Happy New Year! May 2009 be a year of abundant blessing in your life and ministry!
Psalm 90:4 (NIV) - "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night."
2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) - "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
TR
It's the end of 2008, and perhaps you've had a difficult year in your international ministry. Perhaps you are bandaging up a lot of wounds caused by relentless attacks and criticism. Perhaps you are doubting if God really has you in the right place, or if you're doing the right ministry. Perhaps you're weary and tired and ready to throw in the towel. If so, then please read - and take to heart! - the following words of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, spoken at the Paris Sorbonne in 1910:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again (but) ... who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."
Amen, TR!
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again (but) ... who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."
Amen, TR!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Church In A Cinema
Over the past several weeks at Flamingo Road Church in Lima, where we do church in a cinema, we have encountered the following Sunday-morning challenges:
1. A broken elevator.
2. A broken section of the escalator, caused by rowdy teens repeatedly jumping up and down on it.
3. A river of Coca-Cola on the carpet in the lobby where we have our information tables.
4. A blizzard of popcorn in the cinema where we have our worship services.
5. An insufficient number of cinema workers to clean it all up.
6. Corporate events and birthday party functions encroaching on the space we rent from the cinema each Sunday.
7. A Nike marathon running right outside our front door, and closing all the streets around the cinema.
8. Torn-up carpet in the lobby, where workers had begun to replace the carpet with tile, but hadn't finished the job.
9. A nearby church of another Christian denomination complaining to the parking garage that our members were taking up too many parking spaces.
10. Earthquake tremors during the worship services.
Yes, that's quite a Top 10 list!
And it serves to underscore the point that two of the most important talents that you must develop in order to have success in international ministry are adaptability and flexibility. Without them, you'll never make it.
As examples of our adaptability and flexibility, we reversed escalator paths so that everyone would at least have escalator access on the way up to the 4th floor of the cinema, where we are located. We also grabbed brooms, dustbins, towels, and anything else on hand to clean up the Coca-Cola and popcorn messes we encountered on Sunday mornings. We handed out promotional cards to those waiting to attend corporate and birthday functions in adjoining cinemas, and invited them to join us in the worship service, even if just for 5 minutes. Many did! As for the earthquake tremors, I just told the crowds that we should all sing "Shake, Rattle, and Roll."
Adaptability and flexibility. And a dose of humor. Embrace them in your international ministry. It will make all the difference in the world.
1. A broken elevator.
2. A broken section of the escalator, caused by rowdy teens repeatedly jumping up and down on it.
3. A river of Coca-Cola on the carpet in the lobby where we have our information tables.
4. A blizzard of popcorn in the cinema where we have our worship services.
5. An insufficient number of cinema workers to clean it all up.
6. Corporate events and birthday party functions encroaching on the space we rent from the cinema each Sunday.
7. A Nike marathon running right outside our front door, and closing all the streets around the cinema.
8. Torn-up carpet in the lobby, where workers had begun to replace the carpet with tile, but hadn't finished the job.
9. A nearby church of another Christian denomination complaining to the parking garage that our members were taking up too many parking spaces.
10. Earthquake tremors during the worship services.
Yes, that's quite a Top 10 list!
And it serves to underscore the point that two of the most important talents that you must develop in order to have success in international ministry are adaptability and flexibility. Without them, you'll never make it.
As examples of our adaptability and flexibility, we reversed escalator paths so that everyone would at least have escalator access on the way up to the 4th floor of the cinema, where we are located. We also grabbed brooms, dustbins, towels, and anything else on hand to clean up the Coca-Cola and popcorn messes we encountered on Sunday mornings. We handed out promotional cards to those waiting to attend corporate and birthday functions in adjoining cinemas, and invited them to join us in the worship service, even if just for 5 minutes. Many did! As for the earthquake tremors, I just told the crowds that we should all sing "Shake, Rattle, and Roll."
Adaptability and flexibility. And a dose of humor. Embrace them in your international ministry. It will make all the difference in the world.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Baby Jesus Born To Virgin Mary In Peru!
Did you know that baby Jesus was born to Virgin Mary in Lima, Peru?
And all this time you though it happened in Bethlehem!
True story: a baby named Jesus was born to a young woman named Virgin Mary on Christmas Day (2008) in the Maternity Hospital in Lima, Peru. And Virgin Mary's husband is a carpenter!
