Leap Year #2 - Update

Friends & Family,
This is the second update on the transition that Eileen and I are calling Leap Year! Our longing is to be the people God wants us to be and do the ‘good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Eph. 2:10).

I interviewed with the Board of Ordained Ministry concerning the ‘extension ministry’ appointment as a general evangelist last Thursday.  I am waiting to hear from them. I also have an interview this coming Thursday with Virginia Wesleyan College. They have a part-time chaplaincy position open, which may also fit the gifts and calling that God has for me.

 Since my email last month, I met with the Evangelical Fellowship, which is a group of pastors and laypersons within the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Pastor David Ford graciously gave me some time to share with the group. Their response to my sharing about being a ‘Missionary Evangelist’ were and are a great encouragement to me. They prayed over me and read Scripture over me, which was tremendously affirming.

 Two first-rate people have agreed to serve on the Board of Directors. They are Pete Kovalcik and Pastor Bob Weeks. Pete is a part of the congregation at Grace Harbor and is the Executive Director of the Luter Family YMCA in Smithfield. Pastor Bob and I have worked together at our multi-campus church New Creation UMC, for more than 5 years. The initial paperwork for the 501(c)(3) is with a lawyer, who is also a friend.

 Thank you so much for your prayers, support and encouragement.


‘May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you’ (Jude 1:2).

Greg

My Grandfather Online Poet . . .

I just discoverd that my Pop Pop's poetry is online.  A friend of his, Harry Wettig, published a book of his poetry after he died.  I had no idea he had also uploaded the book.  Here is the link and a couple of my favorites from Percy below:

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry_all.asp?Authorid=76534

You Smiled - a poem written to Rae (photo)
You smiled at me!
And I shall forever be in your debt,
That long ago when we first met
You smiled at me.

Then suddenly my whole world changed from gray
To gleaming gold!
Now all eternity within my grasp I hold,
Because you smiled at me.
 
 
Prayer on a Bus

Dear God, forgive that I should be
So blind in faith as not to see
Thy shining presence everywhere I go;
And so,
My humble thanks that I was on
The bus tonight with old blind John.

(The above poem was written before 1940 when Rae and Percy were on a trolley headed for the downtown. The trolley stopped to pick up Old Blind John, who sold pencils on the street corner next to Thom's Drug Store. Percy jumped up, helped Old Blind John to a seat, talked for few minutes and then returned to recite the above Poem to Rae.)


Parson Brown & The Prodigal Son

This is the story of Parson Brown,
A colored preacher in a southern town,
Forced to retire 'cause he’s gittin too old,
With a thousand more sermons still untold.
So the parson took his sermons out on the street
Unloading them on anyone he chanced to meet,
‘Till his friends started shunning
The parson and his talks
So the parson did his preaching on long lonely walks.

This would be a sad story if it ended this way,
But, let’s hear from the parson
What happened one day:
As I was walking down the road
I met a stranger carrying a load.
He said, “Please mister, will you set me right,
I’ve looked everywhere that I could roam,
Please show me the road that leads to home.”

“Well brother.” says I, “Just stand where you are
And gaze in the sky at the evening star
‘Till your sins all melt, run down in your shoes,
And the good Lord above will send down news
Of a road to travel that’s narrow and straight
But leads ever upward to Heaven’s gate.”

“Now listen real good and take a hint,
Home is a place where the heart is content.
Peace can’t be found by a worldwide search,
Just go instead to the nearest Church,
Throw off your troubles and fall on your knees
And ask the good Lord to put your soul at ease.”
Then the stranger laughed ‘till he nearly cried
As he looked again at the country side,
Then he placed his bundle on the ground
And said to me, “Are you Parson Brown?”
I said, “I be, but what caused your joy?”
“Then welcome home,” says he,
“your wandering boy!”


My Name is Thomas
Forgive me, Lord, if doubting is a sin,
But finite minds can only comprehend
What human reason can explain.
I’m sure you know the limits of my brain,
Thou who did the universe design
Must surely know each weakness that is mine.
‘Tis not that I lack faith or love
Just send me understanding from above.

