nativity missions

generosity

2012-01-26T09:22:00.006-05:00

Thanks for checking out the Nativity Missions blog -- we're having a little discussion about our values, those things that set the tone and trajectory for how we get things done. There are quite a few, so look back to the past couple days to catch up. Today's value is

generosity

Giving sacrificially, being good stewards, bringing the whole tithe to the storehouse is a huge part of being a disciple of Christ. Jesus talked a lot about money because he thought it was important, so we take him at his word and believe that our obedience in this area of our lives, our finances, is key -- after all, where our heart is, there will our treasure be. Generosity is not just a value for our missionaries and our leaders but also for our church.

As a priority, Nativity is committed to giving away a percentage of our income to support the work of our strategic partners, and we're committed to growing that percentage over time. (Over the past few years we've raised money through direct gifts and our Advent Conspiracy campaigns. Moving forward, tithing our income to Missions creates a sustainable system for funding projects, it models stewardship for our congregation, and allows us to commit ourselves to long-term projects.) We also believe that it's of great value for our team members and missionaries to be giving sacrificially to support the work of the local church. Generosity sets the tone for our Missions efforts. We're able to love because Christ first loved us. We joyfully and generously give to God what is rightly his, knowing that he's doing a great work in our hearts while using our resources to do a great work in the world.

life-change

2012-01-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

Here's another post about the values of Nativity Missions. Our values are principles that we believe are essential to the way we carry out or work. They are words to live by, things to be mindful of, attitudes to adopt as you carry out mission work at Nativity. Today's value is

life-change

A few days ago I wrote about our value of story. That post talked about the value of telling stories of life-change, but maybe I should have posted about life-change first... In church world, the numbers don't tell the whole story. Numbers matter, they represent lives, but attendance, giving, program sign-ups, etc. don't give us the full picture. Changed lives is the win for Nativity. The Gospel message isn't meant to just influence, inspire, or educate people, it is meant to completely change lives from the inside out. Life-change is the win, but it has a twist...

We don't have the power to change lives. (If you do, please leave a comment or e-mail me!) But God does. He wants to change us, to make us completely whole and perfect in him. The part we play is in preparing the atmosphere, creating the environment in which God can move and work. We prepare our own hearts to be used by God and we prepare experiences (like short-term mission trips and small group discussions) where God can show up. He said he would give us the holy Spirit and power to be witnesses locally, nationally and internationally. We're after life-change, only God can do it, so we do our part to set the stage and expect him to show up in big ways.

dependence

2012-01-23T15:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks for tuning into this series on values. Nativity Missions is all about making our Church matter by influencing the world for Christ. In order to be used by God to do carry out such an amazing task, we have a few values that we think are very important to our culture and the way we engage in our communities locally, nationally, and internationally. Today's value is

dependence

No fruit can be borne apart from the vine. God wants us to rely on him, depend on him, lean on him. Our Mission work, if it can be accomplished by our own power, would be worth nothing. We set our goals high so that when they're accomplished, God can take all the credit. When we depend on God, he gives us the grace to bear fruit, and by that our Father is glorified. Check out John 15 for a picture of what it's like to abide in God in your life.

Nativity Missions has been a part of accomplishing some pretty awesome things, we're involved in some fairly risky things, and we'll continue to set our sights on even more amazing things in the future. God is a god who loves to provide for us, he loves to show up for us when we put our faith in him. One of the ways we remain mindful of our dependence on God is through prayer, accepting that he can do immeasurably more than all we ask of imagine. We believe wholeheartedly that God is good and that he is great -- that God's promises are true and that he has the power to carry them out in our lives. Nativity Missions values dependence on God; when we depend on his provision he honors our faith and blesses us with what we need.

partnership

2012-01-22T17:08:00.000-05:00

Over the next few days I'll be blogging about the values that Nativity Missions holds. They're not in any order, and they're all important. Values are principles that we believe are essential to the way we carry out or work. They are words to live by, things to be mindful of, attitudes to adopt as we carry out mission work at Nativity. Today's value is

partnership

Nativity Missions carries out all our Mission outreach and service through strategic partnerships locally, nationally and internationally. Partnership is a core value for missions because it allows for us to make a maximum and measurable impact. Church of the Nativity is a church; we're not a soup kitchen, a school, a homeless shelter, we're not experts at providing treatment for AIDS patients in Africa or equipping men and women to enter the workforce in Baltimore City. Our focus is to reach disconnected Catholics in Timonium by creating irresistible weekend environments. But, as a church, we are called to be relevant in our community, we're called to serve others, and we're called to spread the Gospel outside of our community. Partnership makes that possible.

By partnering with other organizations and churches that do understand the assets and needs in their own local communities, we can build relationships with partners that bring about lasting change. We can be a blessing to other organizations, offering resources to further the already amazing work they are doing, while still remaining focused on our vision and mission. Partnerships also give us the ability to measure our impact. By sustaining long term partnerships, we can see how God is using our relationships to bring about change in those partner communities, rather than spreading our efforts across a variety of initiatives and not making a significant impact.

scripture

2012-01-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to this series on the values of Nativity Missions. A vision is a picture of our preferred future (making Church matter by influencing the world for Christ), a mission is what we exist to do, and values are the principles that are essential to our culture and our attitude. We're discussing some of the values that are key to our work. Today's value is

scripture

The Word of God has the power to change lives; it is living and active; it saves us, encourages us, teaches us, gives us life and much more. Nothing can replace studying scripture in the life of a disciple. God makes us promises in the Bible that give us an identity and hope, God gives us the law and commandments that give us direction and guidance. Through the scripture we learn who God is and what attributes he has, we read about Jesus, his saving work, and what he teaches us about the Father, and we see the working of the Holy Spirit and get to understand how she moves in our world. Reading, studying and memorizing scripture is an incomparable tool as we follow and strengthen our relationship with God.

This, perhaps, is a funny value for a church. It might seem to be pretty obvious... But we Catholics don't have a great history or reputation for reading and studying the Bible. We learned some stories as children but haven't, in many cases, been taught how to begin reading the Bible as adults. Nativity has some great resources (the weekend message, daily e-mails, the message guide) to help our community dive deeper into God's Word. Nativity Missions holds it as a value to place importance on scripture -- recognizing that it isn't necessarily a strength, we chose to make it a priority for our work.

story

2012-01-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

You're tuning in to a series of posts about Nativity Missions values. Check out the past few day's entries to read more. Our values are principles that we believe are essential to the way we carry out or work. They are words to live by, things to be mindful of, attitudes to adopt as you carry out mission work at Nativity. Today we're talking about

story

Story is a big part of what we do at Nativity; stories of life-change are what we're after. Our organization is winning and God is winning when we witness people's lives change. Whether it's here in Timonium, in front of a computer watching LIVE, or on a mission trip in Africa, it's our job to create environments where God can change lives.

Stories fit in at a few different points. When we tell stories of life-change that we've experienced by God's power, it gives glory to God. That's what we're created to do, it's why we exist, to bring glory to God. Telling a story allows us to give testimony to God at work in our lives. Stories also help our church determine whether or not we're winning. Our balance sheet, attendance numbers, or program sign-ups don't tell the full story of our ministry, so by hearing stories of life-change we're able to know if our efforts are successful. And lastly, stories are hugely important at Nativity because stories have a unique way of communicating a message. People identify with and can relate to stories unlike statistics or facts. When we hear about someone's experience overcoming an obstacle or taking a step in faith it has the opportunity to encourage us, motivate us, and inspire us to take action as well. Paul tells us always be prepared to give our testimony -- if you hear stories of life-change or you experience God's power in your life, tell your story!

relationship

2012-01-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

I'm going to write briefly over the next few weeks on the values that Nativity Missions holds. They won't be in any particular order of importance, and I do believe they all are critical. Our values are principles that we believe are essential to the way we carry out Missions work. They are words to live by, things to be mindful of, attitudes to adopt as you serve at Nativity. The first one is

relationship

God created us all equal, in his own image and likeness, and he created us for relationship. He thinks relationships are pretty important -- so important that he was willing to send his Son to be crucified on a cross so that we could be in relationship with him. Relationships are eternal. God wants to have a relationship with us and wants to use our relationships to change lives.

Nativity Missions is all about connecting people from our community with people outside of our community. In order to be an effective witness to your faith and provide real help and encouragement, relationships are essential. Movie recommendations and constructive criticism from a best friend mean a lot more than hearing those words from a stranger. Relationships lead the way to other blessings like encouragement, accountability, support and love. Our Missions work is focused on building relationships because it's what we're designed to do and it's one of the few things that's going to matter when we're six feet under.

vision

2012-01-17T14:06:00.000-05:00

The third most popular religion in the United States is "formerly Catholic."
Left and right, churches are closing due to low attendance and poor giving.
An entire generation is being raised isolated from the God who created life.
Pleasure is king; marriages are failing; addictions are winning; the culture is taking over.

Yet, the local church is the hope of the world...
Church of the Nativity envisions a future in which we are making Church matter.

Nativity Missions is making Church matter by influencing the world for Christ.

We believe that God has a plan and a purpose for our local church. We believe that God is alive and at work in this world, and that his plan includes using Nativity to do amazing things, things like bringing hope and healing, restoration and reconciliation to the world. Acts 1.8 says, "But you will receive power and the holy Spirit to be witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Starting with our local community, into our nation, and to nations throughout the world, we are commissioned to enter into the lives of others doing good works and bringing the Gospel message. Nativity Missions is all about mobilizing our community to influence the world for Christ.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be writing about more aspects of our Missions vision and the things we hold as values. But the foundation is this, that God has a calling on each of our lives, he has called our church to be relevant and influential, raising up dedicated disciples who are growing other disciples, being a light to our North Baltimore community and affecting other churches as well. We are making Church matter!

an exciting faith

2012-01-13T09:23:00.000-05:00

When you were baptized, the priest rubbed holy oil on your forehead and anointed you "Priest, Prophet and King." Did you know that you're a priest, a prophet and a king?

As a priest, you have been made holy. God through the sacrifice of Jesus has made you holy, blameless and irreproachable, yet we know that we're not exactly models of holiness all the time. We are called, as priests, to continue to pursue holiness and to offer our lives as living sacrifices.

As a prophet, you have been made a witness. Christ called his disciples to be fishers of men and to be light of the world and salt of the earth. Be light and salt to those in your local community, in your region, and to the ends of the earth. Study the Word of God and give the gift of encouraging others.

As a king, you have been made eternal. Your salvation comes by God through faith for works, and you have been given a heavenly inheritance. Store up for yourself a treasure in heaven by giving generously, serving joyfully, and loving unconditionally. Get involved in kingdom building works that will transform this world.

I'm going to be honest here... Sometimes when I think about these things -- trying to be holy, being a witness for Christ, serving others -- the devil tells me that these things are boring, that when I do these things I'm not going to have any fun, that I'm going to miss out on life. (This tactic goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden by the way.) So in order to combat these thoughts, whenever the thought pops up that a relationship with God is lame, I'm going to read an exciting Bible story, the Book of Acts is chock full of them. If you can relate, join me in reading some thrilling stories from our faith. Following Christ doesn't cause me to miss out on life -- it grants me access to the life I've always wanted.

win

2011-12-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

We really value stories at Nativity -- it's the currency of our ministry. Hearing stories of how God is working in people's lives and in our church gives encouragement to us and gives glory to God. If you have a story to share, you can always pass it along by commenting here on our blog or sending an e-mail to missions@churchnativity.tv. Here's an e-mail I just received from one of our Project Thanksgiving participants -- awesome to see how God is using our church to work in this person's life.

I had been searching for the right church for a few years. In October, I began attending Mass at Nativity, but I did not know anyone from the church. One or two weeks before I attended Access Point to become an official member, was the Project Thanksgiving sign up weekend. Not only was I impressed by the fact that Nativity was collecting food bags, but they were providing opportunities for members to participate "hands on" in projects throughout our communities... I signed up for the Eastside Emergency Family Shelter lunch on December 2nd. I was looking forward to the volunteer service, but I also thought it would be a nice way to meet some other members of Nativity.

The leader knew of a group of women who were interested in this particular shelter. The women happen to belong to a small group that meets on Wednesdays. We provided a hot lunch of stuffed shells, garlic bread and salad. The staff and residents were pleased with the lunch and very appreciative, which made this a rewarding experience. It felt so nice to be able to help others.

Then I received a pleasant surprise, the girls asked me to join their small group!! I was so touched by their warmth and friendliness! This will be the first time I've been in a small group. I was going to wait until after the holidays to sign up for a group, but in an answer to a prayer, this group was put into my life! This experience has been another example of by striving to do good for God, God does wonderful things for us!!

