Today was the first day back to school for our kids after 2 weeks of school break. They all seemed to have good days and enjoyed seeing their school friends again.
Just before the holiday, we received a note stating that Isabelle, our younger daughter's teacher, was diagnosed with a very serious (yet undefined) illness and that she would not be back for the rest of the year. Isabelle was our older daughter's teacher 2 years ago. She had missed some time recently due to a problem with her wrist.
This is another change for our kids' schooling this year. Our son's teacher Karine fell in October and missed over a month. Her substitute Marc was a nice man. At one point, he had to miss a week for some training, so our son had a substitute for the substitute. All these changers perturbed our son. Then recently we recently received an announcement that the school principal would be leaving at the end of March. The one who was supposed to replace her then had an accident and was replaced by a woman who is now acting principal.
It's strange all the accidents, illnesses, and other situations that are happening this year. We definitely need to pray more protection around them.
Tonight at the monthly meeting for artists, a veteran artist named Bernard shared some of his testimony. We had 24 people present, including some of the musician friends of Charles who played at the concert this past Saturday.
Bernard is definitely the oldest of our regular participants. He's probably in his 70s. His wife came last month. They are the parents of 4 children, as well as some grandchildren. He's probably been doing art for around 50 years now. He's also been a Christ follower at least that one.
To me, Bernard just exudes wisdom and life experience as an artist, father, husband, grandfather, etc. It reminded me of the value of having some gray haired veterans around. They give valuable perspective about current life situations of some of us are currently gong through. What gives him even more authority is that he has practuced what he preached.
lundi 27 avril 2009
dimanche 26 avril 2009
Crossing barriers & Family One gospel concert
Yesterday I heard a sermon on Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4. It was given by Alain, who is a lay person and member of the church council. Even though not a formal pastor, he gave a reflective and engaging sermon on the text. Unlike many lay preachers (and a few professional preachers too), he didn't go too long or leave you looking at your watch and wondering "when is he going to land the plane?"
He mentioned how Jesus broke a number of cultural barriers in interacting with this women. The first was a cultural and religious one, as she was a Samaritan and Jesus was Jewish. Jews often avoided Samaritans, who they viewed as being heretical and syncretistic in religion. The second was the male/female one, as males wouldn't normally address females in this setting. The third was a moral one, as she had been divorced 5 times and was living with another man. She came to get water at the hottest time of the day, when no one else was at the well. She preferred the solitude over the discomfort of the judgmental looks and comments that she normally would attract from the morally "just."
Like the 4 men who went through the roof to lower their friend to Jesus in last week's sermon, this is another account in the gospels of breaking cultural norms in order to have Jesus interact with the needy. I like how Jesus approached and engaged her, rather than waiting for her to come to him.
So often the mindset of many Christians I know is to want to "bring people to church." On the one hand, if our churches are places of life, then they can and should be places where the poor (spiritually, physically, emotionally, etc.) can experience life. However, the typical Sunday morning worship services that I know are often not that entry point. The entry point is rather a signficant relationship or conversation or encounter. I love how Jesus engages her in a way that draws her in. My evangelistic style is more relational and hesitant to say too much too fast, in order to not shock or overwhelm someone. It's not out of shame or fear (at least most of the time), but rather not wanting to turn people off to a message given impersonally. In France, I think that this is often appropriate. However, Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman shows that there are opportunities sometimes to talk with a complete stranger about spiritual significant matters. Certainly there is the Holy Spirit's preparation of someone's heart and we can't assume that just because we have the "magic" strategy that someone will respond. However, the "packaging" or manner of engaging someone is an important component that the Spirit will sometimes use to help someone to drink of the Living Water.
On Saturday morning our friend Charles called and offered 5 free tickets for our family to attend the Family One gospel concert at l'Europeen theatre in Paris. I've known Charles pretty much since first arriving in France in 1988. Back then, he was an artist (singer/song writer/director) trapped in the role of vocational pastor. He's had some ups and downs over the years and we got back in contact on Easter Sunday 2003. Charles' profession now is helping lead choirs for les Orphelins d'Auteuil, a charitable organization that works with orphans and other children in difficulty. He exercises his pastoral gifts in the course of leading these choirs, whose style is Black Gospel Music. Charles loves the Sister Act I and II films.
