you really know a place by walking it

Holidays in a foreign land

2011-12-13T07:24:00.000-06:00

Greetings blog readers, this is Pastor Justin signing back in for my quarterly blog. Yes, you´re right, I used to blog monthly, but before that weekly and before that almost daily. Well what happened was life, work, ministry, mission, teaching, writing 3 books and translating another...can you tell that doesn´t leave much time for blogging now.

At any rate, Happy Advent! Yes, we are midst of the Advent season, which has its flavors of waiting, anticipation, hoping, joy, faith, peace, love, unexpectedness...of the coming of our Lord. And soon, yes, Jesus the Savior of the world will come into our existence once again, to fill our world and faith with light and life. Great things are happening and we hear God´s advice to: "wake up! get ready! expect the unexpected!" (Mark 13:37)

And as we move through this unexpecting liturgical season, I wonder if Joseph had expected the unexpected when he received news that the Roman Emperor wanted to have a count of the whole world... I wonder if Joseph had expected that he might have to leave town with his pregnant fiancée and walk for 4 days in order to cover the 80 mile distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem... I wonder if Joseph had expected that he´d be celebrating the birth of his son, who just so happened to be God, in a foreign land, rejected, marginalized, unwelcomed, alone... I wonder if being in such a different place without his family or support structure at such an important time in his life influenced how he experienced everything...

This year we have unexpectedly decided to stay in Bolivia for Christmas and New Years, something that we haven´t done yet since we moved here in 2009. Most of our friends here keep asking if we´re staying or traveling. When we say we´re staying, they´re excited because they know they´ll get to share their customs and traditions with us. But what they don´t ask is about how we will feel staying here, away from our families back home. While yes, we are looking forward to experiencing Christmas in Bolivia, we also have a longing deep within to be with our families at this special time of the year.

As we´ve come to find out, it´s difficult to "get in the holiday spirit" when we´re here; no matter if it´s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. Partly it could be that we´re in spring and will soon be entering summer/rainy season, partly it could be that there´s no Christmas music on the radio, partly it could be that we´re far from family. All these things and many more make the season feel seasonally. Some holidays just feel like they lack the spark of excitement, the newness of things, the warmth of tradition. And yes, as my family knows, tradition doesn´t necessarily mean "sameness" it means love and telling stories and being together (no matter when it happens to come around in the year).

But despite the difficulty in gaining that holiday skip this year, we are blessed, we have God with us (Immanuel) and we anxiously await the birth of Christ in our hearts and in our midst to bring good news and salvation to the world. As we say in Bolivia, "waiting costs", but the rewards are rich! Thanks be to God, Happy Advent and Merry Christmas to you all!

We are all co-learners!

2011-09-13T15:45:00.000-05:00

Good Tuesday afternoon! I just arrived here at the seminary where we teach, el Instituto Superior Ecuménico Andino de Teología - ISEAT, is its name. Being Lutheran professors here is part of our call to work with and serve the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church. As I may have mentioned before, we started teaching here in January of 2010 and have plans to continue here as long as we´re serving in Bolivia.

One of the neat things about being able to teach, having just come out of seminary (LSTC) in 2009, is that I still remember what it was like to be a seminary student. The majority of my students are around my age 18-45 and come from a variety of faith traditions and churches. About half are Roman Catholic and the other half are a blend of Protestants (Methodists, Lutherans, Evangelicals, etc.) Most of them are second career and are taking classes at ISEAT at night during the week. This often mean that they arrive to my class tired, hungry, thirsty and not in the mood to hear an hour and a half long lecture.

The first class I taught here in 2010 was Church History 1: from the founding of the Christian Church to the dawn of the Reformation. Yes, that meant that I had to cover 15 centuries in 12 weeks...if you think it is impossible, it´s not, just hurried. I first taught as I had been taught, which seems only natural. I lectured and they listened...for that was the way I had learned. However, I quickly realized that when students are bored out of their mind, they are less apt to learn... go figure. Also they didn´t read the assigned readings nor turn in homeworks, papers, essays and what they did turn in was often plagiarized. So I asked them what was going on. They told me I was giving entirely too much work for them to realistically do in their free time. Ah, I remembered uttering those words to my friends in seminary...why was it that each semester we started classes we were already 300 pages behind in our readings?

Luckily, I had a live-in professor in Bolivia who taught me to navigate the new, uncharted waters of methodologies and pedagogy. Now remember that I am a trained biochemist and pastor...not necessarily a teacher or seminary professor. So I had a thing or two to learn and thanks be to God, Kari taught me everything I know as a teacher-professor. She taught me about effective lesson plans that should guide the lesson, not make it rigid and inflexible. She taught me about objectives and how to create assessments to make sure I had reached my teaching goals. She taught me how to have fun with my students and be dynamic and spontaneous.

Now being in my second year as a seminary professor, every class I teach is half dynamic which means I have created and incorporated activities (most with movement) that make the subject matter apply to the daily lives and situations of my students in their real contexts. This may seem impossible, but it makes learning more fun...go figure. So now, my seminary professor colleagues here are asking about mine and Kari´s teaching methodologies because they have heard from our students that they´re staying awake in our classes and having fun while learning. Some dynamics I use in teaching Church History, New Testament, Worship and Liturgy and Greek 1 are: thematic games, small group work, large group work, presentations, plays-skits, art projects, personal investigations, DVDs, YouTube videos, races, candy, etc. Also, their exams, tests and quizzes always have a part that asks them to apply a specific theme to their daily context or rather relate to said theme from their context. This is how I wish I had experienced theological education in seminary. I know that my experiences teaching here in Bolivia are helping to shape and form the professor I one day hope to be.

This quarter I´m teaching Worship and Liturgy and Greek 1. Two completely different subjects that, in my opinion, are very practical subjects. For me, this means that everything we learn, discuss, watch must have some real life connector that makes it applicable. And I have stuck with this teaching methodology and/or philosophy because my students have responded positively to me as their professor on the end of quarter evaluations. As I continue teaching and experimenting with adult-learning in higher theological education, I have plans to incorporate even more popular education and dialogue education models than I have been using thus far. As I believe and tell my students, "In this class we are all co-learners, the only difference is that we´re learning different things from one another."

So my questions for you blog readers are: how do you teach someone else something? do you think we learn things for the purpose of teaching/training someone else? do you think learning should be free for everyone? if you teach, how have you changed your teaching methods over the years? how have you learned to incorporate the students´ voice more in the learning event? Thanks be to God for learning and teaching!