New Models of Learning

The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life By Parker J. Palmer

From an article: When I Figure Out the IPad
http://eric.clst.org/mystery/archives/1367

OLD:

NEW:

COMMENTARY: Seven things I hate about U(MC) - Ted Campbell, Jul 16, 2009

When we critique the bride of Christ, it must be done in the right spirit; that is for her well being and conformity to Christ.  MLK Jr. said it well:

"In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists."  from Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail

So good to hear someone speak up.  Thanks Ted Campbell.

http://umportal.org/article.asp?id=5592

Leap Year #1 - The Suffolk West's in February

You’re getting this email because you have encouraged Eileen and I as we have been discerning God's new direction for us. Thank you! Many have said, “Keep us informed along the way.” So I thought an email-blog would be best.

I met with Bishop Kammerer on February 15th. The purpose of the meeting was simply to inform her of our new direction and to seek guidance. I asked if she thought there was a need for a new evangelist in the Virginia Conference. She answered, "I think there's probably not just a need for one more, but maybe three or four more." Good sign.
I shared the concept of "Theology on Tap", something like this . . . we go to the local bar and find out which night is slowest for business. Then the proposal: We'll invite people to the bar on Tuesday nights and we'll give a presentation that will turn into a conversation around Jesus and the Scriptures. Our presentation isn't heavy handed or pushy, just a conversation. Alcohol isn't one of our topics, but if we're asked, we'll share that the Scriptures speak against drunkenness, but not drinking. Our Catholic brothers and sisters are using this approach in different parts of the country seemingly with great success. Again, Bishop Kammerer was good with it.

This week I met with the Board of Evangelism for the Virginia Conference. The interview went well and I was given a ‘thumbs up’. My friend Brian Sixby, also a pastor in Suffolk is the chair of this group. One of the highlights for me was when one of the pastors interviewing me discovered there was no salary. We made eye contact and with a puzzled look he said, “How are you gonna get paid?” I leaned forward and said, “I’m just about to take up an offering!” Good guy, he gave me his card afterwards and told me to call him.

So thanks for your encouragement and prayers. I’m also in the middle of setting up the required 501(c)(3). The next interview is March 25th with the Board of Ordained Ministry. The goal is to be appointed as a ‘general evangelist’ in the Virginia Conference. This will give me the freedom to be the ‘missionary evangelist’ that I believe God is calling me to!

1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

I remember well that soccer game in Managua. The horses were on my team as was this muchacho!

These children were a part of a Compassion International project. Very moving.

http://www.compassion.com/

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Catastrophe in Haiti: A Different View

I am thinking of God being misrepresented at a time when our hearts are most vulnerable. I am thinking about the suffering of the people of Haiti and the tragic history of the island of Hispañola. What if the ‘Christian’ Europeans had actually obeyed Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor”? They would not have exploited, enslaved and massacred the indigenous peoples. They would have developed friendships and partnerships with the native peoples to develop the land. Maybe without this brutal history, which betrayed all of the teachings of Jesus, the island would not be impoverished and wrecked today. Maybe Port-au-Prince and the other cities would have been built with the resources and technology capable of withstanding a 7.0 earthquake.

Please forgive us. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul devoted an entire letter to his friend Philemon asking him to change his relationship with Onesimus, from slave to that of a beloved brother. This appeal was “on the basis of love” (Philemon 1:9, 15-16). We did not listen.

Please forgive us. The failure of the church to do serious study and application on the Biblical letter to Philemon gave a green light to the suffering, enslavement and death of millions. The consequences, pain and injustices are still felt today.

In Luke 13:1-5, there is a simple and weighty teaching of Jesus:

“About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. Jesus asked, “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

In this passage we are told of two catastrophes, both resulting in numerous deaths. The first is man made and the other is what we call a natural disaster. Jesus knew the thoughts of the people: They must have deserved it. Jesus corrects them with an emphatic “No.” We would be wise to apply this teaching: When tragedy comes, do not try to infer guilt and judgment. Your business is to be ready for your own death and judgment.

