Painting and Preaching

This morning we went back to the kid's house and painted some more. It was a hot morning, but inside the house there was often a breeze. Hannah, Mark, Choupe and I painted together. Since I am not a giant, I took the lower parts of the walls and let the others climb the ladders and make gigantic reaches to get the higher parts.

I stopped about 11:30 a.m. to get ready to go to the church to preach a third time. Danny had gone to Port au Prince, so I had another interpreter, Louisseul. He did a marvelous job! I spoke on the subject of the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and then tied it all back to Saturday's message on being a prayer center. After today's message we had a time of prayer. There were headaches, neck and back pain, bad knees, high blood pressure, persecution and bad eyes. After praying for them I reminded them that I had no power in myself to do anything; that any healing would be coming from God. And I encouraged them to step out in prayer. I was so blessed by the opportunity to minister to this wonderful congregation. May God bless Pastor Etienne and Eglise Assemblee des Croyonts en Jesus Christ!

The trip out to the church was difficult, because many of the roads had deep ruts and holes filled with water and mud. Haitian roads are rough by any measure, and bumpy. There are people walking, riding bikes and motorbikes and animals tied alongside the road or just out in the road. There is every kind of dwelling along the way, from rickety lean-to's to very elegant houses. The poverty of Haiti is evident and the people feel its pressures, but when one gets to meet the people and spend time with them they are full of joy and love.

This is my third trip to Haiti and I am hooked! I look forward to my next visit.

Back in Haiti

Well, I am back in Haiti. Actually, I have been here since June 16. I didn't bring my computer so I have been bumming my son's. And the Internet connection is spotty. And I'm not really a writer. I'd rather pick up the phone than write something.

I'm back at Pwoje Espwa in Les, Cayes. This is a children's home/orphanage/school/farm - lots of things it is, but mainly it is a place where children can come and be loved and taken care of. Right now many of the kids are home for summer vacation. When school is in there are over 600 children here. Now I hear there are 200 - 300.

Fr. Marc Boisvert is the founder and director of Pwoje Espwa. Although Fr. Marc is an Oblate priest and there is a Mass here each Sunday, the program is not specifically Catholic. It is Christian and the Spirit of God is very much here. However, there is room for all who care for kids and want to work for hope in this beautiful country.

I have had the opportunity to minister in a protestant church, Eglise Assemblee des Croyants en Jesus Christ in Guilloux. The pastor there is Gerald Etienne, a lively and committed man of God who clearly loves his people and seeks to extend the love of God in his community. Pastor Etienne works at Pwoje Espwa and I came to meet him through my son. I ministered there last Saturday (6/21) and again today. God willing I will be going back out tomorrow. We have been considering the topic of prayer.

My work at Espwa has been painting one of the houses for the children. There have been setbacks, and the work has gone slowly. I have one more day - tomorrow - to work at this project. One of the older kids - Shupee (sp?) - has been working with me. In fact, Shupee is quite capable of doing the work better than I. I give him great credit.

Haiti is certainly a poor country. It has had a very difficult history including exploitation over the years by so-called first-world countries, including the United States. The Haitian people want a life just like anyone else, and we need to allow them the opportunity. The country is a very beautiful place and the people are beautiful as well. I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to visit these three times and look forward to more visits.

It is late and I am tired. Besides, I really don't write very well. I'll try to do some more when I return home at the end of the week.

God bless Haiti and God bless Pwoje Espwa. (http://freethekids.org)

The Church

I have been growing increasingly interested in the centrality of the church in the life of the believer. It has been all too long since I last posted, but at least tonight I want to point to this growing interest of mine. I don't know if I'll be able to write much tonight.

I think it was Rick Warren who said that God has a Plan A, which is the church - he has no Plan B. God intends to build his church on earth because the church is the expression of his Son Jesus. The church is the Body of Christ. Until the Kingdom becomes a full reality on earth, God expresses himself through the church.

The church is the first sacrament. I read that somewhere last summer and it has stuck with me. None of the sacraments have meaning apart from the church.

