I apologize already for the intensity of this post...
BCI has initiated a more intensive congregational prayer schedule, that now occupies my monday evenings, tuesday-thursday mornings (5-6 am) and my friday nights. While attending one of the prayer meetings, the pastor invited the congregation to experience "an outpouring of God's love" over all the congregation...an immersion. While the pastor prayed...and I watched as people seemed overwhelmed by what they were experiencing, I wondered what the love of God looks like? I have no doubt that God's love takes many forms...but for the Church, God's love should take a much more radical, altruistic form...looking for creative ways to show this love that has graciously been given to them for free!
God's love is really what Christian spirituality comes down to...it is what binds us together in community, it is what propels us into the mission field, it can help us through whatever were going through. However, sometimes the Church can get caught up in debates that do nothing to show God's love (gay marriage immediately comes to mind), these debates often expose an ugly, hypocritical side of Christianity. I'm not saying that these issues don't require addressing, I just think that while there are people suffering next door to us, these issues can (and likely will) wait.
In the end, if the world wide church (specifically the North American Church) wants to remain relevant for years to come, it must embrace the love of God, and fully understand that if we (the church) have the love of God within us, we have no choice but to move it outwards towards the rest of the world. This should affect how we do everything from grocery shopping, to politics. We need to start thinking of creative ways to live in a system that has been corrupted by greed, racism, religion (in ways), and selfishness, in order to serve a minority that reaps the benefits. The Church must become a social conscience once again.
Ok, enough of this...lets move on to something a little less deep. Here is a list of songs that I think you must listen to. They are my top 10songs from the year of 2009!
10.) Serpentine - Chris Bathgate
9.) For me, This is Heaven - Foreverinmotion
8.) Gimme Sympathy - Metric
7.) Until Morning - DC
6.) Medisin - The Classic Crime
5.) True Love - Angels and Airwaves
4.) Running up That Hill - Placebo
3.) Desperate Times, Desperate Measures - Underoath
2.) Stolen - DC
1.) Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
Hope you enjoy!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Holiday Blog
The past few weeks have been BEAUTIFUL here in SA! We spent a lot of time with friends, celebrated the holidays, and got to travel down the coast for Menno Retreat 2010! We also have only recently Obviously, celebrating the holidays in another country, very very far away from family is bittersweet experience, but luckily, the sweet out weighed the bitter in this case! Also, I was able to see how amazing and hospitable the people from church are, as they had no problem having us over for meals and even having us down for Christmas day! Here are some of the highlights from the past few weeks:
1.) Being invited down for many many meals. It was such a blessing through and through.
2.) Being outside at 2 in the morning on new years in shorts and a t-shirt...and still being hot.
3.) Capturing the "Goulet award" at Menno Retreat 2010 by means of dominating "The Suderman Race" created by Andrew and Karen Suderman.
4.) Having NO carpenters working outside our door...thus waking up to relative silence.
5.) Praying in the new year at church....very cool.
6.) Going for a run at 5 am on new years day....losing my key to get in...waiting outside for about an hour until Gabby finally poked Anna through the window in order to wake her up. She wasn't happy.
7.) Initiating our first (of hopefully many) Ultimate Frisbee days with some friends.
8.) Going skating in Durban....be cautioned, Skating is a VERY strong term used to describe what we were capable of doing on that ice.
9.) Going to the beach a few times and continuing to get owned by the sun every single time.
10.) Not singing Christmas songs on christmas morning...there's a first for everything.
This is a short, not so deep blog entry....but hopefully (if i find time in my very very busy schedule) I will post a more meaningful blog post! Hope all is well for you guys...and thanks for following!
1.) Being invited down for many many meals. It was such a blessing through and through.
2.) Being outside at 2 in the morning on new years in shorts and a t-shirt...and still being hot.
3.) Capturing the "Goulet award" at Menno Retreat 2010 by means of dominating "The Suderman Race" created by Andrew and Karen Suderman.
4.) Having NO carpenters working outside our door...thus waking up to relative silence.
5.) Praying in the new year at church....very cool.
6.) Going for a run at 5 am on new years day....losing my key to get in...waiting outside for about an hour until Gabby finally poked Anna through the window in order to wake her up. She wasn't happy.
7.) Initiating our first (of hopefully many) Ultimate Frisbee days with some friends.
8.) Going skating in Durban....be cautioned, Skating is a VERY strong term used to describe what we were capable of doing on that ice.
