Location: Train moving through Switzerland south of Lucerne, en route to Zurich from Como (early afternoon).
We purposely got a late start this morning, taking advantage of our night of rest. We also waited out a downpour, stepping into sprinkling rain. This is Friday, our third day on European soil.
Now we are winding through the mountains, hamlets, and meadows of Switzerland by train. The skies are cloudy and their is a low fog in many places over the bright and dark greens of May's plant-life. It is truly breath-taking, and though we must fight a bit of vertigo and motion-sickness here and there along the way, it is fascinating to marvel at the unique architecture, the grandeur of the waterfalls tumbling from majestic, even snow-covered peaks, the ancient block buildings that house churches and even fortress-like spaces. On the train, we hear Italian, but also German, Spanish, English, and a little French. I have tried to use the video function of my camera to catch a bit of it, and you can see us in the window's reflection. Though the video does a poor job of catching what I am seeing and hearing, I hope to figure out how to post a segment or two.
Again, thanks for your prayers. C. and I were just once more marveling about the Lord having brought us this far with so many blessings. One simple example is the return of our baggage with so little negative consequences during its absence. We know that C.'s wife was specifically praying much about that situation, and many of you were also praying for us without knowing the details of our circumstances. We thank the Lord for His grace and mercy, and we thank Him for the blessings in your life, too. May everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Not long ago, a blind man with a seeing-eye dog entered the train and sat down not far from us. I have had no interaction with him, nor have I even heard Him speak. Yet I find it ironic that he arrived moments after I finished reading Matthew 9 from the Bible's New Testament. You will recall that the final verses of that chapter include the story of Jesus, the Son of God, healing to blind men. They refer to Him hear as the "Son of David," which denotes His royalty, and when He asks them if they believe that He can heal them, they respond not only affirmatively, but it seems to me even enthusiastically. Because of this timing, I began praying for this quiet man, asking our Lord to heal him in a way that would give the Lord glory, in a way that would not terrify the man, but would lead him into the reassuring, loving arms of his Healer, His God. I frequently glance at him, wanting to be ready if the Lord guides him to me when He heals him.
Wow! You would never believe the sights out these windows as we ascend higher into the mountains! Great heights crevassed by plunging cascades and clinging arms and fingers of snow, not to mention the seemingly small buildings nestled amid verdant pastures and wisping fog, vistas, giant boulders, old and new bridges, farm houses and barns and shacks, sheep, cows, horses, curling roads, and historical edifices!
End parentheses. Yes, I was reading in Matthew 9; you will recall that the Lord was using Matthew 8 to whisper reassuringly to me a couple of nights ago, and since then I have been studying those passages carefully. What strikes me is the importance of humility. Before I left the USA, I had the distinct impression that part of my purpose in Europe was to learn more humility. Always in another language and another culture it is humbling, but these first few days have been even more so than usual.
And look at Matthew 8. When Jesus heals the man with leprosy, the man bowed before him to request the healing, and lifted up the Lord's desires above his own. When the centurion comes to ask Jesus to heal his servant, he begs him, and he explains that he is not worthy to have Jesus in his house. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law, and she is lying in bed. Then folks possessed by demons are led to him. When certain men express their desire to come with Jesus as he travels, he explains that he has no where to lay his head, and that the dead can bury the dead themselves, rather than having much pomp and ceremony. When Jesus calms the storm, his disciples are pleading with him to save them. When the two demon-possessed men in the wilderness are set free, they ask Jesus what He wants with them. And this continues into Chapter 9.
Parenthesis: The sun is gloriously shining now! I wonder if this is when the blind man across the aisle will begin to be able to see? He is rubbing his eyes...
So I have been learning more and more humility, and more and more about humility. Jesus cannot be my Lord if I do not humble myself before Him. He will not heal me, save me, or set me free if I fight against Him, if I refuse to let Him. I cannot have my way and His. I must believe, like the blind men, that He can, in fact, perform whatever it is that I need Him to do. I must, like the centurion, take Him at His word. I must, like the disciples in the wave-covered boat, realize that my situation is hopeless without Him--I need Him to save me!
It is with this knowledge that I move forward, deeper into the heart of Switzerland, deeper into the heart of Europe. I do not know what is ahead, but I know Who is. And as long as He has His way, what better could I imagine? As long as He is my Savior, what can I fear? As long as He loves me, what does it matter what anyone else thinks of me? Like a man said to us at the last train station: "If you don't have plans [and I would add, "of your own"], they cannot go wrong!"
It is with this knowledge that I move forward, deeper into His heart.
This blog is your opportunity to travel with me wherever I am in the world, during both the mundane and exciting moments of life that I humbly recognize as holy. As I bare my life to you, may your reading take you beyond my words to the Word, beyond my life to the Life, beyond the chaos to the Truth, and beyond teachings to the Teacher--the Rabboni. I promise it will be an adventure, and by the end, may you, too, truly know the Way!
A Rose From Home
My Story (As prepared for my church congregation this spring--2009)
I have a story to tell you. I am the main character, but the story is not about me. I have traveled several parts of the world, but my adventure has been closer to home. I am twenty-six years old. My story begins like many of yours…
I grew up going to church. I had been born into a family who labeled themselves “Christian,” in a country that labels itself “Christian.” Every Sunday found me attending a worship service and Sunday school in a mainline denomination church. I served as an acolyte, attended Vacation Bible School, helped my dad count and record the offering money, sang in the youth choir, was a leader in the youth group, and occasionally served as liturgist. Baptized as an infant, I was confirmed at the age of twelve, thus becoming an “official” member of the church. Then, hurt by the church, my family left to find another.
