A powerful quote...

A guest pastor at church on Sunday made the statement that as followers of Christ as we look towards the future, that "we head into the unknown with the Known One!" That is a powerful thought.

This Fall on the Gridiron

This fall...

The Detroit Lions are 0 and 6. They could possibly go winless this year, honestly.

The Michigan Wolverines are 2 and 5 and could potentially lose out.

However, the Paw Paw Redskins are 7 and 1, playoff bound, and heading into a Wolverine Conference showdown against the Dowagiac Chieftans. I haven't really followed Paw Paw football in years, but this fall they are the only glimmer of hope right now on the gridiron. You can check them out at

http://pawpawredskins.net/

Beautiful Feet

I hate feet. If I'm honest, I think they are disgusting. I don't like looking at or seeing other people's feet. I don't care if you just had a pedicure or just polished and painted your toes. I don't care to see them. For this reason, I don't wear sandals - never have.

However, recently I have been reminded of Scriptures that speak to the significance, importance, and even beauty of feet.

Consider these...

Isaiah 52:7 (NIV) = How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

Romans 10:14-15 (NIV) = How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Ephesians 6:15 (KJV) = And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace...

Lately, I have felt an ever increasing burden to have "beautiful feet." I have felt a renewed sense of urgency, and have been praying that God would increase my burden for the lost. I want evangelism to become more of a lyfestyle for me, not just an event.

In John 13, Jesus gives us a model of what it means to truly serve one another through the washing of feet. We must remind ourselves that in the cultural and historical context in which Jesus washed feet, they wore sandals everywhere on some dusty roads. In other words, their feet would have been "a mess." And yet we see the King of kings and Lord of lords wrap a towel around his waist, get down on the ground, and wash his disciples feet! I have heard this referred to as "the ministry of the towel." In graduate school we were exhorted to have this ministry. In the passage in John 13, after Jesus has washed His disciples feet He states in verse 14 and 15, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." He even adds in verse 17 that we "will be blessed" if we do it! There is blessing in washing feet. There is a blessing in serving others. There is a blessing in wrapping a towel around our waist, and humbling ourselves...washing feet.

As I look at these two examples of the significance of feet within Scripture I see that they point to both the Portrayal and the Proclamation of the Gospel. They are the Audio and the Visual of the Gospel. There must always be both. When we separate the two our witness is ineffective and Biblically incomplete. However, when both are present (Portrayal and Proclamation) our witness is credible, it is Biblically wholistic. They must always be intertwined ie Evangelism & Social Justice, Compassion/Mercy/Justice & Evangelism.

A Tough Week/God At Work

It has been a tough week in the neighborhood! God has been at work this week in the neighborhood! These statements may seem like they contradict each other, but let me explain. In order for you to understand how these statements fit together I have to tell you “the whole story.”

First the tough part…
Early last week I began getting emails of alarm and concern from some of my neighbors about the frequent shootings (thank God no one was getting hit) that were occurring on the block that I live on. The thing that made these emails particularly unique was that these shootings were not happening at night, they were happening during the afternoon.

Then Saturday night there was a shoot-out between two rival gangs on 61st St (a few blocks west of where I live), just off the corner from where the Sunshine building sits. Two bullets went through the windows of our tech center. Seven bullets went into the metal window shades in the salon across the street. Within minutes the police arrived on the scene and a shoot-out occurred between one of the gangs and the police.

The next evening (Sunday), a 25 year old young man was shot and killed on 62nd and Vernon. His name was Rodney. Please pray for the family that has been affected by this tragic death (and others that occurred around the city during the past weekend). These young men were somebody's sons, brothers, uncles, grandsons, friends, possibly fathers, etc.

God at work…
Monday morning we gathered as a staff to discuss the events of the previous week and weekend. Our discussion led us into a time of prayer. Our time of prayer led us into a “what are we gonna do about it?” - brainstorming session. We prayerfully and thoughtfully came up with the following action points:
1. Host a community leader meeting (which includes block club leaders, teachers, alderman, local beat police, and pastors)
2. Upped physical presence in the community by our staff - walking around, talking to people
3. Request prayer support from friends, family, & supporters
4. Contact well-known role models who may be willing to come speak with young men in the community.
5. Address the physical safety of the youth in our programs which means building a wood barrier in the classroom of our Community Technology Center, providing snacks so that students won't trek to the store during class breaks, and providing rides home in the evening.

