it's been a long week... a long COUPLE of weeks. Last sunday, our neighbor across the street lost her husband. he was a member of JBC, but hadn't attended in years. he had moved to philadelphia a married and worked his entire career there, then retired back to his "homeplace". he was diagnosed with throat cancer last september. loretta asked me to do the funeral. i'd visited them a few times, but hadn't really had an in-depth discussion with either of them, to the point of being able to say that i knew them well. it still came out well. the funeral was tuesday, primary day here in virginia, and since the fellowship hall at church is a designated polling place, it was not available to host the family after the funeral, so we gladly offered the parsonage for the event. that was really cool. to be able to open our home to the community ... leslie is an angel ... we were up until 1:30 the night before cleaning and straightening up. :-)
THIS week has been odd. busy, definitely, and eventful, but still a little discombobulated. visited margaret in the nursing home that is located on the 2nd floor of the hospital, and had a good time there, ran into charles, who's wife stacy was back in because she'd aspirated some blood when she bit into her tongue while having a seizure the night before ... (32 and has a tumor growing in her brain ... they have a 2 & 1/2 year old daughter)...
yesterday i drove into richmond to visit johnny at st mary's and nellie at home. johnny was in for back surgery, and nellie is losing her vision. she lives in richmond, has for 42 years, and has never moved her membership. every other sunday she drives back here to go to church. on the other sundays she goes to FBC in town.
as i was approaching richmond yesterday, my phone rang, and it was Valentin, he'd just gotten back from mexico, and was at the bus station. i picked him up, did the visiting, then brought him home to have supper with us, shower (he'd been on a bus from brownsville since monday), and then took him home after the deacon's meeting was over with.
this evening we had the group of guys from white stone, including valentin, and cecilia, grisel and manuel and berenice and brenda over for supper. we were GOING to rehearse the songs that the choir will be singing, but decided against it, since we'll be able to do it on sunday at the gathering at upper essex. cecilia let us know of ruben rubio, a friend of theirs (manuel had lived with him for 2 years before moving to heathsville) who had been working construction - roofing- in fredericksburg, and died in a fall yesterday. his wife is expecting their third child, and they have an 18 month old and a 5 yr old.
they had spent the afternoon, if not the day, driving around to people they knew or who knew ruben, and had collected money to send to his wife and his family.
busyness stops dead in it's tracks when we are confronted with ... mortality, among other things.
O God, help me be you to these people.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Monday, February 09, 2004
In regards to being witnesses for Christ, where and how do we trade "showing" for "telling", and is that even a valid question? I don't believe the two are exclusive of each other. In fact, they MUST go hand in hand, if I am to follow James' imperative (be doers of the word). Last night, at the Encuentro (Gathering) hosted by Fairfields church, at one point late in the evening, we (Leslie and I) found ourselves seated around a table, talking to Coni, whom we just met for the first time in December, when we hosted "Las Posadas" here at the parsonage, and several of the guys from White Stone. The conversation came around to a discussion about the differences in culture between Mexico and the United States, and Coni was making the point that there is a stronger sense of Community in a Hispanic context than in the normal context here in the States. I agreed with her, and commented that that was what we were trying to build in hosting the gatherings; build community among the Hispanics who are here, as well as (hopefully) build a cross-cultural community between the congregations in the Baptist churches in the association and the Hispanic population on the Northern Neck. More to the point, in forming community, in being IN community, we find ourselves breaking in the Kingdom of God. It is why we do what we do. Coni's response was "That is a lofty goal. You have to have a pure heart to do that." She then looked at Leslie and asked her point blank: "Why are you so good? Were you born that way or did something happen to you to make you like that?"(!!!!) There was a hesitation while Leslie tried to understand what she'd asked, and when she looked at me, I translated the question for her.
