This morning we had our annual Good Friday Service for the community around our church. It's one of our most special Easter traditions, beginning with an always-captivating worship service and culminating in "The Marketplace," a bizaare-like setting where our neighbors can shop for a wide variety of specialty food items and other goodies. The whole event is always a lot of fun, but the most special gift I received came through an unexpected friendship.
We began the day by baptizing two gentlemen who had recently committed their lives to Christ. One of these, Mr. Zachary, was an 80 year old African-American with only a single tooth on the bottom, but he swore he didn't feel a day over 20. My job was to prep these men for baptism, so we began talking about their backgrounds and their conversion. In the course of our conversation, Mr. Zachary shared how he had grown up walking or riding a wagon a couple miles to church each week. For them, "church" was not simply an hour long service; it was an all-day event. Services were held for several hours in the morning, followed by a potluck lunch on the grounds and a time of relaxing, and concluding with several hours of evening service. He talked about how "everyone got along back then..."
I ended up staying with Mr. Zachary for the whole morning, worshipping with him after the baptism and helping him carry his bags as he shopped. Every few minutes he stopped to tell me how much he appreciated our church, my help, and everything else he could think of. When it was over, I gave him a ride back to his little house. As he got out and I unloaded his groceries from the truck, he again thanked me profusely. I shook his hand and assured him that it was truly my pleasure to meet him and to spend the morning with him.
As I drove off, I was overwhelmed by the paradox of our relationship. He was an older man from a by-gone era; certainly in his lifetime he has witnessed atrocities and pain that I will never know. He lived through the days of "Whites Only" and the struggle for Civil Rights, while I have merely read of these in history books. Though his basic needs are provided, he has certainly not known the affluence that I have been afforded. Yet, because of the work of Christ, he and I are brothers, sharing both the hope and the inheritance that became available when the tomb was emptied.
"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..." Ephesians 2:14
Friday, April 2, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Oops!
Ok, here is our account of one unforgettable wrong turn on our trip. After our lunch in the Rhodes courtyard, we then headed out to the beach for a little nap. (Pictures to come).
After a little bit, I woke up and started looking around. About 30 yards away, something just caught my attention. I noticed a rather rotund, shirt-less older person sitting down, talking to another senior. I was still a little groggy from my nap, but something in my mind kept on going off. Suddenly it hit me: the older dude was not a dude, but a lady! I'd been looking at a topless, obese geriatric woman!! "Ohh, my eyes!"
Needless to say, Rebekah and I got off that beach as fast as we could. But the damage had already been done. I will forever bear on my mind visual proof that topless beaches, regardless of what seventh-grade boys may think, are a BAD idea.
After a little bit, I woke up and started looking around. About 30 yards away, something just caught my attention. I noticed a rather rotund, shirt-less older person sitting down, talking to another senior. I was still a little groggy from my nap, but something in my mind kept on going off. Suddenly it hit me: the older dude was not a dude, but a lady! I'd been looking at a topless, obese geriatric woman!! "Ohh, my eyes!"
Needless to say, Rebekah and I got off that beach as fast as we could. But the damage had already been done. I will forever bear on my mind visual proof that topless beaches, regardless of what seventh-grade boys may think, are a BAD idea.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Rhodes
From Crete, we once again boarded the Aquamarine and set out for Rhodes. Previously I alluded to the deficiencies of the ship; let me explain. Built in 1971, the ship's fresh paint could hardly mask its age. While we have all seen pictures of contemporary luxury cruise ships, with their endless amenities and laissez-faire attitude, this particular craft betrayed its age with a swimming pool so tiny no one dared to get in, an exercise room that was clearly in a converted closet, and more rules than a seventh grade classroom. Though breakfast and lunch were open for leisure, dinner reservations were to be made for either 6 or 8, with the doors to the dining hall shutting precisely at one past the appointed hour. In light of this, our group promptly renamed the boat the Shawshank Cruise.