And all this time you though it happened in Bethlehem!
True story: a baby named Jesus was born to a young woman named Virgin Mary on Christmas Day (2008) in the Maternity Hospital in Lima, Peru. And Virgin Mary's husband is a carpenter!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) - "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Make Room
Every year on Christmas Eve, the city of Lima is inundated with thousands upon thousands of poor people and families. They come to Lima from the mountain provinces of Peru every December 24 to beg for money and/or food, in the hope that the citizens of Peru's capital city will be full of Christmas cheer and generosity. It is common on Christmas Eve to stop at a red light in Lima, and to have your car surrounded by dozens of impoverished women and children, looking for a piece of fruit cake or a cookie or a coin.
Something that we have done every year in Lima is to reach out to these poor families. They are usually in Lima for just a day or two, and then they return to their native provinces. We prepare enormous quantities of "goody bags" for them, which are filled with juice boxes, candy canes, chocolates, cookies, and other Christmas treats. Last year we gave out over 1,000 of these goody bags to the children and families on the streets of Lima on Christmas Eve.
Luke 2:7 tells us how Mary gave birth to Jesus and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Similarly, most people in Lima have no room, in their hearts, for the poor who flood the city every Christmas Eve, looking for a bit of the true Christmas spirit.
Wherever in the world you are doing ministry, I am sure that a similar situation exists. Make room for the impoverished and the ignored this Christmas. Fill up a bunch of goody bags with Christmas treats and hand them out. The bags may contain nothing more than a few cookies and candies, but they'll also be filled with the love of Jesus, and that's the most important gift that we can give to anyone, anywhere in the world, this Christmas.
Something that we have done every year in Lima is to reach out to these poor families. They are usually in Lima for just a day or two, and then they return to their native provinces. We prepare enormous quantities of "goody bags" for them, which are filled with juice boxes, candy canes, chocolates, cookies, and other Christmas treats. Last year we gave out over 1,000 of these goody bags to the children and families on the streets of Lima on Christmas Eve.
Luke 2:7 tells us how Mary gave birth to Jesus and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. Similarly, most people in Lima have no room, in their hearts, for the poor who flood the city every Christmas Eve, looking for a bit of the true Christmas spirit.
Wherever in the world you are doing ministry, I am sure that a similar situation exists. Make room for the impoverished and the ignored this Christmas. Fill up a bunch of goody bags with Christmas treats and hand them out. The bags may contain nothing more than a few cookies and candies, but they'll also be filled with the love of Jesus, and that's the most important gift that we can give to anyone, anywhere in the world, this Christmas.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Peru Christmas Traditions
Here in Peru, Christmas Eve is more important than Christmas Day. Families gather together on Christmas Eve to have dinner and open presents. Generally this is not done until close to midnight. A traditional Peru Christmas Eve dinner includes roast turkey (prepared with a mildly-spicy Peruvian red sauce containing garlic, chili pepper powder, vinegar, and other special ingredients to give it a kick), mashed Peruvian yellow potatoes (there are 3,000 different types of potatoes in Peru), white rice, rice pilaf, potato salad, a sweet potato sauce that is similar in consistency to apple sauce, and a salad which consists of beans, carrots, and beets. Dessert includes hot chocolate made with cinnamon and clove (delicious, even if it is the summertime here!) and Peruvian fruitcake, called "paneton", which is light, tasty, and delicious, and is a world apart from the clunky, tasteless loaf that they have in the USA.
At midnight there are fireworks all around the city.
Christmas Day is more of a time to rest and relax with family and friends.
Santa Claus, by the way, is called "Papa Noel" in Peru.
Christmas also marks the beginning of the summer season here in Peru, so right after Christmas many families head to the beach for summer vacation. The coast of Peru has some of the biggest and finest waves in the world, and so it's common to see many people surfing on Christmas morning.
These are just a few of the Christmas traditions here in Peru. What are the local Christmas traditions where you are doing ministry? Have you embraced them and leveraged them for your ministry? It's not too late to do so!
At midnight there are fireworks all around the city.
Christmas Day is more of a time to rest and relax with family and friends.
Santa Claus, by the way, is called "Papa Noel" in Peru.