Please forgive us. We revere the Bible, but we don’t really know what it says.

Please forgive us. We have often made a Jesus of our own imagination to fit our politics, our prejudices and our greed.

Please forgive us. Though we are told to be “ambassadors for Christ”, there is too often little resemblance between the beauty and compassion of Jesus and we his followers.

There is a long, sad history of church leaders driving their personal agendas while claiming to have Jesus’ stamp of approval. With that being said I quote E. Stanley Jones, a 20th century missionary to India:

“Let me declare my faith in, and appreciation of, the Christian church. With all its faults it is the greatest serving institution on earth. It has many critics but no rivals in the work of human redemption. The isn’t a spot on the earth from the frozen north to the tropical islands of the sea where we haven’t gone with schools, hospitals, orphan and leper asylums, churches, everything to lift the soul, the mind, the body of the human race.”

Jesus, please forgive us.

“The Kingdom of God is God’s total answer to humanity’s total need. . . If Jesus made the kingdom of God the center of his message and the center of his endeavor, the greatest need of man, as I see it, is to rediscover the kingdom of God. Man needs nothing so much as he needs something to bring life together into total meaning and total goal. Life for the modern man in East and West needs something to give total meaning to an otherwise fragmented life. He needs an absolute from which he can work down to the relativisms of the day, a master light of all his seeing. He is being pushed and pulled and beckoned to, enticed and bludgeoned from all directions. He is being pushed from relativism to relativism. He is confused-the most confused and yet the most intelligent person that ever existed. He knows everything about life, except how to live it.” From E. Stanley Jones' book The Unshakeable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person.

The phrase 'Kingdom of God' appears 65x in the New Testament and 'Kingdom of Heaven' 31x (all in Matthew's Gospel); and yet we don't tend to think of Jesus' message in this way. Individualism and the focus on the afterlife has reduced and altered the message to 'accept Jesus and you get to go to heaven with him when you die.' Jesus certainly is the way to the Father, but this reduction and alteration of the central theme of his teaching tames the revolutionary message of complete allegiance to this King and complete participation in bringing this Kingdom of God, of heaven to the earth: ". . . your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" Matthew 6:10.

Here is an amazing quote from Thomas Cahill's book: The Desire of the Everlasting Hills ~ The World Before and After Jesus.

He writes . . . ‘the radical society of friends, of free and equal men and women, that came forth from the side of the crucified (an earlier reference to the blood and water that poured out of Jesus as the spear went into his side - the blood and water, the Lord's supper and baptism) was quickly overwhelmed by ancient patriarchy and has been overwhelmed in every era since by the social and political forms of the age’ (pg. 303).

So this community of love that Jesus envisioned and gave his life for has been usurped by some with different agendas. Well meaning, good people maybe, but still not in line with the purposes of Jesus. So it's been form over funtion and the the mission of Jesus is often subverted in favor of issues of power, status, expedience, structure, legacy, etc. It's very difficult for people to discern because religious language is used and the forms are taken to be the reality; "having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:5).

Kingdom and Church

Sunrise Worship, Resurrection Sunday on the James River

"The church gets into trouble whenever it thinks it is in the church business rather than the Kingdom business. In the church business, people are concerned with the church activities, religious behavior and spiritual things. In the Kingdom business, people are concerned
with Kingdom activities, all human behavior and everything that God has made, visible and invisible. Church people think about how to get people into the church, Kingdom people think about how to get the church into the world. Church people worry that the world might change the church, Kingdom people work to see the church change the world." Howard Snyder

The One who started the church said, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the
gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35). This is not just true for individuals, but for groups as well and institutions! So the church that is in survival mode ends up losing its life and the church that willingly gives away its life ends up saving it.

