Worldly Holiness

Every Inch in Jerusalem, Conditions at Year 60

Candy Store in Jerusalem, originally uploaded by papalars.

This is a foto of a little shop inside the old city of Jerusalem where I visited in March. The man was kind enough to let me take his portrait. I found his square unit very interesting if not a little claustrophobic. Space is a premium inside the walls. In fact space in the entire region seems to be a premium. It is sad that each inch has to be contested and that people are displaced and killed in an effort to get the upper had, to take possession of the Holy Land. How ironic. I wonder what God thinks about this? The Associated Press early today ran a story about the Birthday celebrations in Jerusalem for Israel's 60th birthday. The first part of the story read like this….

AP Story / JERUSALEM - Israel staged its 60th birthday bash with fireworks, air force flyovers and a great sense of pride Thursday, but also with uncertainty about its future and doubts about prospects for peace with the Palestinians. Across the country, Israelis held barbecues in backyards and public parks, and were entertained by parachute jumps. Israel at 60 is a paradox of exuberance and despair — a country enduring near daily rocket attacks from militants while producing scientists who have pioneered Wi-Fi and instant messaging. Six decades after rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish state is still plagued by threats from abroad and an identity crisis at home.

I am not an expert on Israel's place in the Middle East, nor the world for that matter, but it does seem to me that indeed the country is in a delicate if not precarious place these days. In my recent trip to the old city in Jerusalem you could feel some of the underlying tension that reflects the broader conflict in the region. In all honestly, it felt a bit like a tinder box.

The ever present security forces and cameras seemed to monitor every step of every citizen and visitor alike, making sure nothing came out of joint in the balancing game within the walls of the city. At one point I had difficulty accessing a stairway to the ramparts on the city wall. I thought I would just leap a small fence and be done with it, thereby gaining entry to the coveted perimeter wall and viewpoints around the city. My friends persuaded me to think otherwise. Then I turned and saw a camera. I wasn't in Kansas, that is for sure.

The city does seem to thrive with commerce, but not like what I grew accustomed to in Europe. Things began to close down much, much earlier in the evening and it became hard to find a place to eat after 9:00 in the evening. That is kind of when things get going back in Barcelona. And here in the States you can at least get fast food almost 24 hours a day. Not in Jerusalem.

I left the city with some good memories but also a lot of questions. I also found, in comparison, that the city of Amman, Jordan was much friendlier. I have no major conclusions to draw at this point as to why. These are just the simple observations of my first trip to the region. I wonder what Jesus thinks about the city today. Does he still weep?

May 8th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Friday Fotos | no comments

Downtown Chicago from the Hancock Building

Downtown Chicago from the Hancock Building, originally uploaded by papalars.

We used to talk about "refried" sermons in Mexico when you took something your preached in one church and did it again in another. Of course I never do that in the US. Ha-ha. Well, you have a refried blog post in front of you right here. You may recognize this photo from the previous post. I lost it from the original post a few weeks ago because of some editing I did with the shot on flickr. I did not want to leave a wide open space on my blog, so here it is….

I'm keenly aware of a large backlog of stories to share, pictures to upload, and thanks to be given on these pages. Life this past month since my last posting has been a bit full. I hope to share some reflections on these pages over the next few days and weeks. Let me just say, my trip to Europe and the Middle East were profound both in terms of perspective gained and relationships built in ministry.

But before I launch into some of these stories, I want to post my Friday Foto, which I have not done for awhile.

I'm in Chicago currently for some meeting and speaking. I was invited to share in a class at North Park Theological Seminary on Tuesday night about what I saw and experienced in the Middle East. That was fun. Last night I was able to attend a lecture at the Seminary as well on Islamic Christology given by a leading Muslim scholar. It was fascinating and also gave me the awareness of how much more I need to understand about Islam. Tomorrow I head to Little Falls, Minnesota where I get to preach and speak this weekend at a Covenant church, again about our work and the interesting things God is doing in the focus world.

On Wednesday night I escaped to downtown Chicago and spent about 5 hours wandering with my camera, up and down Michigan Avenue. As you may have guessed, that is not hard for me to do. I went to school here in Chicago in college plus a few years in Seminary. I have not been up the John Hancock building for 30 years. That is where the picture above was taken. Things look pretty much the same from this level. Down on the street however, much has changed. Millennium park close to the Art Institute and the Loop are a significant addition. Of course, when I was here before we were not close enough to the Millennium to have a park named after it. Anyway, I have a bunch of new photos from my long walk on Wednesday night on my flickr site should you care to browse.

