Worldly Holiness

Distortions–Friday Fotos & Prayer Requests

The Bean in HDR, originally uploaded by papalars.

“If Focus People are to be enabled to see the Christ of the Gospels, they must first see the likeness of Christ in his followers.”

Whether we like it or not, we reflect something to our world, to those we meet and those we seek. In my work with focus people, I am aware that many times I reflect a stereotypical American whom they perceive as hating their religion and people around the world. This is not my idea, but what my culture and passport say to focus people before a conversation even begins. I would maintain that this is a distortion of what I feel in my heart toward them. But how will they know what is in my heart unless I engage them in an honest, open friendship? By the way, this sounds a little bit like Romans 10:14-15. Why don’t you pause and think of this passage as you pray for me, for those I meet and those I seek. Would love it if you did that.

I find a big part of my work is to clear up distortions—in two ways. In the church I speak of focus friends that I know, clearing up stereotypes of the bearded militant who wants to kill Americans. With focus people I am developing friendships that show love, sincerity, a posture of humility, learning and hopefully, the love of Christ extended to them. This is different than what they expect.

So with this edition of my prayer requests please focus on praying for a clear understanding on both sides of the conversation that takes up most of my life.

Specifically pray for:

1. My conversation with the Department of World Mission this weekend as I present a modified proposal of my role with the Mosaics project that has me based stateside. I hope to be involved more with mobilizing, training, and developing local church ministries to focus people. I can send you the proposal upon request. Just email me at: prayformosaics@yahoo.com.

2. New focus friends in the Seattle area. Some wonderful doors are opening up into the Focus community at both a lay and leadership level. Pray that distortions be minimized, that the light of Christ be seen, understood and embraced. Pray especially for 3 new contacts that I am developing.

3. Family as we continue to launch our children and careers. Pray for our relationships with each other, for good mental and physical health and for clarity and passion for our future[s].

4. Pray for the development of my “Glocal” strategy. At home that means clear direction in the who, what and where of the Mosaics project. I also want to develop a local team who would join the ministry. The other part is far reaching as I develop our approach to mobilizing, empowering local churches and individuals.

If you look closely at this picture of the Bean in Chicago, you can see me with my tripod, snapping happily away. I love to take pictures of the Bean. The distortions are fascinating. As you look at the photo, why don't you pause to ask yourself, "What do others see when they look at me?"

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.”
2 Corinthians 2:14

June 20th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Prayer & Praise, Friday Fotos | 2 comments

Friday Fotos–Seattle Panoramic and Qur’anic Studies

Seattle Pan HDR, originally uploaded by papalars.

Wow! It's Friday again. Seems to come upon me sometimes a little too quickly. For most of those who will read/see this your Friday may be already slipping into the weekend. Life seems to happen after everybody else here on the West Coast sometimes. My old friends in Spain are fast asleep, or at least they should be. Saturday soon greets them.

I took this photo last night after my class in West Seattle on the Qur'an. Let me tell you a little about that before I post this photo.

In my efforts to build relationships of trust with my focus friends, and to understand their faith, I have taken upon myself to read their holy book. To help me in that task I am taking a class in West Seattle on the Qur'an. We are getting deep into our subject, reading whole sections, chapters [Suras], and verses. In our study we are also drawing comparisons to the Hebrew scriptures and New Testament. Very fascinating, needless to say.

One of the criticisms raised by Christian theologians and pastors with regard to a study of our scripture is the danger of reading single verses from the Bible out of context. Many hair brained doctrines or beliefs spring from this inappropriate use of the text. It is funny how the Bible is often used to buttress ideas that in fact are contrary to the clear teaching of scripture when read and understood in context.

It turns out that the Bible is not the only holy book that is used and read in this way. A commentator on the Qur'an that we are reading in our class in fact says this: "Since the Qur'an is….., all its component parts–phrases, sentences, verses and surahs–form one integral, coordinated whole. Hence, if one is really intent on understanding the Qur'anic message, one must beware of a 'hasty approach'–that is to say, of drawing hasty conclusions from isolated verses or sentences taken out of their context…"So I am trying to understand the Qur'an, and its message in its whole. You'd be surprised what I am discovering. The Qur'an, apparently, has been twisted and used to support all kinds of agendas, much like the Bible. Muslim believers are not happy about this at all.

Two weeks ago I went to a lecture given by a leading Imam who was visiting the Seattle area giving a series of lectures on "purification of the heart." I liked the topic and found much that I could agree with. Not all, mind you, but much. A theme is beginning to emerge in conversations for me with the Muslim faithful–the issue of materialism and its negative effect on the spiritual life. That is a bridge I can walk across in my sharing. Afterward I met some of the area leaders, exchanged names, phone numbers and emails. Curiously, I thought to ask one of the Imams if I could insert my notes which I had scribbled out on a piece of paper from the lecture into my Qur'an. He smiled at me and said, if the text was in Arabic, I should only put the notes in the front part of the holy book, not in the middle, like a book marker, half way through the text. Wow, what an interesting insight. The Arabic text printed in the Qur'an is literally the word of God and should not be broken apart with another piece of paper. That act would be interrupting God, so to speak.

I am learning much. I have much yet to learn. Pray for me. "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." 1 Peter 3:15

June 13th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Ministry Updates, Friday Fotos | no comments

Friday Foto–Framing Rainier

Framing Rainier w Sail Boat, originally uploaded by papalars.