On Monday evening 10-12 neighborhood residents (representing 5 different blocks and block clubs) along with three of us Sunshine staff gathered to share concerns and to come up with collective solutions. Joel (our executive director) wrote the following summary of our time together…
“We came up with an overall strategy to respond to what his happening in our neighborhood and I learned a lot like the importance of getting people to leave their front porch lights on, make sure their garage has the house number on it, and make lots of phone calls for every incident to the police. So when the city orders its resources to react, they don’t just look at actual incidents but they look at PHONE CALLS." (Drug deals, buildings broken into, domestic violence, and even shootings are currently getting far too few phone calls made to report them.) "So we discussed how part of our overall process has to create an atmosphere in which (a) lots of people make phone calls (think prayer chain on the phone to 911!!) and (b) they make calls about EVERYTHING and (C ) they they know what to say when they call. We also ended up talking about all the vacant buildings (like 10 on just one block!) that have been foreclosed on. They are routinely broken into and vandalized and used as dumps for garbage (attracting rats) and drug dealers and users. One elderly neighbor described waking up every night multiple times in fear that the drug users in the abandoned building physically attached to hers might burn down the entire block while doing drugs. Another spoke about having at least 3 kids shot and killed right in front of her house over the years. Yet you couldn't miss the resolve, the strength, the faith in the room. After dealing with this sort of thing for 20 years or more they were willing to believe again and try again! Wow!!! I was also really encouraged by the presence of several young professionals — one of whom described hitting the dirt in front of his condo when bullets fly. . . But undeterred to invest in the community. There was also a very real spiritual openness if not outright presence. I suggested we open in prayer to which everyone immediately said “YESS!!” and proceeded to hold hands in a circle. We also closed in prayer. . . . They were sure to ask that we do!" We all agreed that this "block club collaborative" would not be just a one time meeting. We will continue to meet together, pray together, work together, and reach out to one another as neighbors. Everyone agreed that we need to meet again soon.

This evening we had a community block club meeting on the 6100 block of Rhodes (1 block from Sunshine). We met together outside on the street. Local police came to show support. Young and old from the neighborhood gathered on the street together. We ate hot dogs and nachos together. We got to know one another better. Then Mrs. Clark, the block club president and long term neighborhood resident, gathered everyone into a circle. Everyone held a lit candle. She thanked everyone for coming, and encouraged everyone by saying, “things are rough right now, but they are going to get better.” Then she asked Joel to pray. In prayer Joel reminded us that God cares about each and everyone of us. God is concerned about what is going on in the neighborhood. He prayed for peace. He prayed for safety. He prayed for the young men that are acting out of desperation. He prayed that we would work well together and help meet each other’s needs as neighbors.

Things are tough right now, BUT God is at work! I am concerned for the kids and their families. I am concerned for my elderly neighbors. I am especially concerned for the teenage young men that I work with. In the midst of these challenging days, it is evident that God is on the move.

My Turning Point

Over the last few days, I have been reflecting and thinking on when God got a hold of my life - aka my "turning point" as J'Son refers to this on his song entitled "Turning Point." This morning as I listened to that song and thought about when God made the move on me and how much He has transformed my life I began to "well up." (I need to do this more.) In the song, J'Son tells his story - which is very different than mine (in terms of the details) - but with the result being the same, a transformed (and still being transformed) life for Christ. In the fall of 1996 I headed to Albion College. I had aspirations to play two sports, talk to girls, and "experience" college life. None of that happened. God had other plans for me. I'm reminded that God is always the initiator - He makes the move on us. Gideon in the OT and Paul in the NT are two of my favorite examples of God as the initiator. Athletics had become an idol in my life. I was overly self-conscious and self-focused. Where I found my identity was out of whack. I was committed to please people, but not focused on pleasing Christ. Then through a series of events as J'Son says, I "found that the King was better." God humbled me, got my attention, reminded me of the Gospel that I had heard about in church growing up, and radically altered my life focus, purpose, and pursuits. As Shane Claiborne says, when I encountered Christ, "He messed my life up" and I am still "recovering" from my conversion experience.

Yesterday, I was reading through 1 Peter and a Scripture leaped off the page at me. 1 Peter 2:9 states, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." I am His now. He drafted me. As the Ambassador once preached, we were "unlikely choices, unmerited choices, undeserving choices," - but God in His grace and mercy made the move on us, redeemed us, "called us out of darkness into His marvelous light." I love the response in this verse - "that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who...." We get to proclaim the excellencies of Him!

I am humbled this morning. I am messed up. And I am grateful.

When was your turning point? How did God make the move on you?

The Challenge & Significance of Education - Part 2: What Are We Gonna Do About It?

(If you have not read Part 1, please read it first. Scroll down.)

We, the Church, must step up! This has to matter to us. One Teach For America graduate puts it this way, “We’ve all heard a lot of sermons preached about our God, who is a God of justice. “The Lord works righteousness and justice for the oppressed (Psalm 103:6).” If we want to know and serve God, we must be willing to act on His desire and mandate for justice. Education is key to justice for many children in low income communities; it’s key to restoring peace and ending discrimination…it is key to helping all children have the change to live free and productive lives (Pearl Esau -Los Angeles, Teach For America)."