Amen! God indeed does wonderful things for us -- and what a great story showing how when we obey God in service, we then receive blessings in return. The win here for Nativity is how one step led to another and another, and our church was able to encourage that growth and blessing. Equally as awesome was to see the generosity and welcoming nature of a small group to invite a new member! Help us celebrate stories of God winning at our church. He's at work in your life; don't be afraid to share it with others...

school lunch program

2011-12-05T17:36:00.000-05:00

During our November trip we were able to see the lunch program in action. Here's a brief video of the students at St. Anne's eating in their brand new school cafeteria.

a busy november

2011-11-29T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy month for NativityMissions. November started off with our annual Project Thanksgiving. We collected over 1,100 Thanksgiving dinners that went to feed families in need throughout our region. This year we also kicked up our service a notch and had almost two-hundred members sign up to serve at different organizations to feed the hungry this holiday season.

In the midst of Project Thanksgiving, we sent another small Missions team to Haiti. The group spent time in the school and at the church meeting the parishioners, teachers and students -- building relationships and strengthening the connection between our two communities. We also saw the school lunch program in action which was truly awesome. Hundreds and hundreds of kids eating everyday in a place that had been condemned just months before. Be sure to look out for photos and video from the trip during Mass this Advent and at Christmas Eve at the Fairgrounds!

And this past weekend we just kicked off our Advent message series "Simply Christmas." This Advent we are pausing to reflect on the simplicity of the Christmas message. And rather than introducing a new initiative and going over the top with a third Advent Conspiracy, we will continue to support the work of our strategic partners in Nigeria and Haiti while opening our hearts to the presence of God. I think this is an awesome step for our church and our congregation to take, by giving out of our substance to support our strategic partners while preaching a great message and maintaining the integrity of the Christmas season.

Remember that you can always keep up with NativityMissions by following us on Twitter -- @cn_missions

jonah

2011-10-20T16:57:00.000-04:00

As I was reading Jonah the other night, given our current message series at Nativity, this verse jumped out at me: Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs (NIV, Jonah 2.8). It is such a crystal clear way to sum up the relationship we have with our counterfeit gods... When we choose them over our Lord, we miss out on grace.

Those of us who are engaged in Missions work are often go-getters. As a result of being involved in a lot of activities, our schedules tend to get crazy full. The idols in our lives can be good things -- like doing Missions work -- it's when they jump a few slots too high on the list of priorities that a good thing becomes an idol... And we start to do things like look to our to-do list to provide a sense of worth and be a source of happiness. Have you ever worshiped your work, your schedule, your busyness? Is that a source of pride for you? Is it a counterfeit god?

Idols aren't always drugs and money. Remember that even good things, when put out of order, can cause us miss out on grace. God calls us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. He doesn't ask us to do a whole lot, just to love.

sowing the seeds of love

2011-10-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

We just finished up a great series at Nativity -- "Taking responsibility for your life." One of the key verses for the series was Galatians 6:7:

Make no mistake: God is not mocked, for a person will reap only what he sows.

To be honest, I didn't think too much of the "you reap what you sow" principle before this series. Sure, I believed it was true, but I considered myself a pretty responsible person and assumed that this would be an uneventful message series. Turns out I was wrong on a few counts... This verse, a little honesty from my friends, and some accountability from my small group has shed light onto areas of my life where I need to step up my responsibility -- mainly with the relationships in my life. Over the past few weeks, in addition to being reminded of some things I need to work on, I've also been reminded about a key aspect of the nature of God...

I was definitely unprepared for the conviction that would come from these messages, and I felt myself getting down, reflecting on all the poor seeds I've sewn and the problems I'm now reaping. Often when people challenge or criticize us in life, it's not out of a spirit of caring but out of competition or envy. It can hurt when people call us out on "our stuff" when it's not done in the right manner or with the best intentions. We all struggle with insecurity, so comments that challenge us can leave us feeling unloved, unwanted, and even unlovable.

Though "God is not mocked" and he does rebuke and discipline us when we need correction (and it's usually the fact that those changes will be painful), the bottom line is he does it out of love. God is love; he loves us for who we are not what we do. And God is jealous; he wants all of us, all of our hearts and our lives. Because he's a perfect and loving father, his love corrects us when we go astray. He does this not because God gets a kick out of seeing us squirm, but because he has greater things in store for us in the future.

He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit... As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. (John 15.2,9)

God loves you. He is your heavenly Father, and like a father disciples his children, so God may be disciplining you just as he's disciplining me. Always remember to keep in mind that it is done out of love and with the intention of blessing you more in the future.

p.s. I really do apologize for the title of this post -- I just couldn't help myself.

absolutely awesome.

2011-09-27T12:59:00.002-04:00

For the first time ever, Fr. Wilner traveled to Church of the Nativity to be introduced to our church community -- Fr. Wilner is the pastor of our strategic partner church, St. Anne's in Labrande, Haiti. His time in Maryland flew by... with a trip to Baltimore City to see CRS World Headquarters and the Basilica, lunches and dinners with our ministers, missionaries, and staff members at Nativity, and speaking at all weekend, the itinerary was packed. It was great to see our community connect with Fr. Wilner, and especially exciting to highlight the progress of our summer projects in their community...

When we first traveled to St. Anne's, the summer after the earthquake, school was not in session, which meant a program integral to their community was not being offered: school lunch. Without serving a meal at school, children are more likely to work or beg for food during the day than attend class. But by providing a meal of rice, beans, and a simple protein, the students at St. Anne's are able to come to school, eat a healthy meal, receive an education and the blessing of hope for the future.

Here are some pictures of the kitchen and cafeteria building before Nativity's partnership.

But last Advent, when the Nativity community learned about the situation at St. Anne's, they responded in an overwhelming way. And now, in just a few short weeks, all the students at St. Anne's will be going to school and eating lunch in their brand new cafeteria...

As Fr. Wilner said this weekend, "Merci et mille mercis a vous" -- translated, "Thank you and one thousand thanks to you." I am so proud to be a part of the Nativity community that has such a heart for Missions. Thank you for your generosity and support of our partnership... It's thrilling to think that our work here is just beginning.

fasting and feasting

2011-08-30T12:58:00.001-04:00

I've recently returned from a two-week mission trip with the Nativity:Nigeria Mission. My team was assigned to the Faith Alive Foundation, one of our strategic partners in Nigeria. Our team stayed in a guest house about a ten minute walk from the hospital, we met and bonded with the doctors and staff, served alongside lab techs and students, sat in counseling sessions, and even helped out with filing and administrative work. You can read all about our adventures on the Nativity:Nigeria blog.

One evening at Faith Alive, Pastor Ben came to have dinner with our team at the guest house. We stumbled onto the topic of spiritual battle. Pastor was telling to us how diligent he and Faith Alive are about praying for Dr. Chris, his leadership, and especially protection from the devil. Ben said that because the Gospel is relatively new throughout Africa -- he is the first generation of Christians in his family -- the Church is fighting a more intense and often more tangible battle with evil. This really opened our eyes to one of the most remarkable aspects of Faith Alive: the faith of the community and how it's... well, alive!

Each month there is a spiritual theme and related scripture verse (August's was Looking unto Jesus, Hebrews 12:2). The morning devotions are based on the theme, the prayer team and praise teams use the scripture for inspiration, and the pastors teach and preach on them throughout the month. There's definitely power in having a whole body of believers studying God's Word, learning and growing together -- hey, it's kind of like a message series!

And although you could say that they take their faith seriously, there is such a spirit of joy at Faith Alive. The first Thursday of every month, the community holds a fast. The prayer team gathers at 8am to dedicate the fast and pray for the monthly topic. Everyone works all day, and they meet at the end of the day for worship. We participated as we were at Faith Alive for the first Thursday of August. The afternoon gathering started off pretty normally, even somewhat subdued. We continued to pray and reflect on the fast, but then, at the drop of the hat, the time came to to break fast... The praise team took the stage, dancing and singing followed, then soda and snacks for everyone! It was such a simple celebration yet it was celebrated with such enthusiasm.

That day's feast and Nehemiah 8:10 are good reminders that we always have reason to celebrate. We are facing opposition that we have to take seriously, we have important tasks that need to do be done, but it's all in the context of a battle that's already won for us, we will overcome and God's power will prevail, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

nativity:nigeria

2011-08-24T14:39:00.001-04:00

I just had the awesome privilege of spending some time with our Nativity:Nigeria partners a few weeks ago. I spent most of my time in Nigeria at the Faith Alive Foundation in Jos. Another team from Nativity spent two weeks with Sr. Oresoa at the Anawim Home Orphanage -- I was only able to visit with Sister for an afternoon, so be sure to check out the Nativity:Nigeria blog to hear stories and reflections from that team.

Dr. Chris Isichei is the founding coordinator of the free hospital, which also now runs satellite clinics in Fabor, Kafanchan, Bakin Kogi, and Andaha as well as a primary school in Hwol Yarje. To say that the are doing amazing work is an understatement...

I'll be sharing some more of my thoughts over the next few weeks, but wanted to get a post up this week... We all shared some thoughts with the doctors and staff at Faith Alive on our last day. I made comments on three things -- and these three things make me and Church of the Nativity so incredibly proud to partner with Faith Alive.

The vision of Church of the Nativity starts with the phrase "Making Church matter by growing disciples growing disciples..." We are disciples who are committed to growing in our relationship with Christ internally and intentionally. The entire staff at Faith Alive Foundation not only meets once per week to have a learning session, not just do they also train and educate medical students in Jos, but Dr. Chris himself holds personal Christian leadership and mentoring classes with up-and-coming leaders in the community. What an inspiration to see a glimpse of our vision being realized in one of our partners.

Secondly, and speaking of vision, it was so obvious to me and my team that the vision of Faith Alive is being carried not just by Dr. Chris but by the entire organization. We had passionate conversations with everyone from the managers of the store room to doctors in the emergency room about how essential the work is that they are doing, and how it's not just a great work to be done, but it's a God-inspired vision to take part in. They set goals that seem to be impossible so that when they are accomplished, God gets the glory.

And finally, a concept that is not easy to master, the Faith Alive Foundation has married good works with the Good News. They are successfully treating and caring for thousands of patients, have carried out 300 surgeries (with only 1 fatality) in a few short years, and will continue to grow as a healthy organization to provide excellent medical care to the surrounding communities... Not just that, but they are evangelizing to each and every patient, the staff, which they call a family, are going to the streets with the message of salvation (40 some people saved last month), and each day begins and ends with devotion and prayer.

I'll say again how proud we are to partner with such an amazing organization. And I should also thank all of our past missionaries who have traveled to Jos and formed relationships with people in the Faith Alive family -- it is the relationships that you have built that our partnership is standing on now. I'm grateful for all your contributions and very excited about all that God has in store for the future...

another excerpt

2011-07-27T12:23:00.000-04:00

Here's another excerpt from When Helping Hurts (p 81):

The goal is to see people restored to being what God created them to be: people who understand that they are created in the image of God with the gifts, abilities, and capacity to make decisions and to effect change in the world around them; and people who steward their lives, communities, resources and relationships in order to bring glory to God. These things tend to happen in highly relational, process-focused ministries more than in impersonal, product-focused ministries.

Nativity Missions is trying to create "highly relational" environments where the members of our community can enter into the lives of the members of our partner communities, locally, nationally and internationally. The Nativity:Nigeria Mission teams are leaving on Saturday for a seventeen day short-term mission trip. The missionaries have been preparing for months and are ready to experience what life is like living with AIDS without proper medical care or living as an abandoned child in an orphanage. I will be among the team going to the Faith Alive Hospital in Jos -- I encourage you to follow our trip on the Nativity:Nigeria blog.

Please pray for our partners Dr. Chris Isichei and Sr. Oresoa Selo-Ojeme, for the communities they serve at Faith Alive and Anawim, for our missionaries and their families!

it's going to snow tomorrow?

2011-07-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July -- it's almost Christmas! This year, our third year of participating in Advent Conspiracy, the focus is going to be local. In years past we have opened our eyes and hearts to those suffering in Nigeria in Haiti due to lack of water and food. God calls us to serve to the ends of the earth, and he calls us to serve in our own neighborhoods and communities. We are definitely already aware that there are people suffering around us, people suffering in our city.

Think about this verse as it applies to all the victims of violence in Baltimore living in a land of gloom, all the families broken by drugs and abuse, all the children who are being raised in the darkness of our city.