Christmas also marks the beginning of the summer season here in Peru, so right after Christmas many families head to the beach for summer vacation. The coast of Peru has some of the biggest and finest waves in the world, and so it's common to see many people surfing on Christmas morning.
These are just a few of the Christmas traditions here in Peru. What are the local Christmas traditions where you are doing ministry? Have you embraced them and leveraged them for your ministry? It's not too late to do so!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Fruitcake
In the USA, Christmas fruitcake has become something of a joke. Most people don't like the taste or consistency of it. Many folks prefer to use it as a doorstop. Other just "re-gift" it. There's even a belief, held by many Americans, that there's just one fruitcake in the entire USA, and that it keeps getting sent and re-sent across the entire country, person to person, Christmas after Christmas, year after year.
In Peru, however, fruitcake is a whole different ballgame!
Peruvian fruitcake (called "paneton") is lighter and tastier than its American cousin, and Peruvian fruitcake is happily received as a Christmas gift. I've never seen a Peruvian turn down fruitcake as a Christmas gift. It's always received with a big smile.
However, I have seen some Americans here in Lima turn down Peruvian fruitcake as a gift, thinking that it was nothing more than the local version of the same tasteless, concrete-hard loaf that they hated in the USA. Their refusal was taken as a serious insult here in Peru, and they and their ministries suffered because of it.
What? Suffered because they turned down a fruitcake?
Yes, because it seemed to suggest that they were disparaging an important Peruvian Christmas tradition, and in turn it was as if they were insulting Peru itself.
Christmas, as well as other local holidays wherever you are doing international ministry, can be seasons that make or break your ministry. If you are seen as insensitive, indifferent, or insulting toward local holiday traditions, then you will be severely damaging your chances for success in your ministry.
Embrace your local holiday traditions. Celebrate them. Eat the fruitcake. It won't kill you, and you might actually like it, and the locals will salute you and your ministry for your efforts, and they'll also greatly appreciate your inclusionary attitude.
In Peru, however, fruitcake is a whole different ballgame!
Peruvian fruitcake (called "paneton") is lighter and tastier than its American cousin, and Peruvian fruitcake is happily received as a Christmas gift. I've never seen a Peruvian turn down fruitcake as a Christmas gift. It's always received with a big smile.
However, I have seen some Americans here in Lima turn down Peruvian fruitcake as a gift, thinking that it was nothing more than the local version of the same tasteless, concrete-hard loaf that they hated in the USA. Their refusal was taken as a serious insult here in Peru, and they and their ministries suffered because of it.
What? Suffered because they turned down a fruitcake?
Yes, because it seemed to suggest that they were disparaging an important Peruvian Christmas tradition, and in turn it was as if they were insulting Peru itself.
Christmas, as well as other local holidays wherever you are doing international ministry, can be seasons that make or break your ministry. If you are seen as insensitive, indifferent, or insulting toward local holiday traditions, then you will be severely damaging your chances for success in your ministry.
Embrace your local holiday traditions. Celebrate them. Eat the fruitcake. It won't kill you, and you might actually like it, and the locals will salute you and your ministry for your efforts, and they'll also greatly appreciate your inclusionary attitude.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Guinea Pigs
Sometimes you may feel a little bit like a guinea pig as you do international ministry in some far-flung corner of the globe.
We eat guinea pig here in Peru!
Guinea pig (called "cuy" and pronounced "kwee" in Spanish) is a Peruvian delicacy. There's not a ton of meat on the little critters, but they are tasty. Frequently they are served here with a mildly-spicy peanut sauce on top.
I've eaten quite a few guinea pigs in my time here in Peru. Guinea pig doesn't quite rank up there with a tender filet mignon or succulent barbecued ribs, but I do like 'em, and I've earned quite a few brownie points among the locals down here for being willing to embrace local culture and dive in to a grilled guinea pig - with the head and eyes still attached!
When I grew up in the Boston area, we had two guinea pigs as pets.
Now we eat 'em!
The point of this blog post about guinea pigs - after our Friday discourse on turkey - is that you can get a lot of mileage, and make a lot of friends, and get a lot of positive pub and street cred for your international ministry, if you're willing to toss back a guinea pig or two, or whatever other critters that the locals like to grill up in your neck of the international woods.
I've eaten guinea pigs, worms, crocodiles, llamas, turtles, piranhas, and anacondas here in Peru.