9.) Going to the beach a few times and continuing to get owned by the sun every single time.
10.) Not singing Christmas songs on christmas morning...there's a first for everything.
This is a short, not so deep blog entry....but hopefully (if i find time in my very very busy schedule) I will post a more meaningful blog post! Hope all is well for you guys...and thanks for following!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Life in SA has been slowing down lately, so I have finally had a desire to blog again. The end of November was quite busy as everything was coming to a close (school ends in november here). We had many closing activities including a Kids Klub Sports Day, and a "P" Party. We also have a new member of our team, her name is Dwight, and we found her in a pile of wood. Anyways, enough of the small talk...Tim Story time!!!
Tim Story: When we were in Chicago for our training, Tim, two of our other friends, and myself were standing in one of the rooms talking. Tired of standing, Tim decided to jump up onto his bed. However, he forgot that he slept on the middle bunk of a 3 bed bunk-bed. So, as he jumped up (backwards) he slammed his head on the bottom of the top bunk. I have never been so scared, and then so happy to see that he didn't completely destroy his head....though it has had some consequences now, as he has unlearned how to tie his shoes.
I've been reading through Hebrews lately, and it talks about spiritual maturity. I thought this was an interesting term because too often we tend to focus on spiritual "knowingness" versus spiritual maturity, which I believe is a much more attainable goal.
Coming from a Mennonite church and now working with a Charistmatic church, there was some readjustment (growing pains) that had to take place for my team and I. Everything was different, everything was new, making it easy for us to become a little defensive and to just sit on our own theology. I have even witnessed some debates about which approach to the Christian faith is "right." The problem with these debates is that they focus too much on "knowingness" rather than genuine, spiritual maturity....which includes the ability to look at your own theology and view it through a critical lens.
So instead of being on a constant search of knowingness (honestly, if anyone can say they know exactly who God is...i would want to speak with them), I think Christians should be seeking spirtual maturity in the form of; church unity, a desire for spiritual challenges, and an active faith.
Ofcourse, this isn't simply a decision that can be made over night....this is a process that will last an entire lifetime and it will inevitably take a great amount of sacrifice and endurance. However, in the end....it will all be worth it.
I want to thank you for the comments on my last blog/rant. Tim now responds to "chenger"....its a wonderful thing.
Tim Story: When we were in Chicago for our training, Tim, two of our other friends, and myself were standing in one of the rooms talking. Tired of standing, Tim decided to jump up onto his bed. However, he forgot that he slept on the middle bunk of a 3 bed bunk-bed. So, as he jumped up (backwards) he slammed his head on the bottom of the top bunk. I have never been so scared, and then so happy to see that he didn't completely destroy his head....though it has had some consequences now, as he has unlearned how to tie his shoes.
I've been reading through Hebrews lately, and it talks about spiritual maturity. I thought this was an interesting term because too often we tend to focus on spiritual "knowingness" versus spiritual maturity, which I believe is a much more attainable goal.
Coming from a Mennonite church and now working with a Charistmatic church, there was some readjustment (growing pains) that had to take place for my team and I. Everything was different, everything was new, making it easy for us to become a little defensive and to just sit on our own theology. I have even witnessed some debates about which approach to the Christian faith is "right." The problem with these debates is that they focus too much on "knowingness" rather than genuine, spiritual maturity....which includes the ability to look at your own theology and view it through a critical lens.
So instead of being on a constant search of knowingness (honestly, if anyone can say they know exactly who God is...i would want to speak with them), I think Christians should be seeking spirtual maturity in the form of; church unity, a desire for spiritual challenges, and an active faith.
Ofcourse, this isn't simply a decision that can be made over night....this is a process that will last an entire lifetime and it will inevitably take a great amount of sacrifice and endurance. However, in the end....it will all be worth it.
I want to thank you for the comments on my last blog/rant. Tim now responds to "chenger"....its a wonderful thing.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
due to circumstances completely within my control...I have not blogged for over 3 weeks. However, the time has come once again, to grace the world with my thoughts.