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom
a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy
and great rejoicing,
As they rejoice before you as at the harvest
as men make merry when dividing spoils.
For the yoke that burdened them,
the pole on their shoulder,
And the rod of their taskmaster
you have smashed, as on the day of Midian.
For every boot that trampled in battle,
every cloak rolled in blood,
will be burned as fuel for flames.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us;
up his shoulder dominion rests.
They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
His dominion is vast
and forever peaceful,
From David's throne, and over his kingdom,
which he confirms and sustains
By judgment and justice,
both now and forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!

God has done these things; Jesus Christ is born, and we have a Savior. This Advent, we are going to call upon the Lord to do a work in our hearts and in our city as we make peace our prayer for Baltimore City!

servefest

2011-04-12T16:03:00.000-04:00

Nativity is gearing up for another awesome year of ServeFest! The movement, as I think it can be called now, started in 2004 with one church in Harford County rallying together to serve their community. Over the past few years, more churches have gotten involved in more counties having a greater and greater tremendous impact. In 2010, ServeFest truly became regional. Its influence extended throughout 4 counties and Baltimore City, bringing together over 80 churches.

I encourage you, your friends, your family, your small group, your co-workers, your neighbors (did I miss anyone) to sign-up to get involved this May. It's super easy since you can pick the project that is most exciting to you, and you can sign up all your friends too. Just go to www.servefestmd.org!

The story of ServeFest begins with churches working together, however, it is the thousands of volunteers that give it a heartbeat of compassion demonstrating Living Proof Of A Loving God! See you on May 14...

excerpt

2011-01-12T14:56:00.000-05:00

Here's an excerpt from a great book I've been reading, When Helping Hurts.

Consider the familiar case of the person who comes to your church asking for help with paying an electric bill. On the surface, it appears that this person's problem is a lack of material resources, and many churches respond by giving this person enough money to pay the electric bill. But what if this person's fundamental problem is not having the self-discipline to keep a stable job? Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline. In this case, the gift of the money does more harm than good, and it would be better not to do anything at all than to give this handout. Really! Instead, a better--and far more costly--solution would be for your church to develop a relationship with this person, a relationship that says, "We are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future. Let us into your life and let us work with you to determine the reason you are in this predicament" (p. 55).

This is a powerful and paradigm shifting paragraph. And I love it! This is exactly what Nativity's Missions are about locally, nationally and internationally -- entering into relationship with people and helping them to help themselves, restoring their relationships with God, with themselves, and within their own communities. It's all about relationships.

local outreach

2010-12-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

'Tis the season for giving back to our friends and family, and also to those in need, the poor, hurting and lonely. As we continue to try to LOVE ALL this Advent, I'd like to ask you a question, Have you supported or volunteered at any local charities in the Baltimore City and Baltimore County area that you'd like Nativity to be aware of?

We are looking to partner with organizations locally, nationally and internationally (see 're-branding'), and are trying to focus our local efforts on a few strategic partners. This is just a casual question to widen our scope -- so if something comes to mind, leave a comment or e-mail missions@churchnativity.org.

And by the way... thanks for all you do with your friends and family, on your own and with your small group to serve these great organizations. I hope in the coming year we can work together to accomplish more, grow in our faith, and learn to be in closer relationship with those in need around us.

ac2

2010-11-27T23:18:00.000-05:00

We're kicking off our Advent series "Advent Conspiracy 2" this weekend. It's going to be an awesome four weeks, and I'm especially excited for the first Sunday.

I wrestled with this series last year (as I imagine some others did as well) but started to catch on towards the end of Advent. I understood and liked all the concepts, but had some difficulty applying them. I struggled most with accepting that I have such a consumer mindset and that I have bought into the materialism of the season.

Well anyway, here are some of my thoughts about my Advent preparation this go-round...

Worship Fully --
   Hard one for me. Especially as we gear up for another Christmas Eve at the Fairgrounds, carving out quiet time is difficult, and I'm already not great at it. I think the Twitter updates and daily devotional e-mails will be a great way to center myself in the mornings.

Spend Less --
   I can do this. Budgeting and planning are essential though. Last year I chose family members, think I'll be reaching outside that circle this year. My extended family does an auction thingy -- that might be a good opportunity. I hope people take advantage of the SPEND LESS cards this year's kit!

Give More --
   This is the hard part. I had the ideas last year, good ones, but lacked in the followthrough category. I think the simpler the better. Simple enough that I'll be able to make good on my gifts at least. (Also, I've interpreted this as potentially costing something, just not as much as an ordinary gift.)

Love All --
   A no brainer. Having been to Haiti twice this year, having met some of the children at St. Anne's and seen the situation they are in, I can't wait to see how our conspiracy in Timonium has an effect in Haiti.

missional values

2010-10-25T12:13:00.000-04:00

As I keep digging through some of the lessons learned from our relationships in Nigeria, our past work in Mississippi, and our most recent findings in Haiti, some key values are emerging for Nativity's Missions partnerships.

Jesus sent his disciples out on mission before he ascended into heaven, telling them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. At Nativity, we want to develop strategic partnerships with local, national and international organizations, and these four values have come forward as integral to these partnerships.

Evangelical
Relational
Sustainable
Measurable

Our missions will be carried out in the name of Jesus Christ. We are a community sent to witness to Jesus' saving grace. We will not let "good works" get in the way of the real purpose for our work.

Our missions will be done in the context of relationship. We will have mutual dialogue with our partners. We will not let things get in the way of sharing ourselves.

Our missions will be focused on the future. We will address immediate needs as well as systemic problems. We will not let a short-term challenge get in the way of a long-term vision.

Our missions will be completed with a goal in mind. We will show how God is working through us. We will not let our missionaries get burned out by not seeing and experiencing life change.

daniel

2010-10-18T11:40:00.000-04:00

Sr. Oresoa is one of our strategic partners in Nigeria. She is in the US for a few days this week and visited Nativity yesterday morning. I had the pleasure of bringing Sister up at Endnotes at the 9:00 and 10:30 Masses to introduce her to our community. After Mass, we hung around in the lobby. Many people came up to just say hello, missionaries from past trips stopped to chat, it was a lot of fun.

One of the best moments of the day was when one of our members brought up her son Jimmy to meet Sr. Oresoa. They exchanged greetings, Mary introduced herself and then said that Jimmy had a question for Sister. I was intrigued; a question from an adolescent boy who is just meeting a nun from Africa for the first time... this could be, well, who knows what this is going to be. He sheepishly looked up at her and said, "Hi Sister. How is Daniel?"

Sr. Oresoa was amazed that he knew Daniel and that he had the compassion to ask about him. Daniel is one of the orphans at Anawim Home. Jimmy had remembered him from last year's Advent Conspiracy when his family spent less on Christmas gifts and instead gave the gift of water to their community in Nigeria.

It was an awesome moment... And I can't wait for another Advent Conspiracy this year!

the anawim around us

2010-09-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

Last week was the wrap up for this year's Nativity:Nigeria team. The Anawim Team, the five who went to Africa, and the Home Team, those who supported the mission from Maryland, gathered last Wednesday to celebrate. The team shared stories and photos and we all celebrated a safe journey and successful trip. It was a feast of food and fellowship. (Side note: we don't do enough feasting -- eating a meal together to celebrate the completion of something is a lot of fun!)

The mission group is named the Anawim Team because we stayed with Sr. Oresoa at their Gwagwalada location, called the Anawim Home. While we were in Nigeria, Sr. Oresoa told us the meaning of "Anawim." It's a Hebrew word that is found throughout Scriptures meaning poor or afflicted, the outcasts and rejected. More specifically "anawim" characterizes those who, due to their circumstances, cannot not rely upon their own strength but have to rely upon God to provide for them. The Anawim Home is just that. A place where young mothers out on their own, mentally ill, and abandoned children can call home.

The trip was an eye opening experience for all of us, but one of the struggles we encountered as we began settling back into our routines at home was about a takeaway. What should we all be doing differently? Certainly, God used our experiences to speak to us in unique ways, I know I'm being challenged to spend my money more wisely. But we really struggled to come up with something for all of us, an overall lesson learned.

Then it became more clear. Although we traveled around the world for those two weeks... Sister Oresoa lives in Nigeria. She lives among all the poverty and injustice we saw, and the things we "dealt with" for a brief time are a daily reality to her. She saw these things in her own community and decided to do something about it. While we have traveled back home, she's still in her community serving her people. So what's the takeaway for us? It's the exact same: to go into our own community and serve.

The awesome part is that Nativity:Nigeria is setup to help and support Sister as she works to bring justice to Gwagwalada. But we must remember that the anawim are all around us. They're in Nigeria, and they're in Cockeysville, Timonium, Towson and Hunt Valley. Maybe it took going half-way around the world for the five of us to realize this, but I don't think that's a requirement. Who are the anawim around you? Find out, pray for them, and do something about it.

win, win, win

2010-09-05T19:02:00.000-04:00

Two signed letters were sitting in my mailbox when I came into work today. Here are the first paragraphs of each...

I am writing to acknowledge the generous donation of $... to the Hope for West Africa Foundation, Inc. in support of the Faith Alive Water Projects. The donation will be used to drill two boreholes, one at Faith Alive Hospital and the other at the Bakin Kogi Clinic. Currently, this clinic has been closed due to lack of water. The borehole will benefit a large number of patients ending long hours traveling to Faith Alive Hospital for care.

I would like to extend my personal thanks to the Church of the Nativity for donating $... to International Relief and Development (IRD) to help in our Pakistan flooding response and relief efforts. Our Board Chairman said we could count on his church to help. It is nice to know that there are so many caring neighbors such as yourselves to give help where it is most needed.

I was thrilled to read these letters! Two new boreholes for our partners at Faith Alive (WIN! WIN!), a Nativity member showing great confidence in his church, and immediate relief for Pakistanis affected by the floods (WIN!).

Even when you don't realize it, Nativity's international partners are hard at work, effectively using our resources to relieve suffering around the globe. Our partners are fighting for justice and caring for those in need. When you invest in Nativity's Missions, your contribution will go towards the pursuit of righteousness and the alleviation of suffering. When you get involved in Nativity's Missions, your eyes will be opened to the injustices of the world and the battle that is taking place.

I'm happy to share these wins with you -- I hope there are many, many more to come. And I encourage you to pray, or keep praying, for all those needing medical attention in Jos, that the Bakin Kogi Clinic could help them, and those hungry and displaced in Pakistan, that IRD's supplies reach those most in need.

retelling stories

2010-09-02T23:06:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days, I've retold the same story about Anawim a few different times to a few different people. It's a story about a 16 year old boy named Francis who lives in the boys' hostel at Anawim. I've cried every time.

Francis has been living with Sr. Oresoa nearly his entire life. Sister rescued him as an infant; he was a newborn baby starving to death on the floor of a home for the mentally ill. This place really was no home at all. It was a room in a building on a property tucked back far from the main road. A place you wouldn't stumble on by accident -- and there's a reason for that. The mentally ill are kept in shackles, chained up by the dozens, naked, in a room, in a building, on a property tucked back from the main road.

The team visited a few of these sites one morning. I don't know what kind of picture forms in your mind when you think about the five of us going into these rooms to give out rice and soap, but try to picture fear and anxiety, ghastly smells and dingy, dark places. As we pulled up to the third location to give out the last of the rice, Sr. Oresoa turned to Francis and said, "Do you remember this place?" A chill ran down my spine. "Here is where I found you," she said. "Here is where I saved your life."

...

Francis had been there before. And he wasn't nearly as emotional as we were. Sister told him he would be there again too. She told Francis later that afternoon that she was taking him there so that he would know his story. "You have to know who you are and where you've come from, Francis. Be proud of your story. Be proud of the life God has given you."

It's hard to imagine Francis being proud of his story -- hard for me at least. But you know, all throughout history, time and time again, God chooses to use "unlikely" people to carry out great works. God wants to use us, all of us, to do his work. No mater how unlikely you think you are, God knows your story, and he wants you to be proud of it too. He's crafted your entire life and has chosen to give it to only one person in the whole world, you! The best way to know how God wants to use us in the future is to look at our past. Know your story. Be proud of your story. God wants to use it to do a great work!

new photos

2010-08-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

Check out a few new shots of our friends at Anawim on the photos page...

love

2010-08-24T10:27:00.000-04:00

Each night while the team was in Nigeria, we met to read scripture together and reflect on the day, specifically what we encountered, how it made us feel, and how we saw God working. Since we've been back, some of the verses from the trip have been popping back into my head. Here's one I just stumbled across again, it's Galatians 5:13-14:

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Called to be free! Paul explains earlier in Chapter 5 that freedom means Christ came so that we don't have to live a life of burden, a life enslaved to sin and its temptations. Instead, he has won for us a lasting freedom that we are to use for service, to "serve one another in love," to "love our neighbors as ourselves."

Love.

