Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Time, Time, Time see what's become of me...
Well, Melissa and the boys took advantage of the summer freedom to go visit her parents for the week. Leo is enjoying Bible School at Melissa's home church there.
being a bachelor this week has made me realize that I have no concept of time whatsoever/ I very much have a concept of life and daily routine. Time is entirely different. At home alone, 5 minutes can be an eternity (no cable tv and a dial up interent connection also provide little escape). And then I turn around and it's been 2 hours and it's just gone very fast. very bizarre.
I've been car-less and taking the bus anywhere I need to go - a good bit of walking too. I fixed the dryer in our house as well - an adventure for someone as mechanically deficient as myself. fixitnow.com - check it out - I even found pictures of the dryer (a model from 1982). quality. Taking the bus makes me feel extremely real, even if I do sometimes get motion sick and take inordinate amounts of time to get from point A to point C.
Last week I saw Jesus on the bus. There was a 30 something year-old women dressed in worn out slacks and a worn out blouse - probably used to be business casual. Her hair was stringy and she had a bag from the drugstore as well as a purse/briefcase. The bus was very full this evening. She got on the bus with a cigarette hanging from her mouth (unlit of course). Soon she turned and conversed with the lady behind her - a big commotion as people moved their belongings, including two grocery bags. Seats were switched and I thought to myself "what the heck?" As we stopped to pick up some more folks, an elderly gentlemen slowly and feebly climbed the steps - digging for change and finding it it rattled as his hand shook incontrollably toward the deposit box at the front of the bus - his other hand steadied his frail body. The woman got up, cigarette still hanging from her mouth, and walked toward the front of the bus. She took the gentlemen by the arm and steadied him down the walkway as the bus lurched forward. She took him to the place she had been sitting - the seat she had made available as she saw him at the curb. "here ya go sir, you sit here."
"thank you ma'am, thank you so much" said the man with the small voice.
With that, this woman took her seat, holding her belongings in her lap, uncomfortable.
I wasn't sure who played the role of Jesus here - the man as the least of these, or the woman as the comforter, preparing a place for him. But I was moved.
(1) comments
being a bachelor this week has made me realize that I have no concept of time whatsoever/ I very much have a concept of life and daily routine. Time is entirely different. At home alone, 5 minutes can be an eternity (no cable tv and a dial up interent connection also provide little escape). And then I turn around and it's been 2 hours and it's just gone very fast. very bizarre.
I've been car-less and taking the bus anywhere I need to go - a good bit of walking too. I fixed the dryer in our house as well - an adventure for someone as mechanically deficient as myself. fixitnow.com - check it out - I even found pictures of the dryer (a model from 1982). quality. Taking the bus makes me feel extremely real, even if I do sometimes get motion sick and take inordinate amounts of time to get from point A to point C.
Last week I saw Jesus on the bus. There was a 30 something year-old women dressed in worn out slacks and a worn out blouse - probably used to be business casual. Her hair was stringy and she had a bag from the drugstore as well as a purse/briefcase. The bus was very full this evening. She got on the bus with a cigarette hanging from her mouth (unlit of course). Soon she turned and conversed with the lady behind her - a big commotion as people moved their belongings, including two grocery bags. Seats were switched and I thought to myself "what the heck?" As we stopped to pick up some more folks, an elderly gentlemen slowly and feebly climbed the steps - digging for change and finding it it rattled as his hand shook incontrollably toward the deposit box at the front of the bus - his other hand steadied his frail body. The woman got up, cigarette still hanging from her mouth, and walked toward the front of the bus. She took the gentlemen by the arm and steadied him down the walkway as the bus lurched forward. She took him to the place she had been sitting - the seat she had made available as she saw him at the curb. "here ya go sir, you sit here."
"thank you ma'am, thank you so much" said the man with the small voice.
With that, this woman took her seat, holding her belongings in her lap, uncomfortable.
I wasn't sure who played the role of Jesus here - the man as the least of these, or the woman as the comforter, preparing a place for him. But I was moved.
(1) comments
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Thoughts along the way
So here we are...The 9th our baby turned 1. I look back: 1 year ago Cole was born at a hospital in Olney MD. I was working at Starbucks in Germantown and we were living in some incredibly awesome borrowed house in rockville, MD. We'd wrapped up an internship and hidden from a sniper. We'd been to the national zoo numerous times. We had finally connected on a deeper level with a few close friends. One month later...we moved. That was only one year ago.
It seems like an eternity in thoughts and deeds. It makes me exhausted to think about the relational marathon we have run in the past year. It boggles my mind to realize the growth and shaping that has occurred in us. And where we are today in terms of our view on "church" is someplace I never would have/ could have predicted. I have a feeling if I post too much I may get bumped off the few blogs that are linked to me (it's all good though).
I still believe fundamentally that we (Christians at large) make church more complicated than it has to be. And I believe that being a part of the incarnational body that is "church" is like walking into a parallel universe, referred to Biblically as "Kingdom." I believe that the Kingdom is breaking in all around us. I believe that the church is/should be adventure.
The following may be unpopular. I believe that purpose-driven churches are part of this. I believe that liturgical churches are part of this. I believe that dead ritual-driven churches are part of this Kingdom too. How much they are part of that the adventure, I don't know. but as I look at new acquaintences in my life, I see they are part of the adventure. Their views on church differ. You know what though, I believe that Jesus is much more okay with where they are at than I am. And He loves them.
And I need to ask forgiveness for my arrogance. I need to repent of my pride.
***Father, forgive me. Have mercy on me. Lord, teach me how to love like you.***
(4) comments
It seems like an eternity in thoughts and deeds. It makes me exhausted to think about the relational marathon we have run in the past year. It boggles my mind to realize the growth and shaping that has occurred in us. And where we are today in terms of our view on "church" is someplace I never would have/ could have predicted. I have a feeling if I post too much I may get bumped off the few blogs that are linked to me (it's all good though).
I still believe fundamentally that we (Christians at large) make church more complicated than it has to be. And I believe that being a part of the incarnational body that is "church" is like walking into a parallel universe, referred to Biblically as "Kingdom." I believe that the Kingdom is breaking in all around us. I believe that the church is/should be adventure.
The following may be unpopular. I believe that purpose-driven churches are part of this. I believe that liturgical churches are part of this. I believe that dead ritual-driven churches are part of this Kingdom too. How much they are part of that the adventure, I don't know. but as I look at new acquaintences in my life, I see they are part of the adventure. Their views on church differ. You know what though, I believe that Jesus is much more okay with where they are at than I am. And He loves them.
And I need to ask forgiveness for my arrogance. I need to repent of my pride.
***Father, forgive me. Have mercy on me. Lord, teach me how to love like you.***
(4) comments