There will be no Tim story this time. However, there were several things he wished for me to pass on to all of you. 1.) Tim Wenger knows absolutely nothing about Star Wars. In fact, he has never stayed awake throughout an entire film! 2.) Tim's life goal is to "get rich or die trying." 3.) The best material to make harmonicas out of is PVC pipe. Incidentally, Tim is also able to kill a man using any size of PVC pipe...thus, the harmonica will inevitably have multiple functions. 5.) Tim's favorite number is 5, so I skipped 4. Why "5" you ask? He has 5 toes, 5 fingers, 5 limbs, and the size of his sideburns is "FIVE" 6.) Tim believes in reincarnation. He did a Facebook test to see what he will be in his next life and discovered that he will be "your wildest dreams." 7.) For every song Tim sings, God spares a llama from being killed by Nickelback. 8.) While discussing a security issue here, we asked Tim what we should do if he were to parish. He responded with, "If I'm dead, you've all been dead for weeks."
Well, after a week of struggling through a massive sunburn (and the inevitable peel to follow), we are once again looking forward to another week with its many joys and challenges. Lately I have been thinking about what it means to love your neighbour and how i can do that on a daily basis.
To love your neighbour is a commandment that is as important as loving your God...so obviously it should be a big part of a Christian's life. However, I think that we neglect this commandment all too often. Neglecting this commandment can have some devastating results. Not only does it separate us from God, but it can be the reason relationships are broken, wars are started, racism is enabled. Clearly, Jesus saw things that we didn't. Somehow, we have perverted the idea of loving your neighbour into something that is so far from the truth
In South Africa, the long lasting effects of Apartheid can still be seen. I have seen the townships where Black people were assigned to live, and still do live. South Africa has a first-world economy. However, the conditions that the townships are clearly third-world. I have also seen cashiers at the store choose which customers they wish to serve based on race, which is completely unfathomable in Canada. The idea of Apartheid was accelerated in the 50's by Hendrik Voerwerd, who believed that he was doing God's will, and saw his actions as God sent, a prime example of how we have perverted the idea of loving our neighbour. The entire idea of Apartheid was to separate every ethnicity from each other, in order to prevent the Black community as a whole from rising up into power (turning neighbours into strangers). They did this by setting up separate communities for the different groups, often kept apart by a highway, river, or railway; and by declining rights to the different groups. Obviously, this has had some devastating effects.
Now, in post Apartheid South Africa, we are faced with crime rates that are unlike anywhere else in the world, poverty that is staggering, wealth that is concentrated in a largely white minority, and an inability to see past the past and into the future...an inability to love our neighbour as our self.
In one example, a woman (i am shaky on this story, so im sorry if its incorrect or lacks info) had had her family killed in front of her by a white South African army personal. During the Truth and Reconciliation process that has been undertaken in South Africa to deal with the aftermath of Apartheid, this woman and man were brought face to face in the courtroom, and the judge asked the woman what she thought would be a fair punishment. The woman's response was "I wish to have Mr.??? visit me once a week, to see where I live, and to eat with me, since I do not have any children to do this with." In short, the woman chose justice instead of vengeance...a beautiful example of loving your neighbour.
However, these examples seem hard to come by, and that is a depressing thought. In the end, we can set up programs to help homeless people, we can vote for the person we think will solve our social issues, we can become more environmentally friendly, these are all great things (and can be part of loving our neighbour) but what it all comes down to is that the human heart must change...we must love our neighbour AS ourselves...and only then will we see hope.
Seeing as no one has likely made it this far in my blog...Tim also wanted me to let you all know that if 10 ppl comment on this blog (useful comments please) that he will legally change his first name to "Chenger." Get it....chenger wenger! yup....
Kyle
There will be no Tim story this time. However, there were several things he wished for me to pass on to all of you. 1.) Tim Wenger knows absolutely nothing about Star Wars. In fact, he has never stayed awake throughout an entire film! 2.) Tim's life goal is to "get rich or die trying." 3.) The best material to make harmonicas out of is PVC pipe. Incidentally, Tim is also able to kill a man using any size of PVC pipe...thus, the harmonica will inevitably have multiple functions. 5.) Tim's favorite number is 5, so I skipped 4. Why "5" you ask? He has 5 toes, 5 fingers, 5 limbs, and the size of his sideburns is "FIVE" 6.) Tim believes in reincarnation. He did a Facebook test to see what he will be in his next life and discovered that he will be "your wildest dreams." 7.) For every song Tim sings, God spares a llama from being killed by Nickelback. 8.) While discussing a security issue here, we asked Tim what we should do if he were to parish. He responded with, "If I'm dead, you've all been dead for weeks."
