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Sunday, August 27, 2006
Kent and I both made it safely to Washington (he definitely traveled longer distances and saw more sunrises with the least sleep in the past 48 hrs than me). We are staying with his family for a week before school starts to relax, have some fun hiking, ferry-ing, etc, and to once again (for Kent, especially) adjust to another time zone. I'm sharing a room with Karla - Kent's sister that I've seen the least since we started dating due to her adventures with YWAM, so I'm looking forward to getting to know her lots better. We went out for coffee last night after Kent went to bed...I'm anticipating good things! :)
 
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
 The group in the Philippines
A couple things that I need to correct from my previous "Asia Update": (1) I forgot to mention that Joel is also a part of the trip. It had originally slipped my mind because he had traveled to the Philippines before the rest of the group, so he wasn't at the airport when I said good-bye to everyone. (2) In a recent email from Kent, he said: "Those who think that Indonesians hate Americans ought to stop watching CNN and need to get out more." It is so easy to be mis-informed from the media these days and, not only that, but to believe what they say about people and places that we are not experts on. Shame on us for that.
Here are some exerpts from a document Kent sent me to highlight experiences from Indonesia. He will probably turn this into a blog post on his own blog, but I thought this would be nice for family and friends in the mean-time: We arrived in Jakarta at around 11:00 in the evening. None of us had any problems with immigration, including Anne (from Egypt) who breezed through the line as quickly as the rest of us. Rev. Untung was waiting for us outside the airport, and once we had exchanged our greetings he went to get his vehicle and two others. When he pulled up the cars, a hoard of young boys helped us with our luggage. I’m not sure if they expected a tip, but I had not exchanged much money and I was not yet familiar with the exchange rate. And I’m Dutch. So I didn’t tip, and it seemed okay. Our accommodations at the guesthouse were more than I expected. After the week in the condo-tel in Manila, I was prepared for spartan condition. The guesthouse, however, had open-air gardens and small but comfortable rooms. After a brief conversation together about our initial reactions to Jakarta and a details about the day to come, we each went to our own room to sleep. Fortunately, no jet lag to deal with this time. More than the drinks, though, I enjoyed eating the meal with my hands. At first, this struck me as a kind of primitive approach to sustenance, but I was quickly proven wrong. Getting the food from the plate to my hand to my mouth involved dropping food everywhere along the way and smearing food all over my hands and face once I had reached my established goal of eating. But eating in this way is an art. Our Indonesian friends somehow managed to remain clean and never used their napkins. After we left the restaurant, we drove another 50km or so to reach the conference center. We were now far outside of Jakarta and well inland on the island of Java. The scenery changed along with the demographics, as plains and cities gave way to poor villages and lush jungle. The traffic deteriorated as quickly as my stress level increased; I sat in the front seat of a four-seater [name of car] and did my fair share of backseat driving. The weather is Indonesia is somewhat different from what I expected. The afternoons and evenings are hot and humid, nearing 100 degrees every day. But the nights and early mornings feel like Washington - they are cool and dry. I often wake up cold and I wear multiple layers as I eat breakfast. None of the worship – as I found out in the opening worship service the night before and morning worship this morning – is in English, but a few of the songs are familiar. Most of the worship services are led by a small choir. We sing a blend of traditional Indonesian songs, Western hymns and choruses, and a few taize pieces. Some of the choral anthems are in English, but for the most part, I find myself speaking words I do not know in a language completely unlike my own. Still, I fell a strange bond with my brothers and sisters in Christ, with whom I can only communicate in a rudimentary way, if at all.
More things he mentioned:
- waking up at 4:00AM to the Muslim call to prayer at the local mosque
- Jay losing his passport...and then finding it
- most/all worship services were not in English
- new and interesting foods and drinks
Please continue to pray for their safety in travel as well as continued stamina and enthusiasm as they finish off this (almost) 3-week journey. Pray for the relationships they have formed and the ones they have yet to form. Pray for families of those who are away - I think especially of Anne as she has 3 small boys waiting for her at home. Pray for God's Church everywhere - that it may continue to grow and unify with brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
So life...it happens. So what happens when you begin to see a situation you've been in for a large portion of your life in a different way? To a smaller extent, it could mean something like the group of friends you hang out with...realizing that you're looking for something different, perhaps something deeper or more genuine. Or maybe you've been doing random part-time jobs for most of your life and you're finally able to see that you're ready for a real, stable job and, maybe more than that, that you recognize the importance of being more financially responsible with the money you earn, no matter where it comes from, in preparation for the future as well as to be wise with your current situation (like paying for college with the least amount of debt in the end as possible!).