Home Assignment busy-ness

2011-06-25T22:07:00.001-05:00

Greetings All! This is Pastor Justin signing into his long-lost blog to let you know of latest updates...WE ARE ON HOME ASSIGNMENT!!! Woohoo! This means that we are traveling around the US, preaching and presenting in ELCA Congregations about our missions and ministries in Bolivia. I am realizing now that perhaps I could have posted our travel schedule sooner, but better late than never.

June:
2-4: NC Synod Assembly, Hickory NC
5: Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Raleigh NC
12: Advent Lutheran Church, York PA
19: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Hickory NC
25: Messiah Lutheran Church, Salisbury NC

July:
3: Christ Lutheran Church, Libby MT
7: MT Synod gathering, Great Falls MT
10: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Billings MT
17: United Lutheran Church, Grand Forks ND
24: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Chicago IL
31: Philadelphia Lutheran Church, Dallas NC & Resurrection Lutheran Church, Kings Mtn. NC

August:
VACATION!!!

Also, something you might be interested in knowing is that since I am not blogging as much due to being on the road, Kari is keeping a smaller blog running on her website: http://karieller.weebly.com.
Please check it out for photos of where we´ve been and you´re ELCA sisters and brothers in other parts of the US.

Take care and many blessings from our busy summer road trips!
+Justin

what´s new pastorcat...oh oh oh oh...

2011-05-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

Good Wednesday morning! A month has almost passed since my previous post, however life is así. The new administration of the IELB has been settling into their new roles and getting to know each other better. The nice thing is that there seems to be a willing spirit of teamwork. We were blessed to have the opportunity to sit down with the new Pastor-Presidente to hear his vision of the new administration for the new four years and how our accompanying role with the IELB may look. We left the meeting feel a fresh sense of understanding and that there is much to be done on the horizon. Really, as we are coming to find out, not much in the area of projects will be done during 2011, but will be time to prepare and plan for new implementations for 2012. This works well, I think especially because we won´t be here for two and a half months due to being on Home Assignment for the ELCA during the summer months.

We are also currently in the process of winding up our trimester at the seminary (ISEAT-www.iseatbolivia.org). Final exams are tomorrow for mine and Kari´s students. We have been blessed with good groups of students this first trimester and I have already heard that I will be teaching Worship and Liturgy again in the fall trimester along with a "tutoría" of biblical Greek! We shall see how that plays out...

So now we are awaiting the arrival of our boss in a couple of weeks, finishing project proposals, books and tying up any loose ends before heading out. This month of transitions after the IELB national assembly has been a time of deepening discernment, vision casting for the future and exploration of new areas of growth for the national Bolivian Lutheran church. We are filled again with hope and trust that this church remains in God´s merciful and grace-filled hands. Thanks be to God!

Asamblea General de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana (IELB)

2011-04-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

Good Monday morning! Today we are resting after an eventful weekend at the IELB national assembly and hosting international friends and guests. We congratulate newly elected Pastor-Presidente Emilio Aslla Flores and the new Executive Council (consejo directivo). At the assembly we presented (photo above) on what we had done with the church in our two years here from 2009-2011. At the end of our presentation, we received affirmation by the assembly. (below: Pastor Marianne Wagner greeting the Pastor-Presidente Emilio Aslla and Exec. Council)

The assembly was in Choquinayra, a small town outside of Viacha about an hour and a half outside of La Paz. It was Thursday, Friday and Saturday filled with inaugurations, presentations, voting, eating, sleeping, installations and a fair amount of discord. But overall, the Holy Spirit was present and change happened...now we are in a new era and we trust that God will guide us all.

We had several international guests with us: The Rev. Dr. Patricia Cuyatti from the Lutheran World Federation (photo above), The Rev. Marianne Wagner from the Lutheran Church of Palatinate in Germany and the Gustav-Adolf-Werk, the Rev. Maija Kuoppala from the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission and Mr. David Wunsch from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. David and Maija were election observers/counters for the assembly voting (photo below).

The assembly´s voices were heard and the new administration and executive council consist of representatives from each of the 10 districts of the IELB and the Eastern Missions (Cobija, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz). There is more representation of the diverse districts and languages, but we lack an equality of gender with the absence of women in higher church positions. With everything new, we continue to pray that this church will be faithful to their calling as pastors and leaders to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and lift up this church, making it more solid and sustainable. Thanks be to God!

don´t throw scripture at me!

2011-03-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning! Today is indeed a new day, with bright sun shining and horns honking...the greetings of a new day in La Paz. This morning in my scripture reading, it has me walking through Luke again and I just read about the devil´s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness for the forty days after his baptism. What is interesting is that the devil quotes scripture to Jesus and Jesus refutes his temptations.

To be quite honest, I am usually not so calm as Jesus to say, "It is written, ´One does not live by bread alone.´" While yes, it is the more Christian response, my usual sharp tongue lashes out, "Do not throw scripture at me, because we all know the devil can do it too!" I know, it´s not necessarily a helpful response, but it often makes me feel better. Ok...so truth be told...that is what I always think I´d like to say to a scripture quoting tempter, but really, if you know me...I wouldn´t say it (yet).

So what does it mean to meet someone who quotes scripture like the back of their hand? How are we to react to those who use the literal meanings to hurt, even damn, others? What should our response be to the inflated bible thumping ego, knowing that just because he or she has memorized selected "sting" texts does not mean she or he has grasped the grace and freedom of the Word of God?

Interestingly, in Luke 4:13 it says, "When the devil had finished every test, he departed from [Jesus] until an opportune time". I hadn´t really thought of that before or really every paid attention to the more "opportune time", but it leaves us with the notion that the tempter isn´t completely gone. And really neither is the temptation to lash out at people who try to shove scripture on other people (further alienating seekers, questioners and faithful believers!)

So when the temptation passes, be prepared for the next opportune time for the tempter or temptation to return...perhaps inviting us to spit fiery words, spew harshly barbed phrases or forget how Christian love and peace can overcome temptation of hate and division. See how it goes for you today...when you are tempted to say something you wish you wouldn´t or hadn´t. Remember Jesus and despite his deep hunger and possible delusional state, responded calmly, assuredly and full of faith.

unfaithful blogger

2011-03-27T18:47:00.002-05:00

Good Sunday evening! Today has been a rather restful day (so far). We went to church this morning, came home to make lunch, then started in on a mountain of work that has been awaiting us! In the past several weeks, we have been up to our eyes in work, which is not typical of our missionary lifestyle. Before we got back, it was more relaxed and there would be days of busyness and days of restfulness. Lately our schedule has been FULL of busyness. Many of the things I had wanted to do during Lent have not been faithfully maintained, despite the good intentions behind them. At any rate, Lent is a time to remember our human-ness, our inadequacies and vulnerabilities, our need of God to make us righteousness. While I have not done some things, I have done others...like for example, we started intensive Aymara language classes. Two hours a day for five days a week for three weeks! Yes, intense might be an understatement, but needless to say we have learned A LOT!