Well, after a week of struggling through a massive sunburn (and the inevitable peel to follow), we are once again looking forward to another week with its many joys and challenges. Lately I have been thinking about what it means to love your neighbour and how i can do that on a daily basis.
To love your neighbour is a commandment that is as important as loving your God...so obviously it should be a big part of a Christian's life. However, I think that we neglect this commandment all too often. Neglecting this commandment can have some devastating results. Not only does it separate us from God, but it can be the reason relationships are broken, wars are started, racism is enabled. Clearly, Jesus saw things that we didn't. Somehow, we have perverted the idea of loving your neighbour into something that is so far from the truth
In South Africa, the long lasting effects of Apartheid can still be seen. I have seen the townships where Black people were assigned to live, and still do live. South Africa has a first-world economy. However, the conditions that the townships are clearly third-world. I have also seen cashiers at the store choose which customers they wish to serve based on race, which is completely unfathomable in Canada. The idea of Apartheid was accelerated in the 50's by Hendrik Voerwerd, who believed that he was doing God's will, and saw his actions as God sent, a prime example of how we have perverted the idea of loving our neighbour. The entire idea of Apartheid was to separate every ethnicity from each other, in order to prevent the Black community as a whole from rising up into power (turning neighbours into strangers). They did this by setting up separate communities for the different groups, often kept apart by a highway, river, or railway; and by declining rights to the different groups. Obviously, this has had some devastating effects.
Now, in post Apartheid South Africa, we are faced with crime rates that are unlike anywhere else in the world, poverty that is staggering, wealth that is concentrated in a largely white minority, and an inability to see past the past and into the future...an inability to love our neighbour as our self.
In one example, a woman (i am shaky on this story, so im sorry if its incorrect or lacks info) had had her family killed in front of her by a white South African army personal. During the Truth and Reconciliation process that has been undertaken in South Africa to deal with the aftermath of Apartheid, this woman and man were brought face to face in the courtroom, and the judge asked the woman what she thought would be a fair punishment. The woman's response was "I wish to have Mr.??? visit me once a week, to see where I live, and to eat with me, since I do not have any children to do this with." In short, the woman chose justice instead of vengeance...a beautiful example of loving your neighbour.
However, these examples seem hard to come by, and that is a depressing thought. In the end, we can set up programs to help homeless people, we can vote for the person we think will solve our social issues, we can become more environmentally friendly, these are all great things (and can be part of loving our neighbour) but what it all comes down to is that the human heart must change...we must love our neighbour AS ourselves...and only then will we see hope.
Seeing as no one has likely made it this far in my blog...Tim also wanted me to let you all know that if 10 ppl comment on this blog (useful comments please) that he will legally change his first name to "Chenger." Get it....chenger wenger! yup....
Kyle
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
nothing changes
2nd blog post in under a week...be happy...really im just compensating for my huge lack of blogging prior to this.
Tim Story #4: This one is short. On one occasion, Tim was called a "trekkie", what we thought was an appropriate title...if you know Tim at all. However, Tim took offence to the name and quickly responded, "Actually...its Trekker." No one will make that mistake again.
About 6 months ago, I was given the job to paint the trim on the buildings on my Uncle's farm. It was may, and that means that Manitoba can receive a wide range of different weather. I remember one day in particular where it was about 5 degrees outside, and I was high up on a ladder. I was miserable, and just counting down the days until I would leave for Africa...it was the only thing that kept me going at the time. I knew I had to work hard to make money so I could feel good about leaving...knowing that the funds would be there. So, with Africa constantly in the back of my mind...I climbed up the ladder in the freezing cold and painted for hours upon hours, weeks upon weeks, until it was done.
Fast forward 6 months from that moment, and I am in South Africa, climbing up a ladder, in the rain, so I can clean leaves out of the eaves troughs of some of buildings on the Church property. It seems i'm back where I started...except this time, I'm in Africa. Its in times like these, where the irony of the situation is so staggering, that I cant help but wonder what I could be doing if I were back home. Because, right in that moment, 20 feet in the air, in the rain, scooping goop out of the gutters, in a town where i know almost no one, in a country completely foreign to me....sitting in my room studying almost sounded tempting.
