Righteousness. I was in Michigan for most of the year, working in a struggling church, but with people who really do love Jesus. A lot of things happened that I won't talk about, but in all of that God worked. The young adult ministry went from being basically non-existent to ministering to over 20 college and career age people. The teens went through a process learning what this whole Christian thing is about, and really began to get it. He brought me to a group of youth pastors who were nothing short of a blessing from God, they loved me, ministered to me, and encouraged me through the roughest days, and I am forever grateful to all of you. Personally, God showed me so much about His character and His heart. And when the time was over He opened the exit door.
Church, the role of a pastor as a leader and servant, how crucial vision is, how to build a team, how to lead that team, the importance of unity to the survival of the church and it's ability to building the kingdom of God.
There was a lot in 2010 that really sucked, some of it I still don't get, and honestly some of it I may never understand. But I take everything I have learned and I apply it to the life. I take what I learned about God and mold my life more around it, I take what I learned about pastoring, and I apply it my future staff and congregation, and with that everything I've learned culminates in the church God will one day place me in to shepherd and serve.
Even the times in life that absolutely suck are part of Gods plan. In a few days I leave for a couple weeks in Greece and Turkey walking in the footprints of the Apostle Paul. Preparing for this has shown me a new aspect of his life and it leaves me knowing that I have letters written close to 2,000 years ago from a man who went through all of this and understands it all.
As we head into this next year, I simply want my prayer to be, God make me more like Christ. "Help me to love like you loved, to serve like you served, to speak only words of truth, help me to care like you cared for a world in despair, help me to love like you." (Johnny Diaz)
Peace be with you
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