A Harvard professor offers this challenge...

“How many effective schools would you have to see to be persuaded of the educability of
poor children?...We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose shooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.”
-Ronald Edmonds, Harvard University

So how can the Church get involved. In New York City, local pastors have started a movement called Vision 20/20 (http://www.2020schools.net/) that connects local churches with local schools. Today there was a meeting in Chicago to discuss the possibility of starting this here. Consider this...

-There are roughly 700 public schools in Chicago
-There are roughly 7,000 churches in Chicago
-That is 1 school to every 10 churches

So imagine if...

-10 churches would partner with their local school and assist the present administration to create the best environment possible for the students.
-Believers would volunteer a couple of hours a week to read to a kid, coach a basketball team, paint walls, assist in ACT prep, etc.
-The Church would have the impact on the world that God intends.

This is an incredible opportunity for us to be "salt & light" - Matthew 5:13-16. We have got to work on developing more of a "life on life lifestyle" in which the ministry involvement described above is just something we do. If I could quote Pastor Vincent from an earlier post, "This is what the Church does. This is what we do as Christians."

Amen?

The Challenge & Significance of Education - Part 1: The Challenge

Today I taught a session for our volunteer training entitled The Challenge & Significance of Education. During the session I highlighted some inequalities and challenges in the area of education in lower resourced urban (& rural) areas. I emphasized before I started that this is not an urban problem, or a rural problem. It is not a black problem or a latino problem or a white problem. It is not a Chicago problem. This is a challenge to the Church. This is our issue as followers of Christ. We need to take these statistics personally. They should make us uncomfortable, they should convict us, and they should make us angry. They should push us to our knees and then push us to action ("praying with our feet" as Sho Baraka says). This entry will be in 2 parts.

The Challenge (in this nation)
-Only 1 in 10 students from low-income communities will graduate from college.
-4th graders growing up in low-income communities are already three grade levels behind their high-income peers
-About 50% of students from low-income communities won’t graduate from high-school by the time they are 18 years old.
-The 50% who do graduate will perform on average at an 8th grade level.
-For 13 million children growing up in poverty today, disparities in educational outcomes severely limit opportunities in life.

The Challenge (in Chicago)
-Only 6 of 100 African American and Latino high school freshman males will graduate from a 4-year college (Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 31, 2007)
-Only 9% of African American 4th graders ranked proficient or above in reading, ranking Illinois 38 out of 41 states (Chicago Sun-Times, Nov. 2nd 2006)
-Nearly half of Chicago public school 9th graders who started high school in the last seven years have dropped out without earning a high school diploma. (Chicago Tribune, February 2008, Education Study done by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation.)
-During the 2006-2007 school year the drop-out rate was nearly 44%
-Illinois ranks 49 out of 50 states when it comes to funding education from state funds.
-The education funding gap between the wealthiest district and poorest district is the largest in the nation.
-Between 1985 and 2000 Illinois increased general fund spending on higher education by 30%, but corrections spending grew by 110% (JPI Report).
-Illinois spends 2.8 times as much per prisoner as per public school pupil.

Think about this…
-The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the average annual income for individuals without a high school diploma or GED is $18,734.
-High-school dropouts are 3.5 times more likely than graduates to be incarcerated.
-In 2001, 55 percent of young adult dropouts were employed, compared to 74 percent of high-school graduates and 87 percent of college graduates.

-Kids who cannot read cannot conduct Bible studies or complete job applications!
-Kids who cannot do math cannot balance a checkbook or budget a household!

Teach For America (http://www.teachforamerica.org/) has a statement that fuels their mission. It states, "Educational inequity is our nation’s greatest injustice." So what are we gonna do about it?

My Life Be Like Ooh Ahh

The Christian hip hop group Grits used to have a song with a chorus that said, "My life be like, ooh ahh, oohhhhhh...my life be like ooh, ahh, 00hhhh. Times like these that make me say, Lord if you hear me please come my way." It spoke to the ups and downs of the Christian walk and of life and of our ever-present need of the Lord. I have felt very needy (of the Lord) since returning from South Africa. I have felt overwhelmed. I have felt as if my "to-do" list is never-ending. Don't get me wrong, I came back feeling encouraged, and inspired, and renewed from my experiences in South Africa - and in the midst of those emotions and feelings - overwhelmed (My life be like...). I am working on a couple of new programs/outreaches this fall and still have my hand in the other youth outreach elements. And one thing I continue to realize is that I put too much (unrealistic) pressure on myself to "do well." I struggle with perfectionist tendencies - and I realize it. In some ways it's a strength in that it keeps me driven, but at the same time it can be a weakness and drain me emotionally. I have also felt, in recent days (and before), completely inadequate in my ministry role. I told a co-worker today, "I really don't know what I'm doing." Any other ministry people feel me on this one? (I know this can happen in other areas/roles - husband, father, vocation, etc.). I have also felt a renewed sense of the significance/urgency to the work to which the Lord has called me (and for this I am grateful).