Have you ever been hurt by the Church?
After months of searching, we settled into a very large independent church. Things were different there, and I was quickly welcomed and at home among new friends that truly had a passion for Jesus. The Word of God was taught boldly from the pulpit, and I was introduced to a missions-aware lifestyle. So it was with regret that I said goodbye only a couple of years later to move with my family to another church. I purposely remained aloof, not wanting to make new friendships before I left for college a year later. Besides, I was loosing my faith—or so I thought—and I didn’t want anyone to know. I was asking scary questions like “Is there really a God?” and, if so, “Is He the Christian God?” and “Would I be Christian if I had been born in another part of the world?”
Have you ever asked yourself unsettling questions about what you believe?
So I headed into college under a cloud of confusion that only worsened for the next two years. Though I didn’t know what I believed anymore, I continued to go to church every Sunday, and to help lead worship in chapel. Most importantly, even during this questioning, I continued my morning habit of daily study of the Bible. I had begun at age twelve, reading at first a chapter per day, then ten minutes each morning, then an half-hour, and so on. So, only by the grace of the very God I doubted, I remained anchored in His Word and in His community, though I felt like a fake most of the time. Since then I have learned that “fake” is the worst insult the world can give us; that is why the label of “hypocrite” is so offensive.
Have you ever felt like a fake?
Six weeks with missionaries in South Africa followed by a year in France began to teach me what life with God is all about. I began rebuilding my faith, this time it belonged to me, in contrast to me borrowing the faith of my parents, church, or anyone else. In my parent’s basement in 2003, on either Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, I invited Jesus to live in me; perhaps I had done so before, but I didn’t recall—but since 2003, I have never forgotten that moment. Unfortunately, nothing changed. I continued to do my best to act like a Christian, as I had done for so long.
Have you ever found yourself “doing your best” to be a good person, or to act like a Christian?
Though I did not realize it at the time, I was quenching the Spirit, even though I had welcomed Him into my life. During the next few years, the LORD continued to nurture me, and slowly things began to change. Several tough months in Idaho birthed my prayer-life. I spent three years being humbled in a job that was my informal seminary training. In 2007, a short stint in Mexico helped me to see things as they were, and not long afterward, I was baptized by immersion. No baptism of any kind can save a lost soul—only Jesus can do that. However, this baptism was an important covenant between me and God, symbolizing not only my death and resurrection with Jesus and my public profession of faith, but it also my life change, the beginning of my bearing fruit. “For each tree is known by its own fruit…”according to Luke 6:44. During the past year and a half, the LORD has provided me with an informal pastoral internship in my church, teaching me every aspect of discipleship. Simultaneously, I have been studying unceasing prayer and worship. I am now very different than I was five years ago.
In the Book of Acts (which tells the story of the earliest years of the Church) every time a person decided to follow Christ, two things took place—though not always in the same order. Each person experienced a life change, which I call the “baptism of repentance,” as well as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which I call the “baptism of the Spirit.” Looking back, I realize that the Holy Spirit was living in me in 2003, but it wasn’t until I surrendered everything to God, as represented by my immersion, that I allowed the Spirit to have His way in me and transform my life. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)”
Have you invited Jesus to live in you? Have you allowed the Spirit to transform your life?
I tell you this story for two reasons. First, I tell this story in order to boast in the LORD! May God our Father get all praise and glory forever! Second, I tell this story because it is relevant to you. Likely you have heard that I am leaving the country: I have let my light shine before you; please let your light shine within the Church, too! This congregation is in revival, and as each of you allows the Spirit to revive you, the entire Church will be revived and utterly transformed, to the glory of the Most High God. And for His glory is the reason He created us; the reason He sent His only Son to reveal Himself to us; the reason He became Sin for us and died for us on the cross—while we were still sinners; and the reason that He conquered death and offered us eternal life with Him.
It will cost you a lot—in fact, it will cost you everything, your very life. But if you have never surrendered your life to Christ Jesus, if you have never invited Him to send His Spirit into you and to transform your life, then do it right now. Just let go of everything to which you are desperately clinging; stop trying to do it yourself! This is the very reason you are still breathing in this physical life—God has been delaying His judgment of this sinful world because He is waiting for you—2 Peter 3:9 says He wants none to perish!
If you have already invited the Spirit into your life, then live like it! Bear fruit! Anyone and everyone who meets you or knows you or sees you or hears you should know immediately and clearly that Jesus the Christ lives in you and loves them! That is how stark the contrast should be between your life and the world around you!
Have you immersed yourself in God’s Word and in prayer in the last twenty-four hours?
If you call yourself a follower of Christ, then there is no excuse for not communing with Him daily! Anchor yourself in the Word! God has revealed Himself to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Bible is a complete and accurate record of that revelation. And prayer is humbly letting Him love us. Let Him love you! God doesn’t need us, but He wants us! God doesn’t need us to live for Him—He wants to live in and through us! Let us love and fellowship with one another, even when you disagree! Pray for each other—the names in the church directory are a great place to start! Church, we are not only the Body of Christ, but we are the Bride of Christ. We have allowed ourselves to get bedraggled and stained—now let us stand to the glory of God! Let’s let Him purify us, restore us, and love us!
My dear Brothers and Sisters, if you have ever once been blessed by God our Father at work in me, then I urge you, please, take seriously His desire to love and work in you, beyond anything you can ask or imagine! I have told you the beginning of my story—may it end in glory to the Father, in the Name of Jesus, by way of His Spirit.
Now, what is your story?