Music can be so powerful. I really appreciate this quote from Sister Ellen White:
"Music can be a great power for good; yet we do not make the most of this branch of worship. The singing is generally done from impulse or to meet special cases, and at other times those who sing are left to blunder along, and the music loses its proper effect upon the minds of those present. Music should have beauty, pathos, and power. Let the voices be lifted in songs of praise and devotion. Call to your aid, if practicable, instrumental music, and let the glorious harmony ascend to God, an acceptable offering."
Evangelism pg. 505 Chap 15
Pathos in the dictionary is the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion. (dictionary.com)
I was listening to this song yesterday the version by Steve Green, never fails to evoke a real emotion, a genuine longing to lift Jesus up and go seeking the lost.
Everyday they pass me by,
I can see it in their eye;
Empty people filled with care,
Headed who knows where.
On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear;
Laughter hides the silent cries
Only Jesus hears.
People need the Lord,
People need the Lord;
at the end of broken dreams,
He's the open door.
People need the Lord,
People need the Lord;
When will we realize
People need the Lord.
We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong is right;
What could be too great a cost
For sharing life with one who's lost?
Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear;
They must hear the Words of Life
Only we can share.
People need the Lord,
People need the Lord;
At the end of broken dreams,
He's the open door.
People need the Lord,
People need the Lord;
When will we realize
That we must give our lives,
for people need the Lord.
People need the Lord.
From: http://lyricstranslate.com
and a new song that really moved me by Jill Phillips called "Sacred"
It’s the cliched writing on the wall
Funny how it’s been there all along
And all the while you’ve listened to
Anyone who had a point of view on what you should do
The liars in your head are growing loud
They say you’re in too deep to turn back now
And answers seem so hard to find
You wonder if you still can change your mind... change your mind
There’s something to be said for patience
So hold on to what you know is sacred
Don’t let your only dream be taken
And cashed in for everything you’ve hated
You have something there that can’t be sold
A lifetime full of secrets to be told
And it is not too late to choose
The narrow winding way that few men do... so few men do
Have a blessed day.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Where Rivers Meet
Being a part of Adventist Frontier Missions ministry has opened my eyes to the untapped potential of Christianity, to the real power of a life infused all through with Jesus. Every project seeks to put a full Christianity package into the lives of the people. As missionaries it circles around relationships, connections with people. In North America the catch phrase is "building relationships". But for me this has kind of confused me sometimes, though until this last week I couldn't think of it. I've always felt sorry about being friends just so they become Adventist. I feel shallow in a way. I do want them to discover freedom in Jesus, to discover the end-time Advent message, but what? Well building the relationship, sounds like "hey we'll be friends until this building is done here, until you're good and baptized, then onto the next relationship construction project." But it is a whole process baptism is only the beginning! So much maturity to take place. So there is a missionary in India who was trying to communicate this building idea to his people group and they couldn't get it. Someone helped him out by saying that they thought of that relationship idea a little differently, which made a huge impact on me. A relationship is like when two separate rivers come together into one river. What a unique and practical illustration! These two lives come together, just inseparable. There is some salt to take with it, because there is wisdom to understanding how much to mix with someone, to influence versus being influenced, but God can direct when we are grounded in the word.
Anyway just thought this thought was worth thinking about!