In the case of the crocodiles, piranhas, and anacondas, my firm philosophy is to eat them before they eat you.
They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and I think that the way to impressive ministerial impact is through your stomach as well. Stay away from eating nothing more than Big Macs and Whoppers. Throw down whatever the locals are throwing down. They will like you, and admire you, and respect you for it, and it will go a long way toward endearing them to your ministry.
We eat guinea pig here in Peru!
Guinea pig (called "cuy" and pronounced "kwee" in Spanish) is a Peruvian delicacy. There's not a ton of meat on the little critters, but they are tasty. Frequently they are served here with a mildly-spicy peanut sauce on top.
I've eaten quite a few guinea pigs in my time here in Peru. Guinea pig doesn't quite rank up there with a tender filet mignon or succulent barbecued ribs, but I do like 'em, and I've earned quite a few brownie points among the locals down here for being willing to embrace local culture and dive in to a grilled guinea pig - with the head and eyes still attached!
When I grew up in the Boston area, we had two guinea pigs as pets.
Now we eat 'em!
The point of this blog post about guinea pigs - after our Friday discourse on turkey - is that you can get a lot of mileage, and make a lot of friends, and get a lot of positive pub and street cred for your international ministry, if you're willing to toss back a guinea pig or two, or whatever other critters that the locals like to grill up in your neck of the international woods.
I've eaten guinea pigs, worms, crocodiles, llamas, turtles, piranhas, and anacondas here in Peru.
In the case of the crocodiles, piranhas, and anacondas, my firm philosophy is to eat them before they eat you.
They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and I think that the way to impressive ministerial impact is through your stomach as well. Stay away from eating nothing more than Big Macs and Whoppers. Throw down whatever the locals are throwing down. They will like you, and admire you, and respect you for it, and it will go a long way toward endearing them to your ministry.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Talkin' Turkey
I'm talkin' turkey today.
Specifically, Peruvian turkey.
It's traditional in many countries around the world to eat turkey at Christmastime - plus Americans have already pounded down a lot of the bird on Thanksgiving - and this is a tradition that can be used to boost your ministry around the world.
Peruvian turkey is delicious. It is prepared with a special Peruvian seasoning that features, among other items, chili pepper powder, garlic, and vinegar. This secret seasoning varies from family to family, and from chef to chef, and the specific mix and combination of spices can be as closely guarded a secret as Col. Sanders' famous mix of 11 herbs and spices at KFC. The spicy mix is either rubbed onto the turkey or stabbed into it - yes, stabbed right into the turkey! - before cooking. The spices seep into the roasted bird and fill it with a fantastic, flavorful kick. Peruvian turkey is indeed a treat.
So what does all of this bird talk have to do with international ministry? Well, if turkey is consumed at Christmastime wherever in the world that you are doing ministry, then use this opportunity to embrace local turkey cooking traditions. Sponsor a turkey dinner, using local recipes, for families and individuals in need. Buy frozen turkeys at the local supermarket and distribute them to those in need. Purchase gift certificates for free turkeys and hand them out to those in need, or as a reward to deserving ministry workers. You may even be able to pick out live turkeys at a turkey farm as well. In Lima, we've seen pens of live turkeys on city street corners at Christmastime. People come along, pick out a turkey, pay for it, and ... well, you know the rest.
Christmas presents a fantastic opportunity for you to embrace local culture and food traditions, including turkey, wherever you are doing ministry. Use the Christmas season as a time to get closer to the local traditions wherever you are doing ministry. You'll be blessing others and boosting your ministry at the same time.
Specifically, Peruvian turkey.
It's traditional in many countries around the world to eat turkey at Christmastime - plus Americans have already pounded down a lot of the bird on Thanksgiving - and this is a tradition that can be used to boost your ministry around the world.
Peruvian turkey is delicious. It is prepared with a special Peruvian seasoning that features, among other items, chili pepper powder, garlic, and vinegar. This secret seasoning varies from family to family, and from chef to chef, and the specific mix and combination of spices can be as closely guarded a secret as Col. Sanders' famous mix of 11 herbs and spices at KFC. The spicy mix is either rubbed onto the turkey or stabbed into it - yes, stabbed right into the turkey! - before cooking. The spices seep into the roasted bird and fill it with a fantastic, flavorful kick. Peruvian turkey is indeed a treat.
