Worldly Holiness

The Main Gate, originally uploaded by papalars.

Sometimes I wonder about prayer, don't you? Like "why pray when God already knows the need and is more concerned than I am about the need?" Like, "does it make any difference?" And finally…at least for this post [I really have more questions about prayer, but I need to post this so I can, well, pray!], "why not just work for the solution instead of speak to God about it, thereby delaying movement toward a solution?"

I know I cannot answer all these questions but they do give me pause sometimes. My simple answer for now is, "for some reason, God enjoys our partnership in building his Kingdom and seems to do things and move in new ways when we join him in prayer."  It is one of those amazing mysteries. I have been dipping into Yancey's book on Prayer and found this nugget to help you as you pray through my list below. He makes mention of Frank Laubach, the founder of modern literacy and a missionary. He says this about praying for others beyond your immediate circle of influence [which is what I ask of you each month]:

"According to Laubach, we would accomplish more for the world by praying faithfully than by walking into the White House or Whitehall or the Kremlin with suggestions. Our personal advice would most likely be misguided, but prayer for leaders [or others] summons an invisible spiritual force that can have real effects, not by persuading God to try harder, but by persuading leaders [or those involved in your request] to try harder." [see Yancey's book on prayer, p. 309]. Wow, that gives me some fuel to keep praying. Will you join me?

As you pray please lift up these specific requests:

For our friends back in Barcelona:
• Pray especially for Austin´s son [here are stories about Austin for a refresher, here and here], Wahab who plans to move to London from Pakistan for studies. He has been taking advanced studies in English, has been accepted to a top school in London and is applying for a visa, which are hard to come by these days, on December 12th. Pray that his visa be granted and his transition smooth.

• Pray also for Miguel , who has just become the President of a very important Latino mission agency that trains, prepares and cares for Latino missionaries working in North Africa. He is a dear friend that needs support in this vital, expanding role. We are trusting God to continue collaborating with Miguel and this agency in the future.

• Pray for Nate , our Covenant short-term missionary who is working with the Latino cell group we supported in Barcelona last year with Fabio. Pray also for his bold efforts to reach out to and serve focus friends. He is doing a commendable job and plans to be in Seminary in a year.

For Us:
• For responsiveness as I share/preach in churches. I want to encourage and challenge churches to open up to focus people with the Gospel and not shrink back in fear.

• For my trip to Tucson next week as I visit a ministry that is doing some great stuff to serve and reach the focus immigrant community.

• I’m just finishing up a semester of Arabic at the local community college. Pray for ways to build on this understanding and for an opportunity to insert myself in an informal conversation group with Middle Eastern students at another University in town. Pray for good friendships and witness for Christ.

• Please continue pray for our family, for our children as they our take bigger steps toward careers and college. Pray for good health, direction and God’s hand in all we do.

Once again, thanks for your partnership in the Gospel. We really could NOT do this without you standing with us. Believe me. The challenge sometimes seems daunting but the grace of our Lord and the company and support of others makes it all possible. And for some reason, God influences events and people through your prayers. I think it has something to do with changing us as well, into his generous, over-flowing desire to love and bless others!

By the way, the foto is from the Medina in Fez, Morocco. You don't go through that door without a guide or you get lost. I felt safe in the medina [walled city] when we visited back in May, just always keeping an eye on our guide so I would not get lost. Here are previous stories on my blog about the medina in Fez with accompanying fotos both here and here. Enjoy and leave a comment.

Single Red Berry, originally uploaded by papalars.

Today, they are calling the day after Thanksgiving "Black Friday." I was curious why this term was used. I don't recall hearing this term before in reference to the day after Thanksgiving. Nor does my wife. So, I did a little research and found the Wikipedia article helpful. Black Friday refers to the notion that on this day, noted as one of the best days in the year for retailers, is when businesses are in the black, turning a profit. Goes to show you that you can learn something new everyday.

As you can see from this foto, we also have a frost on the ground in the mornings. A year ago we were in Europe, Rome actually, for Thanksgiving. I don't recall seeing any frost. So, the old body is trying to adjust again to the realities of living back in Seattle.

This is Friday and I don't have anything as profound to write like the last post, so here is my choice foto. Hope you like it.

Henry & Andy, originally uploaded by papalars.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book Life Together, is famous for the following quote: “he who cannot be alone should fear community and he who is not in community should fear being alone.” I'd like to reflect on this quote, along with my recent experience in the Journey to Mosaics . I also want to integrate some insights I had during a week long silent retreat I did with a Jesuit priest by the name of Juan Valdez in Mexico over 10 years ago. Lastly, I want to draw out some implications for our current ministry with our focus friends. I trust all this reflection will yield some wisdom for your experience in our increasingly multi-ethnic world. Too much to bring together in one post? Perhaps. Maybe this will be a theme for a week or so.

The experience of being silent for a week was intense. Add the layer of being silent in community only increased the intensity for me. Though I don't always need to talk, I'm known for being able to chat with just about anyone. I'm relationally curious and like to get to know other people. I'm probably like most other people and like to be known as well. In Mexico, many conversations were framed around this type of interchange mostly because it was obvious that we were not from there. We were white people in a context where the majority were brown skinned. We spoke English as our first language and no matter how fluent our Spanish became, folks could tell we were not native. Lastly we were Evangelicals in a land where Catholic identity was almost synonymous with Mexican birthright. At the retreat, I knew all these pieces where in the minds of my fellow retreatants in the silent community. I wanted to explain myself to others, eliminate caricatures they might have of me and be known. And I wanted to get to know them. But we had to be silent.