Anyway just thought this thought was worth thinking about!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Sore Heart
What do heels and hills have in common? Both can be steep? No seriously they are both in the name of the half marathon I will be participating in May in Texas. Yes it is geared for women, but men are welcome to join, and no I do not have to run in heels (I don’t think anyone does thankfully). So I am training for this my first long run, besides the Terry Fox run one year where I turned too soon and skipped one kilometre, there by beating Darrel Heuther and Sam Asante, but not really since I did 9 instead of 10 km, oh well. Anyway this race whose route I will follow very closely, should be a good one 20 km or 13 miles of brutal, muscle wrenching exertion and endurance, okay it is not an ironman, but let me tell you it’s no walk in the park (it might be a run in the park, but you get the point), and my feet, legs, and back are here to testify of such. I am getting out of shape, that’s the problem. I walked miles in Africa, but my cardio was not pushed too much. In high school I could run a mile and half in 9 and a half minutes but that was when I was racing Danny McCreery and Tyler Ferguson (who always won, I did beat Danny once though I think). And now my time is not there, but the difference is distance too, I am doing a long race, so pacing myself is important, if I put in the time of those Mr. Schafer muscle crunching mile and a halfers I might not make it the whole 13 miles. So that’s okay, what is hurting is my heart, at times. Last week I missed running on Friday and ran a little on Saturday night, so basically the last time I ran was almost a week ago when I picked it up today, and yesterday I flew all day back from Andrews, so was on me bottom for a while! So there’s my excuses, and thus I walked a lot of the 5 mile quota today. It reminded though of how easy I get out of the pattern, out of stamina. I jogged 7 miles last week with minor difficulty and couldn’t do 2 today without stopping, just one week lapse and so many steps back in progress. How about my spiritual life? Doesn’t take a day or two to relapse! Keep my spiritual life strong, how important it is! By God’s grace, He’ll keep me on track, in step, and growing everyday.
Rock of Ages
It has been some time since I sat and listened to music. I took pretty much an involuntary music fast in Africa. It’s not that I don’t appreciate music, or think it a complicated nuisance, but it is a tool and the object of worship. Listening to it can be great for the soul, but there is the possibility of becoming a music junkie, that is certain! Every minute of the day some folks must have their tunes rolling, and boy I am empathetic, we each have our trials, our downfalls, we need to support each other, prayer especially for each other. So it has been nice to realize the benefits of music and its destructive power. I’ve spent the last week going over our culture study with the highly blessed, qualified, and caring people at Adventist Frontier Missions. I was working particularly with Dale Goodson, whose family also opened their home to me, which I very much appreciated and enjoyed. I also chatted with Laurence Burn, Trudy Starlin, John Baxter, Brenda Kis, for a while or for a short time. When one takes a look inside the organization and passion of AFM for missions, tears can come, tears of joy and inspiration. I am sitting now in the Detroit airport, listening to some beautiful singers Gaea Chapman and Billy Otto. Pan De Vida has their HQ in Berrien Springs, so I stopped by and picked up a CD, unfortunately our ABC’s are not a stalwart of Biblical and worshipful music anymore, though they still carry some quality, yet Pan De Vida is upholding the standard, a shining light. What does this all have to do each other, AFM, culture study, Billy and Gaea, Pan De Vida, it’s all a part of the big picture. As I study and understand better the complete package that Christianity is, the wonderful practical life Jesus offers, everything has significance. How easily I become disconnected, thinking this part of my life doesn’t affect another, that what music I listen to, that the words I say, the dreams I dream, the plans I make, the TV I watch, that these are all independent. I am never not a Christian, or in positive terms I am always a Christian! There are two Rock of Ages it seems in the world today, there’s the rock of ages play being done on broadway, representing all that is base, all that is pulling our souls down to a terrible spiritual grave, or there is the Rock of Ages, the all consuming wonder of life, that can make any life new. As a Canadian here’s the metaphor, I am hopping in my canoe and making a straight line to that everlasting Rock! C’mon let’s partner up and paddle forward!