However, as I looked back at my life at home, and especially the months leading up to my departure, I realized just how comfortable my life was. I had my family and friends around me, I had a purpose for my life, I was in university and doing well...etc etc. The point is, I had a good life. Now I'm realizing that comfort is not what Christianity is about at all. Jesus said that we are to give up everything, and take up our cross and follow Him....that doesnt sound comfortable at all. So maybe thats why South Africa doesnt feel quite like a vacation. I'm really excited to be here...but its not like im just hangin out on the beach during the day and living the life of a tourist and calling it missions.
This month has required sacrifice, commitment, flexibility (insert angry face)... but above everything else, I have had to "die to the flesh" daily in order to get through the day. I have had to lose whatever earthly desires or feeling that have been present, and simply (or not so simply) become a living example of God's love to the people here in SA. Whether that means going to a boarding house to lead a bible study with 30 kids, or cleaning gutters in the rain...I have chosen to take up my cross...whatever that means.
Kyle
Tim Story #4: This one is short. On one occasion, Tim was called a "trekkie", what we thought was an appropriate title...if you know Tim at all. However, Tim took offence to the name and quickly responded, "Actually...its Trekker." No one will make that mistake again.
About 6 months ago, I was given the job to paint the trim on the buildings on my Uncle's farm. It was may, and that means that Manitoba can receive a wide range of different weather. I remember one day in particular where it was about 5 degrees outside, and I was high up on a ladder. I was miserable, and just counting down the days until I would leave for Africa...it was the only thing that kept me going at the time. I knew I had to work hard to make money so I could feel good about leaving...knowing that the funds would be there. So, with Africa constantly in the back of my mind...I climbed up the ladder in the freezing cold and painted for hours upon hours, weeks upon weeks, until it was done.
Fast forward 6 months from that moment, and I am in South Africa, climbing up a ladder, in the rain, so I can clean leaves out of the eaves troughs of some of buildings on the Church property. It seems i'm back where I started...except this time, I'm in Africa. Its in times like these, where the irony of the situation is so staggering, that I cant help but wonder what I could be doing if I were back home. Because, right in that moment, 20 feet in the air, in the rain, scooping goop out of the gutters, in a town where i know almost no one, in a country completely foreign to me....sitting in my room studying almost sounded tempting.
However, as I looked back at my life at home, and especially the months leading up to my departure, I realized just how comfortable my life was. I had my family and friends around me, I had a purpose for my life, I was in university and doing well...etc etc. The point is, I had a good life. Now I'm realizing that comfort is not what Christianity is about at all. Jesus said that we are to give up everything, and take up our cross and follow Him....that doesnt sound comfortable at all. So maybe thats why South Africa doesnt feel quite like a vacation. I'm really excited to be here...but its not like im just hangin out on the beach during the day and living the life of a tourist and calling it missions.
This month has required sacrifice, commitment, flexibility (insert angry face)... but above everything else, I have had to "die to the flesh" daily in order to get through the day. I have had to lose whatever earthly desires or feeling that have been present, and simply (or not so simply) become a living example of God's love to the people here in SA. Whether that means going to a boarding house to lead a bible study with 30 kids, or cleaning gutters in the rain...I have chosen to take up my cross...whatever that means.
Kyle
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Im very sorry about this blog
Its been nearly three weeks since I last posted a blog...but as life gets busier, my blog just doesnt keep up....plus i still hate it! However, this is in fact, the 4th time i have sat down to write an entry....i deleted the past 3 because they simply turned into rants. Hopefully this one will hold some structure. Firstly......
TIM STORY #3!!!!!! Oh yes...be excited.
This time, were goin WAY back....all the way back to our first week in Chicago. I had just recently met Tim and the rest of our team, and obviously the first few days a little awkward and we all differ in the way we break this awkwardness. Tims approach was....different. One of the first things he ever said to me was, "did you know I used to be a communist?" I responded appropriately, "I assumed so, as I used to be one as well" His eyes lit up. "Have you ever read the communist manifesto?" he continued. I paused for a second, choosing my words carefully. "Absolutely I have. In fact, I have most of it memorized." I have never seen someone so stunned. He continued on for the next 5 minutes telling me that Marx had it wrong and how he no longer thought he was a genius. I responded sporadically, making up quotes from the manifesto in order to counter his argument...clearly i won. The debate ended with me saying that no matter how close the gap between the rich and the poor got, communism would never work. we have not talked about this subject since.