Despite the many rules, we did still manage to have fun on the ship.
Discussing theology with The PROF: Dr. Preben Vang.
Once we landed at Rhodes, we were free to enjoy the afternoon by ourselves. Though it has no significance for New Testament studies, we found Rhodes to be a great tourist stop.Rebekah and I enjoyed strolling through the alleys and peeking in the little shops along the way.
Eventually, we came to an open courtyard with balcony restaurants on every side. Each restaurant had a barker trying to persuade passers-by to come and dine at their finest table.
Ok, I know I promised to tell of our notorious adventure on Rhodes in this post, but I've had too much else to cover. Check back on Tuesday afternoon for our big "Oops" moment of the trip.
Discussing theology with The PROF: Dr. Preben Vang.
Once we landed at Rhodes, we were free to enjoy the afternoon by ourselves. Though it has no significance for New Testament studies, we found Rhodes to be a great tourist stop.Rebekah and I enjoyed strolling through the alleys and peeking in the little shops along the way.
Eventually, we came to an open courtyard with balcony restaurants on every side. Each restaurant had a barker trying to persuade passers-by to come and dine at their finest table.
How could we resist? It was truly a marvelous lunch, overlooking a timeless courtyard from a shaded balcony somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Ok, I know I promised to tell of our notorious adventure on Rhodes in this post, but I've had too much else to cover. Check back on Tuesday afternoon for our big "Oops" moment of the trip.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Crete
Oh, this picture needs to be explained. The whole cruise ship basically breaks up into tour groups to see the site. We each have guides who hold up our sign, so that we won't get lost. That's right, we're international travelers, and they treat us like we're in Kindergarten. Well, our guide was moving exceptionally slow, allowing a lot of other groups to pass us on the way to the site. Rebekah and I discussed the matter and agreed that I should confiscate the sign and lead at a more progressive pace. Sometimes you just have to takeover.
Below is a picture of the Minoan throne room. On the left side of the picture is the actual throne of a 21st Century BC king. I think I'd prefer the seat of 21st Century AD average joe.
Our next stop on this blog journey will be Rhodes! Check back for some great pics, and one unforgettable wrong turn!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
What We Need
Forgiveness.
I need it. You do, too. And so does everybody else.
I was reminded of this recently while watching Tiger Woods apologize for his unfaithfulness to his wife. His recent fall is certainly tragic, but I found his apology to be particularly heartbreaking, not so much for what he said, but for what he did not say. He did own up to his mistakes; he did take responsibility for his actions. He very clearly recognized that his choices had hurt others, showing a thoughtfulness and concern for others that seemed sincere. He apologized. He said, "I'm sorry." But he did not ask for forgiveness.
By omitting this request, Woods gives us a peak into the mentality of most world religions. Most of the major faith systems teach that sins or immorality must be countered or neutralized by good deeds. The idea is that our positive moral behavior must outweigh our negative moral behavior. While there is certainly some appeal to this sort of thought, an honest search inside our own souls must certainly reveal the depth of our own depravity. Even our good deeds are often tarnished by impure motives. I know that I often act honorably with selfish intent. So, is it really wise to trust in our own righteous acts?
Another question to ponder is this: Does such a model actually take seriously the damage that is done by moral wrongdoing? Or does it instead brush over the seriousness of the offense? Suppose a murderer spends the remainder of his life saving others. Can he really overcome the guilt of having taken a life? Will the thousands of lives he saves remove the pain, sorrow, and loss suffered by the family of his victim?
Tiger appealed to the passage of time covering his mistakes. He acknowledged that many people had believed in him, and he asked that they "find room in (their) hearts to one day believe in me again." Of course, the old saying is that time heals all wounds. But how true is that? With the passage of time, we do often see that some offenses were exaggerated, or perhaps were merely accidental. Yet, we must also recognize that many wounds only fester and grow with the passage of time. Time may give perspective, but it does not provide healing.
