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The Hole in our Gospel by Richard Stearns

I recently finished reading The Hole in Our Gospel by World Vision president, Richard Stearns.  The timing for reading this book is quite interesting as my wife and I get ready for our trip this summer to Kenya for short-term missions working with CMF International and Hope Partnership in the Mathare North slums of Nairobi.  Stearns definitely challenges the reasons for going on such a trip and for our church to be involved with such a ministry.

This book is a must read for all American Christians and American church leaders.  Stearns, who left a lucrative and successful career of corporate leadership to take the president position of World Vision, presents a challenge to American Christians and churches that they may be missing a major part of what God expects of us.  He provides an honest reflection of his own continuing struggle to grab hold of his responsibility to take care of the poor, the orphans, and the widows as commanded in the gospel.

After sharing the details of his own transition to World Vision, Stearns lays out the facts of the poverty found around the globe.  He discusses the facts related to sickness (including HIV Aids, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases), hunger, and deaths found in the poorest sections of the world.  He discusses the growing disparity between the rich and the poor of the world.  And he unveils the Biblical call to respond to these injustices.

He leaves the reader with the challenge to step up and fill the “Hole in our Gospel” by finding ways to do our part in offering our time, talents, and resources to live out the gospel in our own lives and to share it with others in tangible ways.

I’m excited, because I see what our church is doing in Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico, as we come along side missionaries and communities to establish long-term relationships and to have long-term impact.  I’m excited to see where God will be leading me personally as I continue to process the challenges of this book, this trip, and the gospel message.

Stay tuned…I’ll try to process some of this out loud here.  Until then, consider picking up a copy of this book and reading it for yourself.  Let me know what you think.

RESPECT

Last night while on our date, Leanne and I were talking about the importance of having people of positive influence in our lives and in the lives of our kids.  As we talked about this, we were reminded of all kinds of people who have had an impact on us as a couple and as parents – people like: Terry and Maria Hanna, Bill and BJ Krewson, Tim and Jill Reber, and Andy and Denise Dovel.

As part of this discussion, I was reminded about something I wrote for our “Supernanny” Parenting Group that I think also applies:

There are many people in my life who I respect for all kinds of reasons.  I respect my parents and my wife’s parents.  I respect by boss.  I respect those in the church who are in leadership.  I respect my teachers.  I respect the political leaders throughout our country.  One person who I respect is Ray Rivera.  Ray was one of my youth leaders at the church where I grew up in New Jersey.  I looked at him as an authority figure, as a spiritual guide, and as a family friend.  Ray and his wife Joann always had time for me if I needed someone to talk with.  While I knew that he wasn’t perfect, I saw him making good decisions and leading with integrity and with a servant’s heart.

It’s wonderful that we have people in our lives like Ray Rivera – people who deserve respect not just because of their positions of authority but also because of their actions.

Who are the people in your lives who have this kind of influence?  Who are the people in your kids’ lives who have this kind of influence?

Am I Expecting Great Things?

This morning, I woke up to make pancakes for our family before we headed off to church at Christ’s Church of the Valley.  As I moved closer to finishing up the pancakes, I for some reason decided to grab a CD from my past and let it play as everyone else was waking up and enjoying breakfast.  The CD I chose was Speechless by a favorite from my past Steven Curtis Chapman.  For some reason, I was moved by track 4 – Great Expectations.

In this song, Chapman sings about believing the unbelievable and receiving the inconceivable – about having Great Expectations.  It hit me that I often don’t expect great things when I go to church or when I have my quiet time.  Why?  Perhaps, I’m too comfortable with the structure, pattern, and repetition of these “times with God.”  Maybe, I’m lazy in my approach to God.  Or maybe the wounds of the past have tainted my level of anticipation for God to work.

Whatever the case, I was challenged this morning.  I was challenged to approach my time with God (privately and corporately) with a renewed expectation that God has something great in store – for my church, for my family, for my neighbors, for my job, and for me.  I believe this in my head, but I want to believe it in my heart and live it out.

Matthew 7:7-11 reminds us that God has so much in store for each of us.  This is a reason to be excited about living, about working, and about spending time with God.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Thankful for a new day!  Thankful for renewal!  Thankful for the promise of great things!  Thankful for an incredible, awesome, unbelievable, inconceivable God!

Fallen Angels at the Walnut Street Theater

This weekend, Leanne and I journeyed down to Philadelphia to see Fallen Angels at the Walnut Street Theater.  This comedy written by Noel Coward was just the recipe we needed to escape from the hectic pace of life for a couple of hours.  The set, which brought you into the living area of a plush English flat, was incredible as is always the case at the Walnut.  The play was just the right length – about two hours including two intermissions.  And the cast did a remarkable job as always in entertaining the audience.