I have had brothers come to me before and shared transparently about feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and inadequate. Mainly, I have listened. Sometimes I have shared that "it is a good place to be" because it means that we have to lean fully on God - His strength, His grace, His wisdom, etc. Sometimes it's hard to internalize how I would counsel someone else. Sometimes it's hard to internalize what I know to be true in God's Word.

I read James 1 this morning, and it reminded me of an old song by the Winans called "Count It All Joy." It went something like this..."Count it all joy, even when it seems to hard to. Know, He'll never give you more than you can handle." I was reminded today to "abide in Christ" - John 15. I prayed Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in all the earth."

This afternoon and evening I taught two orientation sessions with Moody Bible students who will be volunteering with us, I assisted with a parents orientation for parents of the students in our tutoring program, I walked home and had an encouraging conversation with a neighbor I hadn't met before - and I loved all of the above. As I sit here after a day FULL of activity, I am grateful for what God is doing in my life. I continue to learn the lesson of what it means to "press into" Him.

The Lion & The Lamb

During my time in South Africa we visited a "Lion Park" and Krueger National Park. We were fortunate to see lions at both places. Allan encouraged us after the lion park to think about and discuss ways in which lions are mentioned in Scripture.

I did a little searching and one of the most powerful images of lions in Scripture is where Christ is referred to as "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" in Revelation 5:5 (this makes me think of Aslan from Narnia). I looked deeper into this passage in a study Bible, and was really blessed by what I found...

"God's purposes of redemption and rule can be accomplished only through One who is uniquely worthy: Jesus Christ. He is simultaneously the fierce Lion of the tribe of Judah, warring against God's enemies (Revelation 19:11-21; 17:14), and the gentle Lamb that has been slain, purchasing His people with the blood of His atoning sacrifice (Revelation 5:9-10)."

It reminds me of the lyrics in Chris Tomlin's song...

The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb....How Great Is Our God!

The Necessity of Faith

On Monday we met with Pastor Philip at his church in Temba. I actually had the opportunity to spend the night with Philip and his family after our meeting. It was really good to catch up with him and to meet his family and get to know them a little bit.

I met Pastor Philip on my first trip to South Africa in December of 2003. I have corresponded with him every since, and he even stayed with me for a few days during a US visit back in 2006. His church, Ebenezer Bible Church, is located in the community of Temba. Temba is a more rural community roughly 35 minutes outside of Pretoria. It has a population of roughly 350,000. The church is in the process of building an orphan home in conjunction with African Leadership Development (a US based missions organization). When it is finished it will house 20 orphans. Temba like many other impoverished communities throughout South Africa has been heavily hit by HIV/Aids. During our time with Philip we focused our discussion on the spiritual dynamic within Temba (and other black communities there) - more specifically the stronghold of witchdoctors and ancestral worship. He described the reality that in some families, to accept Christ is to disrespect your ancestors - and that is taken very seriously. He also spoke in great detail on the impact of witch doctor's on peoples lives. He shared that when people are poor and when they are desperate the supposed healing and help that witchdoctors offer is very appealing. When I picture "witch doctors" I usually think of face paint, strange hair, and strange clothes. However, Pastor Philip shared how most times now they are in plain clothes, and have normal vocations such as teacher and principal. He emphasized both the use of psychological manipulation (FEAR) and the realty of a spiritual battle going on. The thing that encourage me the most about our conversation that day was his emphasis on injecting FAITH and HOPE into people's lives through the Word of God and prayer. Here is some of what he shared...

"God uses faith, the devil uses fear. Fear is the door for demonic activity. I have to teach much about Faith."

"The Name of Jesus is stronger than a witch doctor. I must teach people this Truth. It is my job to teach people that God is more powerful than the devil."

When discussing how he ministers to those who are sick and suffering from HIV/Aids...

"We don't console people to die. We provoke people to Faith. I don't say people will be healed but it is my duty to give them Hope."

"I don't pretend to have all of the answers. When I don't know what to say I say, 'let's pray' and God moves! We are depending on God's grace."

