Inside out or outside in

In my home church in Dunkirk, NY there were beautiful stained glass window scenes. Since the church sanctuary was not open and lit every night there was a spotlight shining through the window on a timer so that the people on the outside of the church could see the beautiful scene of Jesus as they passed by. I have noticed some churches have a light shining from the outside to illuminate the beauty of a window seen from the inside. Which means only insiders get to view the beauty on the average day. Of course when an evening service is happening the window would be lit to view by some.

My point is this. How is my life lit by the "Light of the World" so that those looking in may see Him? Our am I simply having a great time - just Jesus and me? Certainly worth pondering in these days we anticipate the coming of our Lord. My friend Aaron and his community of faith are reminding us that Christmas is "Not my birthday" it is Jesus Birthday celebration. My friend Wayne has asked his people to remember the poor and or the people in Uganda this year. So many of us are trying to get off the spending roller coaster and get on the sharing train. My family has made efforts to give to causes instead of to each other - so Uganda, Heifer project, and others have benefitted.

Which way is your window being illuminated?

2008 Mission Uganda Report

On October 19th. myself and 3 others left for Uganda via JFK and Dubai. We arrived on Tuesday 10/21 and met our colleague Rev. Davis Matovu. (Alpha Omega Seminary 2006 graduate and Valdictorian) He and his family housed us for the next two weeks.

During this period we conducted 3 Nexus Seminary Uganda graduations totaling 44 graduates of our 20 course Certificate of Ministry program. This program has the goal of strengthening the rural churches of Uganda by providing a free education for pastors and church elders to train them for the calling they have received from God.

In addition to these graduations we each preached in rural churches in Kasangati/Gayaza and Kikyusa areas. We conducted a one day legacy symposium, taught classes for two groups in process of their certificate training and also met with a new class group in the area called Caini. I was also privileged to meet again with the new church started last year in Kkata which graduated 3 people in the Kayebe group. It was great to see the progress and feel the love of Love of Christ Church.

Our veteran traveler Dr. BJ Norrix returned with me this year and we also had Rev. Wayne Grow and Ray Gilman IV who came as a layman and media specialist. After discussion and retreat with Davis we set some priorities for the coming year.
· Set up another group in Gomba, Kayebe and Luzinga and to start two groups in two new locations.
· Have Davis train several assistant tutors(Nexus Graduates) who would teach some of the classes in place of Davis, but under his supervision.
· Have at least 3 graduations in Fall 2009 and surpass the mark of 100 rural pastors trained. (our goal remains 2000 trained in the next 20 years)
· Produce a Luganda – English parallel Bible and Theological primer for use of our students. Including 300 – 500 word definitions, brief Bible and History summaries. We plan to keep the English level at about the 6th grade level.
· Complete a Nexus Seminary office for Davis, make 20,000 bricks for building a resource center in 2010.
· Pray for all of the above and to pray that Davis will be able to get a visa to travel to the US in Fall 2009.
· Take the next steps in our plan to provide Worship Leader training and set up a special Women’s Studies program.

We thank God for the privilege of this ministry. We are making an incredible difference in the villages and we continue to be some of the first whites that have visited many of the churches and villages we go to. Yet we seem to make only a small dent in the work that needs to be done. It will take so many groups working at training. We feel it so important that we will train women, those with no English and also those whose education stopped at a very early age. Of course, we provide this all at no charge.

In just a few days we will be taking another mission team trip to Uganda. It is an awesome thing to fall into the hands of the living God and this is the place God has called and convicted me. I am so entirely grateful for the support to church, friends and family. I am awed by the gift that these visits are to me - I learn and grow as I serve and I delight in seeing the effect it has on team members. How can I describe why I do this? As simply as I can say it is this: I go to serve, to encourage and to be remade into what God wants me to be. Yes, we teach, preach and share our gifts and lives with the great pastors and people of a church which is rapidly growing, but I am selfish... I go because of what I learn - in me, of what God is up to and about a totally different culture. Please pray for our team and then pray that as I stay those extra couple days to retreat and pray with Davis God will reveal God's hand for the future of Nexus Seminary Uganda and the work we are called to do TOGETHER.