I have been exploring a little more with my bike recently in the Seattle area. What a wild [meaning GREAT] place when it is nice out. I should mention that the days like the one above depicted in this photo are few when looking at the span of the entire year, but when it is nice I can't think of another place on earth as golden and enchanted as this. Might be exaggerating a little bit. Maybe not though.

This photo is from two weekends ago and it was probably 10 miles or so from home along the path I took. Great conditioning for Rainier this summer. Great refreshment for the soul as well.

Did I mention we climbed to Camp Muir earlier in May? Don't think I did. Now that was truly wild [meaning CRAZY]. For starters, Camp Muir is just above 10,000 feet on Mt. Rainier and is the base camp for most who make the summit attempt on Washington's greatest mountain. We are training with a group of folks who have the goal of climbing Rainier this August [including the 3 Larsen boys]. Our fearless leader has us all on a training routine that is pushing us to be in condition and mentally ready for a climb. Our trip to Muir was a test.

We hit a day that was "inclement" to say the least with white-out conditions for a good part of the assent. Even lost our trail for about an hour. We also had strong winds and precipitation. I guess the wind chill was below freezing and the winds, which blew horizontal for most of the climb, were hitting over 30 mph.

Rainier beckons to many people in the Puget Sound region. Growing up in its shadow as a kid, I always heard tales of intrepid climbers who climbed this peak and others who trained on this mountain in preparation for climbing Everest. Some of this was legend, but then every once in a while you would read a story of someone who slipped to their death or was caught in white out conditions and lost orientation. One sad story from a few years ago was about an uncle/nephew team who were found frozen to death about 50 feet apart. They had all the correct gear in their packs but somehow lost orientation and hope, failing to rely on their equipment and each other.

In the journey of life, sometimes discouragement hits us, like the 30 mph horizontal winds that intimidated us on the mountain. The storms of life and "white-out" conditions make us lose the trail. The temptation is to just sit down, failing to utilize the resources at hand or find help from others. Don't do that. Let the words of the Psalmist direct how we navigate these hard times: "From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings." Psalm 61:2-4. Let this be your heart's yearning and may God direct your steps to the right resources. May his comfort sustain and strengthen you. Have a great weekend.

May 30th, 2008 Posted by andres | Daily Journey, Friday Fotos | no comments

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 | one comment

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

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

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

Looking for an Oasis–A Common Word Between Us & You

Desert Floor, originally uploaded by papalars.

Hey friends, I bet you are beginning to think about Christmas. Actually many of you are probably well into your shopping list for friends and family. I have not started. In part because I was out of town last weekend, from Thursday thru Sunday night. Likely excuse, right? I was well south of here, in a region where they have things like the foto you see above. I love the way cacti look. Or is it cactuses? Anyway, the town I visited is also home to some ministries I am looking at for the Mosaics Project, serving and loving focus people for Christ. I also spoke at the local Covenant church and began conversations with several people in the congregation about next steps for themselves.

One of the important ministries that I became acquainted with is serving Iraqi refugees, providing an oasis of care and support for these wayfarers as they transition into a new society. Not an easy task. By the way, you can pray for the 2 million plus Iraqi refugees held in limbo presently in countries bordering Iraq–like Jordon, Lebanon, and Syria principally. One recent estimate puts the number of Iraqi citizens displaced from war and violence at around 4 million. About half of those remain in Iraq but have been uprooted from their homes because of the sectarian violence. Most have a family member who has been killed. The people I met last week are ministering to the needs of the few who are coming into their city, with practical things like basic home furnishings, clothes, English classes and the like. The recent arrivals are looking for an oasis and have found it with my new friends.

By the way, on another note, I have wanted to mention for some time an exciting thing that has happened in recent months, a significant bridge that is being built from the Muslim to Christian community, reaching across the chasm that divides Christians from Muslims. Last fall a leading group of Muslim leaders and clerics in Jordon drafted a letter to the global Christian community. The letter is called "A Common Word Between Us and You." In the letter a strong appeal is made to Christian leaders around the world. The content addresses the desire to demonstrate love of God and neighbor to each other, to strive together for a religious peace that would be the foundation for world peace, and to find common ground that could be the basis for genuine interfaith dialogue. Scriptures verses from both the Bible and the Qur'an are used to support the appeal. This is perhaps the most significant move in interfaith relations in my lifetime. Many in the Christian community are giving the letter, and the intent behind it, high marks. God is up to something.

Below you will find two important links to the actual letter from the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan, and a Christian response from the Yale Center for Faith & Culture. My professor from Fuller signed the letter as did many other leading evangelicals. I actually signed the response found on the Yale site. Look for my name. It is in the long list of "who's who" in the Christian world, but a little down the list, where a growing number of not so "who's who" are adding their two cents. Actually, this initiative is worth a lot more than two cents. This is really big and provides a bridge upon which more positive interaction can be conducted.

The link to "Loving God & Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to 'A Common Word Between Us & You'" can be found here. The official Website of "A Common Word Between Us & You" from The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Jordan can be found over here. Both of these links are now also listed in my sidebar in the Outward section. We are living in interesting times that are pregnant with very significant movements in our world. Behind the mayhem and ugly stuff God is doing something. Will you take notice? Won't you join me in prayer for this opportunity? Let's pray that at all levels God could use this for his Kingdom.

By the way, this is Friday so enjoy this edition of Friday Fotos! 

December 13th, 2007 Posted by andres | Ministry Updates, Friday Fotos | one comment

Thinking of Christmas Already

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.

November 23rd, 2007 Posted by andres | Friday Fotos | no comments