MRN Training report

This past weekend, Lisa and I were blessed to fly to Dallas to participate in some training for Missions Resource Network, the organization which is helping to prepare us for the mission field.  Training is probably not the best word to describe it, as most of what went on was an assessment of our strengths and needs, but it's the best word I can think of.  

There were four other couples we were excited to meet and get to know.  One couple is going to Croatia, relatively close to us across the Balkan Peninsula.  The other couples are going to China, Uganda, and Malawi (in southern Africa).  We are going to be participating in online cohort learning for several months, as we dialogue through several aspects of the theology of missions, covenanting, and strategies for mission.

We had a fairly grueling schedule of assessment.  First of all, on Friday evening every couple took 20 minutes to introduce themselves.  Lisa and I naturally chose a trivia game as the means by which to introduce ourselves, which was a lot of fun.  It was very interesting to find the wife of one couple sang in the Concert Choir at Harding with me, and the husband of another was a Chi Sig at the same time I was!

On Saturday, we had five one-hour interviews with assessor couples.  One couple was returning from over 25 years on the field in Brazil; one couple was on the Missions board with the Legacy Church of Christ in Dallas.  We also met with Dr. Dottie Schulz to go over the results of psychological testing we had done previously.  It was a taxing weekend, but well worth it.

We leave even more committed to our mission than before!  Please pray for us as we continue to prepare ourselves to do the Lord's work in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Underdogs

Which one of these phrases describes you best?  (A) “Tech U. was better back in ’07 when they had that 6’9” guard and ran man-to-man,” or (B) “ANOTHER GAME????  For cryin’ out loud, will he EVER get off the TV?”    Possibly your response correlates to your gender…

For those who answered (A), you’ve likely been in sports heaven the last week or so.  Something that has never happened before happened this year—two 15-seeds knocked off their 2-seeded opponents in the same day.  There is something about an underdog that really gets us excited!

Perhaps that is a reflection of the nature of God within us.  When God chooses a “hero,” it’s usually not the big guy, the strong guy, the smart guy, the suave guy.  Sometimes it’s not even a guy!  Think about some of God’s choices through scripture:

Moses had speech problems.  David was the youngest son.  Deborah led Israel when no man was courageous enough.  Gideon is hailed as a “mighty man of valor,” even though he’s “the least in my father’s house” of “the weakest clan in Manasseh.”  Simon Peter, James, and John were ignorant fishermen.

God loves an underdog, because through them he shows his incredible power.  1Cor1:27 says “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”  No matter how small and weak you think you are, God wants to use you!

Trivia Night

It occurred to me today that I never posted on how our Trivia Night fundraiser went last Saturday.  We had a good turnout of 9 teams, and the event raised almost $800 which will go toward the plane ticket to Ukraine and Bulgaria next month.  I'm quite proud that the team comprised of my family and the Pachciarzes from Smyrna (who adopted Yuli from Pleven, Bulgaria) came in a strong second place, but the winners of the night were Geriatric Dental Floss.  Though we plan, if the Lord wills, to be in Bulgaria next year at this time, I am going ahead with writing new categories so that the congregation can put on the event once more!

Reflective Practitioners

            The book of Deuteronomy finds the people of Israel on the cusp of entering the land God has promised to them.  They have endured 40 years of hardship wandering through the desert due to their disobedience and faithlessness.  During that time, they have come to rely on God for their provision, their guidance, and their protection.  An entire generation has passed away, and a renewed people look into their future.

            But the first three chapters look backward rather than forward.  When I was studying education at Lipscomb, I was acquainted with the concept of a "reflective practitioner."  Imagine a mirror.  When you look in a mirror, you see yourself exactly as you appear.  Not only this, but you are able to see behind you; metaphorically speaking, you see where you've come from.  A reflective practitioner is one who stops to examine where he is, and where he's come from, so as to press forward in the best possible manner.

            Moses reiterates to the people where they've been, and where they are now.  He reminds them of their failures, but also reminds them of the glorious future that awaits them if they will only have faith and obey.  Have you taken time recently to reflect on your walk with Christ?  Have you examined your own faith story, seeing where you've come from and where you are now? 

Super Tuesday

This week, like many others of you, I took the opportunity to vote in the Republican Primary for Super Tuesday.  I am something of a political junkie; I watch a lot of Fox News (and sometimes even CNN!), I listen to speeches, I stay as informed as I can.  At times, it's easy to get caught up, and sometimes even angry or distressed, about events in the political realm.