During my recent Montana trip this summer our theme was faith. We spent the whole week in Hebrews Chapter 11 - the hall of faith. We memorized Hebrews 11:1 and Hebrews 11:6. I was given an experiential education on faith during my 2 weeks in South Africa. These pastors and really all of our brothers and sisters in the churches here truly seek after and rely on God for MANY things. Philip echoed what Vincent and Gloria shared with us, "and God moves!" I have shared with several people lately that I have been challenged in my devotion time and in my readings to have a more exalted view of Christ and/or a loftier view of God. I have been quoting Tozer who states that "an exalted view of Christ will always lead to radical actions for Christ." It is evident that Pastor Philip, Pastor Vincent, Pastor Isaac and others here have this "exalted view of God." God is BIG to them (God IS big!). I pray that my faith would increase...

Hebrews 11:1 = Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6 = And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Worship At The Powerhouse

Sunday morning we attended church at Powerhouse Church in Mamelodi. The service begins at 9am. We arrived a little bit late, and worship was in full swing. We were escorted to the front of the church as special guests (my dad and I as first time visitors). This particular Sunday was youth Sunday – so the praise band, praise team, worship dancers, and Scripture readers were all children and youth from the church. The worship here is such a celebration. One of the songs we sang was so powerful…
Higher
Higher
Hi-gher
When the praises goes up, His glory comes down
I can’t even really describe the exuberant sound nor the emotion and passion with which people worship here. It was a huge blessing to be a part of. At times I would sing and then at times I would just listen to their singing with my hands raised. I even got pulled into the dancing, and I think I held my own:) Worshiping with my brothers and sisters here is something that I will always treasure. It is a reminder of how BIG the God we serve is. He is the God of All Nations.

After the time of worship, they recognized the first time visitors. They invited my dad and I to the front of the church to introduce ourselves and to share a little about where we were from. Pastor Vincent encouraged me to tell the church about what I do at Sunshine so I was able to share a little bit. One thing that struck me that morning, (that I shared with the congregation) is that in the past few weeks I have worshiped at Christ Bible Church in Chicago, Lawton Evangelical Mennonite Church in Lawton, Springhill Presbyterian Church in Bozeman, Montana and now Powerhouse Church in Mamelodi. Four very different places, four very different cultures, four very different worship services and styles of worship, But ONE LORD who unites us all and who we all worship. My dad shared how welcome and at home he felt at the church and in Mamelodi, and how blessed he was by the worship. After we shared, the church extended their hands toward us and prayed a blessing over us. I felt so welcome, and as my dad shared “so at home.”

Pastor Vincent preached out of Luke 15, the parable of the lost sheep. He emphasized in many different ways with various illustrations that the sheep that was lost was VERY VALUABLE to the shepherd. He added that not only was the lost sheep valuable, but each sheep is created for a purpose. He reminded us that we are all valuable to God. He created us and we are of great value to Him. And for those of us who are saved or found, we were saved for a purpose. Our lives should then reflect the mission for which God saved us.

Pastor Vincent then got very practical. He stated that there are many children living near the church who are not going to school because they cannot afford the uniform. He added that some of them once they have purchased the uniform have no way to clean the uniform or iron the uniform, and thus don’t go to school. He further explained that the church needs to start a laundry and ironing business so that families can come to the church to wash and iron their clothes, so that their kids can then go to school. He then took it a step further! He said that they needed wash machines, irons, detergent, and peoples time to make this work. He asked who was willing to donate either machines/materials or their time. It was amazing. Hands started going up all over the sanctuary as people called out what they were willing to donate. There was no hesitation. Pastor Vincent then shared that recently he had visited an elderly woman’s home who lived with a crippled relative of hers. The two of them lived there alone. He stated that the house was very dirty and that they often went long periods without food. As a church they are going to visit the woman’s home, clean it, and take them food. He made it clear that after they had shown them the love of Christ, they would tell them the message of Christ. He exclaimed that “this is what the Church does, this is what we are to do as Christians.” I have never witnessed such a powerful message followed by such practical/sacrificial obedience. It was a clear reminder that we must “be the church” in our communities and neighborhoods.

I am convinced more than ever that the church in the States and the church in Africa needs each other. We need to collaborate with one another, learn from one another, celebrate our cultural distinctness and unity in Christ together. However, I am also convinced that the church in Africa can teach us much about what it means to “be the church.” I pray that we (the US church) would be teachable.

Revelation 5:9 = And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation…”

Gleanings...

I just thought I would share various things that people have stated here that have impacted me...

Pastor Sollly who teaches HIV/Aids prevention and education classes within public schools often warns young people of the negative influence that their peers can have on their lifestyle decisions. He tells them that PEERS stands for, "People who Encourage, Evilness, Rudeness, and Stupidity." He also stated that when it comes to the HIV/Aids epidemic in South Africa, "parliament has many questions, but the Church has the answer!"