So what does all of this bird talk have to do with international ministry? Well, if turkey is consumed at Christmastime wherever in the world that you are doing ministry, then use this opportunity to embrace local turkey cooking traditions. Sponsor a turkey dinner, using local recipes, for families and individuals in need. Buy frozen turkeys at the local supermarket and distribute them to those in need. Purchase gift certificates for free turkeys and hand them out to those in need, or as a reward to deserving ministry workers. You may even be able to pick out live turkeys at a turkey farm as well. In Lima, we've seen pens of live turkeys on city street corners at Christmastime. People come along, pick out a turkey, pay for it, and ... well, you know the rest.
Christmas presents a fantastic opportunity for you to embrace local culture and food traditions, including turkey, wherever you are doing ministry. Use the Christmas season as a time to get closer to the local traditions wherever you are doing ministry. You'll be blessing others and boosting your ministry at the same time.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Mixed Messages
I was driving behind a white taxi in Lima yesterday. I noticed that the taxi driver had a Jesus fish hanging from his rear-view mirror. Very nice, I thought. A brother in the Lord. But then I noticed the rear bumper on the taxi. The rear bumper had a pair of identical stickers on it, each featuring a cartoon delinquent extending his middle finger and grabbing his crotch.
To paraphrase Fred Rogers from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" fame: "Can you say 'Mixed messages?' I know you can!"
A Jesus fish, a raised middle finger, and a crotch grab. Yeah, that pretty much meets the definition of a mixed message.
Are you sending out any mixed messages in your ministry? Perhaps you think that people only see the "Jesus fish" side of your ministry - the good-and-worthy spiritual side - but are you doing anything else that may be sending out a mixed message to your community? You may not be raising your middle finger or grabbing your crotch - at least I hope you're not! - but maybe there's a bad association that you're a part of, or maybe your ministry doesn't have as positive a street rep as it should, or maybe the people involved in your ministry come across as cold, indifferent, uncaring, condescending, arrogant, or holier-than-thou in the community.
You may have the greatest ministerial vision in the whole world, but if the vision is being trampled by a bad or mixed message, then you'll never accomplish it. Make sure your vision and message are on the same track. Make sure that when people view your ministry, they see the Jesus fish, and only the Jesus fish, and nothing else.
To paraphrase Fred Rogers from "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" fame: "Can you say 'Mixed messages?' I know you can!"
A Jesus fish, a raised middle finger, and a crotch grab. Yeah, that pretty much meets the definition of a mixed message.
Are you sending out any mixed messages in your ministry? Perhaps you think that people only see the "Jesus fish" side of your ministry - the good-and-worthy spiritual side - but are you doing anything else that may be sending out a mixed message to your community? You may not be raising your middle finger or grabbing your crotch - at least I hope you're not! - but maybe there's a bad association that you're a part of, or maybe your ministry doesn't have as positive a street rep as it should, or maybe the people involved in your ministry come across as cold, indifferent, uncaring, condescending, arrogant, or holier-than-thou in the community.
You may have the greatest ministerial vision in the whole world, but if the vision is being trampled by a bad or mixed message, then you'll never accomplish it. Make sure your vision and message are on the same track. Make sure that when people view your ministry, they see the Jesus fish, and only the Jesus fish, and nothing else.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Law & Sausage
There's an old saying in the USA, particularly popular among lawyers and butchers (no jokes about how they're one in the same!), and it goes like this: "If you like law or sausage, don't watch either one being made."
I've worked as a lawyer and I've visited various slaughterhouses. I've watched both law and sausage being made. The old saying is a true one. It can be a very messy process to watch either law or sausage being made, but we generally like the end product.
I've decided that ministry is the same way, too, particularly after our Mary/Martha time last weekend. After the Sunday services were over, several people came up to me and told me how much they had enjoyed the music, the teaching, the Christmas decorations, etc. They had no idea how much sweat equity had gone into putting it all together early on Sunday morning. They didn't see the "messiness" that went into "making" the Sunday services, but they did like the end product. A lot. Just like law or sausage.
It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid Mary/Martha moments in your ministry. It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid law/sausage moments in your ministry. But even as you wallow in the messiness of it all, remember that there are still a lot of people who are going to enjoy, and be blessed by, your end product.