I feel like, as I'm growing up, I am becoming more aware of who I am as a person, my value as a child of God, what is important to me, what should be important to me, and the types of things I hope to do with my life as long as God allows me to be here.
No matter where we have grown up, what things we have done, what people we have met and been in relationship with, etc., we all have things that push us to succeed and challenge us to be the person God has created us to be. Yet, with sin in the world, we all mess up and we all fail to see situations for what they are and we fail to be the person God wants us to be because our sinful nature affects how we think, what we see, what we feel, what we say, what we do, or the lack thereof. I know I fail in these areas constantly and sometimes my sinful nature blinds me to my own wrong-doing.
However, I am thankful for the grace of God given through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that is offered to me and to anyone else who asks for it. Without that, we would be doomed to eternal failure with no chance of redemption. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). It's a hard, cold fact. But thankfully the story doesn't end there, for in v.24, Paul says we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
So yeah, life happens...the stuff of life happens to us and because of us, whether we like it or not...but we can have hope of full redemption through Jesus Christ. These words from Revelation 21 give me such comfort and hope:
 "...the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
Thursday, August 17, 2006
 Since he left for SE Asia with people from the CICW and Calvin Seminary, Kent has tried to keep in contact as much as possible. Through Skype we have been able to talk on numerous occasions from opposite sides of the globe. Although we have not had the luxury of being able to talk for many extended periods of time, I can report that Kent and the group (Anne, Emily, Joel, Bert and wife Bette, John, Jay and wife Machelle) had a wonderful and safe time in Manila, Philippines. It was rough at first adjusting to the 12 hour difference and then, on top of that, putting in 12-14 hour days every day, never having a dull moment. They met many wonderful people and cultivated friendships with them, making it difficult to say good-bye; however, their experiences in Makati really opened their eyes to the extreme poverty that exists in various parts of our world. Here is a portion of an email I received from Kent on August 15th:
------
We left Manila this morning... difficult to say goodbye to so many people we've grown close to this past week...Spent most of yesterday in a small town about 100km south of Manila in a village where crwrc is working with a group of women to develop a business... twenty two women who have each profited about 200 pesos in the past six months... which is what I spent on coffee every morning as I walked to the church this past week...Last night I spoke on a panel and waxed eloquent about the Trinity in contemporary worship (only two songs in the past twenty years talk about God's Triune activity). That was cool. I also spoke about music within the context of culture... I told all the philipinos to write music that applies most pastorally to their particular cultural context, and told them not to buy into everything American as it is, music included. We had a great conversation.------
Tuesday night Kent called to tell me that they had made it safely to Jakarta, Indonesia and then he called me again last night say that they made it safely to a town about 100 miles outside of Jakarta, the place where they will be for the next week. He raved about the hospitality and about the beauty of the area. It was a very brief conversation, but he sounded quite enthusiastic and excited to be there. I'm sure the feeling is felt by the rest of the group as well. The group has gelled amazingly and they are really enjoying each other's company (and Jay and Michelle celebrated their 19th anniversary on their flight from the Philippines to Indonesia). They will leave for their last destination, Singapore, on the 23rd and will return home on the 27th.
Until then, here are some prayer requests that Kent has asked prayer for:
- That they can find the words to say as they participate in panel discussions.
- That the cease-fire in Lebanon will last...tensions in Jakarta are very high.
- That they will be able to communicate and have meaningful conversations with the people there - the language barrier will be significant.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
~the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor 1:27-31~
This past Sunday I heard a sermon preached by Howie VW, a guest preacher at River Terrace CRC, on 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. He talked about the more recent trend of marketing the Christian faithto the point that it is no longer the Christian faith. But what about the cross...the electric chair of the 1st century...and the fact that our God died upon it...for us...people who mock him and turn our backs on him daily??? And the Holy Bible - I'll bet none of you have books with the word 'holy' used as an adjective for it. And the incarnation...a transcendent God becoming a human with flesh and bones and yet, some how, was still God...how does that work? What does that mean? Oh yeah, it means that Jesus gave us an example of how we are to live in this life when we are surrounded by pain, wrong-doing, anger...sin. So, if we look to Christ's example, how do we market the faith? How do we sell taking up our crosses and following him? How do we get people excited about turning the other cheek when somebody wrongs them? How do we convince people that there is only one Way to heaven in a pluralist society that tells the world that every way works just as good as another?