In our time together with Pastor Vincent and his wife Gloria, I have often here them describe a tough situation/circumstance and then state, "and then we prayed and fasted AND GOD..." It is evident in their life and ministry that they wholeheartedly seek the Lord and cry out to Him through much fasting and prayer. (Isn't this the pattern we see in the early church in the book of Acts? Hmm) God is at work in incredible ways in their church and community! As Lecrae says, "I've seen it with my own two." In their 5 year existence of their church they have seen witchdoctors lives' transformed by the power of the gospel, miraculous healings, and radical acts of love and sacrifice done by their members. If you ask them about it, they will give all the glory to God!

During the service yesterday, Pastor Vincent encouraged and exhorted his people to "be the Church" in the community. He stated that when "God gives us a mission, He always gives us the provision!"

Last night we attended the evening service at Hatfield Christian Centre. They had a guest preacher there from the UK. He preached at both services there yesterday and is going to be the speaker at a young adult retreat they are doing this coming weekend. In reference to the retreat he exclaimed, "We are going to rattle the cages of darkness this weekend!" He further explained that he is anticipating God to move in a powerful way in people's lives, setting them free.

In that same service we were exhorted to be "people carriers" - from the example in Mark 2 in which a group of friends did whatever it took to get their sick friend to Jesus. They carried him on a mat and lifted him through the roof. The speaker exhorted us to not be "pew sitters" but to be "people carriers."

Stay tuned for a entry coming on the service at Powerhouse yesterday...

What do you see?

Sleeping OR Praying?

Serious nap OR intense intercession?

On a serious note, Allan and Annie have updated there Africa Revolution blog. Annie's latest entry is very challenging and encouraging.

http://www.africarevolution.blogspot.com/

Also, Nate & Rebeccah have an amazing blog/web site called "Mamelodi Stories" through which they highlight stories of the way God is at work in Mamelodi.

http://www.mamelodistories.org/

I will be including a blog update as well on our day worshiping at the Powerhouse this morning and then at Hatfield Christian Centre this evening. It has been a great day in the Lord. I greatly appreciate those of you who have been lifting our trip up in prayer.

Some Choice Foods

Those of you who know me well know that I love food, and that I get excited about meal time. So I thought I would give a short update on a couple of different food items that I have tasted and thoroughly enjoyed while being here.

1) The McDonald's here have a sandwich called the McFeast (picture coming). It had two beef patties, cheese, mayonnaise, and bbq sauce. It was moist, and seasoned just right! They also have a "mega-mac" Big Mac which is essentially double the size of an ordinary Big Mac. I hope to return to McDonald's at least one more time to try that one.

2) Pap (pronounced pup) - It is a corn meal type substance that is served with many different types of meals. I had it with chicken and beef the first time and then chicken and pork the second time. Each time it has been special! Traditionally it is eaten with your hands and you can use it to "sop up" gravy, beans, dressing, etc. It is pretty much a nice combination with anything you put it with. I have to give a shout out to Vincent's wife Gloria for the pap last night at dinner!

3) Boerwors (farmer's sausage) - It is similar to a bratwurst, but not quite the same. Allan took me for one today. You can put various sauces on it and it is eaten in a hot dog bun. I put chili sauce on mine. It was just right. For those of you of Dutch descent (Pete Blodgett), "boer" is a term that means farmer here - the word is Afrikaans.

4) Nando's - It is a South African chicken restaurant chain. You can order the chicken with various degrees of spiciness. You can also douse them with "peri-peri sauce." The fries also come with "peri peri chili" seasoning on them. Pretty much everything on the menu is bangin'. I may bring a chain location back to Chicago.

The Dreams of Young People...

This evening we attended the youth service at Pastor Vincent's church in Mamelodi, the Empowerment Church. There were roughly 20-25 teenagers there. It was a blessing to be there. We began with a time of worship (w/some dancing...and yes I danced...quite well I think:)). The worship here is off the chain...can't even really describe it. After the time of worship the youth leader read Psalm 91 out loud and then highlighted a few verses. She then gave my dad and I a chance to introduce ourselves and then had Allan say a few words. Allan told the group of youth that he (and the rest of us here with Africa Revolution) really want to listen and hear from them - their dreams, their struggles, etc.

I was really blessed (we all were) as they shared with us. Their dreams included being a... film writer highlighting the positive aspects & struggles of life in Mamelodi, dance choreographer, preacher, businessman, counselor to young people, radio person. All of them shared their desire to see the young people of the church be a powerful witness in Mamelodi and in South Africa as a whole. In fact 4-5 of them gave short sermons, full of Scripture, exhorting and encouraging each other to be bold witnesses in Christ in both word and deed. One young man reminded us to "not be selfish with the gospel." Prior to closing out the time in prayer, I had the opportunity to encourage the young people to commit their dreams to the Lord, to write them down, to share them with people who will help them get there, and to not let anyone discourage or negatively persuade them from what God has put in them to do. (To often we as adults snuff out the dreams of young people with statements such as, "you won't make any money doing that," "you should think about doing this," "that's to dangerous," etc.)