Investments

I do not know if we are in the worst economic times since the great depression or not. But I do know that some people are worried and wondering where it is all going. It appears that the government is taking steps to prevent disaster. But there will be some shaking and baking. Louise and I have been through the bankruptcy of a utility company and sadly saw much of an IRA and some stock options disappear. We had also watched the value of that IRA or the stock in it move up rapidly. I remember saying to myself and breathing a little prayer, "Lord, help us not to depend on this more than we depend on you."
We should think long term and remember that values will go up and down. The saddest part right now is those who have stocks, etc. and need them to be healthy to live month to month. So we pray for a quick recovery. I have said several times in the past few weeks (since the weekend that Louise worked most of the weekend when her company needed to assess their risk when Lehman Brothers went under) invest in people. Do some diverse economic investing, but remember that this is life and in life Christians and other good people invest in people. Invest in your family members, your friends, your close associates and invest in people such as mission work, volunteering and serving those who need our help. There is that old Robert Schuller phrase, 'Find a need and fill it."
Thanks to the many friends and family who are investing in Nexus Seminary Uganda. You are investing in eternal matters. You are investing in depth. You are investing in men and women who know nothing of stock, retirement plans and bonuses. they are mostly day to day and as those who do subsistance farming say, "Digging."
"Four things a man must do. If he would make his record true. To think without confusion clearly. To love his fellow man sincerely. To act with honest motives purely. To trust in God and heaven securely." Henry Van Dyke (He also authored Joyful Joyful we adore Thee.)

Not all Lance Armstrong or Michael Phelps

I am just amazed at the skill and accomplishment of athletes like Micheal Phelps and Lance Armstrong. They are almost superhuman. One commentator said that they did not believe that Michael was from another planet(alien) but that he was from the future. Let's remember that the individual is great, but there is a training table, a schedule, a regimen that most of us are not wanting or disciplined to follow.

I just read Lance's team director's book, We Might As Well Win but Johan Bruneyl. Lance is directly quoted as saying he might not have won any Tours De France without Bruneyl and the team that he put around Lance. Not to take away from any star, but this is seldom done solo. It is never done without sacrifice.

You and I are not Lance or Michael. But we can enjoy the achievement and celebrate the big goals and victories they accomplish. We can, through Jesus Christ and his friends, have the heart of a champion and do what we are called to do. Let's also remember to not let good get in the way of great. (collins)

Press on to the upward call of Christ.

A Franciscan Blessing

I ran across this quote from A Franciscan Blessing and felt that it spoke to my heart.

• May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

• May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitations of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

• May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

• And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

This was quoted by a man named Craig Groschel at the Leadership Summit. So I lay it out here for my memory bank and for sharing. Let's get riled up somtimes. Let's bang on the doors of heaven in prayer. And let's be fools for Christ who expect to make a difference through Him is some way each and every day.

Frog foibles

On vacation last month we were at the Jones Falls locks on the Rideau Canal in Ontario Canada. I was talking to the upper lock master. We had just met up with the Wards and Allens who were downbound in a houseboat. As I talked with the lockmaster I noticed a medium sized frog hopping by my feet. It was in the grass and bounce, hop, bounce and then it bounded over the edge of the lock into the waters of the lock below. They had been lowered to receive the upbound boats. I laughed as it flew over and interrupted my conversation to see how it had fared in the 25 foot flight to the bottom. It had managed fine. On many days it would have swam to shore and done whatever frogs do. But, alas, one of the fish in the pool of the lock made it lunch and the last I saw of Mr. frog it's powerful hind legs were dangling out of the mouth of a bass.

Why was the frog hopping that direction? Was it afraid of me? Had it done this death defying leap before and liked it, coming back for more? Did it just not see what was ahead (the frog view is very limited by it's position on the ground in the grass)? We'll never know.

Life lessons? Frog has limited viewpoint, but it hops anyway. Having seen the frog trajedy would that remind me not to take risks? NO! I'll bet it was a glorious flight over the side of that lock wall. God gave me legs, that is what I do.... I jump.