The great Restoration Movement figure David Lipscomb had a very different take.  Lipscomb felt that any involvement in politics, even voting, took a Christian's focus away from where it is supposed to be – that is, on Jesus Christ our King.  God is Sovereign, Lipscomb felt, and anything that took honor and attention from Him was inappropriate for Christians.

I disagree with Lipscomb, but his root point is hugely important.  We must all understand that if "our guy" (or girl!) wins the White House, Christ is King.  If our candidate loses, Christ is King.  If there is anarchy in the streets, or America is conquered, or becomes Communist, or monarchy, or any other crazy form of governance or non-governance, CHRIST IS KING! 

God, we praise You as King of the heavens and the earth, and we worship you for your greatness and glory!  Give us a "peace that passes understanding" in the knowledge that You guide all things in Your wisdom.

Visit with the Venkovs

We were blessed today to be able to visit with Dr. Hristo and Danka Venkov, who live in Nashville.  The Venkovs are from Sofia originally, but moved here after the fall of Communism.  Dr. Venkov is a professor of endocrinology at Vanderbilt University.  We brought them some martenitsas, and he gave me a very nice book, a biography of Vasil Levsky.  I look forward to reading it and gaining further insight into Bulgarian history!

Breakfast on the Morning Tram

I'm a big fan of jazz singer Stacey Kent.  If you like coffeehouse music, give her a try; I find myself noticeably relaxing every time I hear her.  Music has such an amazing power!

One of her best albums is Breakfast on the Morning Tram.  The title track depicts a (fictional, so far as I can determine) train that serves breakfast.  When I first heard the song, I was struck by how the image it presents is something that is very attractive, a place where we'd like to be.  Here are the lyrics:

So here you are in this city with a shattered heart, it seems
Though when you arrived you thought you'd have the holiday of your dreams
You'd cry yourself to sleep if you could but you've been awake all night
Well here's something that you need to do at the first hint of morning light

Walk right across the deserted city to the Boulevard Amsterdam
And wait there for what the citizens here refer to as the Breakfast Tram

Climb on board; you'll soon manage to find at the far end of the carriage
The most wonderful buffet
There's everything you'd want to eat; you can take a feast back to your seat
Whatever you can fit onto your tray
And the mist on the windows will start to fade as the sun climbs higher in the sky
And you can sit back with your café au lait while outside the waking city clatters by
So things didn't quite meet expectations, but you're bound to conclude upon reflection
There's no reason you should give a (care)
Just treat yourself to a cinnamon pancake, very soon you'll forget your heartache
When you have breakfast on the morning tram

It'll be quite quiet when you first get on, but as that tram keeps moving along
It'll fill with people starting on their day
They'll be laughing and joking as they eat, they'll be passing plates along the seats
Your night of heartache will soon seem far away
And even though you're a stranger they'll make you feel right at home

They'll be offering to refill your coffee; they won't have you sitting there alone
They've seen many others just like you, and each one of them has had it happen too
So just enjoy your scrambled eggs and ham
Treat yourself to a cinnamon pancake, very soon you'll forget your heartache
When you have breakfast on the morning tram
 
So just enjoy your fresh croissant and jam and don't neglect the Belgian waffles
You'll soon forget your troubles
When you have breakfast on the morning tram

In the beginning the singer is disillusioned and broken, the expectations of happiness and fulfillment left empty.  Doesn't our world do the same thing?  It offers everything, so it seems; if you wear the right clothes, you'll be happy; if you get the right job, you'll be happy; if you get the right cell phone, or car, or friends, you'll be happy.  But ultimately we realize that it's all a lie, and a lot of those things are actually harmful to us.  We are betrayed by the things that we thought were supposed to make us happy.

What if we were able to come to a place where we are accepted in our pain?  Where people were unpretentious in understanding the reality of our situation?  A place that welcomed us, and brought us to the table of sharing?  What a relief that would be, what a joy! 

What if our churches actually became that place?  What if we became healers of the heart, rather than judgmental and exclusive?  If you read through the gospels, you'll be struck how many stories about Jesus involve a meal of some sort.  There is something very special about sharing a meal with people, something that connects us deeply with each other.  Jesus shared meals with people all the time, and I think we would realize some profound things if we would do the same.

I like the image of a train.  A train is not static; it goes places.  In the same vein, the church should not stand still (scriptural metaphors to the contrary notwithstanding).  The church should be active, reaching out to the community, at the same time working fervently and simply being – being whole, being at peace, being satisfied in the blessings of God our Father.  As we work and have our identity in him, our train rolls on toward our final destination – an eternal banquet.