When Jessie got the email from her friend that a missionary pastor in India had been badly beaten, we both had some uncomfortable questions, questions we have asked a time or two before.
How zealous are we to share faith? We don't suffer persecution, so what keeps us from telling people about Jesus?
Are our hearts broken for those who don't have faith in Jesus? Do we do anything about it?
How do we support Christians in places where they are persecuted?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Missionary Pastor Titus
Here is an email from Jessie's friend in India, Omana Gaikwad. This is an update on a native missionary, Titus, badly beaten for his faith.
Hi Jessica,
Details of Pastor Titus:
I request you to kindly uphold our missionary Pastor Titus in your prayers. He was beaten badly yesterday for his faith and now is in the hospital. Yesterday, after he was beaten, he was not able to walk for nearly 4-5 hours. One of the nerves near the neck has been badly affected due to the beating because of which he is not able to speak properly and is also having complications around the abdomen.
In the month of February this year, there was persecution in his mission field itself in Andhra Pradesh in South India when new believers were beaten badly and were forced out of the village. The anti-Christian elements had plans to kill Titus during that time itself. However, the LORD, in answer to faithful prayers has been protecting Titus and his family as well as the believers.
I request you to kindly uphold Titus in your prayers. His two children Abhishek and Mahima are studying at our Project Anupama - the Missionary kids home. Please pray for Titus and his family and stand by them in this time of crisis.
In His grace,
Omana
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Hi Jessica,
Details of Pastor Titus:
I request you to kindly uphold our missionary Pastor Titus in your prayers. He was beaten badly yesterday for his faith and now is in the hospital. Yesterday, after he was beaten, he was not able to walk for nearly 4-5 hours. One of the nerves near the neck has been badly affected due to the beating because of which he is not able to speak properly and is also having complications around the abdomen.
In the month of February this year, there was persecution in his mission field itself in Andhra Pradesh in South India when new believers were beaten badly and were forced out of the village. The anti-Christian elements had plans to kill Titus during that time itself. However, the LORD, in answer to faithful prayers has been protecting Titus and his family as well as the believers.
I request you to kindly uphold Titus in your prayers. His two children Abhishek and Mahima are studying at our Project Anupama - the Missionary kids home. Please pray for Titus and his family and stand by them in this time of crisis.
In His grace,
Omana
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Random Notes
This is a long way to get to a point that might not mean anything to too many people...
In my freshman year of college, I learned that a writer I liked, Walker Percy, lived not far from Hattiesburg, in Covington, LA. My college dean encouraged me to go visit him. "He'll take you out for crawfish and beer." Sounded like a good idea at the time, but I was a little wary; can you actually just write or call someone famous to see if you can hang out? By the time I quit hemming and hawing, he had died. So I resolved that I would just see if I could go visit some interesting person, and not wait around. It's how I got to know Wendell Berry.
My first "victim" was Andrew Lytle, my favorite of The Agrarians (check out their essays in I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition). It so happened that he was the only one of the Agrarians left alive. I found out he lived in Monteagle, TN. He was in terrible health, but agreed to have me in his home. So I drove up there and we had a dinner of country ham and greens, with whiskey and spring water to drink. We talked a good bit about his work, literature in general, and he turned me on to his favorite novel, Kristin Lavransdottir, which he rates higher than works by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.
He got tired, and asked if I could help him into bed. It was a sweet moment, this grand old man of letters being helped into his tall bed by a student.
I went home and got the book. He died the next Christmas, so I was very glad to have talked to him. The long and the short of it is Morehead reminds me of Monteagle, TN.
_______________
Hey, John Crissman and Tom Baker, is your church's Habitat Project a passive home? No? Hmmm....
_______________
Preaching this Sunday on John 12:24, looking forward to having communion with the folks of Morehead! I am meditating on how Jesus talking about the seed that dies to become fruitful points us to 1 Cor 15's beautiful discussion of the resurrection body (verse 35-the end of the chapter), but also has a resonance with Jesus' humanity: the bread and wine, or rather the grain and grapes show us the Incarnation. It's not an obvious connection, and you'll have to come on Sunday to find out!
In my freshman year of college, I learned that a writer I liked, Walker Percy, lived not far from Hattiesburg, in Covington, LA. My college dean encouraged me to go visit him. "He'll take you out for crawfish and beer." Sounded like a good idea at the time, but I was a little wary; can you actually just write or call someone famous to see if you can hang out? By the time I quit hemming and hawing, he had died. So I resolved that I would just see if I could go visit some interesting person, and not wait around. It's how I got to know Wendell Berry.
My first "victim" was Andrew Lytle, my favorite of The Agrarians (check out their essays in I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition). It so happened that he was the only one of the Agrarians left alive. I found out he lived in Monteagle, TN. He was in terrible health, but agreed to have me in his home. So I drove up there and we had a dinner of country ham and greens, with whiskey and spring water to drink. We talked a good bit about his work, literature in general, and he turned me on to his favorite novel, Kristin Lavransdottir, which he rates higher than works by Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.
He got tired, and asked if I could help him into bed. It was a sweet moment, this grand old man of letters being helped into his tall bed by a student.