As I sat there listening to the youth I was reminded of a statement that I have heard Pastor Harvey Carey (of Detroit MI) say on a couple of different occasions. He says that real youth ministry is about "youth doing ministry." My initial impression is that the young people of Mamelodi get this, and really desire to serve and reach out to their peers and the community with the gospel.

Another thing I was reminded of is that within the church (and really in most places) we don't listen to the young people enough. We need to allow their dreams to be heard. We need to listen to their fears, struggles, aspirations, etc. They need to know that we believe in them. Yes, we must equip them. Yes, we must teach them. But we also must empower them, and coach them, and help nurture their dreams. (The Bible is full of young people that were used greatly by God: David, Solomon, Timothy - to name a few.) I sat in a room full of tremendous Kingdom potential tonight. I can't help but think that the Lord is excited.

South African Wildlife Highlights

"Everything You See Here Is A Miracle"

This morning we visited and toured a ministry located within the city limits of Pretoria called Pop-Up (which stands for people upliftment programme). Pastor Vincent and Allan had set up the meeting to begin to build with the CEO Marlene Freislich and the Pastor Alistair Westcott of Pop-Up to discuss future partnerships and to learn from one another. Pop-Up is connected with Doxa Deo church, which is an Afrikans mega-church with 6 campuses throughout the greater Pretoria metropolitan area. It is a Christ-centered, holistic outreach ministry that equips and empowers unemployed people from Pretoria and the surrounding area. One of the unique elements of the program is that the first week is a "life-transformation" class during which the gospel is presented and instructors walk participants through what a new identity in Christ means. This sets the tone for these one to 3 month vocational training/life skill classes that they offer. They shared that 60% of students who go through the courses give their life to Christ! They offer training in home management, computer skills, entrepreneurship, child care, home care, fork lift driving, catering, and probably a few others which I am forgetting. One thing that really struck me as Marlene and Pastor Alistair shared was how they celebrated what God was doing in and through Pop-Up in their lives, the instructors lives, and the lives of the students. As we toured the building and went into the various vocational training areas, Pastor Alistair commented several times that "everything you see is a miracle." Their enthusiasm for the Lord, people, and the work of the Lord was contagious, and all glory was given to God.

*Their Christ-exalting enthusiasm made think about how I give tours of Sunshine when groups come for a day or for a week. Do I(we) celebrate what GOD is doing? Hmm...

They have been able to secure corporate funding even though they are a faith-based non-profit. They can receive government and corporate funding as long as they don't discriminate in who participates, YET they can still remain be outspoken about their faith with all who come through their doors and who receive their training. Praise God for that!

Another thing that struck me today and yesterday is this. It is evident here that the black and coloured (that is the term here used for people of mixed race heritage) churches located in the townships need the white church (Afrikaans and British) often located in the city and suburbs here. However, what I don't think is as often recognized is that the white church here NEEDS the black and coloured church as well. The same is true in the states. We often talk about how the urban church needs the suburban church, but don't as often discuss how the suburban church needs the urban church. BOTH statements are true, but both statements aren't always recognized. The body of Christ is racially and culturally diverse and it is global, and we NEED each other. We are a powerful force when we partner through authentic, two-way relationships and collective efforts. I think this is one of the major challenges that the Church faces in the US and globally.

In the picture above L to R: Annie Grieg (Allan's wife), Pastor Alistair, Rebeccah (one of the AR interns), and Pastor Vincent.

Images From South Africa

My dad and I arrived in South Africa on Monday afternoon at around 3:30pm local time. Alan took us to the house we were to stay at and we had dinner with he and his wife, and Nate & Rebeccah (the couple who is interning with Africa Revolution). This morning, after spending some time in the Word together, we headed to Mamelodi for the day. Mamelodi is a black township located just outside of the city of Pretoria. It is a community home to roughly 2 million people. You can check out more about Mamelodi at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamelodi.

Let me explain the four pictures that I have displayed above.

The picture on the top is a picture I took in a local cemetery that we drove through today. It is a picture of a mass grave. During apartheid the government would do mass hangings in the capital city of Pretoria, then transport the bodies in plastic bags in the back of trucks, and then finally dump the bodies in these mass graves. You could be hung for leading, organizing, or even participating in a demonstration/protest that fought for the liberation of the people under the apartheid regime. These hangings took place from the 50s to the 80s. It was very sobering to think about this very painful element of South African history. It is almost unbelievable to think that apartheid only ended in 1994. This particular cemetery (according to Pastor Vincent) is at or near capacity, with grave upon grave. Some people are now being buried on top of other's graves. Pastor Solomon and Pastor Vincent both made mention of the incredible numbers of funerals they are now performing as a result of the AIDs crisis.

