Another Leg of My Amazing Race

In February, I will be taking of for another leg of my own version of The Amazing Race.  Let me tell you how this all came about.

In Canada, at Camp of the Woods, we have a number of groups who come every year from different churches in the U.S. to help us get ready for camp.  One of the groups comes from Terre Haute, Indiana.  They are a wonderful group of people and very active in many mission projects all around the world.  They regularly take trips to Canada, Germany and Haiti to partner with organizations they support.  I love that they really want to be a part of the things they support instead of being satisfied to just send money.  So when they were in Canada in June I asked them about tagging along with them on one of their trips.  They said I was welcome to come.

On February 15, I will be flying to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to spend a week volunteering at Mountain Top Ministries.  You can find out more about this ministry here.  I will be a part of a team that will be putting on a medical clinic for people in the area.  The group from Terre Haute includes a doctor and the rest of us will be put to work assisting in getting people the help they need when they come to the clinic.  My friends from Indiana have been joining in this ministry for the past 10 years or more, so they know the ropes very well.  It makes me feel more secure to be traveling with ones who have so much experience in this place. 

One reflection on my travels...

Following God changes your identity.

Before I started going on different legs of my Amazing Race I had traveled a lot in the United States but not outside to other parts of the world.  As I have shared my journeys here I have changed in many ways.  I see the world with different eyes and have a new heart for those in other lands.  When I meet people, friends that I haven't seen for a while, one of the questions I get asked is, "Where are you going next?"  That didn't used to happen.  People know me as a traveler now.  

It is very exciting to see how God brings about transformation in our lives.  

Building a Palace

A week ago I joined the Dunlap United Methodist Church.  It has been a big decision but one that I am finally at peace with.  There are many good people at DUMC, and they have embraced me as a sister and friend.  I am thankful for their love and encouragement in my journey.

Joining this church reminded me of one of my favorite word pictures, created by C.S. Lewis in his famous Mere Christianity.  Here is what he says:

Imagine yourself as a living house.   God comes in to rebuild that house.  At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense.  What on earth is He up to?  The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace.  He intends to come and live in it Himself.

All my life I have been a part of Baptist churches.  My Baptist cottage was comfortable and cozy, and I had decorated it to suit myself. And no matter what changes come to my life, the Baptist room will probably feel the most like home.  

And then things began to change.  After those many years in that cottage a new wing began to be developed.  That wing was my Canadian wing, my Camp of the Woods wing.  My world got bigger, and my cottage took on a new shape.  This Camp of the Woods wing is simple and rugged, but it has the most amazing view.  It is coming along quite nicely.

Then one day, much to my astonishment, a completely new construction was thrown into development.  This newest addition, this Methodist wing, is also coming along.  It is not as comfortable as I hope it will be someday, but that will come as I get the decor and the furniture right. I am learning to choose the right colors and tones, but it really is whole new color scheme than the ones I have used in the past.  And I have found some great friends who are helping me to get it all arranged in a proper way.

I never imagined the transformation my little Baptist cottage would undergo, but I am amazed at all that has been added to my life in the process.  I am thankful for all the friends and acquaintances who have come along to inhabit these new areas.  I can't wait to see what new construction might lie ahead.

Walk Out

One of the main reasons I went to Denver was to participate in a poverty simulation called Walk Out. On Saturday morning we gathered and were given our new identities for the walk.  Here was mine:

Other identities included people with felonies, refugees, and parents with small children.  My brother was a single dad.

We were given a garbage bag which held our "belongings" and then we headed a couple of blocks down the road to the Denver Rescue Mission.  We signed up for a bed and then were given a tour of the mission and how it works.  They serve a tremendous amount of people including providing around 2,000 meals a day.  Some of us were not allowed to stay at the mission because we were women or because we had small children, so our group had to look for other accommodations.  Our next stop was Champas House, which takes in women and children in a rigorous program.

From there we made stops at a simulated food bank and government assistance agency, as well as McDonalds, where we applied for a job.  Each step along the way we were handed a mound of paperwork to read and complete, which was a challenge in and of itself.  As I was filling out the application for McDonalds I was struck by how much of it I wouldn't be able to complete if I were a homeless person.  Address, contact information, and references would have all been very challenging.

Our final stop was at the offices of Cross Purpose.  My brother and sister-in-law work for this organization.  It works with people by walking with them as they work their way out of poverty.  Cross Purpose provides support through financial assistance, training, and mentorship.  One of the ideas that they share regularly is about relationship.  People in poverty are not just poor financially, but are often poor spiritually, emotionally and relationally.  A Cross Purpose mantra is "There is no significant change without significant relationship."