You have to know that, over the last several weeks, Leslie has sensed an increasing urgency to share the Gospel in word as well as deed, to call people to a faith response, to say that we can talk about shared concepts of faith, but when it comes down to it, being true to the Gospel and to our calling demands a response, a decision, a conscious choice as to how we are going to live our lives: for ourselves or for God. I had already planned on reiterating the basic Gospel message during our devotional time at the end of the evening, but this conversation was something that I couldn't even think of stopping. We sat there for 10 or 15 minutes, and between us explained that (though Leslie was talking about herself, what she was saying applies to both of us, so I will use "we") we were not good, that all of us around the table were sinners, separated from God, and that no matter how hard we tried, nothing we could do in and of ourselves could reconnect us to God. That reconnection with God came about through our encounter with Jesus Christ and our continuing relationship with him. That we do what we do in terms of carrying on the ministry is an answer to Christ's imperative. We must do this, in response to the love that we have experienced in Christ. We're not doing this out of a sense of guilt, or with the expectation of being rewarded for it. What we would consider a success would be to share this kindness, the Gospel in deed, and to know that they return to Mexico and once there, they in turn "pay it forward". We brought up the movie by that name to illustrate the point. We do something without the expectation of getting something back from the people we do it for, but in the expectation (and hope) that at some point in the future they would do the same for others, out of the love that they have experienced through meeting Christ in these gatherings.
For answering our deepest longing by providing communion, we give you thanks, O God.
Give us wisdom to recognize opportunities when you place them before us, and courage to stand in the gap and flesh out your word in our living. Amen.
You have to know that, over the last several weeks, Leslie has sensed an increasing urgency to share the Gospel in word as well as deed, to call people to a faith response, to say that we can talk about shared concepts of faith, but when it comes down to it, being true to the Gospel and to our calling demands a response, a decision, a conscious choice as to how we are going to live our lives: for ourselves or for God. I had already planned on reiterating the basic Gospel message during our devotional time at the end of the evening, but this conversation was something that I couldn't even think of stopping. We sat there for 10 or 15 minutes, and between us explained that (though Leslie was talking about herself, what she was saying applies to both of us, so I will use "we") we were not good, that all of us around the table were sinners, separated from God, and that no matter how hard we tried, nothing we could do in and of ourselves could reconnect us to God. That reconnection with God came about through our encounter with Jesus Christ and our continuing relationship with him. That we do what we do in terms of carrying on the ministry is an answer to Christ's imperative. We must do this, in response to the love that we have experienced in Christ. We're not doing this out of a sense of guilt, or with the expectation of being rewarded for it. What we would consider a success would be to share this kindness, the Gospel in deed, and to know that they return to Mexico and once there, they in turn "pay it forward". We brought up the movie by that name to illustrate the point. We do something without the expectation of getting something back from the people we do it for, but in the expectation (and hope) that at some point in the future they would do the same for others, out of the love that they have experienced through meeting Christ in these gatherings.
For answering our deepest longing by providing communion, we give you thanks, O God.
Give us wisdom to recognize opportunities when you place them before us, and courage to stand in the gap and flesh out your word in our living. Amen.
Friday, February 06, 2004
We're hoping to have a gathering ('Encuentro') this Sunday, weather permitting. I don't know if the forecast is calling for it to do anything besides what it's been doing for the last three days, which is rain, but I certainly HOPE not.
I called Mundo and Gabino and Valentin in Mexico this morning, just to talk (I finally signed up for an international calling plan that wouldn't make it prohibitively expensive to place the calls). Mundo was completely shocked that I'd called. Unfortunately, Gabino wasn't home, so I left it that I'd call him Sunday morning at 9 AM our time. Valentin was in, and we talked for a good long while. Maria is doing fine, she'll have to go through a similar procedure on her other breast, but that will take place once Valentin has returned home (he's leaving there to come back here a week from Monday, and will be staying through the first of April).
Miguel called me this afternoon from White Stone and basically said "we haven't been working since Wednesday afternoon, we're bored out of our skulls, can you come and get us and take us somewhere so we can at least get OUT of here? (they live about 3 mile's walk from town ... and 'town' is White Stone, which is beautiful, picturesque, lovely to visit, but there's not a lot going on, if you're looking for excitement) I ran down and picked Miguel, his brother Cecilio, and their stepfather Martin up, and brought them here to the house and we spent the afternoon and evening together. Took them to the local Wal-Mart to do their weekly shopping, then back here to eat supper, then back to White Stone. The evening was fun ... we pretty much let them do what they wanted. Miguel played with Judson some, and Martin just sat and relaxed for the most part. We got some international rates for sending packages to Mexico. Cecilio's got some clothes he wants to send back home to his wife and two sons. A couple of the other men have other things they want to send back as well.