For a country where many are practical agnostics or atheists, it's interesting that Gospel Music is so popular. There are a number of different gospel choirs in France, as well as groups that pass through.
We had amazing 2nd row seats at the concert. My whole family enjoyed the event, which was full of life, joy, and energy. The crowd was very much into the music, clapping, dancing, and singing along. I wonder how many present would claim to be Christ followers. However, whether one was aware of it or not, we all were worshipping God that evening through the music. For those musicians and particularly the singers, they are getting some theology.
I can't close without mentioning the amazing prayer at the worship service yesterday. It was based on the 10 Commandments and had as much spiritual meat as most of the sermons that I've ever heard.
vendredi 24 avril 2009
4 friends of the paralytic man and an outing with my son & a friend
Last Sunday I heard a terrific sermon based on the story in the Gospels of the paralytic man being brought to Jesus by his 4 friends. It resonated so much with our desire to see our neighborhood friends find life in Jesus.
In the story, Jesus is in a house and surrounded by his followers. It was so crowded that there was no way to get in. One of the pastor's points was that, sometimes followers of Jesus can get in the way of those needier than them finding Jesus. Sometimes, our efforts to "evangelize" end up doing more harm than good, especially without an understanding of the culture and the needs of its people.
What the 4 friends of the paralytic might have done is try to weave through the crowds. However, this wouldn't have worked. Another of the points was that, sometimes in trying to help the needy get to Jesus, we need to actually step away from Jesus for a season. I find that many who have been Christ-followers for a number of years have ended up with only friends who are also Christ-followers. Certainly there is the need for Christian fellowship. However, the downside has been the creation of a Christian bubble that often is protectionistic, fearful, and often dys-graceful and condemning of those outside of it. I can relate to this, as a good number of my years as a Christ-follower have been this way. It has only been during this most recent season of ministry where I've been more confortable spending more & more of my time with those who would not claim to be Christ-followers.
Our recent Christmas cookie baking and Easter egg coloring parties have been attempts to build relationships with neighborhood families (our kids' friends from school or recreational activities). 30 children (and some parents) participated in 3 egg coloring parties. We've even received some nice notes from people whose children couldn't attend.
Today I took my 7 year old son and one of his classmates (who lives in our apartment complex) to the Palais de la Découverte, a hands-on science museum in Paris. I wanted to spend some time with my son. However, my wife and I both thought it would be more fun if he had this classmate to go with. Honestly, it was a lot more work having her with us. However, they both seemed to enjoy it. After we returned, she came into our apartment for the first time and played with our kids. Then her mother got her and our son. They are currently in a neighborhood park and will drop my son off in a few minutes.
Earlier this week the mother telephoned us to give us some of the daughter's clothes that she had grown out of. She is an only child and the parents appear to not be planning on other children. My daughters love the clothes and they have saved us a lot of money. Several friends who aren't yet Christ-followers have been very generous in giving us clothes this year. These exchanges of gifts and services have strengthened the bond between our families.
Getting back to the biblical account, the 4 men showed great creativity in finding a way to bring their friend to Jesus. They broke traditions and rules in going through the roof. It was a lot of work for them lower him down from the roof. But desperate situations require desperate measures.
One thing I appreciate about the church where this sermon was given is that they are trying creative means to help bring people to Jesus. One of these was a song and video released before this past Christmas titled "Noel No Hell."
In the story, Jesus is in a house and surrounded by his followers. It was so crowded that there was no way to get in. One of the pastor's points was that, sometimes followers of Jesus can get in the way of those needier than them finding Jesus. Sometimes, our efforts to "evangelize" end up doing more harm than good, especially without an understanding of the culture and the needs of its people.