This past week has been one of challenge, and one of great joy. I have finally felt completely at home in South Africa, but only after a weekend that consisted of a great deal of frustration. I will spare you some of the details of the weekend, as there will be a video posted on facebook quite soon...i think. There are 3 things I want to mention though: 1.) The Kids Camp 2.) The Game reserve 3.) Some thoughts on what God is doing in SA.
1.) The kids camp was....sigh....i dont even know how to start this. It feels like ive talked about it too much and reflected on it to death. But i guess i must do it again. Basically, about 80 kids showed up at the church property for a weekend intended to help them encounter God in a powerful way. However, the only powerful way that I could see them encountering God is through fear. One of the first things that they did was show the children a clip from the passion of the christ. They showed the crucifixion scene...yup...the one with all the blood, all the gore, all the weeping...etc etc. Not surpsingly, we had kids in tears and covering their eyes by the end of it. However, they stopped the clip after that, not realizing what they missed, perhaps. Talking with kids later on, we noticed something....some of the kids werent even aware that Jesus had risen from the dead! All they knew is that He died and suffered! So when we asked kids what the cross meant to them, the most common response was "guilt." I found it incredibly sad that they only knew that Jesus died, not necassarily that He died to save us at this point, and not that He lived for us too, conquering death while he was at it! Overall, a lot of the camp seemed quite forced. They made children stand up in front of everyone and repeat the sinners prayer (sure they said that everyone should close their eyes, but really? when your 10, will you follow that?), completely defeating the purpose of CHOOSING to follow God. That choice doesnt mean a thing if its forced upon you...and it has no life changing/life giving potential from then on. Its simply legalistic....saving souls and keeping score...thats where it ends. (remember what i said about ranting?...I am sorry) However, the camp did accomplish its goal. A lot of kids came to know Christ in a much deeper way, and for that it was good. But overall, quite a frustrating weekend.
2.) On monday we went to see animals! aka...all my childhood dreams came true. That is all.
3.) I feel a certain amount of guilt for the way I felt abou the camp this weekend. In truth, i have felt a large amount of discomfort with a lot of the ideologies i have encountered in South Africa. However, for everything that I have found frustrating, uncomfortable, and perhaps just wrong...this Church is certainly a Church for the people of God. The relentless pursuit of souls is something admirable, even to someone who questions the effectiveness of such evangelism. As a Christian, no one can argue against the pursuit of souls, or the holy spirit, or baptism in the holy spirt....no matter how uncomfortable it may be for us (in the north american church) at times. (watching people convulse and scream in the middle of church is something to get used to) However, i think that at times, we write it off too quickly as fake, unrealistic...and even not of God. I would say that we can learn a lot from BCI, just as BCI can probably learn a lot from us. In BCI, I have seen what it means to hunger for the presence of God in our lives, and just how importatn that presence is. Too often, we like to categorize God...make Him A PART of our life, but not let Him consume our lives and our very being. That doesnt mean that every word out of our mouth needs to recite scripture...but it does mean that we have a job as the Church to live our lives the way God intended....not just pull Him out whenever were in trouble, or we need something to make us feel better when we judge others. BCI has shown me that living for God does not end at noon on sunday....but continues all week. Its a beautiful thing to see.
This blog took on a life of its own and i apologize for you....but seeing as its unlikely that anyone has actually read this far. I am just gonna spew nonsense for a little while. I keep on chasing a stupid mouse around the house...imust look like an idiot. how can something so small make all the girls freak out (twss)? Its ridiculous. Also, connie made indian food today...yup yup yup! I make sleep now...night.
Kyle
TIM STORY #3!!!!!! Oh yes...be excited.
This time, were goin WAY back....all the way back to our first week in Chicago. I had just recently met Tim and the rest of our team, and obviously the first few days a little awkward and we all differ in the way we break this awkwardness. Tims approach was....different. One of the first things he ever said to me was, "did you know I used to be a communist?" I responded appropriately, "I assumed so, as I used to be one as well" His eyes lit up. "Have you ever read the communist manifesto?" he continued. I paused for a second, choosing my words carefully. "Absolutely I have. In fact, I have most of it memorized." I have never seen someone so stunned. He continued on for the next 5 minutes telling me that Marx had it wrong and how he no longer thought he was a genius. I responded sporadically, making up quotes from the manifesto in order to counter his argument...clearly i won. The debate ended with me saying that no matter how close the gap between the rich and the poor got, communism would never work. we have not talked about this subject since.