Fallen Angels is the story of two women who share friendship and a long lost lover.  While their husbands are out golfing together, they together find out that their lover from the past is coming to town for a visit.  As they anticipate his arrival, they share conversation about their own so-so marriages, about their past romantic rendezvous with Maurice, and about what it will be like to see him again.  Meanwhile, while waiting for his arrival, they get hammered, and they eventually end the evening at odds.

I won’t give away the ending, but I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts.  In a way, the play is a sad commentary on most marriage relationships today.  Multiple times throughout the show, there is a discussion about “loving each other” versus “being in love with each other.”  The couples in the  play love each other (at least that’s what they said), but they admit to not being in love with each other.  In other words, they respect and admire each other, but they aren’t passionately, romantically head over heels for each other.

Being married for almost fourteen years, I guess I can somewhat understand this, but it makes me sad that so many couples are content to stay at the respect/admire place and they won’t put the work into keeping things passionate and romantic in their marriage.  I know from experience that there are ups and downs along the way, but I am so thankful for a partner who wants to work together to have the best marriage possible.  Getting out for a show at the Walnut is one of the ways we keep things on track.

I’m looking forward to more adventures with the love of my life.

Thanks, Leanne, for a great night out!

(Looking forward to seeing Fiddler on the Roof next!)

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years – by Donald Miller

I just finished reading Donald Miller‘s latest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and let me share that it was a great book!

Let me explain.

The book is about Donald Miller, but I think it’s also about me – and it’s about you also.

Million Miles tells the story of what happens when two movie producers approach Miller about making a movie based on Blue Like Jazz (Miller’s first book).  As their discussion unfolds, they determine that they need to do some rewriting to make the story more interesting and more appealing to the average movie goer.  Blue Like Jazz is also a book about Donald Miller.  So Donald Miller (along with the movie producers) begins rewriting his own story.  As this process starts, Donald Miller is depressed and unhappy with his unexciting life.  Through the process, he discovers that he has some say in how his story – his life – is written.  So while writing the screenplay, Miller begins to branch out into adventure, into relationship, and into a life that has meaning.

As Million Miles unfolds, the reader is challenged to consider his/her own story and to decide to move forward in creating an interesting, worthwhile, adventurous, meaningful story.

I definitely recommend this book!  Get it!  Read it!  Decide today to write a great story for yourself!

The Longest Trip Home (John Grogan)

Today, I finished reading John Grogan’s second book, The Longest Trip Home.  This book made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me think, and it even made me cry.  More than anything, this book made me appreciate my family and it reminded me how important it is to share my love with my family – especially my parents.  As soon as I finished reading The Longest Trip Home, I called my parents to tell them how much I appreciate and love them.

Grogan does an unbelievable job weaving the story of how he took the long journey from his Catholic childhood through rebellious adolescence to independent adulthood where he eventually finds his way back home to thank and appreciate his parents.

I had originally given the book to my mom for her birthday or mother’s day this past May.  My parents have enjoyed reading books together especially as they become empty nesters.  They enjoyed Grogan’s first book, Marley & Me, so I figured they would also like his second book.  My mom was quick to open the book and find a page where Grogan used the “F-word” two or three times, and she was quick to ask if I had read anything about the book before I picked it out.  Despite her initial findings, she and my dad kept up and finished the book.  When they were done reading, they sent the book back to me, so I could see what I had given her.

I’m so thankful they sent it back to me.  It was so worth reading through the candid stories of Grogan’s adolescent rebellion to understand and appreciate his return home.  I was touched and definitely inspired.  Thanks John Grogan for sharing your story.

I love you Mom and Dad!  

Kenya – More Signs That This Is Actually Happening

The reality of our trip to Kenya is starting to sink in.  Here are a few of the recent sign posts:

1)  So far, we’ve received $1,343.45 in donations (or committed donations) towards our trip!  Wow, what a blessing!  It has been absolutely overwhelming to experience the generosity of others.

2)  We submitted our 2nd deposit ($1,600) for the trip right before Christmas bringing our total deposit value to $2,000.  Only $6,000 more to go.   This was definitely a sign that this thing is for real!  Our third deposit ($1,000) is due at the end of this month.

3)  We received confirmations this week on our flight times.  Actually knowing when you will be flying and for how long makes the trip seem much more like a reality.  I’m still trying to figure out how my 6′ 6″ frame will like being on a plane for 15 hours – pray that I can get a bulkhead or some extra leg room some how.

4)  Our family is starting to learn a few Swahili words – Jambo means “hello”.  English is spoken over there, but it will be helpful to know some of the native language.

More signs to follow, I’m sure!

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