From the moment we stepped out of the car at Anawim, we were loved. The boys and girls ran to us, hugging, touching, holding, loving us. They braided Lisa's and Christy's hair. They sat on my lap asking why my skin and hair were different from theirs. (One boy, Jude, went back to his room and came out a minute later with a small packet of shampoo -- he told me to have it so I could use it to keep my hair clean and beautiful.) They asked us to read them stories and play games with them. They begged us to stay out of the sun so we wouldn't get too hot. They offered us their seats when we came to see them. They danced and they sang. These children, these beautiful, happy little boys and girls -- they knew love; they loved love! And they loved us, people who looked strange and talked differently, people who couldn't understand their situations, people who came from far away and were leaving soon enough, they loved us all the same, they loved us as themselves.

Daniel and John Bosco. Happiness, Blessing, Mercy and Anna. Favor, who wants to be a nun, Elizabeth, who wants to go to law school to help Sr. Oresoa with the adoption process, and the boys who all want to be soccer players! They have all been given freedom, a freedom that only Christ can give, and they all have chosen to use their freedom for love.

Then, in an instant, it dawned on me. I broke down. Someone decided these children were worthless, not worthy of food, not worthy of attention, not worthy of life. All of them, every single one, had been left behind, many discarded by their own parents, shunned by older siblings who just didn't care or relatives who couldn't bother. Pictured here is Paul, both he and his twin brother Peter were tossed to the streets as infants. He told the story of how they begged for food in the streets and ate mostly from trash cans. Paul explained that their relatives rediscovered them after a period of time and threatened to kill them, and then Paul went on to say that his older brothers lived in the next state over, one working as an engineer and the other... the pastor of a church!

One of the most touching moments of the trip was when our leader, Rob Devereux, was playing a few songs on his phone for one of the orphans, named Sunday. Then, Rob told him about a song that he sings at his church back in the United States, Nativity. Rob explained how whenever he hears it, he always thinks about Nigeria, about Anawim, and all the boys there. As the tune began to play, Sunday stopped, and his mouth slowly dropped open. He just stood, listening. Once it ended, Sunday said to Rob, "That is the most beautiful song I've ever heard." The song was Love.

God honoring prayer

2010-08-19T23:33:00.001-04:00

Each day at the Anawim Home, the community arises before sunrise to head to 6am daily Mass. (The sisters gather in the Chapel at 5am to pray before Mass.) After school, they reconvene at 3pm to pray the divine mercy chaplet and again at 6pm for the rosary. In addition to these formal, corporate prayer sessions, each car trip, before and after each meal, and spontaneously whenever the situation called for it, they pray. We prayed with them. A lot.

At one of our nightly reflections, the team started to talk about all the praying we were doing. We noted a lot of different things: the true dependence on God it showed, how formal the prayers were, everyone's discipline and dedication, the repetition, reminders for us of Catholic school (and yet how we still barely knew these prayers), and how it sometimes seemed labored. We all pretty much came to the same consensus that once home, you would not find any of us praying these traditional prayers on such a strict schedule.

Wanna guess why? Because we didn't feel any different. Before and after, not much seemed to have changed. No one was moved emotionally or really feeling the goose-bumps-presence of God. And none of us left asking for more.

Reflecting back on our discussion that night and the faith of the community in Gwagwalada, one thought comes to mind. I get caught up so much in the feelings of prayer and worship that I forget that its purpose is to give praise and honor to God. I'm guessing we weren't the only ones who didn't feel anything significant during those prayers, but you know what... everyone keeps praying! Every time they gather, they worship God. Every time 3 o'clock rolls around, they pray. Everyone at Anawim pauses to profess their faith, acknowledge their dependence on God, and lift up their needs and the needs of others in prayer. All feelings aside (good, bad, or indifferent), they pray.

I could make excuses about why the rosary or the strict schedule aren't my favorite, but the fact remains that those prayers are not about feeling good or holy and they are entirely about honoring God. And you know what else? I think He's listening. The amazing work being done by Sr. Oresoa and the sisters of the Poorest of the Poor is truly remarkable and would be impossible without divine assistance. The sisters realize this and they depend on Him. It was awesome to witness their faith and to know that Nativity is a part of such great work being done in Nigeria, a work so great that God is personally seeing to it that it gets done!

a missional summer

2010-08-18T18:55:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy summer... July presented five days touring churches and schools in Haiti devastated from the January earthquake. And August started with a two week trip with the Nativity:Nigeria team serving the poor and experiencing some tremendous injustices on the other side of the globe.

There are many, many takeaways from these two trips. And I'll be sharing them here in the coming days and weeks. If you want to learn more about the Nigeria mission trip, check out nativity-nigeria.blogspot.com where you can find a daily journal, "spotlights" with all the missionaries, and a lot more. I'd like to share a few wins from the last trip before I sign off.

First, it was awesome to have Sr. Oresoa, the founder of Anawim Home, paint such a clear picture of the relational aspect of Nativity's mission work. Anawim Home gets a number of visitors throughout the year, but Sr. Oreosa, at a board meeting we attended, pointed out the dedication Nativity:Nigeria has to "eat, sleep, and live among the poorest of the poor." This is what it's all about, loving our neighbors! Sure, we are also committed to supporting their efforts to carry out God's work among the poor, but the reason for the trip is to walk in their shoes for two weeks.

It was also great to hear our trip leader, Rob Devereux, talk about his experience of returning to some of the places he visited last year. The awesome part was hearing him recount how Sister expressed specific needs to the team last year (e.g. the borehole at Anawim and fence in Kaduna) and then returning this summer to see how those needs had been met. This highlights the need for our efforts to be measurable. It's super rewarding and equally motivating to see how the outcome of last year's Advent Conspiracy has really changed lives in Nigeria.

Lastly, the support shown from the Nativity community is a big win. The sendoff at the 10:30 Mass was very uplifting, the N:N blog recorded hundreds of hits each day, and twice while we were away, members gathered to lift up the missionaries in prayer. As a member of the team, this felt really great to know that we were truly representing all of Nativity. And also knowing that we were being watched and prayed over the whole time, not only ensured a great experience, but also gave everyone peace and safety as we took some risks. I think this speaks to the necessity for our missions to be long-term. Support has grown tremendously over the years, and I think we need to give the opportunity for the church to get behind our efforts -- this takes time. The fact that we are invested in Nigeria and continue to send new teams each summer helps spread the word about the mission and allows for more people to get involved.

So thanks for all your support! Check back soon to hear more about the trip...

haiti diary

2010-07-21T20:45:00.003-04:00

Wednesday, July 14
We took off from Reagan National for Miami at about 6am, then made a quick transfer there to our flight to Port-au-Prince. Surprisingly, it was a big plane and it was full. Many of the people on the flight were with Church groups (Evangelical Church groups), clearly identifiable by their T-shirts. As we would learn, Evangelicals have a huge presence in Haiti, especially since the earthquake.

Once we landed we were immediately introduced to our new normal. The airport was wrecked by the earthquake, sheds now serve the purpose instead. And beyond the physical disruption the scene as a whole was not what you would call an orderly one. In fact, it was a bit overwhelming to be in a mass of people pushing and shoving and shouting, without a clear idea of where we were suppose to go. Eventually we made our way through customs, retrieved our luggage and found our guide and host, Dr. Rod Mortel. Dr. Mortel is a native Haitian who spent his professional life at Penn University. Now he is devoted to bringing assistance to his country, precisely by connecting local churches here with local parish churches there. Along with Dr. Mortel we meet his very efficient assistant Rachel. We loaded up our large van with the help of our driver, Max, and made our way out of the airport.

It was outside the airport that we were encountered complete chaos. Traffic was grid locked, people, especially children, where all over the place (including all around the van), and there was rubble everywhere. Oh, and it was hot, really hot.

The plan for the first day was to drive away from Port-au-Prince to the city of San Marc to the north. But just the little we saw of the capital that day was unbelievable. Tent cities stretch for miles and miles in every direction and to call them primitive would be an understatement. The tents are just plastic sheeting, there is little water available, no electricity, little or no sanitation, unreliable food sources. These cities are lawless and dangerous and filthy. Later that day there was a terrible rain storm, typical for this time of year, and in these storms these cities, such as they are, are wrecked. The tents collapse, the dirt turns to mud, and any semblance of a plan is lost.

The drive north was long and tiring: though a new "National Road" has been built (by the Americans we were told), it is still rough going in many places. The effects of the earthquake were felt throughout the country and the evidence is everywhere, everywhere crumbled, broken buildings and more rubble. But there is amble evidence of deeper, more long standing problems too: generational sin and self-serving leadership that has led to ruinous consequences. The land has been denuded of plants, trees and vegetation, most people's only source of fuel for cooking. The result is a stark landscape that is prone to erosion and floods that, over the past few years especially, have done as much, if not more damage than the earthquake did. Beyond the National Road there is virtually no infrastructure and the villages and towns we passed through were shanty-towns filled with illiterate unemployed people who mostly survive on subsistence farming.

It was also interesting to note that as we drove along the coast, we were, in fact, on the Caribbean...as beautiful in Haiti as anywhere else. But, there is no development along the Sea, no resorts, no hotels, no beaches. It is a vast resource the country has never even turned to.

We arrived in San Marc late in the afternoon. Our home that night would be the school of the Good Samaritan. It is a private school Dr. Mortel founded to serve only the poorest of the poor children of San Marc. BUT, it provides them with one of the most progressive educations available in Haiti. The school is the only one in the country with a computer lab and science lab, and one of only a few with a library and play ground, as well as a chapel area and dining room. Our accommodations were simple but neat and clean with some running water and electricity. Compared to the city around us, a cacophonous riot of horns and dogs and traffic and dust and dirt, Good Samaritan was an island of peace and good order. We enjoyed a dinner of Squash soup and bread.

Thursday, July 15
We were up early (at least by our standards...the Haitians are early to bed and early to rise, so that they can get their work done before the heat of the day makes work more difficult). To our surprise, the coffee was really good, and this proved to be the case everywhere we went. This morning we were visiting the first parish Dr. Mortel would introduce us to as possible partners. We were traveling north from San Marc through the city of Gonnaives. There we stopped to pay a courtesy call on the Bishop, who himself served us more excellent coffee and spoke of the extreme challenges that the people of the region face. One of the main commitments of the church there is education, because 80% of the country is totally illiterate and education is the only hope for lifting children out of the cycle of poverty.

From Gonnaives, we travelled deep into the interior of the country to Labranle, driving mostly along riverbeds and dirt paths to the church of St. Anne. Here we were meet by what surely must have been the entire town, very enthusiastically greeting us. The Pastor, Father Wilner, led us on a tour of the parish facility which included a small shed style central building, which turned out to be the church, surrounded by still smaller sheds which served as rectory, parish center and school. One of the school buildings could no longer be used as a result of the earthquake.

Then we sat in the shade and listened to the Pastor and his very articulate Parish leaders outline their priorities for moving forward. St. Anne's was so impressive to us because dozens of lay leaders do nearly everything: teaching, pastoral ministry, outreach, evangelization as well as building and maintaining the church buildings. And in the parish missions the lay leaders also lead the weekend worship. After their presentation, they sang for us a beautiful song about being the Body of Christ together. It was very moving. Then we were served an elaborate lunch of rice, beans, beets, potatoes and a special treat: roasted goat.

After lunch we visited one of St. Anne's several missions, in an even more remote village. Here too, there was a council of lay leaders on hand to greet us and show us around.

Next came a long, rough drive in another direction, to the town of Bassin Magnant and the Church of St. Lawrence. On this drive we actually blew out a tire and found ourselves delayed for a while. By the time we got to our destination it was late in the day and we were tired, so we greeted the Pastor and made our way to where we were staying that night. This was the occasion of one of the funniest lines of the trip. We were staying at a nearby retreat house owned by the diocese but Dr. Mortel said "The van can't go there." After the harrowing ride we had all day long, it was inconceivable that there were worse roads ahead, but there were. "The van can't go there" quickly became and axiom for us: just when you think it can't get any worse, it can.

The retreat house, when finally reached, was primitive in the extreme but, sitting on top of a mountain, it afforded great views of the surrounding countryside. We were served a dinner of eggs and oatmeal. That night was really hot.

Friday, July 16
We were up early again and we celebrated Mass together in the Retreat House chapel. Then we had breakfast. inexplicably we were served spaghetti! (We were thinking they got their meals mixed up, but in Haiti there are not shared expectations about which foods go with which meals.) Then we were off to St. Lawrence, for our tour. The Pastor is a lovely guy but the situation could not have been more different than St. Anne's. St. Lawrence had just been established as a Church by the Bishop and the Pastor has only been on the job a matter of months, so there is virtually no parish leadership and it looks like he is trying to manage things on his own for now. The Church is a big concrete shell surrounded by rubble and trash (since there is no waste management, there is trash everywhere in this country,but we were frankly surprised to see it around a church). Next the Pastor took us to two of his missions: one in a little farming village and the other in a former mining town: both places filled with poor people without a plan or a way forward. St. Lawrence is a place with many needs, but first of all it is going to need leadership to even get headed in the right direction.