"Nayax sutijax Pastor Justinuwa. Mä utanimp mä k´añaskunimpitwa. Warmijan sutipax Kariwa. Nayan ñik´utajax p´aq´uwa. Pastor luteranax nayatwa."

Also we have been preparing for the National Assembly of the Bolivian Lutheran Church to be held at the beginning (7, 8, and 9th) of April near La Paz. At this assembly that takes place every four years, the entire church administration is up for election. With that said, come April 10th, there may be an entirely new group of people in the central office of the IELB. Our journey with Jesus to the cross this year includes our unsteady journey to this assembly. Any time there is the potential for change there is the potential for conflict. The church really is no different. In our case here with the IELB, the whole world is awaiting the results of this assembly. We have been asked to be a "spiritual presence" at the assembly: facilitating dynamics, leading songs and managing the prayerful spirit amidst all the reports, presentations and possible unrest. Speaking of, we have prepared a report as well of all that we have done during our two years with the IELB. However, our report is 24 pages long and is full of photos...which is a good thing (because we can prove we did what we say we did).

So with all this work and running here and there, I have failed you, the people who might still be reading this blog. I am an unfaithful blogger. And I can´t promise you things will change anytime soon (at least not before the assembly). So in this season of pilgrimages and repentance, self-reflection and meditation please forgive me for not blogging more frequently. Everything now with the future of our ministry and mission with the IELB, rests in God´s hands. And so, we continue to pray. Please pray for and with us.

What does it mean to be "ashed"?

2011-03-09T14:25:00.000-06:00

Good Ash Wednesday afternoon! Today we went to the Basilica of San Francisco (St. Francis) downtown today to their Ash Wednesday mass to be "ashed". One of our good friends was presiding, so it made it even special to be there with and for him. But as the title of this post suggests, there is significant meaning behind being "ashed".

Last year, around this time, we didn´t celebrate this day of entrance into Lent (Cuaresma) for whatever reason. And in 2009, I was still in seminary, probably receiving my last from that sacred place. But this year´s solemn celebration found us in a new place needing to bolster our spirits and souls in preparation for the national general assembly that our church here will have at the beginning of April.

In today´s sermon, I was struck anew by how important this day is in our lives as Christians. The priest said, "Today is about conversion, a day when we start turning again, back to God as we walk with Jesus to the cross." Conversion...this isn´t really something I´d associated with Ash Wednesday or event Lent. Usually I´m caught up in the "repentance, self-reflection, etc." but conversion is a new idea for me. Yes, I believe that as Christians, who have a strong, mediocre or even shaky faith in an all-loving merciful God, still need a conversion: a conversion of heart, a conversion of attitude, a conversion of conviction. Especially today we hear those all too familiar, yet always stiring words, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return."

In that remembrance of being dust, we acknowledge our mortality, our sinful natures that have too often turned away from God and our neighbor and lost ourselves in our own image, interests and egos. Today, when you are "ashed" remember that you are in the process of conversion, a metanoia or transformation of being that is turning you back to God.

I too need a conversion of spirit, heart and trust. I have not loved my neighbors as myself. My obedience to God has been less than obedient. For these things and many more, I am truly sorry and humbly repent. I trust in this God of ours who does not leave us in the one-down position or lacking of self-worth, and who goes to the cross to redeem us and offer us salvation. God will lift me up to see [his] shining face and tell me I am loved. And all the while, my heart is turning, I am in a conversion...

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12) Amen.

It´s a new day!

2011-01-07T09:05:00.000-06:00

Good Friday morning from chilly Chicago! We have safely arrived here to work for the next couple of weeks from the ELCA churchwide offices. While this wasn´t part of our original plans when planning to visit family over the Christmas holidays, it was something that developed over time through conversations with our boss in Chicago. We are blessed to have been given space to work and to have conversations with many colleagues and friends up here.

In December, we made it home to be with our families for Christmas and New Years. Our family visit was needed and much enjoyed. It truly does one´s heart good to be with the one you love the most and who love you the most.

Part of our visit to Chicago will be for us to visit a few supporting congregations in the area, get some things from our PODS storage container to take back with us and also to learn about some new projects we will be receiving and working with in 2011. With all of these reasons and so many more, we are filled with joy. We hope you´re day is also filled with joy as you find what it is that gives you life and allows you to praise God unceasingly.

Many blessings.

fruit of the spirit: JOY (gal. 5:22)

2010-11-22T10:54:00.000-06:00

Good Monday afternoon! Yes, I know last week was some kind of crazy. As some of you may know, we have been in deep discernment about our call and mission here, just because I think it was time for that...time to evaluate and reevaluate what it means to be missionaries, to whom are we called to serve and by whom are we send into mission. All these things came to a head these past weeks and now we are in a different place: emotionally and spiritually. For that we give eternal thanks to God!

Lately we have clung closely to the story of Peter walking on water. A good friend sent us a book by John Ortberg called "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat." So both Kari and I have read it and were trying to figure out what exactly our boat was or is. Where are we if this story applies to us. What we came to realize was that by answering God´s and the church´s call to step out of the boat and into the ministry of mission that we were in the water. As with all ministries, there are rough patches and stormy times and this here is no different. Sometimes it just feels that way.

So we had overwhelming feelings of being battered by the waves and of that desparate feeling of sinking. In the story the disciples see Jesus walking toward them on the water in the midst of a GIGANTIC storm and they are scared to death. Peter noticing it´s Jesus says, "if it is you Lord, command me to come to you." And Jesus says, "Come." So he does and steps out in faith walking on the water. It wasn´t until he realized that the storm was massive and he was on the water that he took his focus off Jesus and began sinking. He pleaded, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

This was us for about 2 months, feeling battered and wet, stranded and sinking in all that goes on here. Perhaps we had taken our gaze off Jesus or perhaps the conflicts and politics of our jobs here got between us and Jesus. We don´t know and don´t worry about part, but know that two Thursdays ago we cried out, "Lord, save us!" as we felt that sinking feeling. And immediately Jesus reached out and caught us, reassuring us, granting us peace of heart and mind, reaffirming our calls, mission, ministry and presence here in this place and has filled us with renewed JOY.