What the 4 friends of the paralytic might have done is try to weave through the crowds. However, this wouldn't have worked. Another of the points was that, sometimes in trying to help the needy get to Jesus, we need to actually step away from Jesus for a season. I find that many who have been Christ-followers for a number of years have ended up with only friends who are also Christ-followers. Certainly there is the need for Christian fellowship. However, the downside has been the creation of a Christian bubble that often is protectionistic, fearful, and often dys-graceful and condemning of those outside of it. I can relate to this, as a good number of my years as a Christ-follower have been this way. It has only been during this most recent season of ministry where I've been more confortable spending more & more of my time with those who would not claim to be Christ-followers.
Our recent Christmas cookie baking and Easter egg coloring parties have been attempts to build relationships with neighborhood families (our kids' friends from school or recreational activities). 30 children (and some parents) participated in 3 egg coloring parties. We've even received some nice notes from people whose children couldn't attend.
Today I took my 7 year old son and one of his classmates (who lives in our apartment complex) to the Palais de la Découverte, a hands-on science museum in Paris. I wanted to spend some time with my son. However, my wife and I both thought it would be more fun if he had this classmate to go with. Honestly, it was a lot more work having her with us. However, they both seemed to enjoy it. After we returned, she came into our apartment for the first time and played with our kids. Then her mother got her and our son. They are currently in a neighborhood park and will drop my son off in a few minutes.
Earlier this week the mother telephoned us to give us some of the daughter's clothes that she had grown out of. She is an only child and the parents appear to not be planning on other children. My daughters love the clothes and they have saved us a lot of money. Several friends who aren't yet Christ-followers have been very generous in giving us clothes this year. These exchanges of gifts and services have strengthened the bond between our families.
Getting back to the biblical account, the 4 men showed great creativity in finding a way to bring their friend to Jesus. They broke traditions and rules in going through the roof. It was a lot of work for them lower him down from the roof. But desperate situations require desperate measures.
One thing I appreciate about the church where this sermon was given is that they are trying creative means to help bring people to Jesus. One of these was a song and video released before this past Christmas titled "Noel No Hell."
mercredi 22 avril 2009
Eiffel Tower reflections
On Monday our whole family was treated to a visit to the top of the Eiffel Tower by our friends Rita & Ranita (a former Wheaton classmate from the 80s). They were a huge help and encouragement to us during their visit to Paris from Florida & Georgia. They helped knock off a large stack of mending that my wife was dreading doing. It's amazing what seems daunting for one person seems quite easy for another who knows how to do it. This could be taxes, car work, drafting documents in French, plumbing, cabinet installing, getting WIFI working, etc. Living today involves a plethora of tasks that one can't be an expert in everything. This is where members of a church can serve and be served mutually.
Anyway, the summit of the Eiffel Tower was where I proposed to my wife just over 12 years ago. We rarely get up there nowadays. But it's a place where our lives were indelibly changed. Our 3 children have been wanting to go there for awhile and were not disappointed. The weather was sunny and warm and the view all around was clear for miles/kilometers. It is one of those priceless views of the world.
Earlier that day, my father-in-law finished reinstalling a kitchen cabinet that had begun to sag down to the weight of things inside it. As this wall is concrete, it involved some arduous drilling. It sounds like the old dental drills. For me, this project entailed several trips to Castorama, a large hardware store in Paris. While not a natural handyman, I can conceptualize solutions if I have the time and energy. While sometimes frustrated during the course of this project, I am happy with the final result, which is a stronger support for the cabinet.
When I was in my 20s, I felt like I had the time and energy to pretty much get anything done. Now in my 40s and being a husband and father of 3, there is always more that feels like needs to be done. There are always more e-mails to answer, books to read, homework to help the kids with, dishes to wash and put away, etc. As time is money, devices like dishwashers, washing machines, and microwaves that help gain time are worth their price. Computers can be helpful, although can also be time wasters as well.
As our cell phone died last week, I ended up purchasing a new IPhone. We had lots of points earned over the years, so the actual purchase price was just a fraction of what one normally pays. For me, I was primarily looking for a telephone and it does that well, although I'm having to reload my address book. It has some other useful features, like GPS, a camera with a flash, and IPod (for music, podcasts, and even watching videos). It also is a camera. My wife was able to check the weather. I was even able to send and receive e-mails with it yesterday, although accidentally hitting a wrong key and deleting an e-mail that I needed.