Just finished Langston Hughes' brilliant book, Not Without Laughter, written in 1930. It's the coming of age story of Sandy, a black youngster being raised in Kansas poverty mostly by grandma, who is called Aunt Hager. The book climbs to this passage, "But was that why Negroes were poor, because they were dancers, jazzers, clowns? . . . The other way round would be better: dancers because of their poverty; singers because they suffered; laughing all the time because they must forget. . . . It's more like that, thought Sandy.
A band of dancers. . . . Black dancers-captured in a white world. . . . Dancers of the spirit, too. Each black dreamer a captured dancer of the spirit. . . . Aunt Hager's dreams for Sandy dancing far beyond the limitations of their poverty, of their humble station in life, of their dark skins.
"I wants you to be a great man, son," she often told him, sitting on the porch in the darkness, singing, dreaming, calling up the deep past, creating dreams within the child. "I wants you to be a great man."
"And I won't disappoint you!" Sandy said that hot Chicago summer, just as though Hager were still there, planning for him.

I read through 1 Thessalonians this morning. Some thoughts . . .

Almost everyone will tell you Paul wrote this letter, but it’s actually written by Paul, Silas and Timothy. So there was a team! "We", "us" and "our" are the words that fill the letter. There are only two times in the 5 chapters that the word "I" is used, referencing Paul. We keep trying to be superheros for Jesus when God is trying to form a team with it's strength being the unity shared in Christ.

These passages from 1 Thessalonians showed that at the core of the Gospel, is about living ‘life together’.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

1 Thessalonians 2:6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.

James Madison on the enemies of true liberty . . .

"Of all the enemies of true liberty, war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few. In war, too, the discretionary power of the Executive is extended; its influence in dealing out offices, honors and emoluments is multiplied; and all the means of seducing the minds, are added to those of subduing the force, of the people. The same malignant aspect in republicanism may be traced in the inequality of fortunes, and the opportunities of fraud, growing out of a state of war, and in the degeneracy of manner and of morals, engendered in both. No nation can preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare … War is in fact the true nurse of executive aggrandizement. In war, a physical force is to be created; and it is the executive will, which is to direct it. In war, the public treasuries are to be unlocked; and it is the executive hand which is to dispense them. In war, the honors and emoluments of office are to be multiplied; and it is the executive patronage under which they are to be enjoyed; and it is the executive brow they are to encircle. The strongest passions and most dangerous weaknesses of the human breast; ambition, avarice, vanity, the honorable or venal love of fame, are all in conspiracy against the desire and duty of peace."

Phenomenal insight into a great plague upon humankind. And does not one war sow the seeds for the next war? I certainly don't have it all figured out, but we're killing ourselves, literally.

Take a look at Congressman Ron Paul's words during the buildup for the war in Iraq:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLV7zDhKzDY&feature=related

And here is Chalmer's Johnson on a little history of Iraq:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wg1WuPgFJQ

haunting song - Wave of Sorrow ~ U2

I've been haunted for 6 months. The first is Bono explaining the song and the second is the song and video.

Ashes from the Sky

The tree fort is enclosed from all sides, though by way of a small path you could walk to my back yard in under 60 seconds. It's only 5 feet off the ground, but it gives me a sense of being away. My thoughts are clear here.
So, how do I find freedom to walk with God and not pursue the things that harm me and those I love? One day I feel a closeness and and seem to believe I will enjoy this closeness without interuption. Then the next day, my thoughts are far away and I doubt, I judge, I justify, I desire that which would harm me or others. Yes, choosing those things that alienate me from God. It is Romans 7 . . . so how do I live in Romans 8? Then I see the flakes, just one or two white flakes floating down through the pine trees, close enough for me to reach and catch them. And I do. The pungent smell of smoke has been in the air for days and I've grown used to it. The fire is from the Great Dismal Swamp seen in the photo above, blowing south across the North Carolina border. Now as the wind blows north, not only is the smoke visible in the air, it fills every breath and more . . . the ashes from the sky.
I think of ashes and their significance in the Scriptures. Repentance. Turning from sin. The ashes from the sky . . . Does God desire to meet with me here? Here in the tree fort pursuing me with such love? The tears come slowly and I press the caught ashes into my forehead in the sign of the cross. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I want to be free. My life is not my own, I am bought at a price. The rest of the day I gratefully look for more ashes from the sky. I catch them and press them into my skin, drawing near.

fun with the children

The school is next to La Chureca, the trash dump. Some of the children live in the dump. The songs were playful and brought joy in watching.