We got up and started to make motions to head out, when Miguel asked if I could make a copy of the CD we were listening to, Cecilia Echeñique's - En Silencio, a CD that either I picked up when we were in Chile in 91 or that Jimmy and Anne brought me back from their trip. I pulled it out of the player and brought it in here and dropped it into the pc to make a copy, and while I was doing that, we asked him to take a hymnbook with him to look through to see if he could learn some of the songs that they like to sing and play them on the guitar, for the Encuentros.
While I was working on the CD, he came in and had a question about reading music ... I tried to explain as best I could, and called Leslie in to help out ... for the next 20 minutes, heaven really did come down.
Leslie and Miguel sat down at the piano and started going over how to read music (he recently bought himself a keyboard, and is learning how to play, and he already plays guitar and sings beautifully) ... while they were engaged in that, I was in here doing all this other stuff, and Hannah and Cecilio started to teach each other their respective languages. Hannah came away so jazzed it was incredible. She and Cecilio apparently hit a groove, and were going through pictures she was drawing to explain some of the words and he was telling her what the word was in Spanish and she was explaining what it was in english ... it truly was amazing to see her investment in this ministry.
It is humbling, O God, to see your hand at work in the lives of others around me. Help me be aware of your hand in my life. Keep me faithful, keep me centered.
I called Mundo and Gabino and Valentin in Mexico this morning, just to talk (I finally signed up for an international calling plan that wouldn't make it prohibitively expensive to place the calls). Mundo was completely shocked that I'd called. Unfortunately, Gabino wasn't home, so I left it that I'd call him Sunday morning at 9 AM our time. Valentin was in, and we talked for a good long while. Maria is doing fine, she'll have to go through a similar procedure on her other breast, but that will take place once Valentin has returned home (he's leaving there to come back here a week from Monday, and will be staying through the first of April).
Miguel called me this afternoon from White Stone and basically said "we haven't been working since Wednesday afternoon, we're bored out of our skulls, can you come and get us and take us somewhere so we can at least get OUT of here? (they live about 3 mile's walk from town ... and 'town' is White Stone, which is beautiful, picturesque, lovely to visit, but there's not a lot going on, if you're looking for excitement) I ran down and picked Miguel, his brother Cecilio, and their stepfather Martin up, and brought them here to the house and we spent the afternoon and evening together. Took them to the local Wal-Mart to do their weekly shopping, then back here to eat supper, then back to White Stone. The evening was fun ... we pretty much let them do what they wanted. Miguel played with Judson some, and Martin just sat and relaxed for the most part. We got some international rates for sending packages to Mexico. Cecilio's got some clothes he wants to send back home to his wife and two sons. A couple of the other men have other things they want to send back as well.
We got up and started to make motions to head out, when Miguel asked if I could make a copy of the CD we were listening to, Cecilia Echeñique's - En Silencio, a CD that either I picked up when we were in Chile in 91 or that Jimmy and Anne brought me back from their trip. I pulled it out of the player and brought it in here and dropped it into the pc to make a copy, and while I was doing that, we asked him to take a hymnbook with him to look through to see if he could learn some of the songs that they like to sing and play them on the guitar, for the Encuentros.
While I was working on the CD, he came in and had a question about reading music ... I tried to explain as best I could, and called Leslie in to help out ... for the next 20 minutes, heaven really did come down.
Leslie and Miguel sat down at the piano and started going over how to read music (he recently bought himself a keyboard, and is learning how to play, and he already plays guitar and sings beautifully) ... while they were engaged in that, I was in here doing all this other stuff, and Hannah and Cecilio started to teach each other their respective languages. Hannah came away so jazzed it was incredible. She and Cecilio apparently hit a groove, and were going through pictures she was drawing to explain some of the words and he was telling her what the word was in Spanish and she was explaining what it was in english ... it truly was amazing to see her investment in this ministry.
It is humbling, O God, to see your hand at work in the lives of others around me. Help me be aware of your hand in my life. Keep me faithful, keep me centered.