After lunch (beans and rice) we returned to San Marc. Once back there we had some time to take a look around. Besides the grade school, Dr. Mortel has two other projects that are both moving forward: a high school now under construction and a trade school, now complete. These two institutions will be a place for the most promising students to graduate into when they have completed their time at Good Samaritan (or the other grade schools in the area). It was very impressive to see this plan taking shape. That evening we dined out at one of the only restaurants in San Marc, where we really enjoyed hamburgers and french fries and Coca-Cola.

Saturday, July 17
This morning we travelled to the town of Montrouis to visit the parish of St. John. The very gracious Pastor, Father George, showed us around his parish campus, probably the most complete facilityof the three we saw. There is a charming old church, though far too small for his congregation, and a parish house and hall behind it. There is also a school building, large but primitive, just outside of the town. Father George has nine missions in the country surrounding Montrouis, some can only be reached by foot.We visited one of these missions and meet the leaders there. The mission church is constructed of palm branches and the floor is dirt, but all very neat and well cared for. The "pastor" of the mission was a young lay man of great enthusiasm who leads weekend worship and was also getting ready to preach that weekend (we thought of Chris speaking back at Nativity).

Saturday is market day in San Marc, so after we returned from Montrouis we spent a couple of hours wondering the streets, teeming with vendors selling fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, canned and package foods, housewares, clothes, hardware, furniture, tools, coal, live stock and more. Each vendor squatted in the dirt of the road, their wares laid out before them on matts. It was fascinating. That evening, after a dinner of ham and eggs, some of the students from the school came to visit us and talk about their experience and their dreams for the future. Though they do not have television or access to the Internet, they knew all the popular American songs and sang some of them for us. Turns out young people are pretty much the same everywhere.

Sunday, July 18
This last day brought us back to Port-au Prince where we toured the vast, shattered city. Our guides choose Sunday morning because traffic is light then. Most of the major roads are now clear and there was indeed very little traffic so we were able to see quite a lot from the crumbled National Palace, sitting neatly on a still lush and well maintained lawn to the once magnificent French Gothic Cathedral, only its facade remaining. It was explained to us that nearly half the remaining buildings will have to be removed because they are no longer safe for use, so the devastation is even worse than first appears. Beneath the rubble are still many many bodies, it is believed. And on top of the rubble are tents for displaced residents. There are tents everywhere. Everywhere. Everywhere is devastation and ruin and crushed dreams and loss and heartbreak and grief. It is hard to imagine how this situation can ever be remedied. It appears overwhelming and almost hopeless.

Almost, but not quite.

Emerging from one of those foul tent cities, carefully steping through the excrement and waste, emerging from the chaos and rubble came two little girls in white dresses, patten leather shoes and white gloves, Bibles in hand...on their way to Church.

MJW, BPC

from st. marc!

2010-07-16T23:00:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Les Bons Samaritains school in Haiti. It's been an amazing three days, and it will be extremely difficult to sum up our experiences in just a few words.

The weather has been hot with rain in the afternoons. Traveling from church to church is extremely difficult due to extreme erosion and lack of infrastructure. The pastors we have met are extremely gracious and the hospitality is overwhelming. And although hopeful and high spirited, the challenges they face are tremendous. We see this as an opportunity.

Thank you for your prayers and support. We will continue to travel tomorrow before spending some time in Port-au-Prince on Sunday. Then we will be heading back to the states.

-Fr White & Brian

haiti

2010-07-13T18:38:00.000-04:00

I'm off to Haiti tomorrow. I've been reading for months, watching news reports and online clips all week, and praying all along. I don't think I'm prepared. Honestly. I think there's no way for me to prepare myself to encounter such suffering. My prayers have all started with, "God, you're in control." I think that as long as I keep praying that, it'll be all the preparation I need.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more to post once I'm there (look for updates and pictures here and on twitter -- @bpcrook), and certainly once I return, but for now, I'm just too filled with emotions to put down a simple thought. So pray for us, pray for the people of Haiti, and get to know more about their situation, because we're going to be helping them -- and they will be helping us.

Heavenly Father,
You are in control.
I pray that we trust that completely.
I pray that we receive your love,
and that we empty ourselves of love for others.
Amen.

perspective

2010-07-05T18:49:00.000-04:00

We lose perspective very quickly. A statistic, a story, an experience or encounter, a website or some anonymous quote will suddenly give us "perspective." We'll gain insight to how good we really have it, or how fortunate we really are, how lucky, how loved, how smart, how special, how successful we are. But then we click onto the next web page, or the phone rings, and our perspective is lost...

I was reading a book this morning (the book has a website) about eternity. Thinking about eternity gave me some perspective on my life. I spent over an hour reflecting on my life and its meaning, on where I should really be focusing my attention and to what I should be giving my money. It was a real "God-moment" for me. But then I got in the car, and fifteen minutes later that emotional experience that gave me "perspective" was long gone.

Change starts with emotional appeal. The video that you might have watched on Francis Chan's website might have moved you emotionally, but odds are nothing will happen that results in lasting change unless it becomes translated intellectually. So I've started compiling a document (and using the voice recorder app on my phone) that puts these thoughts, these stirring moments into words.

One study of Harvard graduate students shows this in a tangible way... All Harvard graduates were taught that goal setting was important and necessary. However, only three percent of the graduates actually put their goals on paper. Thirty years later, the results were in. The three percent who wrote down their goals were more financially successful than the other ninety seven percent combined. Wow.

assumptions

2010-07-01T12:43:00.000-04:00

On August 2nd, Nativity is sending another "Nativity:Nigeria" mission team to Africa. Back in 2006, a small group of four made the trip to Jos and Abuja to meet Dr. Chris Isichei and Sr. Oresoa with whom we were hoping to form a partnership. Over the years, this relationship has grown and in a few weeks we're sending our fourth team to serve in Nigeria. This year, due to the civil unrest in Jos, where Dr. Chris is located at the Faith Alive Hospital, we're sending only one team of six (that includes me!) to the Anawim Home Orphanage outside of Abuja.

At first, we viewed this as a small setback. First off, fewer spots were available on the trip since Sr. Oresoa only has capacity for so many visitors, and the experience that the Faith Alive team has with Dr. Chris' work with AIDS patients is incredibly eye opening and convicting. However, as this year's team has grown together in preparation, I'm starting to realize how much good has come as a result of taking a smaller group. Mainly, in large part to the feedback we got from last year's missionaries, we've experimented more with different team building exercises in preparation for the two-week experience.

At the meeting last night, we did an exercise that was designed to help the six of us address some of our expectations and assumptions about different aspects of the trip. We were given some time to write any thoughts that came to mind under seven different categories, some broad (Nigerians) and some specific (children at Anawim Home). It was interesting to see how much conversation flowed from looking at all of our assumptions. Many we shared in common, some were original, and a few were contradictory. Unfortunately the conversation was stopped short since we ran over on time, but it was really helpful to just put these things out in the open. It's encouraging to know that you're not alone in your own thoughts, it's challenging to realize that your thoughts could be wrong, and it's helpful to allay the power that our assumptions hold over us.

After all, you know what they say about assumptions...

soda/pop/coke - kicked up a notch

2010-06-25T14:04:00.000-04:00

Check out 'soda/coke/pop' if you haven't already... Let's keep that thought going. Your perception of the proper name for a drink (soda, coke, or pop) was probably something that you inherited based off your early or current environment. Consider also, that your perception of justice was also formed in the same way. I won't argue that all justice is subjective, rather that we all have justice blind spots.

Travel with me to the 18th century when our [Christian] founding fathers of the United States of America came over to this land to seek religious freedom. After a short time here, they built churches where they worshiped on Sundays and found land where communities were expanded and colonized. What went on simultaneously though was the enslavement of Africans who worked their fields and the uprooting, robbing, raping and killing of countless Native Americans. How could a people who traveled together with a shared faith be the creators of such dreadful injustice. Even church leaders called those who promoted equality and opposed slavery were regarded as atheists, socialists and communists.

See Jesus' words in Mark (7:6-8)...

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
   "'These people honor me with their lips,
      but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
      their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

What regular injustices in your world, in your life, are going on without any attention? What injustices has your culture, your environment, your family taught you to ignore that God is telling you to oppose?

We, like our ancestors, have held onto the traditions of men. The Church has, and you and I have. Our efforts are often so focused on avoiding sins of commission, but how much more guilty are we of these sins of omission! Martin Luther King, Jr. said it powerfully in his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail:

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church, felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leader; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.

I pray that you and many like you will partner with us in the coming year as we strive to become a church who will not claim ignorance to the needs of the world, who will not be cautious or remain silent behind the security of our stained-glass walls, but instead who will have our eyes opened to the suffering around the world, our hands soiled with the stains of poverty, our hearts broken from the cry of hunger, our lives complicated by the unfairness of discrimination and disease. We will not stand on the sidelines any longer. Join me in prayer that this church can be the salt and light of the world.

soda/coke/pop

2010-06-24T17:40:00.000-04:00

Wasting time on the world wide web a little while back, I came across this graphic. This kind of stuff is interesting to me. As you can see, it shows which parts of the US call their beverage "soda," "coke," or "pop." Is it accurate for you?

This map makes me think, maybe too hard. But consider the following: how much of what we consider to be truth (like I would consider calling my drink a "soda" truth) is actually true and right -- versus how much of our 'truth' is just a product of our upbringing and circumstances?

I think I'll get Freakonomics off the shelf this weekend...

copa mundal

2010-06-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

Last week I read "Serving with Eyes Wide Open" (one of the books rotating under 'what i'm reading'). In it, David Livermore emphasizes the importance learning cultural intelligence in order for missionaries to serve effectively. In order to make a lasting impact in a community, we have to open our eyes to the cultural (as well as economic, political, social...) differences that are present. He compares cultural intelligence (CQ) to concepts like like emotional intelligence (EQ) or intelligence quotient (IQ) which measure how in tune we are to our emotions and how intelligent we are... CQ measures how well we interact cross-culturally.

As I've been watching the 2010 World Cup over the last few weeks, I've wondered if the referees for all the matches are fluent in the languages of both countries, are they in any way trained or educated about how to interact with people from different cultures, since the rules of soccer are pretty much universal, do they need to have cultural intelligence? Unfortunately I don't know the answer to any of those questions (if you do, feel free to comment).

One take away, though, is that we can improve our cultural intelligence in simple ways without traveling half way across the world. We can begin to open our eyes to the diverse world that God has created from our own homes. For starters, we can watch foreign films, read books set in different cultures, eat authentic foods, and check up on international news. Even more basically, we can switch up our daily routines. Very easily we become so ingrained in our day-to-day lives that our worldview shrinks to wake up, work, watch TV, sleep, do it again... Try to change things up in the next week, open your eyes to how different things could be for you and how different things are for billions of other people in the world!

zeal

2010-06-20T23:46:00.001-04:00

A Jesuit friend of mine gave me a book that I keep in my office, Thoughts of St. Ignatius Loyola for Every Day of the Year. I don't read it every day but just happened to see today's thought and noticed how appropriate it is for me during this season of life.

"The most precious crown is reserved in heaven for those who do all that they do as zealously as possible: for to do good deeds is not enough by itself; we must do them well."

The first half of that sentence wouldn't make any sense without the phrase 'as zealously as possible.' Go ahead; re-read it. That would make it sound like something my college tennis coach would yell at practice... At any rate, I've been learning the lesson over the past few months/years that it's not as much what you do (or where you do it), but how you do it.

The world teaches us to be result oriented, to be productive, to measure our success by whether or not we accomplish our goals. God, on the other hand, is method oriented. I think God cares about results, I mean he's orchestrated the creation of the universe and commands us to make disciples of all nations -- those are some serious results -- but what does it mean that God is method oriented? Well, remember that the outcome is not in doubt, that the end of the story has already been written. However, our role in how history gets told is what's still up in the air. God has chosen us all as main characters so that he could share with us the glory of his story. It's not about the results, it's about doing them to honor God.

St. Ignatius says it beautifully. 'The most precious crown is reserved in heaven' for those who do those deeds zealously. We're not called to do all that we do -- rather do all that we do with great energy and enthusiasm as we pursue justice and peace and truth and all in the name of Jesus Christ. God is taking care of the results, we need to just focus on the how.