I don´t think joy is something you can strive for, something that can be sought after, but rather something that runs into you or seeks you. It is God´s saving hand in the midst of drowning to lift you up to and keep you safe. I wonder if Peter felt this same kind of joy, the feeling of overwhelming love and support from a God who constantly promises to be with us, no matter what. This truly is a fruit of the Spirit that grows out from the core of God and renews us with nourishment. Today or someday soon, I hope you feel this joy of God, this fruit of the Spirit that reminds you that you are loved. Where has God´s saved you recently, brought to a new sense of peace and caught you as you felt sinking? May you be blessed this day and everyday in the embrace of our Lord. Amen.

fruit of the spirit: LOVE (gal. 5:22)

2010-11-10T09:25:00.001-06:00

Good Wednesday morning from cloudy La Paz! Yes, I know there wasn´t a post on Monday, but I was busy with meetings and organizing events with people here in the office. As we march toward the end of another year, I am starting to reflect on how we got here to this mission ministry and all that God may have in store for us in the 2011 year. In the excitement of not knowing what´s on the horizon, there is also a significant presence of uncertainty. When things are crazy and uncertain in our lives, we must remember that God´s at work and perhaps it´s not our place to know in the moment what´s unfolding.

So thinking of this, I have been reflecting on how we got here and also on a sermon series that a pastor friend is currently preaching on: the fruit of the Spirit, all 9 of them from Galatians 5:22-23, "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". I´ve thought about how our mission ministry in Bolivia reflects or lives out the multifaceted fruit of the Spirit and today we grab hold of "love". Today I´d like to post a journal entry from February 3, 2009 (before we got here) to reflect on love...

2/3/2009.
"My fear is that I´m not good enough." This is the thought that just crossed my mind as I´m reading the Diary of a Medical Intuitive. She said her fear of death stemmed back to her childhood. All of a sudden, my years flashed through my mind back to 5th grade when my teacher said I needed a reading tutor..."not good enough"...then on to my shame of reading outloud in public because I didn´t learn to read..."well enough". Now as we´re preparing to leave the country and follow God´s call to follow, to care for the poor and oppressed, I´m saying I´m scared. Not really sure of what, not death, not harm, not being taken advantage of because all those things are realities of life, but a fear of my limited ability to speak Spanish, my non-ability to speak Aymara and my unfamiliarity of the culture. So perhaps my fear is of "not being good enough". But then when I think about it, really think about it with my heart and soul, I´m really not good enough, because God makes me good enough. It is the strength, presence and will of God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that makes me adequate. I can´t do this alone, not even just me and K, but we need and will need to rely on God with us, Emmanuel. So the fear of inadequacy is real, can´t deny it, but that´s because if I knew everything I may not experience humility, ostracization, oppression, hatred, discrimination, poverty, the presence of God and the divine in the Aymara people. Perhaps being not good enough is the best way to go to Bolivia, to be changed and transformed by God and grow in God´s grace and freedom and love. Really, this fear shouldn´t paralyze me, but rather propel me into the outstretched arms of our loving God in Jesus Christ.

You have stretched out your arms and called me forth with my love, inviting us to experience you more wholly and holy. You´ve heard our cries of fear and apprehension, yet you embrace us with that which we begged for: patience and peace of heart to hear you and accept your call. Discipleship is why I came here and discipleship is why and where you lead us from here. You gathered me in with wonderful people and are scattering us to the four corners to carry your message of love, justice and peace. Lord prepare me, prepare us for the journey ahead and remind us always of your ever-constant presence that emblazons us when we are weak, lifts us up when we are down and invites us further when we´re scared to step. May your call be followed to love and serve you by loving and serving our neighbors. Encourage us with love and enable us to remain bound in the spiritual, emotional and loving bonds you unite us in. May we answer your call together, knowing you stabilize us and keep us together. In everything and with every breath, we give you thanks!"

Mensaje para el Día de la Reforma

2010-11-01T08:07:00.002-05:00

(Juan 8:31-36, Romanos 3:19-28)
"Jesús se dirigió entonces a los judíos que habían creído en él, y les dijo: —Si se mantienen fieles a mis enseñanzas, serán realmente mis discípulos;³² y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres. ³³ —Nosotros somos descendientes de Abraham —le contestaron—, y nunca hemos sido esclavos de nadie. ¿Cómo puedes decir que seremos liberados? ³⁴ —Ciertamente les aseguro que todo el que peca es esclavo del pecado —respondió Jesús—.³⁵ Ahora bien, el esclavo no se queda para siempre en la familia; pero el hijo sí se queda en ella para siempre.³⁶ Así que si el Hijo los libera, serán ustedes verdaderamente libres."

Muy buenos días jilatanaka y kullakanaka en el nombre del Señor, Amen! Nayan sutixa Pastorax Justinowa y es un gran placer estar con ustedes esta mañana, para proclamar la Palabra viviente de Dios y celebrar el día del Señor y el día de la Reforma. Hoy es el día en nuestra iglesia luterana cuando celebramos el principio de la Reforma protestante en Europa cuando Lutero fijó sus 95 tesis a la puerta. Pero les pregunto, ¿por qué Lutero escribió sus 95 tesis? ¿Cuál fue el propósito de los teses? |

Bueno, sabemos que en el año 1517, el Papa Leó X (el decimo) deseaba terminar la Basilica de San Pedro (la catedral grande del vaticano en Roma). Para recaudar fondos, un monje llamado Juan Tetzel vendía al pueblo las indulgencias. La persona que las compraba suponía librarse del castigo después de la muerte en un lugar imaginario llamado purgatorio. Tetzel les dijo: “tan pronto suena la moneda que se echa en la caja, el alma sale volando.” Lutero se opuso a las indulgencias porque inducían a la gente a confiar en otras cosas en lugar del amor de Dios.

Lutero escribió las 95 tesis contra la doctrina de indulgencias y en el 31 de octubre de 1517 las fijó en la puerta de la iglesia en Wittenburg para que fueran discutidas por los profesores. Entonces, podemos decir que el nacimiento del movimiento evangélico que fue la Reforma protestante, comenzó con una lucha sobre libertad. Lutero luchaba contra los abusos que él veía en las enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica Romana que pudieron a la gente en esclavitud a los méritos. Como herederos de la Reforma, seguimos en este camino de luchar contra la injusticia. |

Pero, ¿cómo seguimos en este camino? ¿Cómo contextualizamos la lucha de la Reforma a la realidad y la vida acá, en esta tierra, en esta Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Boliviana? Si creemos que la “iglesia reformada siempre está reformando”, ¿cómo está el Espíritu Santo reformando esta iglesia por las buenas noticias? Si las indulgencias de la época de Lutero eran la injusticia, ¿cuál es la injusticia de hoy? ¿Qué es lo que nos esclaviza?

¿es el deseo de pelear para estar en posiciones de poder…

¿son los conflictos que nos afectan mucho…

¿es la tentación siempre pedir y en rara veces compartir…

¿es la deconstrucción de la comunidad de la iglesia y la falta de auto-valoración…

¿es la constante confusión de nuestra identidad luterana pero seguimos preguntando a otros definirnos…

¿es la tentación copiar cualquier teología neo-pentecostal solo porque aparece tienen más miembros, entonces su teología debe ser correcto…

¿qué es lo que nos esclaviza?