On another note, how can we make our faith appealing to a rational world when so much of what we believe sounds rediculous: God tells Noah to build a humongous boat so that he could carry 2 of every kind of animal when it rained enough to destroy the rest of the world around him...he told the Israelites that, if they were going to conquer the city of Jericho (with HUGE and extremely thick walls), all they had to do was march around it and blow their trumpets...yeah, right - sounds "believable." Oh, and then Laman is told that if he is going to be cured of leprosy that all he has to do is dip into the dirty Jordan River. Hey, it could happen, right? And then there's this guy, Jesus, who dies on a cross, lays dead in a tomb for 3 days and then comes to life again? And then what's more is that he ascends into heaven?? What?? Ok. Sure.
If you have grown up in the Christian faith, it may not sound that strange b/c you've heard it your whole life, but for someone who has never heard these stories before...it sounds rediculous. So how do we grasp this whole thing? Howie gave these 4 points:
(1) Embracing the Christian faith is a step of faith, not rationality - it's recognizing that it is too big for us to get into our minds.
(2) The power of the Holy Spirit enables that step of faith.
(3) Having courage in the Christian walk to stand for the message of the cross - Howie likened making public profession of faith to joining the army...it is a serious decision to make in which one has to daily fight for peace, for shalom.
(4) The Christian faith does not equal being popular - we are not here to be popular, we are here to be counter-cultural and to fight against the lies that society tells us. When we fight against these lies, the kingdom of darkness slowly but surely looses power. It has already been conquered through Christ's death and resurrection, but until Christ returns, it can still overcome us.
I could go on, but I will leave it at that. The sermon was very good and reminded me of what I am called to be and how I am called to live as a Christian in today’s world. I humbly praise God for sending his Son Jesus to die on the cross for me. I don't completely understand it, but I know I don't deserve it...but he did it anyway - not only for me, but for you, too, no matter what...isn't that amazing??
"This the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
took the blame, bore the wrath
we stand forgiven at the cross."
~chorus of The Power of the Cross by Keith Getty~
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
~1 Cor 1:18~
Monday, August 14, 2006
Sorry I haven't posted in a while...it really is a good thing (and a God thing). God has provided me with two new part-time jobs (besides my other part-time job) to keep me busy while Kent is gone and to help me earn some much-needed money for the coming school year. There is a post on the way, I promise...but I gotta work first! :) God is good!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
 'Tis true. I brought Kent to the airport today and said good-bye for about 3 weeks and will meet up with him again in his home state: Washington. How exciting! Along with a group of people associated with the CICW, Kent will be flying to the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore (sweet hook-up if you ask me!). Kent will be updating general information on the CICW blog as well as his own experiences on his personal blog.
While he is gone, please remember to pray for his safety and the safety of the other 7 people who are on this trip with him. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work through them as they conduct plenary sessions and worship services in foreign land. Pray that power point presentations and other needed equipment will work properly in all three countries. Pray that the Global Church will expand and better understand the value of worshiping within the context of their own beautifully unique cultures (instead of thinking they need to worship in the English language with songs by Chris Tomlin in order to have "authentic worship"). Pray that above all, our Triune God would be glorified and that his Global Church would have a more authentic understanding of who he is.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Words from one of my favorite hymns that gives me strength when sometimes I feel like I don't have any:
How Firm a Foundation (Psalter Hymnal #500)
How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? “Fear not, I am with you; O be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. “When through the deep waters I call you to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
For I will be with you in trouble to bless,
And sanctify to you your deepest distress. When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie,
My grace all sufficient shall be your supply;
The flame shall not hurt you; I only design
Your dross to consume and your gold to refine. “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”
Friday, August 04, 2006
Anyone who participates in worship services on a regular basis knows that there are a lot of factors that go into the planning and the participation. First, there's the scheduling of players, singers and tec and sound people. Next comes the planning of the function-specific songs and scripture passages. What do I mean by that? Through being a Worship Apprentice (WA) last year, I learned that each song and each verse that is chosen for a service should not only be theologically sound and lyrically and musically appropriate, but they should all fulfill a specific function in the service (i.e. adoration, celebration, confession, redemption, lamentation, dedication, etc). Nothing should be chosen "just 'cuz it's cool" or because "we sang this song at my grandma's funeral." The songs, scripture, prayer and sermon should flow smoothly with a unified theme based on the sermon (if there is one). The service should be a dialogue with God and a dialogue with each other. An extremely helpful thing that I learned in a worship class is to pay attentions to the "arrows in worship." Upward arrow is us talking to God. Downward arrow is God speaking to us. Horizontal arrow is dialogue with our brothers and sisters in Christ - the community of believers. Next time you go to church, pay attention to the words you sing and pray...are you always speaking to God? Do you ever say a prayer or speak words of encouragement for the members of your congregation? Do you hear the words of hope, encouragement, rebuke, forgiveness and love from God?