Rich Heritage
Here are some thoughts on France, more from my experience there. I heartily believe that life is what you make it, whatever your past, your ancestry, your parents, your environment. But that is certainly not to say that the past has no affect on the present! So I was blessed, encouraged, and inspired as I delve in my heritage buried deep in the halls of French history. (Yes though I am Swiss, my mother was just born in the hospital there and grew up in France, so I don’t really have heritage there.) The neat story was to learn about my great Aunt and Uncle, Lucette and Jean. At one time my uncle was the director for youth ministries in France, at that time all the kids met together for meetings. But my aunt Lucette thought this was a not a good situation, the little ones with the big ones, hard to keep all under control, so she proposed “Tisons” or our adventurers, and that’s how Adventurers came to be in France. Later on they served as missionaries in the Reunion and Tahiti. My other great Uncle and Aunt, Maxime and Nicole pastored in France for 35 years. My uncle and several colleagues at the beginning of their pastoral careers were asked to teach Daniel and Revelation to their church members. As they taught, they discussed among themselves the teachings they were sharing, and they all agreed that they just weren’t satisfied. So they decided to dig deeper and started meeting 3 or 4 times a year to study. On their own they would study and they bring their material together. What they discovered was a much fuller and different picture than the churches current model. They shared their teachings and were brought before the conference leaders and eventually the division leaders. I won’t go into all the details, but it was a trying time. I am excited to study the lessons soon, which my uncle hopes to make a available to the public, so to speak, soon. Another great uncle, Jeano, helped found a nursing home in the south and a place for the Federation of Southern France to place its headquarters, after the creation of a Northern and Southern France Federations. I look at all this history and am just awed to see the legacy. Sure I could plenty of faults of my ancestors, but that’s too easy and really not as helpful as seeing the wonderful heritage I have. Some have fallen but thank goodness for the God’s mercy in leading many to victory. These are footsteps I wish to follow in.
Pretending for Real
So here’s some synopsis on my time in France, only a month and a half after the experience, but better late than never, I hope. I really enjoyed the time there, went on a helter skelter tour around the country, but had family that made the whole trip great and fun and educational (fun and education in the same sentence, horror, jokes!).
I flew from Cotonou to Paris, waited in Paris eight hours, then flew to Geneva. I spent two full days in Geneva, staying at the Adventist school in Collonges with family. Then took the train to Valence, where my grandma’s brother and sister live. My grandma, Mamie, was visiting her sister whose husband recently passed away, so I saw her too. She lives only two house down from our house in Canada. Then Valence to Montpelier, drove down with my uncle and aunt. Then after that up to Paris with the same aunt and uncle where their daughter, my cousin (go figure), lives, well just outside of Paris,in Marly-le-Roi, literally Marly the King, and not because Marly was a king, but because a king had a park in Marly, so anywhere the king has something is blank the king. I had excellent tour guides with my aunt Nicole and uncle Maxim. My uncle is a retired pastor, who spent thirty five years ministering in France. He lives a five minute walk from the South France SDA Federation building. I met cousins and uncles, and aunts, and friends of the family until I couldn’t fit the names in my head, but I thoroughly appreciated getting to meet all these people. There were many places to visit. Went up the Eiffel tower, to the second floor, on top of the Arch De Triomphe, to the palace of Versailles (if you go on the first Sunday of the month all public places are free!), Notre Dame de Paris, Le Sacre Coeur Basillique. In Valence we visiting the Cathedral where there is a plaque commemorating the pope who died there, part of prophecy. The end of the 1260 days when one of Napoleon’s generals took the Pope captive, but he was sick and didn’t make it Paris, passing away in Valence. Went to Aigles-Mort which is a big fortress city built by Saint Louis. There is the Tower of Constance where Hugenots Prostenants were held during the inquisition, the women that is, the men were put on rowing slave ships. One woman Marie Durand spent 38 years in that tower, never leaving, seeing the outside only when they were let out on top for fresh air, and she held strong in her faith! Saw in Geneva the great reformation wall with its huge statues of Calvin, Knox, and the writings of many great reformers, also saw the chapel where Calvin and Knox preached. In Notre Dame, saw the spot (we think) where Napoleon was crowned his empress Josephine.
One place that was really moving was near Valence in the countryside where my great great grand parents lived. Their homestead still stands, and is being lived in by others. There are so many stories of that area, especially during WWII when Valence was taken by Germans and when my grandmother was around 10-12 years old, maybe younger, can’t remember. Saw the small castle farm, where my aunt and uncle hid behind a door as soldiers kicked open each stall in search of hideaways. Their door was left slightly open, so the soldiers simply look in, and didn’t see them behind the door and moved on.