There is no salvation apart from the church. I don't mean the Roman Catholic Church, or any other formal expression. I'm talking about the host of believers. The Roman Catholic Church is historically the center of the movement of God's church, but all the other denominations and fellowships that are located in the life of Christ are the church - the church is made up of every believer on earth in community. Community is the essence.

I am rambling. It is late and I've been up a long time today. I will be more coherent in further posts.

I'm at home today (was here yesterday) with a sore throat and sinus infection. The doctor put me on antibiotics. I'm going to miss the fire department banquet tonight and church in the morning. I hate being sick. Oh, it's nice to be home, but not when I have places to go and things to do.

I noticed that I haven't done an entry since before Christmas. In the time that has elapsed I've been to Haiti, done a Tres Dias weekend and a whole lot of other things. Lots of stuff has happened and none of it has been recorded. Nor have any of my thoughts.

Being sick lets me know how vulnerable I am to my humanity. It's easy to let the guard down and allow an infection in. Lack of sleep, not eating correctly, being exposed to a virus at just the wrong time when my immunity is low - whatever allowed me to get sick exposes my vulnerability.

For the past few months we have been doing a course called Foundations, which was created from the folks at Saddleback Church in California. It is a wonderful (though not perfect) course in Christian faith and doctrine. For the past few weeks we have been dealing with evil and temptation and sin. Again, our vulnerability is exposed as we think about the enemy of our souls and his ability to trick us when we are weak. Satan knows just where our vulnerabilities are and if we are not vigilant, he will exploit those weaknesses.

One thing that has become so very important to me is the Christian community I belong to at Clintondale Friends Christian Church. I have to tell you, these folks are my human lifeline. The fellowship and encouragement that I receive from my brothers and sisters in Clintondale is enormous. We are truly the Body of Christ. While I have been sick I have had good brought over, offers to shovel the walkway from the house to the driveway, someone to preach for me in the morning. God provides through my brothers and sisters. Thank God for them!

So, I'll stay home another day and hopefully I'll be well enough on Monday to go back to my routines. And hopefully I'll be able to learn from this time of forced rest.

On the eve of Christmas Eve

I'm in my study early this morning for a time of reflection and to make sure that everything is in order for the Kids Church program during our worship service. Mixing spiritual with practical. That's what Christmas is all about. God becoming flesh, bringing his spritiual reality to us in a human package, Jesus Christ.

We have been observing Advent with the lighting of the candles. We had to miss last Sunday because of bad weather, so today we light the third and fourth candles. I'm not sure I have them in the right order, but as I study about Advent traditions there doesn't seem to be any right way to do it anyhow. Today will the the candle of peace. How appropriate when we have war surrounding us on all fronts. And if not out and out war, there are hostilities all over the planet. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and give us your peace!

Tomorrow night we have our Christmas Eve Candle Lighting service, and we will be doing something a little different this year. For the past few years one of our favorite Christmas songs has been "Mary, Did You Know?" We're going to sing that song and then give everyone a chance to say what they know about Jesus. What they know for themselves. What Jesus has done in their lives. It will be a time for sharing what the original Christmas did to change lives, because if Jesus were not born we would not be doing what we do as church. What do you know?

If I don't post anything before Christmas, may you have a wonderful Christmas. May Jesus find a place in your heart, and may he cause you to experience new life in him. Merry Christmas!

Snow and Ice

I'm originally from the South and I have come to find snow and ice to be very difficult obstacles to my life. When I was a kid snow was a big thing, a pleasant surprise. We got to go outside and build snowmen and run through the snow. I remember as a kid making snow cream - take some snow, put a little milk in it and a little vanilla -wow, that was great!

When I first moved to New York in 1978 it was to Rochester. I found he snow out there to be a fun challenge. I learned to drive in the snow. To accept snow as part of everyday life in Rochester. I have lived in Albany and in Stephentown and Old Chatham, all with huge snowfalls. Clintondale has its share of snow, but it's nowhere as much as Rochester or even Stephentown.

As I get older, however, I find snow and ice to be unpleasant surprises. I am tempted to want to move to a warmer climate. I can get crabby and depressed.