This past week has been one of challenge, and one of great joy. I have finally felt completely at home in South Africa, but only after a weekend that consisted of a great deal of frustration. I will spare you some of the details of the weekend, as there will be a video posted on facebook quite soon...i think. There are 3 things I want to mention though: 1.) The Kids Camp 2.) The Game reserve 3.) Some thoughts on what God is doing in SA.
1.) The kids camp was....sigh....i dont even know how to start this. It feels like ive talked about it too much and reflected on it to death. But i guess i must do it again. Basically, about 80 kids showed up at the church property for a weekend intended to help them encounter God in a powerful way. However, the only powerful way that I could see them encountering God is through fear. One of the first things that they did was show the children a clip from the passion of the christ. They showed the crucifixion scene...yup...the one with all the blood, all the gore, all the weeping...etc etc. Not surpsingly, we had kids in tears and covering their eyes by the end of it. However, they stopped the clip after that, not realizing what they missed, perhaps. Talking with kids later on, we noticed something....some of the kids werent even aware that Jesus had risen from the dead! All they knew is that He died and suffered! So when we asked kids what the cross meant to them, the most common response was "guilt." I found it incredibly sad that they only knew that Jesus died, not necassarily that He died to save us at this point, and not that He lived for us too, conquering death while he was at it! Overall, a lot of the camp seemed quite forced. They made children stand up in front of everyone and repeat the sinners prayer (sure they said that everyone should close their eyes, but really? when your 10, will you follow that?), completely defeating the purpose of CHOOSING to follow God. That choice doesnt mean a thing if its forced upon you...and it has no life changing/life giving potential from then on. Its simply legalistic....saving souls and keeping score...thats where it ends. (remember what i said about ranting?...I am sorry) However, the camp did accomplish its goal. A lot of kids came to know Christ in a much deeper way, and for that it was good. But overall, quite a frustrating weekend.
2.) On monday we went to see animals! aka...all my childhood dreams came true. That is all.
3.) I feel a certain amount of guilt for the way I felt abou the camp this weekend. In truth, i have felt a large amount of discomfort with a lot of the ideologies i have encountered in South Africa. However, for everything that I have found frustrating, uncomfortable, and perhaps just wrong...this Church is certainly a Church for the people of God. The relentless pursuit of souls is something admirable, even to someone who questions the effectiveness of such evangelism. As a Christian, no one can argue against the pursuit of souls, or the holy spirit, or baptism in the holy spirt....no matter how uncomfortable it may be for us (in the north american church) at times. (watching people convulse and scream in the middle of church is something to get used to) However, i think that at times, we write it off too quickly as fake, unrealistic...and even not of God. I would say that we can learn a lot from BCI, just as BCI can probably learn a lot from us. In BCI, I have seen what it means to hunger for the presence of God in our lives, and just how importatn that presence is. Too often, we like to categorize God...make Him A PART of our life, but not let Him consume our lives and our very being. That doesnt mean that every word out of our mouth needs to recite scripture...but it does mean that we have a job as the Church to live our lives the way God intended....not just pull Him out whenever were in trouble, or we need something to make us feel better when we judge others. BCI has shown me that living for God does not end at noon on sunday....but continues all week. Its a beautiful thing to see.
This blog took on a life of its own and i apologize for you....but seeing as its unlikely that anyone has actually read this far. I am just gonna spew nonsense for a little while. I keep on chasing a stupid mouse around the house...imust look like an idiot. how can something so small make all the girls freak out (twss)? Its ridiculous. Also, connie made indian food today...yup yup yup! I make sleep now...night.
Kyle
Monday, October 5, 2009
More thoughts
Due to the overwhelming positive response to my latest entry...I will now be starting every blog with a "Moment with Tim." Today will be the first of many
Moment with Tim #1: We live next to a garage where carpenters work. Were not quite sure what their official hours of business are...as they seem to always be there...from dawn till dusk. Regardless, we have adjusted to noises associated with their business...and are unaffected by the noise they make. However, several nights ago...at around 7:00 am, I was completely asleep...until out of nowhere, I am awoken by Tim...literally JUMPING out of his bed (the top bunk) and running out of the room and down the hall. After a few seconds...he re-enters the room, slightly out of breath and says, "Don't worry, it's only the carpenters!" and then hops back into bed. When i asked him about this later on...he explained that he had heard the carpenters, and had thought someone was breaking into our house......?