I'm curious to find what applications of the IPhone are helpful for ministry. I don't want to be a slave to technology, but rather a master of it. Perhaps being able to send e-mails from many places in Paris (and without a computer) will be helpful. Perhaps I'll get used to using its camera and video taking features, rather than bringing these along.
In all of this, the bottom line is relationship. Will the IPhone make it easier or harder to connect with God? With my family? With my neighbors locally and globally? With artists in Paris? Ask me in 6-12 months. Or in 4 years (when it will probably die and I'll need to consider the next generation or 2 of communication devices, former known as phones).
Anyway, the summit of the Eiffel Tower was where I proposed to my wife just over 12 years ago. We rarely get up there nowadays. But it's a place where our lives were indelibly changed. Our 3 children have been wanting to go there for awhile and were not disappointed. The weather was sunny and warm and the view all around was clear for miles/kilometers. It is one of those priceless views of the world.
Earlier that day, my father-in-law finished reinstalling a kitchen cabinet that had begun to sag down to the weight of things inside it. As this wall is concrete, it involved some arduous drilling. It sounds like the old dental drills. For me, this project entailed several trips to Castorama, a large hardware store in Paris. While not a natural handyman, I can conceptualize solutions if I have the time and energy. While sometimes frustrated during the course of this project, I am happy with the final result, which is a stronger support for the cabinet.
When I was in my 20s, I felt like I had the time and energy to pretty much get anything done. Now in my 40s and being a husband and father of 3, there is always more that feels like needs to be done. There are always more e-mails to answer, books to read, homework to help the kids with, dishes to wash and put away, etc. As time is money, devices like dishwashers, washing machines, and microwaves that help gain time are worth their price. Computers can be helpful, although can also be time wasters as well.
As our cell phone died last week, I ended up purchasing a new IPhone. We had lots of points earned over the years, so the actual purchase price was just a fraction of what one normally pays. For me, I was primarily looking for a telephone and it does that well, although I'm having to reload my address book. It has some other useful features, like GPS, a camera with a flash, and IPod (for music, podcasts, and even watching videos). It also is a camera. My wife was able to check the weather. I was even able to send and receive e-mails with it yesterday, although accidentally hitting a wrong key and deleting an e-mail that I needed.
I'm curious to find what applications of the IPhone are helpful for ministry. I don't want to be a slave to technology, but rather a master of it. Perhaps being able to send e-mails from many places in Paris (and without a computer) will be helpful. Perhaps I'll get used to using its camera and video taking features, rather than bringing these along.
In all of this, the bottom line is relationship. Will the IPhone make it easier or harder to connect with God? With my family? With my neighbors locally and globally? With artists in Paris? Ask me in 6-12 months. Or in 4 years (when it will probably die and I'll need to consider the next generation or 2 of communication devices, former known as phones).
samedi 18 avril 2009
Verticale; Busy Week
Tonight I attended the monthly VERTICALE worship & prayer evening at le Pavé d'Orsay. It was a welcome breath of fresh air after some frustrating events of this afternoon. Rarely have I ever arrived at a worship gathering in such an irritated state. However, it was good to be there for multiple reasons. Although I arrived 40 minutes late, it was good to be with everyone there. It felt like going to a large gathering of friends, even though I didn't know a lot of the people there.
Afterwards, Kristina came up and said hi. We met a few months ago when she was trying to figure out what to do ministry-wise. She's now working in Paris for a few months, so it was good to catch up. I spoke with another woman whom I met a couple of weeks ago at a church. Then I spoke with Emmanuel, whom I knew from going to another church together. He helped lead worship tonight, which was great, as he is a gifted songwriter and musician.
I've gotten into a couple of new pieces of technology this week. As we had a computer die, I purchased my first desktop computer on Wednesday. I realized that it had 1,000 x as much hard drive as my first computer purchased in 1993. It even has WiFi, although that took a couple of days and several calls to customer service in order to fix it.