Ultimately, I believe we must all recognize the unblunted seriousness of our own moral failures, the damage caused by them, and come to accept that we can never undo the pain that we cause. Our only hope is to offer ourselves to the Judge, to receive our due punishment, to come face to face with the consequences of our actions, to take on forever the penalty of our sins...
And then receive the forgiveness available. Only when we go through the dark depth of our just desserts do we realize the beauty of forgiveness, the one thing that we all need more than air.
I need it. You do, too. And so does everybody else.
I was reminded of this recently while watching Tiger Woods apologize for his unfaithfulness to his wife. His recent fall is certainly tragic, but I found his apology to be particularly heartbreaking, not so much for what he said, but for what he did not say. He did own up to his mistakes; he did take responsibility for his actions. He very clearly recognized that his choices had hurt others, showing a thoughtfulness and concern for others that seemed sincere. He apologized. He said, "I'm sorry." But he did not ask for forgiveness.
By omitting this request, Woods gives us a peak into the mentality of most world religions. Most of the major faith systems teach that sins or immorality must be countered or neutralized by good deeds. The idea is that our positive moral behavior must outweigh our negative moral behavior. While there is certainly some appeal to this sort of thought, an honest search inside our own souls must certainly reveal the depth of our own depravity. Even our good deeds are often tarnished by impure motives. I know that I often act honorably with selfish intent. So, is it really wise to trust in our own righteous acts?
Another question to ponder is this: Does such a model actually take seriously the damage that is done by moral wrongdoing? Or does it instead brush over the seriousness of the offense? Suppose a murderer spends the remainder of his life saving others. Can he really overcome the guilt of having taken a life? Will the thousands of lives he saves remove the pain, sorrow, and loss suffered by the family of his victim?
Tiger appealed to the passage of time covering his mistakes. He acknowledged that many people had believed in him, and he asked that they "find room in (their) hearts to one day believe in me again." Of course, the old saying is that time heals all wounds. But how true is that? With the passage of time, we do often see that some offenses were exaggerated, or perhaps were merely accidental. Yet, we must also recognize that many wounds only fester and grow with the passage of time. Time may give perspective, but it does not provide healing.
Ultimately, I believe we must all recognize the unblunted seriousness of our own moral failures, the damage caused by them, and come to accept that we can never undo the pain that we cause. Our only hope is to offer ourselves to the Judge, to receive our due punishment, to come face to face with the consequences of our actions, to take on forever the penalty of our sins...
And then receive the forgiveness available. Only when we go through the dark depth of our just desserts do we realize the beauty of forgiveness, the one thing that we all need more than air.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Return of the Shoveler
Ok, after several months off, it's time to get back in the groove. I've got several posts ahead that are long overdue, including the rest of our Turkey/ Greece pictures with commentary. Along with these, we will continue our ongoing quest to dig through some meaty topics and, hopefully, progress on our journey forward.
2. Second, I also succumbed to peer pressure and got an iPhone. I now no longer need to sit down at a computer, as I have one on my hip at all times. Unfortunately, the iPhone does not inspire one to write thoughtful, developed blogs. It mainly keeps me obsessed with the Tyranny of the Urgent. And occasional theories on LOST...
Before we get there, I sense a need to explain my long absence. While I could lay out a number of tired excuses or laundry lists of the past few months' activities, my silence can essentially be attributed to the convergence of two recent factors:
1. First, I have been preoccupied with proofreading my wife's Ph.D. dissertation, leaving me little time to develop any substantial thoughts of my own.
2. Second, I also succumbed to peer pressure and got an iPhone. I now no longer need to sit down at a computer, as I have one on my hip at all times. Unfortunately, the iPhone does not inspire one to write thoughtful, developed blogs. It mainly keeps me obsessed with the Tyranny of the Urgent. And occasional theories on LOST...
Saturday, February 6, 2010
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