I was really struck by what a struggle it was to deal with all the problems we faced during the Walk Out.  To me, it was like being in a deep pit and trying to climb out, but so many things just keep pulling you back down.  Cross Purpose provides the support for people to keep climbing upward in their efforts to make a better life for themselves and their families.  It was great to get to see up close what this ministry is all about.

It always leaves me wondering, "What am I supposed to do with what I've learned?"

A Dose of Diversity

This weekend I went to a multicultural church with my brother and sister-in-law in Denver.  This is a church made up of immigrants and refugees and illegal aliens, as well as lawyers and teachers and people from all kinds of other backgrounds and educational levels.  Diverse is the perfect word to describe it.

It was a pleasure to worship in such a setting.  I was so blessed by the beauty of this body of believers.  Being connected to this group of believers through my brother and sister-in-law has definitely broadened my perspective and made me long for the richness that I observed in this congregation.

During the service in Denver there was a time for testimonies.  Emotions after the election on Tuesday were running high.  A teacher from a school with a majority Latino population described the fear and uncertainty about the future her students were feeling.  An illegal immigrant spoke about God being in control.  I was most moved by a woman whose job was to work with refugees being resettled in Denver.  She knew the stories of these refugees and their struggles, and her heart broke with the idea that things might get even harder for her friends.  She felt that the greater white evangelical church was letting her down, and she was just about done with that church as a whole.  But then her pastor showed up to see how she was doing and to bring comfort and encouragement.  She said she was blessed to be a part of a church family who understood and cared about her and her most vulnerable clients and friends.

I came home wondering if anyone in Dunlap had expressed concern for any of the foreigners in our midst. Did anyone go to their homes to offer words of comfort and encouragement?

The day after I returned, a funny thing happened.  I randomly came in contact with a family I know in our community.  I hadn't seen them in months.  The father of this family is an illegal immigrant.  Over the course of our conversation I finally said, "So tell me, how are you feeling in relation to the election?  Are you doing  ok?  What are you thinking?"

This man looked at me and said, "I know that God is in charge no matter who the president is.  I came here and have made a life and a family, and God has blessed me.  And if I have to leave at some point, I know that God will be with me.  So I'm ok. I'm ok."

I was so blessed by his reply, and I never would have been bold enough to ask him about this if not for the experience I had just had in Denver.

I'm thankful, so thankful, for this experience.

Post Election Thoughts

Many of us find ourselves with strong emotions, whether happy or sad, based on the outcome of the election Tuesday.  Throughout this election season, it has been hard for all of us on either side to reconcile our minds with people who think so differently about important issues.  Somehow I keep coming back to this passage from Madeleine L'Engle.  I hope it gives us some ideas about the way forward.

"I once had an acquaintance who was a far more regular church goer than I, rose early to go to Holy Communion each morning before he went to work, and yet hated all [Asians].  Whenever an [Asian] priest celebrated communion, he refused to receive the bread and wine.

"I knelt behind him in a small chapel on a morning when a Japanese priest, one of my friends, was the celebrant, and I knew that this man would not touch the Body and Blood because it was held by yellow hands.  And I was outraged.

"I am not in love and charity with this man, I thought, and therefore, according to the rubrics, I should not go up to the altar.  And yet I knew that my only hope of love and charity was to go forward and receive the elements.

"He did not know that he, himself, was acting wholly without love and charity.  Something within him obviously justified this abominable reaction, so that the next Eucharist, if it was presided over by somebody he recognized as priest, as he was unable to recognize the Japanese priest, he would hold out his hands and receive in love and humility.

"He does not know what he is doing.  He does not know.

"Surely within me there is an equal blindness, something that I do not recognize in myself, that I justify without even realizing it.

" All right, brother.  Let us be forgiven together, then.  I will hold out my hands for both of us today, and do you for me tomorrow morning when I will be asleep while you trudge through the dirty streets to church.  It is all right for me to be outraged by what you are doing here in the presence of God, as long as it does not set me apart from you."

Whether you voted Republican or Democratic, whether you are enjoying the thrill of victory or experiencing the agony of defeat, it is all right for you to be outraged by the blindness of the opposing side, as long as it does not set you apart from them.  May we learn from each other and go forward in love and charity.

Natural Wonders

When you spend time in such a remote place as we do in Canada, you get to see some amazing natural wonders.  I post many pictures of the sunsets because they are often spectacular, but there are many other things that are wondrous and strikingly beautiful.

Phil and I both wanted to see the Northern Lights.  If the evening had clear skies we would go down to the beach and look out at the sky and the water.  Any time either of us got up in the middle of the night we would take a look outside to see if anything was happening.  A couple of times we got up at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and went out to see the astronomical show.

My 1:00 A.M. visit to the lake is my favorite moment of my trip to Canada.  There was no moon so it was very dark.  The stars were brilliant and the Milky Way made a dusty streak above my head.  As I took my place on the dock I looked at the sky and saw the Big Dipper in its position not far above the horizon.  The night was so soft and still; there was no wind.  As I looked to the north I could see the perfect reflection of the constellation in the water.  It was such a beautiful thing to behold, and I sat there for quite a while just taking it all in.