I will now continue with my blog
The book im reading (Jesus for President) takes a very unique look at how we, as Christians are called to be set apart from the rest of the world. The book looks at what the Bible says, breaks it down, and then uses that as a lens through which we are to view social justice.
Some of the stuff they talk about I had thought about before...but I had never looked at it through a Christian lens. Stuff like, becoming more environmentally aware, being aware of where we get our food from, where we get our clothes from etc etc. And then, it talks about war...which should be an unbelievable concept for us.
Basically the entire new testiment talks about how christians are supposed to live for God. We tend to only focus on how God has saved us and set us apart to be with Him in heaven later on...and this belief that we are beyond this world and simply doing our time, waiting to get to heaven, is incredibly dangerous By focusing simply on our eventual salvation, and ignoring what God's purpose for our lives actually is...we can justify just about anything from littering to genocide. But now, after looking through this book and the Bible and listening to people talk about our roll as Christians...I can only conclude that our purpose in the world is Peace.
But here is where it gets hard for me, because in order to live in peace....I have to figure out how to make peace with my friends, my family, my enemies, the environment, and God and many many other ppl and things....and just by living in North America and paying taxes and buying clothes and buying food and basically just living...I am hurtin and exploiting someone...somewhere..and thus not living out my call as a Christian.
And then theres the whole issue of war and pacifism. I could never justify killing another human being...but the fact that there is a nation in this world that kills in the name of God...my God...the God of this world....is incredibly disturbing. The fact that the Church does nothing to stop it...and in fact, in times, encourages it...should make anyone a little uncomfortable.
"Having found the atomic bomb, we have used it. We shall continue to use it. ... It is an awful responsibility which has come to us. We thank God that it has come to us instead of to our enemies and we pray that he may guide us to use it in his ways and for his purposes."
-Harry Truman, August 9, 1945
Moment with Tim #1: We live next to a garage where carpenters work. Were not quite sure what their official hours of business are...as they seem to always be there...from dawn till dusk. Regardless, we have adjusted to noises associated with their business...and are unaffected by the noise they make. However, several nights ago...at around 7:00 am, I was completely asleep...until out of nowhere, I am awoken by Tim...literally JUMPING out of his bed (the top bunk) and running out of the room and down the hall. After a few seconds...he re-enters the room, slightly out of breath and says, "Don't worry, it's only the carpenters!" and then hops back into bed. When i asked him about this later on...he explained that he had heard the carpenters, and had thought someone was breaking into our house......?
I will now continue with my blog
The book im reading (Jesus for President) takes a very unique look at how we, as Christians are called to be set apart from the rest of the world. The book looks at what the Bible says, breaks it down, and then uses that as a lens through which we are to view social justice.
Some of the stuff they talk about I had thought about before...but I had never looked at it through a Christian lens. Stuff like, becoming more environmentally aware, being aware of where we get our food from, where we get our clothes from etc etc. And then, it talks about war...which should be an unbelievable concept for us.
Basically the entire new testiment talks about how christians are supposed to live for God. We tend to only focus on how God has saved us and set us apart to be with Him in heaven later on...and this belief that we are beyond this world and simply doing our time, waiting to get to heaven, is incredibly dangerous By focusing simply on our eventual salvation, and ignoring what God's purpose for our lives actually is...we can justify just about anything from littering to genocide. But now, after looking through this book and the Bible and listening to people talk about our roll as Christians...I can only conclude that our purpose in the world is Peace.
But here is where it gets hard for me, because in order to live in peace....I have to figure out how to make peace with my friends, my family, my enemies, the environment, and God and many many other ppl and things....and just by living in North America and paying taxes and buying clothes and buying food and basically just living...I am hurtin and exploiting someone...somewhere..and thus not living out my call as a Christian.
And then theres the whole issue of war and pacifism. I could never justify killing another human being...but the fact that there is a nation in this world that kills in the name of God...my God...the God of this world....is incredibly disturbing. The fact that the Church does nothing to stop it...and in fact, in times, encourages it...should make anyone a little uncomfortable.
"Having found the atomic bomb, we have used it. We shall continue to use it. ... It is an awful responsibility which has come to us. We thank God that it has come to us instead of to our enemies and we pray that he may guide us to use it in his ways and for his purposes."
-Harry Truman, August 9, 1945
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