Sorry it has taken so long to post to my blog. I've been busy over on facebook , traveling and speaking. Stay tuned and please keep us in your prayers.

May 8th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey | no comments

Friday Fotos–What is Your Vision for the Future?

Old Mansion, originally uploaded by papalars.

Yesterday I was invited to speak about my work with focus people in a Christian High School close to Black Diamond. Close to Auburn as well. The school is out in the woods and the drive took me on fun roads that are a little off the beaten path. Golden opportunity to drag my camera along and enjoy the views. I share with you one of my HDR [High Dynamic Range] photos for this edition of Friday Fotos. HDR is a process of making one dynamic photo and sandwich from 3 photos shot at different f-stops or shutter speed. It affords a greater range of color, sharpness and overall quality. 

This is an old mansion that is also a historical site in the region. The date on the sign says 1894. To realize we lived all last year in Barcelona where human civilization of some kind was in the area before the time of Christ makes me chuckle thinking of how relatively "young" this place is. I guess it goes with the territory in these parts. When Rome was building roads in present day Spain, the state of Washington was inhabited with some Native-American Indian tribes but probably mostly trees. Our broader culture was dreaming about building a mansion somewhere.

Anyway the class I taught today was very engaging. It consisting of 10 and 12th graders and went well. They were eager to learn and hear of what God is doing in the focus world. It continues to strike me how much our youth engage the focus world and are spiritually curious. When I ask in groups of people who has a friend from the focus world, most are under 30. I think they know something that my generation does not. Our future will have more to do with religious and spiritual stuff, discussions between religions, conflicts stirred by warped religious passions and much less about the goals that gave my generation apparent meaning. 

Our future is ultimately NOT about secularism and materialism which the leading thinkers of the 20th suggested. You may remember that Marx and others believed that the more educated and economically productive people became, the less religious they would be. Even though America did not officially subscribe to that doctrine [we believed in God and the other guys were atheists], we are perhaps the country that most embodies the idea–value is measured by material wealth. But David Brooks in the Atlantic Monthly states: "It's now clear that the secularization theory is untrue. The human race does not necessarily get less religious as it grows richer and better educated. We are living through one of the great periods of scientific progress and creation of wealth. At the same time, we are in the midst of a religious boom…secularism is not the future; it is yesterday's incorrect vision of the future." Atlantic Monthly, March 2003. 

This weekend I take another road trip up north, with a full load of speaking engagements on Sunday. First, I get to share in worship [that means preaching], followed by a Q & A for Sunday School. After that is all over, I then take a boat trip with a bunch of men where I give a different talk on marriage, parenting and family. The title of my talk with the guys is "Relational Fidelity: Reaching the Summit, Going the Distance." I took some time in the woods the other day, thinking and praying about what in the world I could share with a bunch of men about relationships. This is a bit of a new challenge for me. I don't feel adequate to the task. I know I could be doing a lot, lot better in this area of my life. Who am I to give a word about this topic? Pray for me this weekend on this topic in two ways. 1. How I actually live the stuff I'm going to talk about in my family. 2. How I speak about it with others in such a way that God is brought into the equation, showing us the way. But for now, enjoy my Friday Foto!

Drop me a line when you have time. Would love to hear from you. What do you think of the photo? What is your vision for the future? What do focus people have to do with your future?

May 2nd, 2008 Posted by andres | Prayer & Praise, Friday Fotos | no comments

Friday Fotos–Walkway to the Dome

Walkway to the Dome, originally uploaded by papalars.

April 25th, 2008 Posted by andres | Friday Fotos | no comments

The Stones Will Cry Out–Following the Prince of Peace

Khalid, originally uploaded by papalars.

I've been thinking recently of our trip to the Middle East and to Jerusalem and the experience we had with the shop owner on the Via Dolorosa–literally the "street of pain!" Luke's story of Christ's Triumphal Entry into the very city whose streets we walked is also bouncing around in my head. This is quite a place and our experience seemed to live up to the city's reputation, both in scripture and current day. There is no shortage of tension.