I've worked as a lawyer and I've visited various slaughterhouses. I've watched both law and sausage being made. The old saying is a true one. It can be a very messy process to watch either law or sausage being made, but we generally like the end product.
I've decided that ministry is the same way, too, particularly after our Mary/Martha time last weekend. After the Sunday services were over, several people came up to me and told me how much they had enjoyed the music, the teaching, the Christmas decorations, etc. They had no idea how much sweat equity had gone into putting it all together early on Sunday morning. They didn't see the "messiness" that went into "making" the Sunday services, but they did like the end product. A lot. Just like law or sausage.
It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid Mary/Martha moments in your ministry. It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid law/sausage moments in your ministry. But even as you wallow in the messiness of it all, remember that there are still a lot of people who are going to enjoy, and be blessed by, your end product.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Mary & Martha
We started our Christmas series at FRC-Lima on Sunday, called www.TheGiftRevolution.com. It's a big series and it's a big vision that we have to change the world in 25 days, by committing random acts of kindness for strangers and having them pay it forward, and yesterday was the kick-off in Lima, Peru.
Yesterday reminded me a little bit of an Opening Night on Broadway. We arrived at the cinema at 7:00 AM, loaded with lots of extra stage decorations, including gift-wrapped boxes, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, brightly-colored stars and peace signs, among others, and we raced around for two hours to get everything set up, plus have a special time of prayer and Communion with our leaders, plus do a final music practice, plus check and re-check all of the audio and video, etc., etc., etc. The time flew by, almost too fast.
Frankly, there were moments when it got very hectic, as we raced against the clock to have everything ready before we opened the doors for the first service, and of course we were fighting against last-minute snafus and technical difficulties. I could feel frustration creeping into my bones as the time got short and the hour grew late.
At that same moment, all of a sudden I heard the names of two people being whispered into my soul: "Mary and Martha."
And then I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit: "Be like Mary, not like Martha."
You're probably familiar with the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. They were two sisters who were hosting Jesus at their home in Bethany one day. Martha spent all of her time involved in the preparations for Jesus' visit, while Mary sat at his feet and listened to everything that he said. Martha got mad, and told Jesus to tell Mary to lend a hand in the kitchen. Jesus told Martha that Mary had it right, and that Mary had chosen to do what was better.
I was more Martha than Mary yesterday.
It's very easy to get that way in ministry.
Everyone reading this blog post wants to excel in service and execution, but the risk that we run as ministers is that we fall into the trap of focusing solely on execution, and not at all on worship and adoration. That's the trap that we were falling into yesterday.
Obviously our adoration for Jesus Christ should lead us all to serve Him and to serve this world - that's a large part of what our Christmas series is all about - but we also must make sure that such service and execution is properly balanced, and should never be done at the expense of worship and adoration. It's easy to get distracted by total preparation and execution, and we have to guard against allowing our God-honoring priorities to get out of whack. We can never forget that, even as ministry leaders, we must never miss the opportunity to just sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his words for us.
Be more like Mary. Be less like Martha.
Yesterday reminded me a little bit of an Opening Night on Broadway. We arrived at the cinema at 7:00 AM, loaded with lots of extra stage decorations, including gift-wrapped boxes, Christmas trees, Christmas lights, brightly-colored stars and peace signs, among others, and we raced around for two hours to get everything set up, plus have a special time of prayer and Communion with our leaders, plus do a final music practice, plus check and re-check all of the audio and video, etc., etc., etc. The time flew by, almost too fast.
Frankly, there were moments when it got very hectic, as we raced against the clock to have everything ready before we opened the doors for the first service, and of course we were fighting against last-minute snafus and technical difficulties. I could feel frustration creeping into my bones as the time got short and the hour grew late.
At that same moment, all of a sudden I heard the names of two people being whispered into my soul: "Mary and Martha."
And then I got a nudge from the Holy Spirit: "Be like Mary, not like Martha."
You're probably familiar with the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. They were two sisters who were hosting Jesus at their home in Bethany one day. Martha spent all of her time involved in the preparations for Jesus' visit, while Mary sat at his feet and listened to everything that he said. Martha got mad, and told Jesus to tell Mary to lend a hand in the kitchen. Jesus told Martha that Mary had it right, and that Mary had chosen to do what was better.
I was more Martha than Mary yesterday.
It's very easy to get that way in ministry.