So think about keeping your eyes on the real prize, let your Heavenly Father take care of the specifics, and do all that you do as zealously as possible... What situation are you in right now that is testing you? Think about the fact that God cares more about how you do it than the results.

re-branding

2010-06-17T13:28:00.003-04:00

A lot has changed since I've last posted on the ol' blog... Most recently, the World Cup has come around again, BP has spilled a lot of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, Apple has released the iPad and the new iPhone4, and I've been given a new job at Nativity, Missions Director (or maybe Director of Missions - comments welcome). So that means I'll be, in the words of the Pastor, "our first ever full time staff guy for missions and service."

Acts 1:8 (NAB) says,

"But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Nativity's missions will be focused on building relationships with local (Jerusalem), national (Judea and Samaria), and international (ends of the earth) organizations where individuals from Nativity can serve and spread the name of Jesus.

So this summer I'll be headed to Haiti with Fr. White in July and then to Nigeria with the Nativity:Nigeria team in August. I'm really excited about these awesome opportunities and especially about all the possibilities for what Missions at Church of the Nativity can become... Look for more [frequent] posts in the near future!

blogging

2010-01-19T14:27:00.004-05:00

It seems I'm not very good at this... Here's a short list of things I'm not good at:
- blogging
- eating breakfast
- waking up early in the morning
- reading quickly
- singing

Here's a short list of things I am good at:
- driving my truck
- organizing
- typing
- sacristan-ing
- sleeping

Here's a short list of things I wish I was better at:
- being on time
- confrontation
- reading the Bible
- listening
- golf

"A business which takes no regular inventory usually goes broke. Taking a commercial inventory is a fact-finding and fact-facing process. It is an effort to discover the truth about the stock-in-trade. One object is to disclose damaged or unsalable goods, to get rid of them promptly and without regret. If the owner of the business is to be successful, he cannot fool himself about values. We did exactly the same thing with our lives. We took stock honestly."

third commandment

2009-09-29T10:03:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted. I don't have any excuses, especially since blogger makes it so easy to post that I can even do it from my phone.

Things have been quite busy here at work now that we're up and running for the season. My small group is back in session and I joined a 10-week Bible study on Thursday mornings with Chris Wesley.

With all these things going on, my group's discussion on getting rest and keeping the Sabbath was very timely last night. So often I think we believe the solution is just to bring more of God into more of our daily lives more often. That may be true, but it's also very clear that we're supposed to rest. Jesus took time away to be with the Father and fill up his cup.

Paul talks about love overflowing and suggests that it wells up from within and naturally pours out to others. That only happens when we're full though. What are you doing to fill up your cup? How do you spend your Sabbath? It's a path to somewhere; is it where you want to go?

what's on tap

2009-08-12T11:42:00.004-04:00

Here's the second installment of "What's on Brian's whiteboard?" I think this exercise is quite pretentious, but with that said I still plan to share.

- Welcome Weekend (Sept. 12 & 13) plans for creating three unique environments for kids, students and adults
- Building layout plotting radio communication points on the weekend
- Channel breakdown for the different ministries using the headsets
- Diagram of the Children's Wing for All Stars and Religious Ed check-in
- Diagram of the new CN Backstage and ideas of how to improve its functionality
- A random leadership thought: Life cycles of creating a ministry (bad cycle) idea, to responsibility/accountability, to implementation, to people. And (good cycle) idea, to people, to implementation, to responsibility/accountability.

Things are really picking up around here as we're gearing up for three awesome fall message series, making some physical changes to the building, and preparing for the kickoff weekend right after Labor Day. As things get busier and busier, I have to constantly remind myself why I'm doing all these things and what it's really about. Church of the Nativity exists to bring people to Christ and his Church, leading them to knowledge of their faith and service for the greater glory of God.

Lord,
Teach me to labor and not to ask for any reward,
except that of knowing that I do your will.
Amen.

more caution tape

2009-08-11T12:26:00.005-04:00

I talked about "red flags" in my last post. These are things that bring my attention to the fact that I'm not exactly in the right place. Thoughts like "What will make me happy right now?" and "You deserve it." are huge ones. But it's not all about thoughts, there are other indicators too.

As I've talked about before, we live in a physical world and, for now, our souls are connected to our bodies (check out 'allergies'). Back in May and June, Fr. White preached a series about the Catholic Mass and why we celebrate the Eucharist. One of the weeks was dedicated to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the part of the service that ends with Communion. He said that our ability to be present to God during that time in Mass is linked to our frame of mind, which is linked to our posture. Remember your school teachers telling you to "Sit up straight, and pay attention!"? Those two commands were given together for a reason...

Just like Fr. White talked about, another indicator of my spiritual fitness is my posture or physical state when I pray. Am I lying in bed at night while I rattle off a few prayers? Am I sitting up straight or kneeling? (There's also a reason why kneelers and lying prostrate are parts of the Catholic tradition too.)

It occurred to me a few weeks ago as I was in the middle of the 'lie in bed while praying but really just falling asleep' style of prayer, that I did have the ability to get off my back, sit up, and actually pray. You would have thought that the Spirit had prompted me to jump off a tall building the way I resisted. I really didn't want to kneel because I didn't really want to pray. Feelings like this one, and general physical feelings of discomfort are red flags that wave "Whoa, Brian. What's really going on here?" Think about the difference between bumping into someone and saying "sorry" versus muttering under your breath as they pass by? It's not the actual degree of pain in your body or even the person who collided with you. It's your own spiritual condition. Pay attention to your body, it knows what's up, even when you may not...

leadership summit

2009-08-06T15:39:00.005-04:00

I've just come back from the Willow Creek Association's 'Leadership Summit 09' (trend #TLS09 if you twitter). Bill Hybels, the Senior Pastor at Willow, kicked off the summit with a talk entitled "Leading in a New Reality." He referenced the economic crisis that changed lives so drastically starting last fall and how in turn that changed the way Willow Creek held their church services. He ended with some of his personal struggles over these past months as he explained the disciplines he exercised in order to increase his own margin, to fill his personal bucket up, so the he could continue to minister to others.

In light of my last blog post, I'd like to a note or two considering Bill's last point about filling his own bucket.

He talked about a time where his staff, his family, and even his dog were walking on thin ice when Bill was around because he was stretched so thin. He struggled to have quiet time with God and his daily routines fell by the wayside in order to make time for more hours in the office. All of these things added up to a bottom that he described as a powerlessness over work. This is not what God wanted for him, and it's not what God wants for us.

I think self care often gets a bad rap. Self care can be looked upon as selfish, even undeserved. How untrue! We constantly need to be taking care of our physical bodies (by working out, eating well), our personal relationships (by having quiet time, holding boundaries), and our spiritual lives (by praying, listening to G0d). We need to do these things to function properly, and, yes, we function so that we can serve others. Surrender is not a sacrifice of our own needs but a willingness to follow Christ through adversity despite our own will.

Remember how Christ worded the greatest commandment? Love your neighbor as yourself.

monday, monday...

2009-08-03T15:36:00.005-04:00

I just left the video review meeting where the staff re-watched Fr. White's message from the first week of Greatest Story Ever Told! It was all about the story of Joseph at the end of the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. The takeaway was a line repeated throughout the story: "And the Lord was with Joseph." How would you act knowing that God is always with you?

I woke up this morning feeling pretty lousy. I had overslept, which is easy for me to do on Mondays, still felt exhausted, and didn't want to get out of bed... at all! I eventually wandered downstairs, made a large cup of coffee, and then my brain started churning out all these negative thoughts: "I feel awful. I just want to sit here and do nothing. What's wrong with me? Why do I always feel like this?" And this went on and on... until the thought entered my mind, "What can I do that will make me feel happy?"

That's a huge red flag for me! (Another is, "I deserve this.") When I'm actively thinking about/wishing for things that will make me happy, I've reached the top of my self-centered scale. When I'm there, I quickly become resentful of others, angry over little things, and depressed about my own life. I don't know if you can relate to this particular line of thinking, but I have a feeling some of you may... The point is that I need to catch myself in this downward, selfish spiral and remember that I am here to serve others. God is always with me, and only when I am being of service to others am I positioning myself to receive God's blessing.

Heavenly Dad,
Teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve,
To give and not to count the cost.
Amen.

survey says...

2009-07-21T16:17:00.002-04:00

I just published a poll on this blog; it's up at the top on the right side. If you've been to Nativity during this message series, check any of the boxes that describe your reaction to the changes this summer.

If you haven't, you've got one more week to check it out. 'What God Wants' has been about the five purposes of the Church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism, and ministry. These have been made popular in Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California. Check it out...

The point is that we've been playing video messages of this series at the end of Mass. This was a pretty big curveball both for the staff and for our congregation, and as a result we didn't have much time to prepare Mass-goers. That said, we've worked really hard to make the experience enjoyable and have been encouraged by the numbers of people staying for our "summertime experiment." It's definitely exciting to be a part of a culture so responsive to a changing environment.

Again, if you've been with us for the video messages, I hope you respond to the poll.

moving day

2009-07-15T12:21:00.002-04:00

On Monday I moved across the office to make room for our new Director of Children's Ministry, Lisa Scata. She just started full-time on staff and has moved into my former spot in the office... We're super excited to have her (1) as an awesome presence on the team and (2) charging up Children's Ministry, which is such a big part of Nativity's experience.

So today I'm getting a new desk. I'll plug Mark Downs here, who have been very easy to work with and will be providing me with a nice new setup. I have a lovely view of Vista Lane, a [shared] corner office, a brand new desk lamp from IKEA, and a sweet 6-foot whiteboard to lay out all my plans for 'weekend direction.'

(New idea: each week, devoting a post on my blog to whatever is currently up on my whiteboard...)

**Currently**

- The 5 steps to becoming an 'Emotionally Healthy Church'
- Advent series 4-week breakdown (worship fully, spend less, give more, love all)
- Thank you note from Lucas, addressed to 'Brain'
- New design for weekend minister namebadges

bad to great, part iv

2009-06-27T15:13:00.011-04:00

Peter loses a friend. He does not see how this part of his life will turn out, but it's very painful right now. He learns that God makes all things work together for good for those who love him, but although he wants to believe it, this doesn't make sense. He realizes that it might take time to experience the good, and so he tries to press into God through prayer, fellowship, and worship, but the hurt does not go away. He is in despair.

allow God to redefine 'good' in your life

"Be always on the watch, and pray..."
Luke 21:36

I heard the story of a middle-aged man who lost his father at a very young age due to heart failure. All his life he was burdened by this loss and suffered greatly from it. On top of his pain he also had inherited a high predisposition to the same heart complications. The combination of the absence of his father and a seeming spite by our Creator, led him into years of bitterness, anger and depression. One day he had a serious, life-threatening heart attack which lead to surgery, and eventually more surgery. His brother also had a bad heart, and was treated for similar issues.

Then 'good' was redefined in his life. See, his father's death was so strange that doctors did an autopsy and numerous tests on his body. After years of studying the condition and its causes, when this man and his brother suffered from the same problems, they were able to be treated. By dying a tragic death at a young age, this man's death became a sacrifice. This evil was redefined years later to save the lives of his two sons.

Remember Peter and his friend who died so tragically? How terrible was it for this man's life to be taken? Jesus, who was God's only Son, and who was supposed to save the world, whom was murdered, how could that evil, that tragedy be overcome? Three days later God redefined good in Peter's life, in his friends' lives, and in the lives of everyone in history. It was only by dying that Christ could be raised.

There is no evil God cannot overcome. He is working all things together for good for those who love him, and one day his good work will come to completion. So wait, be patient, watch and pray. Allow God to redefine 'good' in your life!

bad to great, part iii

2009-06-27T14:12:00.000-04:00

So God is working to make good of everything in our lives. We don't always see it, but we try hard to remember that he is. This goes against every fiber of our being at times, but we want to trust God and try to do it more and more.

allow God to redefine 'good' in your life

Let's apply another Scripture verse to our discussion.

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion"
Philippians 1:6

This verse points out another difficulty in applying this concept to our lives: the timing. The bringing to completion of good works in us takes time, maybe a lifetime. So Peter, who grieves the death of his friend, might understand that it will work out in the end, but struggles because that might not happen for some time.

So in that period of waiting, Peter must continue to love God (see part ii), and expect his love to overcome Peter's loss. It's that simple, but we don't make it that simple most of the time. So often an event like this will shake our faith; we think that since things aren't going so well that God is not looking after us, God is not good, maybe God doesn't even exist. I know that's how I feel.