As our cell phone died this week, we needede to replace it. After a couple of trips to Orange Telecom, I purchased an IPhone today. This is a very well publicized phone. We got a huge discount on the purchase price, thanks to having been with Orange for 9 years now. Now we have to learn how to use all its features, including a camera, GPS system, and e-mail capacity.
mardi 14 avril 2009
Easter Tuesday
In France, the Monday after Easter (le lundi de Pâques) is a big national holiday. My wife's parents arrived yesterday on the holiday. It's a convenient day to go to the airport, as there was hardly any traffic. They'll be with us for just over a week. Right now they and my wife & kids are all out at the Buttes-Chaumont Park, as it's a beautiful day.
I'm enjoying the quiet of home while they are away. Yesterday felt like one of those days after the end of an exhausting race. Between the 3 Easter egg coloring events and the guests we had for Easter lunch, it hasn't been a restful last week. My kids are off of school this week and next one and many Parisiens are away for at least this week.
We're realizing the importance of a weekly Sabbath. For us, this isn't necessarily the Sunday, as that sometimes is a busy ministry day. Yesterday was like a weekly Sabbath to us.
On Sunday we visited a church that we've known of for awhile. A major reason we went here was due to transport reasons, as there is a direct bus from our place that drops off close to this church. We had 2 guests with us and there just isn't room in our vehicle for everyone. With them and 2 other guests coming over for Easter lunch, it was just easier to be able to use public transport then have some of us in the car and some of us on public transport.
It was a joyful, colorful service of celebration. This church has a pastor who is also a musician. This church is attracting a number of artists, particularly musicians. The pastor and some of them put together a song and video for Christmas titled "Noel, No Hell." I recognized a couple of people in the congregation from the video clip.
The church had a kids Sunday school that apparently was good, as our kids seemed happy coming back. They have a children's gospel choir that was part of the "Noel, No Hell" video. One of the young girls from this choir sang a song in English, that I think was "This Little Light of Mine." After the service, we spoke to the choir director, whose daughter was one of the lead voice in "Noel, No Hell." They apparently are going to do an English version of this song for Christmas 2009.
I was excited to see a church that is attracting musicians and other artists. The pastor has started a support group for professional musicians.
The sermon was very interesting and given by a member of the congregation who worked as the chaplain of one of the Paris airports. The message was engaging and had lots of interesting points. It's primary focus was on the priority of intimacy with God and quickly went through a number of Jesus' teachings in the gospels.
In French, there is a saying that "Ceux qui se ressemblent s'assemblent." (Those who look alike end up gathering together). The preacher reversed this and said, "Ceux qui s'assemblent se ressemblent." (Those who gather together end up looking alike). Christians who gather together will end up looking alike. This isn't meant in the negative sense of everyone being vanilla or out of the same mold. However, the priorities and values will be passed on.
The church tries to be friendly to foreigners, especially English speakers. Except for the special music number in English by the little girl (a native French-speaker), the service was in French. However, at the bottom of the screen, there were some clues projected up. For example, during the introduction to the Lord's Supper, I saw the words "Jesus is Lord. If you can state it, you can partake it."
It was encouraging to see this church packed out on Easter Sunday. We'll probably be back there next week, as my in-laws will be with us, so we'll need public transport again. If our kids like it again and get interested in being in their weekly Wednesday children's gospel choir, then we'll have to consider further involvement there.
I'm enjoying the quiet of home while they are away. Yesterday felt like one of those days after the end of an exhausting race. Between the 3 Easter egg coloring events and the guests we had for Easter lunch, it hasn't been a restful last week. My kids are off of school this week and next one and many Parisiens are away for at least this week.
We're realizing the importance of a weekly Sabbath. For us, this isn't necessarily the Sunday, as that sometimes is a busy ministry day. Yesterday was like a weekly Sabbath to us.
On Sunday we visited a church that we've known of for awhile. A major reason we went here was due to transport reasons, as there is a direct bus from our place that drops off close to this church. We had 2 guests with us and there just isn't room in our vehicle for everyone. With them and 2 other guests coming over for Easter lunch, it was just easier to be able to use public transport then have some of us in the car and some of us on public transport.
It was a joyful, colorful service of celebration. This church has a pastor who is also a musician. This church is attracting a number of artists, particularly musicians. The pastor and some of them put together a song and video for Christmas titled "Noel, No Hell." I recognized a couple of people in the congregation from the video clip.