Realmente, no sé si hay solamente una cosa que nos esclaviza; tal vez hay demasiadas cosas. Pero cuando estamos cansados de los conflictos y la falta del auto-valor y queremos ser libres, podemos oír y escuchar las palabras de Jesús mejor. “Jesús se dirigió entonces a los judíos que habían creído en él, y les dijo: “Si se mantienen fieles a mis enseñanzas, serán realmente mis discípulos; y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres.” (v.31-32)

Entonces, ¿Cuáles son las enseñanzas de Jesús que mantenemos? |

Dar de comer a aquellos que tiene hambre
Dar de beber a aquellos que tiene sed
Alojar a los forasteros
Vestir a aquellos que necesita ropa
Atender a los enfermos
Visitar a aquellos está en la cárcel
Ustedes son la sal y luz del mundo
El Señor nuestro Dios es el único Señor
Ama al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, con todo tu alma, con toda tu mente, y con toda tus fuerzas.
Ama a tu prójimo y prójima como a ti mismo. Listo.

SÍ, yo creo que estas son las enseñanzas de Jesús y creo que somos discípulos/as de Jesús, y tal vez conocemos la verdad… “Si se mantienen fieles a mis enseñanzas, serán realmente mis discípulos; y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres.” bueno, entonces ¿Qué es la verdad? o mejor ¿Quién es la verdad? | Sí, es Jesucristo…él dice que es el camino, la VERDAD y la vida. Y es Jesucristo que nos libera de la cautividad de la maldad. Cuando somos libres en Cristo, no queremos pelear, no sembramos la confusión de la identidad, no queremos agarrar todo el poder para nosotros mismos, SINO queremos buscar como vivir en la gracia de Dios, queremos quitar los conflictos entre nosotros, queremos trabajar juntos codo a codo para la suma qhamaña, el buen vivir. Muchas veces cantamos…(Sitjiti irnakhañani taqpachan, cusisiñani…), pero tenemos que preguntarnos si vivimos lo que cantamos. |

Es Jesucristo que nos libera; no las indulgencias, ni buenas obras; no nuestra identidad luterana, ni las tradiciones que tenemos, ni las repetición sin pensar de las confesiones luteranas; nuestra liberación y justicia ante de Dios viene de Jesucristo. Más que enseñar la verdad en el templo en Jerusalén y más que enseñar a nosotros y nosotras por la Palabra viviente de Dios, Jesús aguantó la cruz, él se fue al lugar de la última injusticia y corrupción, y se murió llevando nuestros pecados. Y Dios SE RESUCITÓ A JESÚS DE LA MUERTE…para declarar a nosotros y nosotras que no conflicto, no pecado, no injusticia es más fuerte que el amor de Dios es por nosotros. Por la fe en la sangre y el sacrificio de Jesús, estamos perdonados, justificados y liberados de la cautividad de los pecados.

Lutero entendió esto muy bien. Cuando él sufrió debajo de la condenación de sus pecados y no se sintió el perdón de Dios por peregrinajes, cultos a los santos, ni la compra de la indulgencias, su solo refugio fue la fe en Jesucristo. Él entendió que no pudo merecer el amor, la gracia y la misericordia de Dios de ser justo o en una relación buena con Dios. Pero él se sintió la liberación cuando leyó estas palabras de Romanos: “Esta justicia de Dios llega, mediante la fe en Jesucristo, a todos los que creen. De hecho, no hay distinción, pues todos han pecado y están privados de la gloria de Dios, pero por su gracia son justificados gratuitamente mediante la redención que Cristo Jesús efectuó.” Él creaba que había merecido el castigo por sus pecados, pero por su fe, él recibía la gracia y el perdón de Dios.

Por la fe en Jesucristo, que es un regalo del Espíritu Santo, estamos justificados, puesto en una relación buena y no tenemos que merecer, ni podemos merecer está relación, pero es la gracia y amor incondicional de Dios. Cuando nos sentimos libres, por la fe, podemos y queremos actuar diferente, más cristiano.

En este día cuando recordamos el movimiento evangélico reformado dentro de la Iglesia Católica Romana, recordamos la lucha de Lutero y proclamamos la libertad y justicia que tenemos en Cristo por la fe. Siempre la iglesia luterana está reformando por el Espíritu Santo, y nuestra iglesia está cambiando...y con fe en Jesucristo, Dios nos mueve del conflicto a la paz, de la injusticia a la justicia, de la muerte a la vida. Con Lutero y la iglesia luterana mundial, afirmamos que “el justo vivirá por la fe.” Amén.

family time

2010-10-18T09:12:00.001-05:00

Good Monday morning all! We hope you ´ve had a great week last week and a restful weekend. Another week has passed and I think this blogging on Monday´s idea just might work. Last week was filled with important events. The ELCA Churchwide went through some significant restructuring with 16 units within the ELCA being transformed into 3 units. Around 65 people lost their jobs and several of them are our close friends and colleagues. When we received the letter saying 5 mission personnel could be let go, we didn´t know if that included us or not. So we braced ourselves and prayed.

Also last week, I finished chapters (aportes) 1 through 4 of the textbook I´m writing on Lutheranism in Bolivia. Those were the chapters I could write more easily, but now chapters 5 through 8 will be a bit more complicated as they are more contextualized to here. That´s why I have called on friends, colleagues and teologians within the IELB to step up and assist in the construction of the last half of the textbook. I find no shame is saying, "I´m sorry, but I can´t authentically write this part for you, it´s neither my context nor my reality." I think people are starting to see what I mean. But 1-4 are done with much procrastination and long nights of writing. Kari reminded me when I needed it that one day I´ll be glad to have this resource under my belt. I think she´s right.

This week is setting itself up for more work and fun. Today, a couple is coming in from Franz Tamayo to chat with me about their wedding at the end of November that they want me to celebrate with them. I have meetings with pastor friends to explore where God is calling them in ministry. I teach again, this week´s theme is reading/proclaiming the Living Word in a way that makes it come alive to the hearers. We are entering into our third week of Aymara classes with a professor who teaches with us at the seminary. Kari meets with several people to continue her work on writing Sunday school curriculum for the IELB. She also will help a pastor put his newsletter online. So you can tell this is going to be a busy week!