But God cares more about our character than our comfort. God does not promise that bad things won't happen, instead he says when they do, "Fear not!" He wants us to press further into him in our weakness, in our doubt, in our fear. Because when we do, will will always find that he is working to bring it to completion in a great way.

station identification

2009-06-22T21:18:00.003-04:00

Although a friend of mine chastised those who "twitter dump" (def: multiple posts in a short time after an extended period of neglect) earlier this week, I'm pretty sure I'm about to "blog dump"... I must say however that this 'mini-series' idea hasn't been the best for me. Having to draft my blog posts only hinders me from building up any momentum, and it definitely kills the spontaneity of the whole thing.

I'm going to pause here to give a personal update and will aim to wrap up this 'bad to great' stuff by week's end.

Katrina Relief
I had an awesome time going down with 5 other guys from Nativity to sheet rock a house in Mississippi. We helped a couple whose house was 'relocated' 150 yards inland after the hurricane four years ago. They were very gracious and hospitable and taught us all a lesson in dedication and perseverance.

Production schedule
The staff is undertaking a production schedule this summer that will allow for 16 weeks of lead time from "ideating" to delivering each message series in 2009-10. This is really exciting for us because it's going to enable all aspects of the weekend to unleash new potential. More time and energy will be devoted to developing the message content, the creative look, and synergy among ministries, which will result in greater focus and intentionality.

Vision casting
Saturday morning, a number of ministers, leaders, and members of the staff got together to brainstorm about the future of Nativity. It was really promising. The pastor began by saying that all things are rooted in personal history as he then gave some background info and told a bit of his story. How important it is to begin a big picture, big idea, long-term, planning session with personal history! The only way to figure out where you're headed is to understand from where you came. Take a minute to read Nehemiah 9 and Joshua 7 to learn about how our personal histories affect us.

iPhone

2009-05-31T11:04:00.002-04:00

Trying out new technology... posting from my iPhone. In Charlotte-Douglas International on my way to Mississippi for Nativity's last Katrima Relief mission trip. I'll post tonight from the 'bad to great' series. Just seeing how well this works.

bad to great, part ii

2009-05-20T18:38:00.014-04:00

Okay. So believing or realizing that we don't know it all is fundamental to our ability to stay open to God and to this idea. Just like, "How can I have s'more if I haven't had any already?" Anyone? Sandlot?

allow God to redefine 'good' in your life

Let's make this a story. Right now we have a person, Peter, who experiences a loss, perhaps relational, and Peter does not know what to do. He may question God, become angry with God, cry out for help, or just grieve his loss. What does it mean for Peter that God knows the ultimate outcome of this loss and he does not?

Consider a promise from Scripture in his situation.

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love him"
Romans 8:28

The amazing part of that verse is the word 'all.' All things means all things. Things past, things to come, good things, painful things, uncomfortable things, scary things... everything. So the death of his friend is not an exception to this promise. God makes all things work together for good...

That is exactly what is so hard for us to comprehend. How can any loss be good or even become good? You’re saying death can have a positive outcome? Job loss means good is to come, or a disease brings peace? Yes, I am. God makes all things work together for good.

bad to great

2009-05-18T15:08:00.014-04:00

Last week, while finishing up a book, a new concept came into my mind. I think it'll be somewhat difficult to communicate, but I'm in love with it so the next few posts will be on this topic:

allow God to redefine 'good' in your life

As humans, we don't get to see the full picture. Some of us are good at forming big picture ideas or long-term planning even casting vision, but never can we see everything. Our points of view are relatively narrow, and our perspectives are limited. My outlook is contained to right here and right now without exception.

God's is not. God is limitless. He is omnipotent and omniscient. He sees past, present and future as one. He knows all.

Accepting these things as fact, let us consider our lives and the events within them. When death, loss, disease, etc. occur, we may be shaken but these two pillars stand firm: (1) we see some things [very few things], and (2) God sees everything.

Naturally, when a good thing happens, it is easy to see the benefits to come, which in turn are easy to attribute to God. But when bad, ugly, evil stuff happens, it is harder to see where any good might lie. Yet in both instances we remain unable to see the ultimate outcome.

I'll stop there for now, but this is something to think about. What does it mean to never be able to see the ultimate outcome? Wouldn't we just have to accept what is, and hope for the best?

number one

2009-05-13T20:40:00.000-04:00

Along with Maria Folsom-Kovarik, the Director of Adult Ministry, I just helped run an orientation for about 25 new ministers at Nativity. As people introduced themselves, their stories ranged from brand new members taking their next step in faith, to professionals looking to apply their knowledge to the church, to older members responding to the call to ministry. It is cool for me to witness these individuals getting involved because it reminds me of an important fact: it's not about me.

That's a radical statement. My default mode is self-centered thinking. In a pinch, I look out for my own tail. It's just what I do. That's why it's so important to be part of a culture, like the one here at Nativity, where people are constantly and consistently giving of themselves.

I heard a new definition of selfishness the other day: it's not how highly you think of yourself, just how often you do. I think that's a pretty good way to put it; not comforting for me, but definitely pertinent. If thoughts create feelings which inspire action, I need to focus my thinking elsewhere. Tonight, I will pray for others, that Christ's light may shine in their lives, and for myself that I may have the presence of mind to see the Christlike behaviors of other Christians and that I have the courage to witness to those who do not know Him.

allergies

2009-04-28T16:47:00.004-04:00

This year has been one of the worst for my sinuses. I don't know to what specifically it is that causes my nose to run, my eyes to itch and water, and my head to ache... but whatever it is, there must be a lot of it out there because I'm having a really hard time.

It's amazing how clearly my physical condition affects my outlook, mood, feelings, and even thoughts. It's extremely obvious that we live in a physical world. We have physical bodies, we use physical things, and we need physical objects to live our lives. There is more though: beyond my corpse, I have a soul, which cannot be touched, seen, or felt. I am part of another world that has no physicality. For now, both of these exist at the same time and in the same place (inside of me), but it's not always obvious that they have a relationship with one another.

When my body feels good, my thoughts are processed through a healthy object "in good standing." But when I am not in good shape physically (due to injury, sloth, sickness, or just aches and pains), my soul knows it. Maybe my point of view gets selfish or critical, my remarks turn sarcastic and harmful, or maybe my mood becomes negative and depressed. Anyway you look at it, it's important to know that these to "worlds" are connected.

welcome back

2009-04-15T14:37:00.006-04:00

[It's been a little while, but I'm back. Holy Week and Easter were somewhat stressful, but everything went extremely well, and I saw God provide for me and for Nativity in many, many ways.]

One of the cooler events since my last post occurred yesterday morning when the staff got together for our weekly prayer "meeting." We focused our prayers on how we saw God work through the planning and execution of Easter Sunday. As I mentioned in an earlier post ("first john" 3/9/09), when I hear the same message in different contexts it gets my attention. As we started reflecting and thanking God for his goodness, it reminded me of a section from The Shack I just read and a concept that I've been trying to incorporate more into my life: devotion.

In The Shack, one evening before dinner, God asks to have "a time of devotion" (p 107). Jesus goes on to hold hands with the Father and tell him, "Papa, I loved watching you today, as you made yourself fully available to take Mack's pain into yourself... You honored him, and you honored me. To listen to you ... whisper calm into his heart was truly incredible. What a joy to watch! I love being your son."

Reading this brought a different level of intimacy to my concept of devotion. And as we prayed as a staff, thanking God for his faithfulness, it became very real to me what that prayer is supposed to look like, and sound like, and feel like. I don't think this is an effective blog post because it's hard to explain, but what a wonderful way to act and to live as a child of God.

slowly but surely, part ii

2009-04-02T22:15:00.004-04:00

The other part of this "give time, time" idea is to take things piece by piece. First, you have to acknowledge that change happens gradually, and once you've set off on that path, things must be broken down to bite-sized pieces (hence the Q&A from yesterday's post). God never gives us more than we can handle, and we were never designed to handle our loads alone.

This week has been an exercise in spreading the wealth. Why should I deprive those close to me the opportunity to help me, pray for me, and support me when I'm taking on challenges? For me it's simple: pride. I'd just rather do it on my own. Sure it's easier with help, but that's just not my style.

So I'm workin' on it! Now that I've woken up to the fact that life is a journey and that change takes place progressively, I need to simplify my obstacles by asking for help and thus chipping away at my pride.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11.1-3)

slowly but surely

2009-03-31T10:11:00.003-04:00

I tried to publish a post from Colombia, but it didn't work out. I'm sure all my loyal followers were able to check up on my trip through Twitter... Anyway, I'm back.

One thing that I've been reflecting on recently is time. People say things like "give time, time" to explain that growth occurs over time, prayers are answered over time, and change happens over time. Personally, I'm no good at waiting. I'm task oriented; I like progress; I want results and want them soon. But recently I've been warming up to this concept of "God's timing."

We live life moment by moment. Other than when we're asleep, we experience life one second after the next. Never have I been able to jump ahead to the future to avoid conflict or to get results faster. I have no choice, I will continue at the same exact pace for the rest of my life. I need to slow down and take things as they come, not trying to avoid what's in front of me and not putting off things that must be done.

Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time.

leaving on a jetplane

2009-03-23T21:17:00.006-04:00

I'm heading to Bogotá tomorrow for five days to visit my in-laws, play a little golf, and re-celebrate my sister's wedding. (That first sentence took me a while to write. I first had to make sure "brother-in-law's" was the correct possessive form of a compound word. Then, after deciding not to use that word, I goggled "in-laws" to discover www.ihatemyinlaws.com. Wow.)

Anyway, I've always enjoyed flying and traveling and I'm really excited for this trip. In addition to doing fun stuff once I'm there, I'm genuinely looking forward to the traveling part(s). I've got a bunch of magazines and a few books that I'm hoping to knock off on the way. This is exciting to me because recently I've got a sort of renewed vigor for reading. Well, to be perfectly honest, I've got a brand new vigor for reading. Ever since summer reading back in sixth grade, I've abhorred to read.

Now that I've discovered I can choose the books I want to read and conveniently not choose the ones that look like a bore, my whole perspective on the exercise has changed. This reminds me of a question Rick Warren asked the presidential candidates back in the fall regarding positions on which they had reversed their opinion after a time. I've reversed my opinion on reading. It is a good way for me to learn new things, and it's also a fair reminder that I don't always see things clearly at first.

pulse

2009-03-22T20:03:00.002-04:00

After hearing a heavy message like the one from this weekend (week 5), it's a good idea for me to take a sort of mental, spiritual, and emotional pulse. What did that bring up for me? How did I react to the "bring it to light, bring it to Christ, and bring it to an end" points? What did I find myself wanting to do afterward?

Without processing information like this, I lose track of where I am and where I'm going.

Since this is an opportunity for me to sort of debrief, I'll volunteer that this was a tough weekend for me. I found my energy level a lot lower than usual, and coupled with that was a slightly negative attitude. My tendency is to ignore these things and try to "do better next time." Instead of pushing that stuff back down inside me, I'm going ask God to help me find the root of my attitude and my emotions.

None of this is accidental or irrelevant, and I just want to figure out what God's got to say about it all.

what do i want?

2009-03-21T23:58:00.001-04:00

As children we're taught the difference between "wants" and "needs." As we grow up, I think the line gets blurry as more things come within reach. The devil uses temptation to use the whole category of "things we don't have" against us.

First, it substitutes natural things we want with pleasurable things we can get. We all are designed to seek love and relationships, but temptation tells me I can have lust and fantasy, and I can have it now.

Second, it increases the amount of things we want. It says, "What you have is not enough. Look at everything else available! You want love? You can also have pleasure, and success, and money, and fun, and excitement..."

Third, it decreases the size of the world (and God) which confuses what it is we wanted in the first place. When I succumb to temptation, my world revolves around me and I am so focused on me that I forget that my original need was to love and be loved.

To these three things, I imagine God would say: I know all that you want and all that you need. What you have is enough, so trust me. I love you and I will provide for you. What you really desire is me, so you can have me. In fact, I've sent my only Son for you and I will never leave you.

Lord,
Let me see life through your eyes.
Help my neediness and discontent,
Reveal your truth and your way of life.
Amen.

ceramics class

2009-03-18T23:10:00.005-04:00

An art teacher gave his two classes very different assignments. The first class was to make the most perfect, beautiful ceramic vase, while the other was to make as many vases as possible. Quality vs. quantity. At the end of the week, the teacher reviewed everyone's efforts to find a shocking result. The second class, who had made dozens and dozens of vases, had also made the highest quality vases. The first spent the majority of their time carefully planning and preparing each vase and then studying and analyzing the results, but the second class, through trial and error, eventually found the right technique, the best plaster-t0-water ratio and proper baking time as they constructed vase after vase.