There’s another spot where the resistance fighters or Maquis had a surprise attack on the Germans, blowing up a convertible with high ranking officers in it. The Germans were mad so came back to the town right beside the attack location, called La Rochette, taking ten random men and executing them. The men were not even resistance fighters, most of them between 19 and 21, one who was 40. That story was really powerful, and others of the resistance. Here were these men who loved freedom, loved their country, loved their families and the future of their children so much they would give their lives to get it, to fight a common enemy. Today we fight in a war, all of earth’s history after the fall, has been in a war, a spiritual battle. I imagined how those men must have felt, my great uncle part of that attack was only 19. I pretended like I was among them, hiding in caves, doing spying. Then I realized I was pretending for real. That war I mentioned, it’s real, no guns or grenades, no generals or captains, but a war with battles won and lost everyday. But this war is a war with a future that is clear, a future with an already decided victor, and that’s makes all the difference!
I flew from Cotonou to Paris, waited in Paris eight hours, then flew to Geneva. I spent two full days in Geneva, staying at the Adventist school in Collonges with family. Then took the train to Valence, where my grandma’s brother and sister live. My grandma, Mamie, was visiting her sister whose husband recently passed away, so I saw her too. She lives only two house down from our house in Canada. Then Valence to Montpelier, drove down with my uncle and aunt. Then after that up to Paris with the same aunt and uncle where their daughter, my cousin (go figure), lives, well just outside of Paris,in Marly-le-Roi, literally Marly the King, and not because Marly was a king, but because a king had a park in Marly, so anywhere the king has something is blank the king. I had excellent tour guides with my aunt Nicole and uncle Maxim. My uncle is a retired pastor, who spent thirty five years ministering in France. He lives a five minute walk from the South France SDA Federation building. I met cousins and uncles, and aunts, and friends of the family until I couldn’t fit the names in my head, but I thoroughly appreciated getting to meet all these people. There were many places to visit. Went up the Eiffel tower, to the second floor, on top of the Arch De Triomphe, to the palace of Versailles (if you go on the first Sunday of the month all public places are free!), Notre Dame de Paris, Le Sacre Coeur Basillique. In Valence we visiting the Cathedral where there is a plaque commemorating the pope who died there, part of prophecy. The end of the 1260 days when one of Napoleon’s generals took the Pope captive, but he was sick and didn’t make it Paris, passing away in Valence. Went to Aigles-Mort which is a big fortress city built by Saint Louis. There is the Tower of Constance where Hugenots Prostenants were held during the inquisition, the women that is, the men were put on rowing slave ships. One woman Marie Durand spent 38 years in that tower, never leaving, seeing the outside only when they were let out on top for fresh air, and she held strong in her faith! Saw in Geneva the great reformation wall with its huge statues of Calvin, Knox, and the writings of many great reformers, also saw the chapel where Calvin and Knox preached. In Notre Dame, saw the spot (we think) where Napoleon was crowned his empress Josephine.
One place that was really moving was near Valence in the countryside where my great great grand parents lived. Their homestead still stands, and is being lived in by others. There are so many stories of that area, especially during WWII when Valence was taken by Germans and when my grandmother was around 10-12 years old, maybe younger, can’t remember. Saw the small castle farm, where my aunt and uncle hid behind a door as soldiers kicked open each stall in search of hideaways. Their door was left slightly open, so the soldiers simply look in, and didn’t see them behind the door and moved on.
There’s another spot where the resistance fighters or Maquis had a surprise attack on the Germans, blowing up a convertible with high ranking officers in it. The Germans were mad so came back to the town right beside the attack location, called La Rochette, taking ten random men and executing them. The men were not even resistance fighters, most of them between 19 and 21, one who was 40. That story was really powerful, and others of the resistance. Here were these men who loved freedom, loved their country, loved their families and the future of their children so much they would give their lives to get it, to fight a common enemy. Today we fight in a war, all of earth’s history after the fall, has been in a war, a spiritual battle. I imagined how those men must have felt, my great uncle part of that attack was only 19. I pretended like I was among them, hiding in caves, doing spying. Then I realized I was pretending for real. That war I mentioned, it’s real, no guns or grenades, no generals or captains, but a war with battles won and lost everyday. But this war is a war with a future that is clear, a future with an already decided victor, and that’s makes all the difference!
The First Month or So
Finally getting to posting, so here's a post overload for y'all.