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
To clarify, Stacy mentioned below in yesterday's posting is not the same Stacey who's blog link I have on this page. Stacy in the blog is a 32 year old woman who has a two year old daughter and a grieving husband who is battling a brain tumor. The prognosis is not good. In fact, the Doctors were not expecting her to make it until Christmas, much less the end of January. She's been in the Hospital for the last 2 if not 3 months. Most of the time when I've stopped in to visit her eyes have been open, but rolled back ... or open, but not really seeing what is going on in the room. She will occasionally focus on your face. Shortly before Christmas, I stopped in to visit and there were about 4 or 5 other people in there visiting as well. She was awake and seemed to actually be engaged in the conversations. I walked over and smiled and sat down next to her and looked her in the eyes and asked what I could do for her. She had an immediate response: "Nothing." I just nodded and said "Ok".
But I still stopped in to see her. There is a woman who sits with her who is a friend of the family, Joyce Self, she is always cheerful, always talkative, she always calls Stacy her precious little baby girl.
I can't imagine what Charles, her husband, is going through. But I can bring him before God, so I do.
This evening, we started our winter Bible Study on Romans. Tonight was just an introductory session, and it went pretty well, I think. We're using Mark Olson's book, put out by Smyth & Helwys (http://www.helwys.com/abs/index.html). First book that I know of where I'm footnoted ... or rather, endnoted ... Fourth chapter is about the ethical implications of salvation vis a vis food sacrificed to idols and various and sundry other Jewish law issues ... The subtitle to the chapter is "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff". Mark was teaching the book as he was writing it last year while still at Thalia Lynn Baptist Church in Virginia Beach (http://thalialynn.com/indexw.htm), and I was attending those classes. I happened to summarize the discussion with that phrase, and Mark tagged it. He is now Pastor at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC (http://www.snydermbc.com/").
There's visiting to do tomorrow, thankfully I'm relieved of the responsibility to prepare a sermon for Sunday, since Leslie (my wife) is getting to preach. I suspect that, once they hear her, they'll want to hear MORE of her, which is perfectly fine with me!
For the unseen or unnoticed riches you have graced us with, we give you thanks, O God. Help our ingratitude turn to knowing and returning, and acknowledging, and giving thanks in all things.
But I still stopped in to see her. There is a woman who sits with her who is a friend of the family, Joyce Self, she is always cheerful, always talkative, she always calls Stacy her precious little baby girl.
I can't imagine what Charles, her husband, is going through. But I can bring him before God, so I do.
This evening, we started our winter Bible Study on Romans. Tonight was just an introductory session, and it went pretty well, I think. We're using Mark Olson's book, put out by Smyth & Helwys (http://www.helwys.com/abs/index.html). First book that I know of where I'm footnoted ... or rather, endnoted ... Fourth chapter is about the ethical implications of salvation vis a vis food sacrificed to idols and various and sundry other Jewish law issues ... The subtitle to the chapter is "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff". Mark was teaching the book as he was writing it last year while still at Thalia Lynn Baptist Church in Virginia Beach (http://thalialynn.com/indexw.htm), and I was attending those classes. I happened to summarize the discussion with that phrase, and Mark tagged it. He is now Pastor at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, NC (http://www.snydermbc.com/").
There's visiting to do tomorrow, thankfully I'm relieved of the responsibility to prepare a sermon for Sunday, since Leslie (my wife) is getting to preach. I suspect that, once they hear her, they'll want to hear MORE of her, which is perfectly fine with me!
For the unseen or unnoticed riches you have graced us with, we give you thanks, O God. Help our ingratitude turn to knowing and returning, and acknowledging, and giving thanks in all things.
Tuesday, February 03, 2004
There is something about sitting beside someone who is either asleep or nonresponsive that makes you THINK about exactly why it is that you are there.
There's something about presence, the actual, physical presence, that makes a difference. There were a few words exchanged today.
Stacy will probably be going home tomorrow, since the insurance coverage ran out last week. Home Health Care can do for her at her parent's what they are doing for her at the hospital now.
Margaret was in some pain with her hip, George was asleep, as he usually is. So was Alice. Annie had other visitors, so I chose to come back later. Irene was asleep as well.
I know there is a school of thought that says if someone is asleep, you should wake them and visit anyway. I'm not there yet. Sleep is a precious comodity, but then, I'm coming at this from the viewpoint of 3 little children running around the house, not having spent the last x number of years in a nursing home or an assisted living center, with few distractions, and fewer visitors.
I can hold hands, O God, and I can pray. I don't always have words to sooth, so I'm trusting your presence in me to do that.
There's something about presence, the actual, physical presence, that makes a difference. There were a few words exchanged today.