The church had a kids Sunday school that apparently was good, as our kids seemed happy coming back. They have a children's gospel choir that was part of the "Noel, No Hell" video. One of the young girls from this choir sang a song in English, that I think was "This Little Light of Mine." After the service, we spoke to the choir director, whose daughter was one of the lead voice in "Noel, No Hell." They apparently are going to do an English version of this song for Christmas 2009.
I was excited to see a church that is attracting musicians and other artists. The pastor has started a support group for professional musicians.
The sermon was very interesting and given by a member of the congregation who worked as the chaplain of one of the Paris airports. The message was engaging and had lots of interesting points. It's primary focus was on the priority of intimacy with God and quickly went through a number of Jesus' teachings in the gospels.
In French, there is a saying that "Ceux qui se ressemblent s'assemblent." (Those who look alike end up gathering together). The preacher reversed this and said, "Ceux qui s'assemblent se ressemblent." (Those who gather together end up looking alike). Christians who gather together will end up looking alike. This isn't meant in the negative sense of everyone being vanilla or out of the same mold. However, the priorities and values will be passed on.
The church tries to be friendly to foreigners, especially English speakers. Except for the special music number in English by the little girl (a native French-speaker), the service was in French. However, at the bottom of the screen, there were some clues projected up. For example, during the introduction to the Lord's Supper, I saw the words "Jesus is Lord. If you can state it, you can partake it."
It was encouraging to see this church packed out on Easter Sunday. We'll probably be back there next week, as my in-laws will be with us, so we'll need public transport again. If our kids like it again and get interested in being in their weekly Wednesday children's gospel choir, then we'll have to consider further involvement there.
samedi 11 avril 2009
Easter morning
It's 6:30 Paris time and I hear a few birds chirping outside the window. It's dark outside and the rest of my family is still sleeping.
It was pretty early when the women went to Jesus' tomb that first Easter. I can't imagine their extreme changes in emotion from sadness & despondency to perplexity to exhilirating happiness and joy upon discovering the stone rolled away outside the tomb and the angel reporting that Jesus was no longer there. The scene from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Lucy and Susan see Aslan alive again recaptures some of this emotion.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that if Christ had not been resurrected from the dead, then our faith would be in vain. I understand this a little more after having experienced the stillborn delivery of our Jessica last November. It was then and since then that I've experienced my Christian faith in a new dimension. The hope of seeing her again completely well is something that has encouraged me on a nearly daily basis.
Yesterday we had 8 more children over for our 3rd and final Easter egg coloring event. 3 of their mothers stayed to help. It went well and strengthened bonds with these families. Even with one family who couldn't make it, we exchanged several positive e-mails yesterday.
It is for these 30 children who attended the 3 Easter egg events, plus their families, that I hope they personally experience faith and changed lives through the resurrection of Jesus. I hope that my 3 children experience in their own particular ways the resurrection of Jesus. We also hope for many others in our neighborhood the same thing.
It was pretty early when the women went to Jesus' tomb that first Easter. I can't imagine their extreme changes in emotion from sadness & despondency to perplexity to exhilirating happiness and joy upon discovering the stone rolled away outside the tomb and the angel reporting that Jesus was no longer there. The scene from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when Lucy and Susan see Aslan alive again recaptures some of this emotion.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that if Christ had not been resurrected from the dead, then our faith would be in vain. I understand this a little more after having experienced the stillborn delivery of our Jessica last November. It was then and since then that I've experienced my Christian faith in a new dimension. The hope of seeing her again completely well is something that has encouraged me on a nearly daily basis.
Yesterday we had 8 more children over for our 3rd and final Easter egg coloring event. 3 of their mothers stayed to help. It went well and strengthened bonds with these families. Even with one family who couldn't make it, we exchanged several positive e-mails yesterday.
It is for these 30 children who attended the 3 Easter egg events, plus their families, that I hope they personally experience faith and changed lives through the resurrection of Jesus. I hope that my 3 children experience in their own particular ways the resurrection of Jesus. We also hope for many others in our neighborhood the same thing.
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