But you know what? It's life! As long as I am living here - and I believe that God brought me here and wants me to stay here a while longer - as long as I am living here, I need to accept the fact of snow. I don't have to like it, but I do have to accept it.

There are a whole lot of other things I don't have to like but I have to accept. In fact, that's the way life is. I was at a meeting tonight where we ended with the Serenity Prayer. That Prayer has become a way of life for me. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Acceptance is key to living a life filled with serenity.

So is change. When I see something that needs changing, and God calls me to make the change, then I will have the power given me by the Spirit to change according to God's will.

Acceptance and change. And the wisdom to know when to do which.

I pray for anyone reading this blog the grace to live by the Serenity Prayer. I pray for you the grace of God in your life.

Has it been that long?

I can't believe it has been this long since I last posted. When I think about the blog, and realize that I haven't written anything for a long time, I wonder why I even keep it up on the web. But it is a place that I can write, even if no one reads it, and writing helps me to get my thoughts and life together.

This morning we cancelled our worship service and Kids Church due to bad weather. I am staying at the church to answer the phone if people call to find out whether church is being held. this gives me some time by myself. I did a little work on the computer - put a page up on the web where people can check out urgent announcements, such as cancellations.

This year has been an amazing demonstration of God's grace. We have had new people coming to worship with us. There is great spiritual growth taking place. Some of the small groups from our Forty Days of Purpose/Forty Days of Community programs continue. The Busy Bees, our sewing group, is doing well. Kids Church is a delight to our congregation - the kids come in each Sunday morning and help us start off our worship service. I have been teaching a Foundations Class, developed by Saddleback Church - it's a great program. God has blessed us financially. The list just keeps going.

Over the year I have come to say, "Don't presume upon the grace of God. The Lord gives and the Lord can take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." I truly stand in awe of the Lord. There is a healthy fear, not that I cower before the Lord, but in worship I bow before him. There is a vast difference between cowering and bowing. It's a difference that only a believer can know.

Our son Dan still lives in Haiti at a children's home/orphanage called Pwoje Espwa. You can find this ministry at http://freethekids.org. Fr. Marc keeps a blog - and he does a much better job than I at keeping it updated! - and on his blog there are frequent postings of pictures and news. My wife and I and a member of our church plan on going down to Haiti next month. We will happily be there for the tenth anniversary of the founding of Pwoje Espwa.

We are coming into an active presidential election where a lot is at stake. I won't give any of my political leanings here - that's not my job. However, I will say that there is no candidate that can save this nation or any other nation. We need to turn to God, asking God to bring forward candidates that will lead with integrity, intelligence, and compassion. Only God through Jesus Christ will be able to turn this nation around. We need national revival. I won't say that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, but it was founded by Christians on Christian principles and those principles hold true today just as much as any time in our history.

This past year I have been impressed with the importance God places upon the church. Not the institutional church per se, but the local congregation of believers where Jesus presides and his people live faithfully as community. Somewhere along the line I heard that God's Plan A for humanity is the church, and he doesn't have a Plan B. Nearly two years ago I resigned my ordination with the group that held my credentials and asked Clintondale Friends Christian Church to recognize my ministry. I didn't do this because I had any falling out with my credentialing fellowship, but because I have come to see the importance of the local church. In the beginning of the church there were no denominations. There were local churches knit together by the apostles and by letters (which turned into Scriptures) being circulated from those apostles. Each church was autonomous, governed by elders who had been put in place by the apostles. That they were autonomous does not mean there was no common faith and practice, just that no super-body ruled over them. Jesus is the one who builds the church and he oversees it through his undershepherds, the elders.

We have five elders in our church and are in the process of appointing deacons. This indeed has been a process. As the Lord leads we hope to see ourselves established along New Testament lines, responsive and responsible to the Lord Jesus in all things.

We stand at the end of an old year and on the threshold of a new one. Even though time and calendars are tools for us to mark our lives, they do give us opportunities to take stock and look ahead in faith and hope for new discoveries in the Kingdom of God.

God bless you, reader.

Pastor Dan