Although I wasn't able to take my own picture of the night sky,
I found this picture online that is a pretty good representation of
what I saw.  However, without the 360 degree view you
don't get the full impact.

Seeing the Northern Lights is always a great experience.  We had three or four nights that we were able to see the Lights.  Besides the eerie green glow on the horizon, we observed beams of light and ripples moving across the sky.  The first night we saw the Lights they looked like the giant swirl of a galaxy.  So amazing!

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Recently, Phil and I heard someone describing the different ways that worship can look.  Worship might include standing, raising hands, clapping, shouting, silence, bowing prostrate or kneeling.  It can remind you of what you see and hear at a football game.

This past weekend I experienced worship like this at Catalyst.  Singing, shouting, dancing.  Ovations for people whose words stirred our hearts.  It was such a blessing.

But I'm also glad for the worship I experienced in Canada.  The silence and awe I felt at the beautiful scene my Creator allowed me to experience was even more powerful and yet another blessing.

In one week I was able to experience both of these extremes.  We all need to have more of both of these kinds of experiences in our lives.

Uncommon Fellowship

I spent Thursday and Friday in Atlanta attending the Catalyst Conference which is geared for Christian leaders.  This year’s theme was Uncommon Fellowship, which focused on building unity between churches and diversity in our congregations.  My friend Bea Ward attended with me, and it was great to be there with someone who loved it as much as I did. I came away full to the brim.

Here are a few of the best thoughts I collected from Catalyst.

Andy Stanley

"Jesus believed that our unity is our message to the world."

"People who were nothing like Jesus liked Jesus and Jesus liked them back."

"What if people were skeptical of what we believe but envious of how we treat one another."

"Unity preempts personal preference."

"Jesus gave his life so that we could have uncommon fellowship.  The relationship between humans and God is the most uncommon fellowship there can be."

Mike Foster

"I want to be a grace-flavored snow cone on a hot, judgmental day."

Craig Groeschel

"People are sick and tired of hearing about the love of Jesus.  They need to see the love of Jesus."

"Unity is not the same as uniformity.  There is strength in diversity."

"We need to err on the side of being for things, not against them."

"We need to give everything we can to strengthen others.  We will lead the way with irrational generosity."

Travis Boersma, owner of Dutch Brothers Coffee

"Our motto is 'Love all -- Serve all'."

"We are not in the coffee business.  We are in the relationship business.  Our product is love."

Father Edwin Leahy

Father Leahy got the biggest ovation from the crowd.  He comes across as such a genuine person.  He has spent his whole career at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, NJ, educating African-American and Latino young men.

"Our credo is 'What hurts my brother hurts me.'"

"Someone asked me what our preparatory school was preparing our young men for.  The obvious answer is college but the reality is that we are really preparing them for heaven."

His advice to the leaders in the room:  "Give up what you want for what we need."

Judah Smith

Preaching on Matthew 9 about Jesus calling Matthew the tax collector:

"Jesus has plans to take me to Matthew's house."

"Jesus intends to include those who have been excluded."

"At the end of the story, Matthew's table had changed."

My thought;  How should my table change?

Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong in Australia

"We build up our ceilings and they become the floors for the next generation."

"We must push out of the past.  The hope of the church is our sons and daughters."

Brenda Salter-McNeil

I loved this woman!  She described her trip to Ferguson and work in racial justice.

"God is breaking up our holy huddles."

Scott Sauls led a panel discussion that I wish would have gone on a lot longer.  It was very rich and thought-provoking.

"The closer you get to 'the other' the closer you get to Jesus."-- Scott Sauls

"The race issue is really a power issue." -- Jenny Yang

"Christ gave up power, privilege and position." [implying we should too] -- Mark DeYmaz

"Charity is giving someone crumbs from the table.  Justice is giving them a seat at the table." Jenny Yang quoting Bill Moyers

Yang went on to apply this to the church... "a seat in the sanctuary vs a voice at the microphone"

"Violence is the language of the unheard."  Propaganda, hip-hop and spoken-word artist

Rachel Cruze

"Money is a tool that can help create unity."

"Debt kills generosity.  Debt enslaves and slaves don't get to make decisions."

Simon Sineck

Another one of my favorites, he gave a phenomenal presentation.

Speaking on the need to sacrifice:  "Giving money is not a sacrifice because you can always make more.  Giving time and energy is a sacrifice because you can never get it back."

He talked about understanding our work in the church (and life) in terms of playing a game.  Some games are finite and the object is to win.  Other games are infinite; the object is to outlast and stay in the game.  The church should realize that we are like the infinite game.