Yesterday was the one monthiversary (there’s a new word for you) since being back in Canada. However I did leave Africa on the 24th of January. Also since arriving in Canada I have spent 7 days in the United states, where I am currently on this Wed. the 10th of March. So adjustments, probably I should rewrite this entry several months from now. It is hard to say how adjusting to being back in the True Great North. Well doesn’t feel too north like since we had snow for three days and then it disappeared, and the other day I went jogging with just a spring jacket (yes along with pants and shoes and socks and such, very funny). Having the bathroom and shower in the same building, the kitchen in a separate room, a TV, reliable internet, a vacuum cleaner, carpet to vacuum, washer and dryer, microwave, toaster, a backyard, an electric stove, and other such conveniences are always nice to get used to again, but can be a catapult to getting lazy, for sure. Good thing we don’t have a dishwasher, just a sink, or else I might feel spoiled. Oh and we have a pet fish that we don’t eat, which is definitely unusual coming from Africa! Really though the hard part is maintaining focus on God and maintaining practical continuity and usefulness in life (there’s a mouth full). I can certainly much more easily choose to do things on my own here. Here things eventually fall apart with God, but in Africa, they can really immediately fall apart without God. This is a generalization, everyone is different and each situation, but without God wherever we are, it’s not a great idea. And by the “practical continuity” mumbo jumbo, I mean that I really no longer have a schedule, no longer have to prepare a meal every morning (although I try to help make lunch), no longer have to go the market on this day, no longer have this preparation to finish. I still have things to do, but just no context to put them. That’s why I am very glad to be able to continue writing for the project, gives some direction during this time of rest and adjustment with Canadian life. I just received an email recently that blessed my heart, from a former Student missionary friend who said that coming back from the mission field is not a step down in missions or in serving God. That definitely is a temptation to believe that really because I am no longer overseas, I am not serving God, in this blessed Western world, how could God use me, but oh the lies in that! God calls all Christians to be missionaries, as Dr. Lawrence would say, “If you’re not a missionary, you’re a mercenary.”
Yesterday was the one monthiversary (there’s a new word for you) since being back in Canada. However I did leave Africa on the 24th of January. Also since arriving in Canada I have spent 7 days in the United states, where I am currently on this Wed. the 10th of March. So adjustments, probably I should rewrite this entry several months from now. It is hard to say how adjusting to being back in the True Great North. Well doesn’t feel too north like since we had snow for three days and then it disappeared, and the other day I went jogging with just a spring jacket (yes along with pants and shoes and socks and such, very funny). Having the bathroom and shower in the same building, the kitchen in a separate room, a TV, reliable internet, a vacuum cleaner, carpet to vacuum, washer and dryer, microwave, toaster, a backyard, an electric stove, and other such conveniences are always nice to get used to again, but can be a catapult to getting lazy, for sure. Good thing we don’t have a dishwasher, just a sink, or else I might feel spoiled. Oh and we have a pet fish that we don’t eat, which is definitely unusual coming from Africa! Really though the hard part is maintaining focus on God and maintaining practical continuity and usefulness in life (there’s a mouth full). I can certainly much more easily choose to do things on my own here. Here things eventually fall apart with God, but in Africa, they can really immediately fall apart without God. This is a generalization, everyone is different and each situation, but without God wherever we are, it’s not a great idea. And by the “practical continuity” mumbo jumbo, I mean that I really no longer have a schedule, no longer have to prepare a meal every morning (although I try to help make lunch), no longer have to go the market on this day, no longer have this preparation to finish. I still have things to do, but just no context to put them. That’s why I am very glad to be able to continue writing for the project, gives some direction during this time of rest and adjustment with Canadian life. I just received an email recently that blessed my heart, from a former Student missionary friend who said that coming back from the mission field is not a step down in missions or in serving God. That definitely is a temptation to believe that really because I am no longer overseas, I am not serving God, in this blessed Western world, how could God use me, but oh the lies in that! God calls all Christians to be missionaries, as Dr. Lawrence would say, “If you’re not a missionary, you’re a mercenary.”
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