I found over the week that a bond formed in our community that was profound. The big learning for me–it was not based on externals or the ability to chat. Recently I ventured the hypothesis that if we had all come together in a room outside of the retreat experience we probably would have ended up in different corners. This is mostly what happens in society at large. We live in a world where race, economics, religion and birthright determine where we stand in a room in relation to other people and the things that define us. Unless of course we dig deeper and find a spiritual ground of being. Colossians 1:17 comes to mind, "And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." I have usually applied this to the cosmos but doesn't it refer to human beings as well. All is the operative word.

At the retreat in Mexico as with Henry, my journey partner a few weeks ago, we can connect "in Christ" at a deep level that supersedes our external, hyphenated identities. Being one in Christ is not contrived or forced. It comes as we are first reconciled to Christ which then becomes the ground for reconciliation with others in the other corner of the room or other side of the globe. It is what the world desperately needs today.

At our silent retreat in Mexico, our priest invited us to one last meal at the end where we could finally talk with each other. The joy and sense of community, the bond of intimacy we shared was something I will never forget. It is like we were long lost buddies who had just found each other after years of searching. Luke anticipates this Kingdom vision 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.

Swirling, originally uploaded by papalars.

Last weekend I was on the "Journey to Mosaics" trip with the North Pacific Conference of the Covenant Church. This learning experience is different than the "Mosaics Project" which I am working directly with under the department of World Mission. I plan to post later today some deeper reflections about that experience but I wanted to start off, since this is Friday, with my chosen foto for Friday.

I took this picture at the Broetje Orchards that we visited during our J2M trip last weekend. This is truly an amazing place with a far reaching ministry to the immigrants among us as well as ministries around the world. The founding couple, Ralph and Cheryl Broetje, started with a small cherry orchard in the 70's that froze two weeks after they signed papers for the purchase. Their vision persisted and has blossomed into a present day reality that is really unmatched in size and reach for the Kingdom of God.

Their orchard holdings are now around 40,000 acres, one of the largest privately owned apple orchards in the world, located in southwestern Washington, near Prescott. The value is assessed at roughly $40 million. Almost 700 employees work year-round, with the number doubling during peak harvest time. The orchard produces an average of 18,000 boxes of apples a day, packed and shipped from their own warehouses.

This is all amazing but the more important piece is how they do business in this little, desolate corner of the state and what they do with the profits. They personally underwrite many ministries around the world. All of their profits from the cherry orchards are donated, 100%. On site they provide low cost housing for employees, many who have come from Mexico and other countries where they cannot find work. They have started a Jubilee Youth Ranch for "at risk" boys between the ages of 13 to 19 years old. In 1990, they established the Vista Hermosa foundation and with it a K-6 school that aims to "serve, encourage and educate children and the under-served in their spiritual, community and health development."

There is more but I will leave you a link to check out more extensively what they are doing. Their humble but significant vision is "to be a quality fruit company committed to bearing fruit that will last." John 15:16.

Going Up to the Next Level, originally uploaded by papalars.

U2 and AIDS in Africa—A Commentary

I’m not usually given to making endorsements on anything but I wanted to point readers to a wonderful interview with Bono of U2 on MSNBC that I viewed this morning. The title caught my eye: “Bono on progress on Africa aid.” It is a 16 minute interview by Brian Williams on the effort by Bono to raise the vision about the needs of AIDS victims in Africa and the money to alleviate some of the pain. It is really quite inspiring. God comes up in the conversation along with Bono’s take on the concept of the “American idea.” An interesting perspective from an outsider. He also speaks of misgivings a 4-star general, and Marine, shared with him who thought we were losing the war on terrorism. You need to watch the interview to find out why, in Bono's, and perhaps the general's, perspective. 

Whether you like the music of U2 or not [I do…a lot], you have to be moved by Bono’s commitment to making a difference in the world. He speaks candidly in this interview about wanting to do more than just record music. Granted, he did confess that he and his band are working on some fresh stuff currently, but I got the idea that they are playing for a different purpose now, wanting to be part of the story of how humanity turned the tide against the “forest fire” that is devastating a continent. The challenge of AIDS is no small task and I suggest we not become callous, closing our hearts to this tragedy of startling proportions.

Specifically, the Red and One Campaigns are cooperative efforts initiated by Bono and a business partner that seek to mobilize businesses, individuals and governments to help meet needs, create awareness and alleviate pain of the poor in Africa. This year, they have already poured over 47 million into the needs of the poor in Africa. Many of their specific efforts aim at preventative measures and medication that are slowing the advance of AIDS.

By the way, my friend Stuart, who works at World Vision would not want me to forget to mention World Vision’s efforts to do much of the same kinds of things in Africa. They have been doing this for a long time actually. Their child sponsorship program is the model for many and is unmatched in integrity for making a lasting impact on the lives of children around the globe. The AIDS situation in Africa has been on their map for many years.

Bono closes the interview saying that U2 wants to be a band that takes it to the next level. In other words, they don’t want to make music just for the sake of music but rather to be on the side of making a difference and writing a new chapter to the story of AIDS. Here is the interview. By the way, the photo is from the escalator at the Pike Street metro tunnel in Seattle. I could not think of another photo that matches this story so am playing with the idea of going up to the "next level." Does it work? As always, comments are welcome.

"Then He will answer them, saying, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'" Matthew 25:45.