At the end of last week, we decided we needed to see our families at Christmas. So we bit the bullet and bought plane tickets to be home for the holidays and be with family we haven´t been with in some time. By making this decision to head home, we felt like it could bring us back into the IELB in the new year with fresh perspectives and different insights, prepared to run the race toward the end of our contract in July 2011. We are blessed to have such a diverse church family here who supports us as much as we support them, and yet there is still something about being with one´s own family during certain times of the year. We truly never know where we will be the follow Christmas, if we´ll be able to make it home the next, so we figured it was best to take advantage of the time if we have it. So we are. Part of the excitement of heading home for Christmas will be that my sister and her family will be there as well. We haven´t all celebrated Christmas together at my parents´ house in four years, so you can imagine the joy we feel. Perhaps the best part will be to see and snuggle with our pup who lives with my parents. Ethel is always missed when we are away (see pic below).

As missionaries, there is something special about serving abroad and at the same time there is something of a longing during the service. There is the happiness is making new friends, settling into a new job/vocation, having a new family form around you, traveling to new places, etc. There is also a happiness when the opportunity arises to return home and be near/with your own family. God blesses us with a family of believers around the world and God blesses us with a family to "hold down the fort", where we can "go home to" and rest. As we march toward the upcoming holidays, we pray that God blesses you with family, be it your biological family or missionary family or military family or transplant family, to love you, support you and to reveal God´s love in your midst. Be blessed. Thanks be to you gracious God for the gift of restful time (sabbath) to be with family.

(this is from Christmas 2007 when we were still in Chicago)

revisited goal: patience

2010-10-11T10:13:00.003-05:00

Good Monday morning! Today feels like a new day. I woke up this morning thanking God for the sunshine streaming into our bedroom and walked with Kari to catch the bus singing:

"This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made."

Reflecting on my previous post about not posting as much, I think that I will try posting on Mondays. I can´t guarantee anything, but at least I will attempt this. That way I can still blog and it won´t be every 15 days or so. With that said, here we go again.

Today´s note is more about the dead horse I keep beating...patience (or the lack there of). After having a great chat with my sister last night, we realized again that we were not blessed with the "patience gene." We like to think we are patient, like to talk as if we are and always hope to be, but never truly are. As with anything that requires a reliance on what God is revealing, it takes time. And for non patient people, it often feels like an eternity.

But the other Sunday, we visited a friends church here in the city and he was preaching on the "gift of the Spirit" from Galatians 5:22. One of the 9 listed is "patience" and he quoted from a Max Lucado´s book, When God Whispers Your Name where he writes about patience: "rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will give thanks to God for the moment to pray." For some reason, this line has stuck with me for now 2 weeks.

As we wait and I struggle to grasp at the straws of patience, this line rings in my heart...give thanks to God for the moment to pray. Now when I get antsy or anxious, I stop myself from entering into that self-eating cycle again and pray to God for the moment to pray. For in waiting, we know that God is refining us for the next step whatever and wherever it may be. God knows what is ahead of us and God is preparing the relationships, events, opportunities and experiences that will greet us on the path ahead. We can´t see it now, nor do we know how those relationships will come to pass, but they will and we must continue walking faithfully in God´s light until God brings us into that place.

So, as I have come to see again, patience is a virtue that I often lack, but may spend my whole life dealing with. It is what the Spirit produces and stopping to pray at least halts me enough to catch my panting breath to remind me, "Pilgrim pastor, just breathe...and breathe deeply...breathe and realize that I am breathing you in just as you are breathing me in." Thanks be to you gracious God for your love and planting the seeds of patience within my heart.

are you on a pilgrimage?

2010-10-06T13:07:00.001-05:00

Good Wednesday afternoon! Am I on a pilgrimage? Well the short answer is no, we are still here in LP, working hard and listening to God´s still small voice. The long answer is yes, but I´ll come back to that.

As with most missionaries or major life changes, we left a little over a year ago to head out to where we felt God calling us. We had great ambitions to write regularly, often and profoundly. If you notice the number of posts from just a year ago, you can tell that I was posting more. So what happened in just one year? LIFE. When we arrived, our job descriptions were still being flushed out and we spent more time in the office at our desks. Now, in just 12 months, we are booked almost every weekend. For example: the last weekend of Sept we were in Cobija (border with Brazil), the first weekend of Oct we facilitated a workshop on strengthening capacities of church leaders, this weekend we are struggling to take time off just for us, the following weekend we will be hosting/interpreting for visiting guests from other countries, the following weekend we are leading a trial run on the textbook I´m writing to see where the bugs are in Caranavi, the following weekend we are back in Caranavi to do a women´s empowerment workshop and preach at a church anniversary, the following weekend is November. So where is the time to blog...I ask you.

Kari has had similiar things come up with her newsletter. When we arrived that was one of her primary duties, now that we both teach during the week at a seminary, she holds an after school English club and many other things, the prized "monthly" newsletter has had to transform into a "quarterly" newsletter. Such is life and ministry and mission...we constantly grow, transform and reform.

And in the mix with all this we are in a church election year here which can sometimes make getting things done, much less just be, a bit more difficult. However, we believe and trust that God is present with us in the ordinary, the mundane, the messiness of life constantly calling us to participate in God´s realm here and now. We are part of something much bigger than ourselves and so are you. Yes, previous commitments sometimes have to be reprioritized, but this is what it means to be moved by the Holy Spirit. Jesus´ ministry wasn´t just to one group of 12 bumbling guys, it was with many more people. But no matter how frustrated he became with the 12, he still loved them, he still empowered them and he still told them they were going to change the world and witness to something new.

So to my longer answer to the title question...yes I am on a pilgrimage to seek out where God is calling us. Really all of us are on this pilgrimage to hear and listen to where God is saying, "Come and follow me." As we can already see 2011 on the horizon, we are asking God, "When we put our shoes on, where are you going to lead us?" This is a question for all of us to ponder and explore. If we are to be intentional about being a missional church in Bolivia or the states or wherever, we must be Christ-centered enough to ask the question and then brave enough to follow the call. Thanks be to you oh God for giving us courage to hear and listen to you. Amen.

is punctuality respect?

2010-09-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

Good friday morning! I hope this blog provides you with some food for thought. As some of you know I´m a type A person living in a type B culture. What does this mean exactly? It means that we´re often asked to prepare workshops for various groups on topics such as Lutheran identity, women´s empowerment, stewardship and sustainability. This is all well and good because education is a gift of the Spirit and an needed tool within the church. As educators, we spend significant time, energy and creative juice planning fun activities, dynamics, workshop and classes because it is our ministry. And then...

Well, we set up, ready to facilitate and then no one shows. For me, I ask myself, "Is is a lack of respect? Is is a lack of organization? Is a lack of communication? Is is a lack of similarities between two ´types´ of peoples?" I think yes to all of the above. Imagine if a Sunday morning church service was scheduled to start around 9am, things were prepared and ready to go, but the first person arrived at 9:45am. What does this say? If everyone plans on showing up at 2:30pm, why ask the pastor, assisting ministers, choir, altar guild to be there at 8:30am? Again, I don´t understand.