La Chureca -

la chureca - casa in the center of the dump
Hosanna school near la chureca

school is out

communion + 8 nicaraguan children

Friends,

I was deeply moved on Sunday. When we came together to receive the bread and juice / the body and the blood of Christ, 8 Nicaraguan children also received hope through a new relationship with 8 families. We only had 8 child sponsorship packets from Compassion International available so, my brother sent a dozen more yesterday! Hopefully those will be on the altar table this Sunday for anyone to pick up. If anyone would like more information on Compassion you can check out their website: http://www.compassion.com/default.htm
All of the children we’re sponsoring thus far are from Managua, Nicaragua. We have a team of 6 people going to Managua in late October and we will meet these children. Our plan is to have another trip or two (God willing) in 2009. You can start saving now!

At the center of the good news of Jesus, is this call to self-denial, to surrender and to lay down our lives . . . the Apostles spoke what they heard from the Master. If our following Jesus skips this point, I believe we’ve missed it all.

Jesus . . . Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 9:23-25

Peter . . . As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:2

John . . . This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 1 John 3:16

Paul . . . Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

I was asked to share the letter that my brother wrote about his experience in Managua, it is below.

In Jesus’ great love,

Pastor Greg

From: "Doug West (US - MktDev)" Date: June 24, 2008 11:31:57 AM EDTTo: "Doug West (US - MktDev)" Subject: Urgent Call to Prayer!Last week a small group of us stood in Juan’s yard in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, to learn more about his and his family’s life. The air was hot and still, with some pesky flies and mosquitoes buzzing around. His wife, Brenda, did most of the talking. They had 3 children and all of them were sponsored in the local Compassion projects. 3 is the maximum number of children from one family that can be enrolled, so that alone told me they were in a desperate situation. A few from the group sat in some plastic chairs in front of their 12x12 single-room house made of scrap boards, some cinderblocks and a rusting tin roof, as we asked questions about their kids, their jobs, their hopes and dreams, etc. One of their sons and 2 other local boys were high above us in the branches of the mamon tree, gathering the small fruit to eat or sell. At most homes we visit on these trips, we are welcomed inside. It was different here. Brenda was embarrassed about how little they had; ashamed of their poverty. We all knew that Juan and his family were not less than us; they just had less than us. Despite that, their poverty had begun to work in their minds and hearts to cause feelings of shame and embarrassment over their situation. When we realized this, it was uncomfortable and we quickly tried to lighten the conversation. We asked how we could pray for them and specifically for Juan – and even then it was Brenda who answered for him. Not wanting to make the meeting so one-sided, we encouraged them to ask questions of us. Most times, the questions we get are pretty light: does it snow where we live, what church do we attend, etc. I wasn’t prepared for the weight of the question Juan asked:“For you, when you help take care of our children,is it easy for you, or is it a sacrifice?” We get caught up in life in America, the richest country and culture in the history of the world. And by American standards, perhaps I am sacrificing to help children like Juan’s. We don’t have cable, we own and share one car, and we try to curb our desire for new clothes or other things, buying stuff second hand when we can. But looking at Juan and Brenda and all they have to do to care for their children, because they have no other choice, the truth, the absolute truth, is that I no nothing of sacrifice. I have never faced the choices they face daily, and I probably never will. I brush up against poverty on these trips, we sponsor several children and donate in other areas, but looking at their lives it is clear that what we do is pathetically easy and requires no true sacrifice on our part. It is I who should be embarrassed and ashamed, not Juan and Brenda. Lord Jesus, show me more and more how I can serve you with all I am, how to truly sacrifice, how to truly lay down my life for others, for You. Tomorrow is a day of Prayer and Fasting for the Global Food Crisis. Please join in! Go to www.compassion.com/pray to learn how this crisis is affecting those in poverty and to add your name to the list of those who will be in prayer for Compassion children and their families during this time. Praying with and for you-

doug west
advocate relations - southeastcompassion international
ph. 877.432.0003 mobile 336.662.2819