I went home and got the book. He died the next Christmas, so I was very glad to have talked to him. The long and the short of it is Morehead reminds me of Monteagle, TN.
_______________
Hey, John Crissman and Tom Baker, is your church's Habitat Project a passive home? No? Hmmm....
_______________
Preaching this Sunday on John 12:24, looking forward to having communion with the folks of Morehead! I am meditating on how Jesus talking about the seed that dies to become fruitful points us to 1 Cor 15's beautiful discussion of the resurrection body (verse 35-the end of the chapter), but also has a resonance with Jesus' humanity: the bread and wine, or rather the grain and grapes show us the Incarnation. It's not an obvious connection, and you'll have to come on Sunday to find out!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
First Sunday
I had great freedom in preaching this morning. In a first sermon, you have to tell them something about yourself but I also wanted to make sure I gave them the pure Gospel.
I told a bit if my story, the chinks in my atheist armor that developed after contact with some interesting Christian characters.
I tried to force home that Romans 12:2 depends on Romans 1-11, that 12:2 becomes less command and more inescapable work of Christ in the believer.
Some folks came to the altar seeking deeper work of God in their lives. It was a great joy to pray with them!
I was a little worried because the music and singing was so good. But I put the strap down and let the Lord have His say.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I told a bit if my story, the chinks in my atheist armor that developed after contact with some interesting Christian characters.
I tried to force home that Romans 12:2 depends on Romans 1-11, that 12:2 becomes less command and more inescapable work of Christ in the believer.
Some folks came to the altar seeking deeper work of God in their lives. It was a great joy to pray with them!
I was a little worried because the music and singing was so good. But I put the strap down and let the Lord have His say.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, June 24, 2011
We Move Tomorrow
John and Joe are hanging w Onias, Hezekiah and Zedekiah. It's those last desperate hours w friends. They both acknowledge and deny they are moving.
I know that liminal zone well: the desire to stay up as late as you can, but not admit it's goodbye.
We are blessed to be close enough to come back a few times, to ease out of here, to soften the blow-- there will be quick new friends at church. But tonight it's all summer things and the great mysteries of childhood, inscrutable adults, and bishops who send preachers.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I know that liminal zone well: the desire to stay up as late as you can, but not admit it's goodbye.
We are blessed to be close enough to come back a few times, to ease out of here, to soften the blow-- there will be quick new friends at church. But tonight it's all summer things and the great mysteries of childhood, inscrutable adults, and bishops who send preachers.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
This Is Going to be Great
First full day in Morehead. Unpacking my office stuff, hanging out w kids and volunteers at VBS.
First person I saw today was Paula and her children, from Veracruz. I was able to introduce myself and tell her I was the new pastor. We talked about hopefully having Hispanic ministry. I asked if she had a church. She said she'd like to come here! Of course, Sonata, our missionary in Oaxaca had already built a relationship w her.
That is the nature of this church: so much going on, so many pioneering steps and I get to walk in and water plants and harvest where I did not sow. An amazing church! Bruce Nettleton, the previous pastor, did an amazing job. Easy to step in and follow.
The parsonage is beautiful, and the folks are going out of their way to take care of us.
Can't wait to see everyone Sunday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
First person I saw today was Paula and her children, from Veracruz. I was able to introduce myself and tell her I was the new pastor. We talked about hopefully having Hispanic ministry. I asked if she had a church. She said she'd like to come here! Of course, Sonata, our missionary in Oaxaca had already built a relationship w her.
That is the nature of this church: so much going on, so many pioneering steps and I get to walk in and water plants and harvest where I did not sow. An amazing church! Bruce Nettleton, the previous pastor, did an amazing job. Easy to step in and follow.
The parsonage is beautiful, and the folks are going out of their way to take care of us.
Can't wait to see everyone Sunday!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Stuff you find when you're moving
I found an important reminder of my spiritual journey and call. I usually keep a small spiral notebook handy, to jot stuff down in. This one had a sheet with a date, 16.5.96.
It referenced Olav Parnemets' visit to First Methodist on Lexington. Olav was the Estonian Methodist District Superintendent. He told a little bit of his story about Soviet times. I noted: "I need to quit whining. If Olav could follow Christ when the stakes were high I need to get my life straightened out."
What was going on is that I was running from a call to ministry. About a month from that entry, I was in Estonia, and every objection I had fell away. In those days, Melissa and I were friends, no inkling there would be anything more. She told some fellow students that I was going to quit the Ph.D. program. "How do you know?" they asked. She said that she could tell by looking at me, something happened there.
It referenced Olav Parnemets' visit to First Methodist on Lexington. Olav was the Estonian Methodist District Superintendent. He told a little bit of his story about Soviet times. I noted: "I need to quit whining. If Olav could follow Christ when the stakes were high I need to get my life straightened out."
What was going on is that I was running from a call to ministry. About a month from that entry, I was in Estonia, and every objection I had fell away. In those days, Melissa and I were friends, no inkling there would be anything more. She told some fellow students that I was going to quit the Ph.D. program. "How do you know?" they asked. She said that she could tell by looking at me, something happened there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)