Our new friend, Khalid, manifested some of the ethnic and religious pain when he shouted an insult at us strolling by his shop. We were
noticeably American. And we didn't stop to look at his stuff in the shop. I think
he had some pent up anger toward America and we were his target. It hit
a hot button in my friend, Nate, who had to respond to the insult. So
for the first 5 minutes of our encounter, Nate and Khalid were face to
face, about 5 inches apart, Mid-East style. All other pedestrians in
the area began to swing wide of the incident, perhaps wanting to avoid
any fallout. I came up to Nate and Khalid and began to pray while I
sought to insert calm comments from time to time.

You may remember the scene in the New Testament when Jesus entered Jerusalem near the end of his time on earth. If you are not a Bible scholar that is OK. The story has been re-enacted in movies for some time. Anyway, it unfolds like this. People were all excited when Christ was entering Jerusalem and the people were praising God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen. The Pharisees must have been jealous because they asked Jesus to rebuke his disciples to which he replied–"if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"

Jerusalem is full of many stones. The old city is built with stones. Cobblestones on the streets, bricks and larger stones in the buildings, gates, and of course the famous Wailing Wall is a formidable tribute to the principle building material in the region. Jerusalem, the city, is full of stones. It is also full of much pain. 

Back to our incident with the shop owner, a Palestinian. Bit by bit, and for no reason of my own effort really, things began to calm down and within about 15 minutes were inside the shop talking more calmly on stools offered by our new host. At minute 30 I think we were offered coffee. Within the hour we were shoulder to shoulder for this picture and exchanging emails. Clearly God was with us. We listened, extended our hearts of understanding and empathy and sought to be the presence of Christ. I bought a very nice, simple cross necklace for Carol. Maybe this was our new friends strategy all along. Grin.

I kind of feel that Jerusalem is a microcosm of our current world, especially on the issue of religious and cultural fault lines that now seem to divide us around the globe. I also feel that we are called to be ambassadors for the Prince of Peace in this conflicted world. If we remain silent, the stones of the city of Jerusalem, which have seen so much pain, will probably cry out if they don't collapse in upon us. The world needs to know the Prince of Peace and the message he brings to all–"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity…" [Ephesians 2:14-15]. By the way, the story of Jesus to which I refer is in Luke 19:40. There are some new protagonists in the story but the storyline is very similar in present day Jerusalem.

As-sallamu Aleykum 

April 23rd, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey | 2 comments

Friday Foto–In Training and on the Road

St. Helens crest looking into crater, originally uploaded by papalars.

I leave tomorrow for Europe and the M.E. I asked for prayer in my last post for this 3 week trip. Briefly, I'm headed first to Barcelona to reconnect with ministry partners and friends, followed by our staff retreat in Southern France. Mark Novak, our conference Superintendent in the North Pacific Conference, is our speaker and I get to be his and wife Marilyn's special host for a few days in Barcelona before we head across the border to France. Should be fun.

After two weeks in Europe, I join 3 others for a trip to the M.E. to observe some things going on in that region. This will be my first venture into that part of the world but is very important for our ministry. I'm a tad bit excited and eager to learn, listen, observe, pray and discover. Pray for our team, for safety and God's hand to be upon us each step of the way. So I will be on the road for awhile. Hope to post some stories from abroad but we will see if I have time.

Besides being on the road, I'm also in training.  I suppose you could say this applies to at least two areas in my life right now. Clearly, I am still learning what it means to be a messenger of the Good News to focus people. I started on this journey in midlife and do not have command of the holy language nor years of experience under my belt. But clearly, God has called and continues to lead in significant ways. I used to look at my "liabilities" as something that disqualified me for this work. Now I view them as assets. They keep me focused and trusting God.

I'm also training for another adventure. This picture gives a hint. Since January I have been exercising and doing small climbs in the area in a regular training regime to climb Mt. Rainier with a group of friends this summer. The picture above is from the summit of Mt. St. Helens, looking into the crater. You can see a new peak that is pushing up the rocks, making a new summit for the mountain, slowly but surely. I took this before we left for Spain, in the summer of 2006. I hope to get back up this one sometime this summer but the big goal is Rainier in August.

As I sit here in my favorite chair, I'm aware of the soreness in my legs from training. I am also aware that it takes time to prepare for reaching the summit. Climbing is a bit like spirituality and the fruit of ministry. It doesn't just happen. Nor does it come from merely trying. It requires training and concerted, focused effort, while also leaning on God. But the rewards are great! Join with me in training and living the race set before us. "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14.