Perhaps it is a case of simple cultural differences. Generally type A people arrive early and then stress about why the type B people aren´t there on time. Perhaps this is a God given opportunity to not care or care differently or care more. Perhaps this is a chance to be transformed and learn that in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn´t matter. Then I ask, so why ask someone to do a workshop when it doesn´t matter, when people don´t want to arrive on time, do they even care about the topic or just a free passage to the city? In the end, I´m still a type A person and question the motives of the present or the absent.

And now, I look out my office window to see a pigeon prancing back and forth. (Remember a pigeon in Spanish is "paloma" the same word for dove.) Perhaps God has sent me this cooing city bird to say, "Peace... patience... love... compassion... understanding..." I´m sure I do things while God says, "will you please hurry up and listen, pay attention!" So to answer my title questions, is punctuality respect? Yes it is and so is love and peace and patience. God of renewed spirits, thank you for this bird to show me that life is more than about being on time. Amen.

being missionized

2010-09-03T11:24:00.000-05:00

Good Friday afternoon! I noticed that my last post was on teh 15th of August. Wow how time has flown. On the 16th, we received our first visitor from the states, our friend Marcia. With her, we finally took some much needed vacation time by going to the Amazonian pampa (grasslands). On that trip, we met some really cool friends from England and Holland. When we returned to La Paz, I got sick from the altitude, because we live here my heart and lungs are more accustomed to being here and not at a lower altitude. So upon our return, I developed the version of altitude sickness that only affects Bolivians from La Paz. On top of that I caught an intestinal infection somewhere along the way that knocked me down for about a week.

When Marcia left, Kari´s parents came and are here for two weeks. We have greatly enjoyed have familiar company and have shared the hybrid styles of our lives here. While we skype regularly and share stories pretty frequently, we´ve come to see that we can´t do justice to our lives here by just telling...this is to say that a missionary life is something to be experienced, not just discussed. Many of the little things we´ve told them about before, now have come alive and they truly understand what we´re talking about.

Being a missionary means being sent by God into the world to participate in God´s mission. It means educating-learning, sharing-receiving, telling-listening. And those things don´t just happen here in our missionary post, but also take place when we relate and interact with people from back home. The educational piece may even be more important for what we can teach people who are like us, rather than people who are different from us. With all this rediscovery of what gives meaning to our lives here has reassured us of God´s presence in our ministries, of our faithful walk with God through challenges and new experiences and of the hope that we hold in the saving love of Jesus.

May you be touched by the spirit of mission that leads you to be transformed by someone within your own neighborhood, hometown, state, synod, region, country, continent or world. For God´s presence can transform you from all of these places and many more. Thanks be to you, o God, for touching our hearts and missionizing us.

"love one another"

2010-08-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

Good Sunday morning blog readers! I hope you are experiencing God´s sustaining presence. Lately, Kari and I have been working hard here in Bolivia.

Recently, we hosted two filmmakers from the states who were shooting a short film for the ELCA World Hunger showing where and how World Hunger funds are used throughout the world. Currently, the amount of funds that people are giving to World Hunger is down, drastically. Here, they profiled two women who are participants in the micro-credit program of the IELB, which is supported by World Hunger funds. Their job and really all Christian mission in the world is to remind and remember that we as a church are much bigger than the four walled building we attend on Sundays and throughout the week. Church is much bigger than we can truly ever imagine. Really, church (ekklesia in greek) is the assembly, the people, you and me, all of us together are the church. One part of mission that we don´t think about is how our spiritual, emotional and financial support back in the states deeply impacts and betters the lives of people we don´t even know, people throughout the world that we may never meet face to face. However, calling ourselves Christians means that we know, love and support our brothers and sisters who are Christians in the world.

As Jesus says throughout the gospel of John, "love one another as I have loved you." This isn´t so much about loving the neighbor and in the shorter letters of John, it´s not so much about loving the enemy either. This primary commandment is about loving one another, being the embracing arms of God for one another and lifting up the voices, lives and stories of one another within our worldly Christian family.

Often we hear of people back "home" disagreeing with the decision made at CWA2009 and so choose to leave the ELCA and/or withhold mission support, synod apportionments and so forth. But doing petty attention seeking things like this only hurts the people we live and work with and whose ministries directly depend on these types of support. So in thinking, "Well, we´ll withhold our giving and the that´ll get "Chicago´s" (read ELCA´s) attention," really only hurts the greater church´s ministries and accompaniment of our companion churches around the world. It may not get "Chicago´s" attention, but it definitely gets "Global Mission´s" attention when budgets are cut, projects go unfunded and our companion churches squeeze tighter on their budgets, thus cutting programs.

Having said all this, I pray that God´s Spirit moves inside you to "love one another." Bitterness and in fighting is what the evil systems of the world thrive on and we are called to be children of the light, rejecting the temptation to hate, fight and withhold solely to prove an empty point. May the light of Christ that I believe is within each of us, shine forth to proclaim the love of Christ that surrounds us and in which we minister.

Todos/as Somos Ministros/as

2010-07-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

Good Sunday afternoon! I´ve been asked to start posting some of my sermons that I preach here even though they´re in Spanish. Here is a sermon I preached at the end of June for Día de los/as Pastores in El Alto (near La Paz).

1 Timoteo 4:6-11, 13-15

La Gracia de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, el amor de Dios y la comunión del Espíritu Santo sean con ustedes. Amén.

Que gozo es estar con ustedes hoy en esta tarde cuando celebramos el día de los pastores y pastoras de la IELB. Hacía casi un año cuando Kari y yo llegamos en Bolivia, estuvo emocionado porque durante el año anterior ustedes habían ordenado sus primeras pastoras después de muchos años sin pastoras ordenadas. Todavía esta es una realidad especial para le IELB. Siempre cuando venimos a la Beth-el en Villa Dolores es como volviendo a la casa, gracias una veces más para su hospitalidad y su presencia en la IELB.

Hoy día celebramos, apreciamos y agradecemos a las y los pastores en nuestras vidas e iglesias. Es un día cuando nos recordamos y reconocemos sus bendiciones, lo que hacen para y con nosotros y quiénes son. Levántense la mano si eres una pastora o un pastor de la IELB. Les damos un gran aplauso para su presencia y trabajo.

Mi pregunta para ustedes esta tarde es: ¿Qué es lo que hacen los/as pastores para nosotros, miembros de las congregaciones?