The second picture is a picture of a group of senior citizens that gathers in the local YMCA in Mamelodi for a time of recreation and praise and worship together. Many of the women are grandmothers or "go-go's" as they are called here. There are 51 men and women in the group all together. There were just 15 or so women and 1 man there today due to the cooler weather. They hosted us there for a meal and sang several of their songs for us (they had a beautiful sound). They are preparing to travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town for various competitions for seniors. It was a precious picture.

The third picture is of Pastor Solomon (Solly) Mathibela. He works for the city government doing HIV/Aids Awareness & Prevention workshops/seminars in local schools, local churches, local health clinics, prisons, etc. He is also a pastor in the community. His passion for the people of the community and especially for those infected with HIV/Aids flowed out of him as he shared with us. He loves the Lord and loves people. He has been given favor to not only teach and raise awareness but to also share Christ in all of these various contexts. He has the opportunity to preach at a lot of funerals during which he shares the hope we can have in Christ as well as correcting peoples misconceptions in order to help eradicate the stigma attached to HIV/Aids. He encourages and educates those who are HIV positive - reminding them of the hope that they can live with in spite of their condition. I (and all of those with me) were very blessed by our time with Pastor Solomon. Hope oozed out of him in spite of what I'm sure often feels like a hopeless circumstance. I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

The final picture is my dad standing with Pastor Vincent Nyathi. Pastor Vincent pastors the Powerhouse Church (and/or Empowerment Center) in Mamelodi. He grew up in the community and felt called to start a church roughly 5 years ago. I have heard stories about what a "pastor of the community" Pastor Vincent was, but I experienced it first hand today. He knows his community and he loves his community. His church began a technology/computer center a few years ago. It has been invaluable in equipping people with skills and empowering people to get jobs. He wants each ministry of the church to be Christ centered. Many of the people who have come through the computer classes were not part of the church when they began taking classes, but have begun coming to the church before they graduate. Pastor Vincent is a great man of faith. He has trusted God to provide for he and his family's needs and has served the Lord faithfully in the work that he has called them to.

I am praising and thanking God for a great first day! I am still processing all that we saw and experienced today. Stay tuned for future updates...

Montana 2008 In Pictures

Quick Warrior & Montana Update

After a VERY long day behind the wheel yesterday I made it home in the late evening last night. (Side note: for future van rentals, rent from Midway if at all possible!:)) It was a great trip. The guys did extremely well. We had some very interactive devotional times together focused on the concept of faith – Hebrews 11. All of the guys made it to the top of Mt. Sacajawea – overcoming fears and thoughts of “this is crazy!” They had great attitudes about camping in Yellowstone and even better attitudes about doing a 6 mile hike to Fairy Falls and Victory Geyser – both very beautiful sights. One of the most stretching aspects for some of the guys was the relational one – meeting so many new people. Justin and Jason both testified how this was stretching but how they really enjoyed it. All of our guys (and me) loved our host (Scot Smith - of Bridge Builder fame), and were all sure to get his phone number and address. He was very moved by the week as well as he shared with tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat on Sunday morning. I will blog more about this trip, as it was very impactful to me as well.

Quick Warrior update: After we “shocked the world” with our first victory 37-35 on Tuesday July 22nd, we entered the tournament on Saturday (July 26th) as a “dark horse favorite.” In other words, nobody wanted to play the “buzzsaw” also known as the Sunshine Warriors. Due to some family travel and other circumstances we entered Saturday mornings tournament with only 6 players – 5 sophomores and 1 senior – all under 5’11”. However, we overcame our limited numbers and limited size with tenacious, ball-swarming defense and fast-paced, “basket attacking” offense. We outplayed Judson Baptist the entire game. Unfortunately, we ended up tied at the end of regulation. In overtime, we seemed to run out of gas and Judson pulled away. Next up…Uptown Baptist – a team we should have defeated during the regular season. I wanted this one bad, and so did the guys. We again outplayed them and out hustled them the entire game. We ended up pulling out a 6 point victory. Next up…South Shore United Methodist. After playing two Baptist teams earlier in the day it was nice to go head to head with “the Methodists from South Shore.” It was evident in the early minutes in this our third game of the morning, that the Warriors were running on fumes. We played sloppily and just couldn’t get anything going. We kept the game close, but they pulled away in the closing minutes. The guys felt good about their effort in the tournament and so did their coach. After the game we had our annual trip to Bacci’s Pizza for Chicago’s biggest pizza slice. We talked about competing in Breakthrough’s spring league. The Warriors will be back. Please keep praying with me that the guys on the team that don’t know Christ would come to know Him.