Everyone reading this blog post wants to excel in service and execution, but the risk that we run as ministers is that we fall into the trap of focusing solely on execution, and not at all on worship and adoration. That's the trap that we were falling into yesterday.
Obviously our adoration for Jesus Christ should lead us all to serve Him and to serve this world - that's a large part of what our Christmas series is all about - but we also must make sure that such service and execution is properly balanced, and should never be done at the expense of worship and adoration. It's easy to get distracted by total preparation and execution, and we have to guard against allowing our God-honoring priorities to get out of whack. We can never forget that, even as ministry leaders, we must never miss the opportunity to just sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his words for us.
Be more like Mary. Be less like Martha.
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Gift Revolution
One of the ways that we are getting intentionally international at Flamingo Road Church is through our Christmas series, which encourages people to commit random acts of kindness for strangers, with the intention that the gift recipients then do the same for someone else. It has already become viral all around the world. For more information, check out our website at www.TheGiftRevolution.com, and join the revolution!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
YouTube
YouTube is slowly taking over the world. Videos from every corner of the planet are on the website. US President-elect Obama used it very successfully to get his message across during the presidential election.
You, too, can leverage YouTube for more growth and impact in your international ministry. Simply film whatever ministry or project you are involved in, and then go online to www.youtube.com and follow the simple instructions about how to upload your video. Within a few hours, your video will be available for all the Internet world to see!
If you search for "Flamingo Road Church" on YouTube, you'll find several of our FRC-Lima videos, filmed all over Peru. There are videos of our baptisms in the Pacific Ocean and in the Amazon River, as well as videos of our various service projects in the shantytown of Pachacutec, in the girls' orphanage in La Victoria, and in the Amazon jungle with the Yagua native tribe, among others. More than 20,000 people have viewed our various videos on YouTube. Some of the viewers have left comments. Some of the comments are good. Some are not. Some of the comments are down right nasty! Some folks delete the negative comments, but we don't. We welcome them, because at least it initiates the dialogue, and that's something we're not afraid of. As well, here at FRC-Lima, we're firm believers in the deep-rooted theological doctrine that says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."
(I can't quite locate that in my Bible, though. Maybe it's in one of the more contemporary versions.)
You, too, can leverage YouTube for more growth and impact in your international ministry. Simply film whatever ministry or project you are involved in, and then go online to www.youtube.com and follow the simple instructions about how to upload your video. Within a few hours, your video will be available for all the Internet world to see!
If you search for "Flamingo Road Church" on YouTube, you'll find several of our FRC-Lima videos, filmed all over Peru. There are videos of our baptisms in the Pacific Ocean and in the Amazon River, as well as videos of our various service projects in the shantytown of Pachacutec, in the girls' orphanage in La Victoria, and in the Amazon jungle with the Yagua native tribe, among others. More than 20,000 people have viewed our various videos on YouTube. Some of the viewers have left comments. Some of the comments are good. Some are not. Some of the comments are down right nasty! Some folks delete the negative comments, but we don't. We welcome them, because at least it initiates the dialogue, and that's something we're not afraid of. As well, here at FRC-Lima, we're firm believers in the deep-rooted theological doctrine that says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."
(I can't quite locate that in my Bible, though. Maybe it's in one of the more contemporary versions.)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Little Miss Sunshine
Dorcas and I were at a print shop in Lima yesterday, trying to have some special promotional cards printed up for our big Christmas series that starts this Sunday.
It was a very frustrating experience.
From the moment we entered the print shop until the moment we left, the young woman at the counter did everything that she could to discourage the sale.
She told us about 100 different times and in about 100 different ways how they couldn't print the promo cards for us. The stock was too heavy. The stock was too glossy. The lettering was not clear enough. There were pixel problems. Her boss was at lunch. So was his assistant. The proof couldn't possibly be done for another day or so. There was no way in the world that they could guarantee that we'd have the cards before Sunday. Etc., etc., etc.
It was a mind-boggling performance!
There we were, trying to hand over a small chunk of the church's money to the young woman in return for a few promo cards, and she was doing all that she could to stuff the money right back in our pockets!
Maybe the young woman was just having a bad day, or maybe she had received some bad news, or was dealing with a bad personal situation, but her customer service skills were among the worst I've ever seen, anywhere in the world.
We even tried to help her out by showing her how it all could be accomplished, and easily so, but all she kept doing was shaking her head and saying no.