March 6th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Friday Fotos | one comment

Spring Prayer & Praise–Bound for Barcelona

Aladdin + Barcelona from Top of Tibidabo, originally uploaded by papalars.

Again it has been awhile since I posted something to my blog. What's up with that? It has been even longer since I asked for prayer in this space. I'm long overdue. My upcoming trip to Europe and other parts is prompting me to write–finally.

I appreciate the comments of encouragement and support received on this blog, in personal emails and greetings as I have visited churches the last few months. Let me give some updates on our ministry, answers to prayer and then invite you all to continue to pray for some very important, upcoming events, some planning and strategic decisions.

1. Wahab's visa application to study in England was refused last week but it turns out the option to study the same degree has opened up in Sweden. Way to go Sweden! We have observed that Sweden has been the most generous of late in immigration laws. Pray for Wahab as plans begin to come together for his studies and for God's hand to continue to be upon his life. I will get to see Austin, Wahab's father next week in Barcelona which will be very sweet.

2. Pray for an upcoming trip back to Barcelona and parts beyond. I begin a 3 week trip this Friday that will take me to Europe for our European team staff retreat in France and a visit to a Middle Eastern country for some training and mentoring in our contextual ministry model. I will begin this trip with a few days in Barcelona to reconnect with friends and ministry partners there.

3. Pray for an upcoming, important discussion with the World Mission Committee regarding some strategic moves with the Mosaics Project and my personal role with the ministry. We are re-evaluating some opportunities and want to discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Interest and response to our project is growing and we need to be more proactive in mobilizing and training our churches and young people. Stayed tuned and keep praying for God to guide conversations and strategic decisions.

4. Pray for our Euroretreat next week and for my main ministry partner, Ken, as he transitions back to France. In the next month, he will need to find a place to live and begin to re-engage ministry and relationships that he left last summer. Pray also for wisdom in directing our project and connecting the dots of workers to opportunities and developing our team strategies.

5. Lastly, pray for my family this month. We all need to know God's presence and guidance, especially during times of transition, which seems to be a theme in our lives for now. Pray for mental and physical health, for purpose and direction, for fruitfulness in the Kingdom that reflects well upon God. Pray also for joy in the journey.

Thanks for your partnership in the Gospel among focus people. This is their time.

March 4th, 2008 Posted by andres | Prayer & Praise | no comments

Comfort and Assurance During Fragile Times

Leaf in Snow, originally uploaded by papalars.

Ministry can be a high octane, adrenaline induced activity sometimes. The nature of my particular call to focus people feels so important and strategic and stirs my heart and mind daily. It feels like such a privilege and honor to be doing what I'm doing currently. I want to give it my all and rise to the occasion. I want to be worthy of Christ's sacrifice and do well for the Kingdom He came to inaugurate, and help bring more people from the focus world to that final feast that Luke anticipates in his Gospel: "People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God." Luke 13:29.

And yet, the going gets tough sometimes and we need encouragement. All pastors and ministers of the Gospel [that includes anyone who seeks to follow Christ!] need reminders that they are not alone.

This last month has been full with speaking engagements and exciting, developing new ministry relationships and directions. I see a lot of potential and significant ministry emerging. We are starting to reap the rewards of some patient ground work. At the same time, I have felt very fragile. You don't need to know the details other than that some turns in the road seem to threaten my peace and security in the Lord and in this ministry.

I mentioned in a previous post that I was at the Covenant Ministers' Midwinter conference recently. Ken and I were able to give a workshop on our contextual model for ministry that we are developing. Anyway, this conference is a wonderful event, held each year, full of great times to reconnect with friends and to be fed through worship and great teaching. This time I was struck by the simple, yet powerful, words of an old hymn that we sang in one of our evening worship sessions. I share it with you on this blog in hopes it might be a comfort to you and a reminder that God is with us always. It speaks of God's presence each step of the way, even…or perhaps most when we don't really feel like it. This is the Psalm 139 kind of presence, the kind from which we cannot flee!

The tune is kind of schmaltzy, but hey, the words struck me this year at the Midwinter. It is called: "I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry."

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old,
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child,
with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off
to find where demons dwell.