What's the lesson? I think there are many lessons in this story; it's one that I use often. Today for me, this story means that sometimes the best thing to do is chuck the vase you're so carefully crafting in the oven, crank a few out, and learn as you go. Failure is not the worst thing in the world. Never trying can be.

tweet, tweet

2009-03-17T16:39:00.004-04:00

So I just created a Twitter account; bpcrook is my name. I have been off the Facebook bandwagon for about a year now, and have enjoyed living clean, but I think it's time to bring some serious internet social networking back in my life.

It seems to me that you have to be a really compulsive, self-important, self-centered human being to be a good Twitter-er, so I'm pretty sure I'll be great at it. I've also added a gadget to this blog so you can follow me, direct message me, nudge me, and all sorts of sch-tweet stuff!

sleepless in seattle

2009-03-16T22:05:00.006-04:00

Most Mondays I sleep late. Really late. After two full days of "weekend direction," I'm typically good for a solid ten to twelve hours of heaving snoozing. This morning however I woke up much earlier than usual (10am) to have coffee with a friend of mine. It wasn't anything special, but it did remind me that relationships happen in the margin.

For two people whose schedules couldn't conflict more perfectly, it's not always easy for us to find the time, and today was no exception. In fact, it sometimes takes small sacrifices to keep feeding our friendship, and I think that's why it's so easy for me to put off things like grabbing a cup of coffee. Small sacrifices are just that, they're tiny, bite sized, not a big deal.

If you want me to move a mountain, I'm there! But breakfast? Well, you know how I need that extra hour of sleep... Relationships happen in the margin. Even, or rather especially when it doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice, I need to be attentive to the opportunities I have to spend time with my friends and family.

celebrations

2009-03-14T13:46:00.002-04:00

Stopping to reflect is not one of my strong points. In fact, number one on my list of strengths according to "Strengths Finder 2.0" is Achiever. I wouldn't disagree with that assessment, and this played out very clearly yesterday afternoon.

I got distracted from reading on my day off and picked up a little thing called 'Tangoes' (a tangram game). Important to also note my third Strength Finder strength: Competition. I couldn't put the thing down! For hours I sat at the table doing puzzle after puzzle, and by the end of the day I had completed the whole deck, save for a handful of really difficult ones that were giving me a fit. After taking a break, I came back to tackle these remaining few. Within a minute or two, I finally figured out the last one! Triumph! Not exactly... My first thought was a negative one. "Now why was that so hard?" I said outloud.

Instead of celebrating the completion of a very challenging task, and one that I had enjoyed all afternoon, I criticized my own efforts. Let this be a lesson to me, and to all you task-oriented folk, to stop and celebrate the win. At the conclusion of things both big and small, it's healthy to pause and note a job well done.

lucky

2009-03-12T18:12:00.006-04:00

I'm staying at my aunt and uncle's house over the next few days to look after their dog, get the mail, etc. I wouldn't normally consider sojourning in Baltimore City a retreat, but for me, getting away from my usual surroundings and spending a little time in quiet will be nice. (I decided on giving up television, well watching TV alone, for Lent.)

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, for me it's been difficult to sit back and consider my past and its details. How many of my choices have been made without hesitating, without thinking twice? Hopefully the next few days will be filled with margin for me, and I'll be able to get a better idea of what my story looks, sounds, and feels like.

Tonight, I just thank God for his goodness and grace that allows me to feel safe and secure and for the freedom to think about these things.

story time

2009-03-11T23:22:00.002-04:00

I started a book today about how to become familiar with your "story." That is knowing your past and it's characters, scenes, settings, events, and so on that make up precisely who you are. Your life is your story.

It's kinda hard to think of our experiences as something that could be read like a novel, but I buy into it because I think there's value in knowing where you come from. Hear me out for a second:

When you read a book, you're able to learn more about the characters than the characters themselves. An onlooker can see when exactly the protagonist went wrong, where the crisis could have been avoided, and how the plot is likely to unfold. Consider that we are the protagonists of our own lives. How difficult it is to observe our own story while we are in the midst of living it.

This is some pretty heavy stuff... that is if you have the desire to look at your life as a type of living story. My one point for now is this--isn't it worthwhile to explore the details of my past so that I can have a better understanding of where exactly God is steering my life... my story? After all, he is the author.

peanut gallery

2009-03-10T23:21:00.003-04:00

Just figured out how to allow comments on my blog... Pretty fancy, I know.

You are all encouraged to let me know how I'm doing with this blogger thing, and more importantly share any of your thoughts and feelings on my posts.

accountability

2009-03-10T21:05:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I talked about how well accountability works and how sometimes it's fun to see yourself grow. Today I'd like to share how it's not always so much fun.

Maybe you've experienced a time when you're trying really hard at something, and that 'something' is unnatural and uncomfortable and difficult, and maybe a little scary, but you're trying. Then after some time, you've been trying really hard to stay positive and continue pursuing your goal, and you start to get some results, and you feel like "Yeah, I'm really getting the hang of this. I can adversity and persevere!"

If you're with me, then great... Because that's where I was this afternoon. Then someone I'm accountable to came along and said, "You know, you've still got a lot of work to do." And that work is going to be hard and it's going to mean more suffering and more vulnerability, but you've got to do it if you want to get better results.

I read a blog entry a little while back that I think applies to today's experience for me. "Bad news will get you chewed out, but no news will get you fired." I felt like chewing somebody out for sure, but in the end, it's bad news like that which helps me grow... No news will ever help me.

first john

2009-03-09T16:48:00.007-04:00

I'm reading the book of 1 John with some of the students I'm mentoring for confirmation this spring. This in itself speaks measures of how well accountability works, because I have little or no discipline and generally have a terrible time forming and breaking habits. Anyway, when I hear the same message from multiple sources in a short period of time, I stop to consider that God might be trying to get my attention.

In the last few days I've heard repeatedly that the love of others is something that overflows from us. Tom Corcoran said it today: it's as a reservoir that overflows with water because it has reached capacity and must flood in order to sustain. It jumped off the pages I read this evening, "While loving others comes from the overflow of loving ourselves" (Erwin McManus). And just now, "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

This is inspiriting language, but it's too easy for me to overlook one crucial detail. In order to overflow with love, I must first be filled with love. The only love that exists, exists because God loved first, and he loved so much that he created us. We are the fruit of God's boundless love, so we cannot love unless we too are full of love. So let us submit to his "perfect love" (verse 18) so that we may witness to it and that others may receive it as well.

How am I not letting God's love, and truth, into my life? What keeps me from his love that also keeps me from loving others?

the precious present

2009-03-03T21:27:00.005-05:00

I'm digging through some of my old CDs and uploading songs to my laptop. It's really wild how listening to most of these songs brings back so many vivid memories and events from my past, not to say all the feelings and emotions that I'm able to instantly recall as well. It's sort of like I've opened up some sort of musical time capsule.

I kept a journal in high school for a few months, and when I would reread my entries it would upset me. Maybe that's because I've always been hard on myself, maybe it's because high school was just a difficult time, or maybe it's because I was rarely happy with me, with being Brian.

Listening to these songs isn't painful or upsetting tonight. I'm able to look at how it was, how it changed, and how it is now with some acceptance. This post is starting to sound like a journal entry of its own, but if I have a point I think that it's this: all I have is right now. I'm free to agonize about the future and second-guess my past, but the only thing I really have is this moment. One benefit that comes with staying in the present is that it allows me to experience the presence of God. When I worry or regret I cannot say "yes" to God, but acknowledging God frees me from myself. Perfect love drives out fear.

man on fire

2009-03-02T22:41:00.003-05:00

I read an article today about a man who is on fire for Christ. He's the pastor of a growing and somewhat controversial church in Seattle, WA. I'm choosing not to comment on the beliefs and theology of Mark Driscoll, but I hear his message and it's inspiring. He is uncompromising in his mission, and I'm listening because his mission is the same as mine... the Great Commission (check out Matthew 28:16-20).

Since the topic of evil has been on my mind of late, my thoughts keep coming back around to fear. The devil LOVES it when we're afraid, and he uses that fear to turn us away from God. How many different ways does fear manifest itself in my life? When I choose to argue and become resentful, or come up with reasons "why not," or declare "I need to pray about it"... are my motives always on target? Am I not just really afraid to be wrong sometimes, to take some risks, to act in faith?

Yeah, I am afraid. But I don't want to choose fear anymore. This world is not my eternal resting place. Jesus did not say, "I came to make you cozy," he came to save us and to send us out into the world. We are in this world but not of this world. My goal is to glorify God and to spread his glorious name! So enough with planning and careful stepping; bring on my Father's plan and his way of life. Rock my world!

Daddy,
I am broken;
help my unbelief.
Engulf my heart with your love,
and give me courage.
Amen.

ode

2009-02-27T16:50:00.009-05:00

"Necessary but not sufficient," is a phrase used by Michelle Chan in Ode magazine last month to describe her own work to increase sustainability practices among major world banks. Check out the article if you'd like.

Reading this today got me thinking about how much of what I do in life is necessary but not sufficient. If my life's ambition is to honor and please God, how many of my actions are vital but inadequate?

Then I thought, in a way, all of my efforts (prayer, ministry, worship, relationship, discipleship, etc) fall into that category. Nothing within me is perfect, and I cannot produce anything perfect. All my time and energy spent pleasing God is necessary but never is it sufficient.

Knowing this does not depress me though, because I know that God is gracious. He offers an endless supply of grace for my journey, and mercy when I fall short. It is only with God, that I am able to persevere. Many times I give into temptation, but knowing that what I had to offer was never enough, my efforts were always flawed, my actions could never earn God's love, I am able to press further into into him. I need to accept his grace to live a full life.

So Psalm 103 is my Ode today. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! How great is our God!

i am dust...

2009-02-25T09:56:00.012-05:00

It's my goal to read a little bit each day out of "The Practice of the Presence of God" as a part of my Lenten fast. Don't know what I'm giving up yet though... Lent is something that I look forward to, in a strange, creepy, dark sorta way. It's also followed by Easter which is my favorite time of year, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

It is said that every part of your day can become an act of worship. Cleaning, sleeping, driving, writing in a blog can all be God-honoring activities. For some reason I believe this (although I'm not sure how it's done), and I believe that God can speak to us, and we to him, throughout the day. I said I believe this, but it's more than that. I'm really curious, really eager to know what that's like because it sounds cool. I also don't believe that self-serving, pious, religious acts done for self-sanctification and holy preservation are the point of Christ's death and resurrection, so it's my goal that in this exercise I am able to listen more to the voice of God and the prompting of the Spirit... so that I can be a better servant to others.

"God is closer than you think." He is all around us, calling our names at the top of his heavenly lungs, stretching out to get our attention all the time, but we're too wrapped up in our "stuff" to hear what he has to say. Sometimes my "stuff" is good stuff distracting me from the best stuff, but sometimes I'm just up to no good. Either way, I've got to get better at reaching out to others.

In Michelangelo's "Creation" Adam sits lazily on some sort of recliner, while God the Father with all the hosts of angles at his side is making a beeline for him. God is making every effort, using all his strength to be with Adam, all Adam has to do is lift a finger. My prayer is to lift my finger more often knowing that God is trying to tell me something.

it's a (real) start

2009-02-23T18:44:00.014-05:00

I tried to start writing a blog almost exactly one year ago today, and not surprisingly it sat in cyberspace with one lonely post (the one about how I was starting a blog...) until now. I've deleted that original masterpiece, and this is my effort of starting fresh.

Kathleen Leslie, a fellow staff member at Nativity (her blog), has just posted about "Old Kathleen" and it got me thinking about what "Old Brian" might sound like. Journeying back to February 23, 2008 would be a real hike and I don't have that kind of time. But I do want to take a minute to compare the two dates through the lens of our current message series.

Our pastor preached about feeling opposed in life and how striving to make personal improvements was like fighting in a battle. In February of last year I was doing all that I could do just to get by (financially, emotionally, spiritually) and it really did feel like a war. I was trying hard, really hard, setting goals, drawing limits, making promises, starting (but not finishing) books, and reflecting on my life. All the while I was only getting more and more tired and not having any success at all!

Comparing 2/23/08 and 2/23/09, there is one HUGE difference. I was alone. I was doing all those great things, the things that they list in self-help books, and plenty of not-so-great things, but I was on my own... I was isolated and trying to self-will some serious life change. Today, I'm not alone. I've got support, I've got family, I've got friends, (I've got a Small Group,) and all of that is true because I've come to recognize that I can't do it on my own. Last year I was opposed, and today I'm opposed; the difference maker is that today I've got an army ready for battle, and it feels great. I was never supposed to do this by myself, and honestly I never could... I'll still be opposed tomorrow, but together with you and with the grace of God I know it can get better.