Wow.
Her attitude was the pits. Her attitude was costing her employer a lot of money, too.
I wonder how often we are guilty of the same thing.
International ministry is not for the faint of heart. It's filled with roadblocks and potholes, and even James Bond might be fighting against you (read yesterday's "007" blog post for more info). The enemy is going to keep banging you over the head, and trying to get you to throw in the towel, or at least trying to get you to become less effective in your ministry because of a bad attitude.
Charles Swindoll has said, "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life ... The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it ... We are in charge of our attitudes."
What has happened to you today? How have you reacted to it? How has your attitude impacted your international ministry today, in either a positive or a negative way?
It was a very frustrating experience.
From the moment we entered the print shop until the moment we left, the young woman at the counter did everything that she could to discourage the sale.
She told us about 100 different times and in about 100 different ways how they couldn't print the promo cards for us. The stock was too heavy. The stock was too glossy. The lettering was not clear enough. There were pixel problems. Her boss was at lunch. So was his assistant. The proof couldn't possibly be done for another day or so. There was no way in the world that they could guarantee that we'd have the cards before Sunday. Etc., etc., etc.
It was a mind-boggling performance!
There we were, trying to hand over a small chunk of the church's money to the young woman in return for a few promo cards, and she was doing all that she could to stuff the money right back in our pockets!
Maybe the young woman was just having a bad day, or maybe she had received some bad news, or was dealing with a bad personal situation, but her customer service skills were among the worst I've ever seen, anywhere in the world.
We even tried to help her out by showing her how it all could be accomplished, and easily so, but all she kept doing was shaking her head and saying no.
Wow.
Her attitude was the pits. Her attitude was costing her employer a lot of money, too.
I wonder how often we are guilty of the same thing.
International ministry is not for the faint of heart. It's filled with roadblocks and potholes, and even James Bond might be fighting against you (read yesterday's "007" blog post for more info). The enemy is going to keep banging you over the head, and trying to get you to throw in the towel, or at least trying to get you to become less effective in your ministry because of a bad attitude.
Charles Swindoll has said, "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life ... The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it ... We are in charge of our attitudes."
What has happened to you today? How have you reacted to it? How has your attitude impacted your international ministry today, in either a positive or a negative way?
Monday, December 1, 2008
007
James Bond was our enemy at the cinema on Sunday morning!
At the last minute, cinema management decided to schedule a corporate screening of the new James Bond film in Cinema 5, which is the cinema that we normally use for our pre-school and children's ministry on Sunday mornings. So we had to scramble big-time. All of our set-up and pre-school and children's ministry leaders and volunteers had to hustle to move everything at break-neck speed from Cinema 5 to Cinema 7.
Or maybe I should say from Cinema 005 to Cinema 007.
It was a pain and a hassle - it's not like Sunday mornings before the services aren't busy enough! - but in the end our troops pulled it off in fine fashion, and all the FRC-Lima kids had a great time.
Flexibility is the key, my friends.
International ministry is going to keep you hopping, and if your neck of the international woods is anything like Peru, then that's also going to mean a lot of last minute switcheroos and late-breaking curveballs.
Don't bail out of the batter's box. Stay focused on your goal and vision. Smack down all of the distractions and last-minute problems that the enemy is going to throw at you.
Even when they involve James Bond!
At the last minute, cinema management decided to schedule a corporate screening of the new James Bond film in Cinema 5, which is the cinema that we normally use for our pre-school and children's ministry on Sunday mornings. So we had to scramble big-time. All of our set-up and pre-school and children's ministry leaders and volunteers had to hustle to move everything at break-neck speed from Cinema 5 to Cinema 7.
Or maybe I should say from Cinema 005 to Cinema 007.
It was a pain and a hassle - it's not like Sunday mornings before the services aren't busy enough! - but in the end our troops pulled it off in fine fashion, and all the FRC-Lima kids had a great time.
Flexibility is the key, my friends.
International ministry is going to keep you hopping, and if your neck of the international woods is anything like Peru, then that's also going to mean a lot of last minute switcheroos and late-breaking curveballs.
Don't bail out of the batter's box. Stay focused on your goal and vision. Smack down all of the distractions and last-minute problems that the enemy is going to throw at you.
Even when they involve James Bond!
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