Stacy will probably be going home tomorrow, since the insurance coverage ran out last week. Home Health Care can do for her at her parent's what they are doing for her at the hospital now.
Margaret was in some pain with her hip, George was asleep, as he usually is. So was Alice. Annie had other visitors, so I chose to come back later. Irene was asleep as well.
I know there is a school of thought that says if someone is asleep, you should wake them and visit anyway. I'm not there yet. Sleep is a precious comodity, but then, I'm coming at this from the viewpoint of 3 little children running around the house, not having spent the last x number of years in a nursing home or an assisted living center, with few distractions, and fewer visitors.
I can hold hands, O God, and I can pray. I don't always have words to sooth, so I'm trusting your presence in me to do that.
It's been a while ... sorry.
Last Saturday Leslie, the kids and I drove up to Ocoquan to watch a gymnastics meet. Hannah and her friend Lindsey are in the gymnastics program run by one of the members of our church, and she encouraged them to attend to see what it was like.
Interesting.
Watching the athletes wasn't nearly as interesting as watching the parents. But it was a fun trip. We had to leave early in order to get back at a decent hour, and to return Lindsey to her parents, but still had a good family trip all in all.
Sunday morning Leslie and I kicked off the study of the book of Romans, with a visit from Phoebe and Paul. Phoebe, of course, delivered the letter, and Paul ... gave testimony to how Jesus had affected his life.
It was really well received. Lots of positive affirmations.
We left right after church to drive down to Va. Beach to celebrate Nana's 96th birthday, had a good time there, visiting with family, and didn't get back until almost 11 that night. Monday morning our brand new neighbor across the street (he'd moved in on Sunday) pulled out into a schoolbus with 10 or so kids on it, and hit the left rear wheelwell. The bus ended up sideways across the road (the driver did an incredible job of keeping it UPRIGHT), and fortunately everyone was uninjured, but it made for an intense morning. After it was cleared away, I made my way down to Irvington to spend some time with other Pastors in the association, and had a good visit with them. It always is good to see them.
Thoughts: it's hard to get back into the swing of things, after last week. I'm heading over to the hospital for my rotation on chaplain duty, and on my way back plan to stop and see the folks in town that I normally visit, so hopefully that will kick me back into gear.
It's a dreary, wet, cold day. Makes it slightly harder to get out in it.
There's something to be said for routine. It lends structure to the day, it helps me to know "what's next" ... and it keeps me focused.
Heading out to Riverside.
My thoughts, Your thoughts. My words, Your words, O God.
Grace & Peace
Last Saturday Leslie, the kids and I drove up to Ocoquan to watch a gymnastics meet. Hannah and her friend Lindsey are in the gymnastics program run by one of the members of our church, and she encouraged them to attend to see what it was like.
Interesting.
Watching the athletes wasn't nearly as interesting as watching the parents. But it was a fun trip. We had to leave early in order to get back at a decent hour, and to return Lindsey to her parents, but still had a good family trip all in all.
Sunday morning Leslie and I kicked off the study of the book of Romans, with a visit from Phoebe and Paul. Phoebe, of course, delivered the letter, and Paul ... gave testimony to how Jesus had affected his life.
It was really well received. Lots of positive affirmations.
We left right after church to drive down to Va. Beach to celebrate Nana's 96th birthday, had a good time there, visiting with family, and didn't get back until almost 11 that night. Monday morning our brand new neighbor across the street (he'd moved in on Sunday) pulled out into a schoolbus with 10 or so kids on it, and hit the left rear wheelwell. The bus ended up sideways across the road (the driver did an incredible job of keeping it UPRIGHT), and fortunately everyone was uninjured, but it made for an intense morning. After it was cleared away, I made my way down to Irvington to spend some time with other Pastors in the association, and had a good visit with them. It always is good to see them.
Thoughts: it's hard to get back into the swing of things, after last week. I'm heading over to the hospital for my rotation on chaplain duty, and on my way back plan to stop and see the folks in town that I normally visit, so hopefully that will kick me back into gear.
It's a dreary, wet, cold day. Makes it slightly harder to get out in it.
There's something to be said for routine. It lends structure to the day, it helps me to know "what's next" ... and it keeps me focused.
Heading out to Riverside.
My thoughts, Your thoughts. My words, Your words, O God.
Grace & Peace
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