When you heard the wonder of the Word
I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord,
to whom you now belong.

In the middle ages of your life,
not too old, no longer young,
I'll be there to guide you through the night,
complete what I've begun.

When the evening gently closes in,
and you shut your weary eyes,
I'll be there as I have always been
with just one more surprise.

I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,
to see your life unfold.

God is with me. He is with you. He carries you and me through thick and thin. He rejoices each step of the way. Rest in that today.

Have a wonderful week and rest in the assurance of His constant and abiding presence.

February 10th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey | 3 comments

Foster Avenue–More Snow

Foster Avenue, originally uploaded by papalars.

I'm finally home after several weeks out on the road. My trip finished with a great weekend in a North Chicago Suburb visiting some old friends from Mexico. Chuy was part of both of our church plant projects where we lived for 10 years while Judy was a short-term missionary with us for several years in Monterrey . Chuy and I spent many hours over coffee in a VIPS restaurant with our Bibles and study notes. He is a good friend. Visiting Chuy and Judy was a wonderful finish to a full trip.

On this entire trip I felt like I was followed by snow each step of the way, from California to Chicago. The photo above is a scene on Foster Avenue close to North Park University in Chicago, my alma mater. Check out some of my other photos of the snow and winter scenes I have experienced on this road trip [here], at least the first 16 photos in the set. The city took a good hit from a storm passing through the Midwest, surprising many locals by the amount of snow dropped last Thursday and Friday, delaying or canceling many flights out of O'Hare. My flight was delayed on Monday but thankfully, I did escape. News tonight tells the story of another 1000 people being stranded at that airport. This seems like a wild winter across the country. 

It is late but before I hit the hay I wanted to mention the re-open of the Q Cafe that is associated with our church in Seattle. The cafe is part of the community presence ministry of Quest church. Q Cafe is a non-profit neighborhood cafe featuring direct trade espresso and tea, art, live music, and community events. After some refurbishing and rethinking the strategy and purpose of the cafe, they have relaunched with a fresh vision. It is a joy to worship at Quest and be part of a significant, innovative ministry to our community. The vision is important and they offer free Wi-Fi to cafe customers [wink]. Here are their commitments to the the community as stated on their website:

ONE | Partner with roasters or providers that serve
fair trade/direct trade coffee and exhibit a growing commitment and
relationship with local coffee farmers and environment.

TWO | 10% of all cafe sales go to outside local and
global non-profit organizations.  Each month’s receipient will also be
highlighted through the cafe website to raise awareness.

THREE |  Host events - fundraisers, film
screenings, benefit music shows, discussions groups - to help raise
awareness on local and global causes and issues.

If you are in Seattle, you need to visit the cafe. Or come and worship with us on Sunday. Have a great week. 

February 6th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey | 2 comments

A Wonderful Road Trip

Lower Falls, originally uploaded by papalars.

I am nearing the end of a longer road trip that has taken me to Santa Barbara, California, north to San Francisco via the Central Valley of the state to visit family and see the beauties of Yosemite under cover of snow….yes, I took the photo above last week…notice the little stream of water coming off the lower falls. Anyway, this trip just finished up in Chicago for the Covenant's Midwinter conference. I have been speaking in churches to multiple age groups about our ministry to focus people, ranging from a middle school group to a senior citizens gathering at a retirement center. Yesterday, I just finished a 3.5 hour workshop with my ministry partner, Ken S to a gathering of Covenant pastors, leaders and cross-cultural workers.

The time has been very rich. It has been most rewarding as I see people respond to the approach of showing love to focus friends. I have been also amazed at the number of people in our churches who have focus friends. Last weekend in one church over 50 people raised their hands in response to the question of whether they had a focus friend. One of my underlying texts is 1 Peter 3:15. "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." I am excited to see this seems to be the predominant ethos and attitude among the people in our broader church community. It seems there is a strong, pervasive desire in our churches to really live this way before focus people.

Well this month is almost over and I am ready to get back home, after a few more stops. I get to take some time to visit a few longtime friends over the weekend. One is a young man I discipled for several years in Mexico who now lives in the Chicago area, with his own family. It will be great to see Chuy again.

Here is a Friday Foto. February should be a better month for pictures and regular posts. Have a great weekend.  

January 31st, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Friday Fotos | no comments