The more I learn about worship, the more I believe that worship planners and leaders have a huge responsibility because they are helping supply the words that people pray - they are choosing songs, selecting portions of scripture, and praying prayers that can form how congregations understand and think about God throughout the week. Pastors have this same responsibility. If they are only choosing to preach sermons on the New Testament and rarely refer to the Old Testament, they can be sending a message to their congregation that the stories and promises of the OT are not as important or as relevant to our lives as the NT is. Going back to the worship planner, if all the chosen songs refer to a transcendent God, people may have a hard time talking to God about their struggles and joys because they don't really understand the personhood of Jesus Christ and his ability to relate to our humanness. If the focus is solely on Jesus Christ, we can fail to remember the power of the Holy Spirit who was there before the creation of the world and who is still living and moving among us today, in this very moment. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, how could we pray? How could we read the Bible?
Finally, there is the actual rehearsal and participation in the service itself. Being in a band is one thing, but being in a worship band - especially one who leads congregational singing - is different. At Calvin I am involved in a worship team called L.O.F.T. (Living Our Faith Together). It is a Sunday evening student-led service. All the musicians and singers are extremely skilled. We hold auditions every fall and every spring so we can incorporate new team members with a passion to serve the Lord with their musical talent all-the-while maintaining musical excellence. See, there's a tension here because we want to strive for musical excellence, but we strongly believe that music is not the goal - bringing praise and glory to our risen Savior is. At the same time, if the music is poorly put together through a last-minute rehearsal, chances are there will be many distractions for those in the congregation through either wrong notes, tempo issues, or wretched transitions. As musicians and leaders, it is our job to do our best with the help of the Holy Spirit to facilitate dialogue with God and with each other. To help people worship, pray and experience the Triune God in new and fresh ways without getting in the way.
Of course, even with hours of rehearsal under your belt, services can still have mistakes and unexpected "pleasantries." I could give many stories of personal experiences with this...boy, could I give you stories...one fun one was when, not 2 seconds before I was going to walk up on the chapel platform to begin the LOFT service, I was kindly informed that we had no projection screens - the system had shut down (keep in mind that the LOFT service is a 1hr 15 min service, only 18-23 minutes of that being the sermon)...and the first song we were going to sing (after the traditional opening song) was a brand new one that we were going to introduce. What fun! Deborah, one of my fellow WA's kindly made and handed out some copies of the new song with lightening speed so at least some could have the words in front of them, and for those who didn't have words, I did my best to speak the phrases well enough in advance for them to be able to sing them. While that was a fairly stressful situation for me as the leader, a number of people came up to me afterwards saying they loved the service - that it was really meaningful and worshipful for them. All I could say to that was: "Praise God!!!"
Those who know me know that I could talk for hours and hours about worship, the millions of things I've learned and the things I feel very strongly about. But maybe the one thing that I have learned over and over again - especially in this last year - is that Christ is the One who perfects our worship. Since being a WA, I have been granted "the curse" (former WA's - you understand what I'm talking about). "The curse" means that whatever worship service I attend, I always critique the service whether I realize it or not...I need to constantly remind myself that: (1) even with training, I do not know everything about worship, (2) a service does not have to be perfect to be worshipful - the Holy Spirit works through and despite our efforts and, (3) if we are so hung up on the "details" of a service, it is likely that we are missing the point of why we are doing what we do in the first place.
"Who can discern his [her] errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
~from Psalm 19~
Thursday, August 03, 2006
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