Sí, como pastoras y pastores, tienen la oportunidad caminar con nosotros de las congregaciones, pueden acompañar las congregaciones locales, distritales y la iglesia nacional. Ellos otorgan poder y cuidado espiritual para nosotros mientras que nos comparten su fe.

Según a Lutero, hay 7 funciones públicas de una pastora y un pastor.

1. Predicar la Palabra de Dios (Tito 1,3)

2. Bautizar (Mateo 28,19)

3. Celebrar y administrar la Santa Cena (1 Corintios 11,23-26)

4. Atar y desatar el pecado (Juan 20,23)

5. Ofrecer alabanzas y agradecimientos (Colosenses 3,17)

6. Orar para todos y todas (1 Tesalónica 5,17)

7. Juzgar y pasear las doctrinas (1 Timoteo 4,13)

La vida como pastora o pastor no es siempre fácil. Sabemos que una congregación no puede ser congregación sin pastora/pastor y igualmente, una pastora o un pastor no puede ser pastora/pastor sin una congregación, una comunidad que les apoya. Nuestra relación, como congregación, con pastoras/pastores es recíproca donde necesitamos a cada otro para seguir, ser fiel y ser ejemplos cristianos a los demás.

Entonces, otra pregunta que tengo yo es: ¿Qué es lo que hacemos, como congregación, para nuestras pastoras y nuestros pastores?

Es cierto que ellos no pueden ser pastoras y pastores solos, tenemos que ayudarles realizar su ministerio dentro y fuera del contexto congregacional. Todos somos importantes en la vida de una congregación, todos somos ministros, todos somos importantes en la IELB, pero si vemos que todas las responsabilidades están solamente en los hombros de las y los pastores y líderes de la IELB, sería difícil seguir sin siendo desanimados. Como iglesia luterana y congregaciones luteranas, somos una comunidad cristiana de amor y cuidado, que es respetuosa y criada.

Como luteranos/as, todos somos agentes, representantes y embajadores de Dios y como nos dice en versículo 6: somos buenos servidores de Cristo Jesús, nutrido con las verdades de la fe y de la buena enseñanza que paso a paso has seguido. Dentro de luteranismo, tenemos una doctrina se llama: el sacerdocio universal que establece una igualdad fundamental: que cada persona es responsable y digna de determinar su fe y servir a Dios y el pueblo de Dios, que es la iglesia. Como pastoras/pastores y miembros, tenemos que percibir que nosotros somos parte de este sacerdocio universal.

Creemos que el sacerdocio universal es a través del bautismo y “a través del bautismo, las personas son incorporadas en el nuevo pacto del pueblo de Dios y son transformadas y empoderadas, por los dones del Espíritu como instrumento del propósito amoroso de Dios para toda la creación.” Cada persona asume la tarea de servirle en la comunidad de fe y proclamar las buenas nuevas de Jesucristo con palabras y hechos. Por lo tanto, cada uno de nosotros tenemos un lugar particular y especial en la iglesia a través del bautismo.

Pablo escribió algo a Timoteo, pero es consejo para nosotros hoy día también. En versículo 13, él nos dice: En tanto que llego, dedícate a la lectura pública de las Escrituras, y a enseñar y animar a los hermanos y hermanas. Ejercita el don que recibiste mediante profecía, cuando los ancianos te impusieron las manos. Sé diligente en estos asuntos; entrégate de lleno a ellos, de modo que todos puedan ver que estás progresando.

Siempre por fe, palabras y hechos Dios está con nosotros y nos ayuda ser obedientes mientras que proclamamos el evangelio que Dios vino a la tierra en forma de Jesucristo para amarnos y salvarnos. Dios nos ha liberado de la cautividad del pecado y mal para vivir libre en la luz, vida y verdad de Cristo. Porque «el Espíritu del Señor está sobre nosotros, por cuanto nos ha ungido para anunciar buenas nuevas a los pobres. Nos ha enviado a proclamar libertad a los cautivos y dar vista a los ciegos, a poner en libertad a los oprimidos, a pregonar el año del favor del Señor.» Somos justificados/salvados por gracia mediante la fe que es un regalo gratuito de Dios.

Este regalo está comunicado por el Espíritu Santo a través de la palabra y los sacramentos, y por lo tanto, por el ministerio que está sirviendo estos medios de gracia. La sola razón para la existencia del ministerio es ser instrumento de la obra salvante de Dios trino para toda la humanidad.

Ministerio es servicio en el nombre del Señor. Ministerio es relacionado a espiritualidad que es atención a la vida del Espíritu dentro de nosotros; es permanecer en oración cada momento de la vida; es estar ante de Dios con corazones y mentes abiertos. A veces separamos ministerio de espiritualidad, servicio de oración, pero no debemos. En Jesucristo tenemos el ejemplo de ministerio lleno del espíritu and al centro de su servicio siempre estaba la oración.

En este día cuando celebramos las pastoras y los pastores y sus ministerios dentro de nuestra iglesia, podemos reconocer que todos de nosotros somos ministros y ministras en la obra del Señor. Y por eso, demos gracias al Señor por su presencia acá y ahora. Porque sin la presencia de Dios con nosotros no podríamos lograr nada, sin el movimiento fuerte del Espíritu Santo no podríamos ser fieles a la palabra de Dios y servir a cada otro, sin el ejemplo de Jesucristo en la tierra no podríamos ser miembros fieles, lideres, pastoras o pastores. Pero todo lo podemos en Cristo que nos fortalece. Amén.

errands

2010-07-22T17:06:00.000-05:00

Good Thursday afternoon! Things are going pretty well today. We had to rearrange a few things, but then we were able to complete like six errands in under an hour. Note for class are typed and now we´re waiting for a friend to come over before we head to class. I´ve been reading how HOT it is back home and I can´t tell you I´m jealous, but a little of your heat would be nice here. to say it´s cold at night is an understatement! For K´s birthday (this weekend) I bought her an electric blanket that we turn on 45 minutes before we get into bed to warm up the sheets. If we don´t do this, it´s like slidding into the frig to go to sleep. If I could, I´d bottle up a little of our cold weather and send it to you all!

My writing is coming along nicely; I´ve got chapters 1, 2 and 4 mostly done except for evaluative questions. Chapter 3 should be typed up tonight after class. What´s hard about writing here is that this isn´t my own context, I always risk misrepresenting the reality as it is and I´m sensitive to not write in ways that are re-colonizing. So I ask God to bless the parts that need blessing, redeem the parts that need redeeming and forgive the parts that need forgiveness.

Things that I´ve noticed today:
-the wonderful flavor of ranch from back home
-the joy of a colleague as together we began expanding his idea of his ministry
-going to bed in warm sheets
-being appreciative of someone helping us with our residency process
-giving thanks to God for giving me another opportunity to witness, share and love

I hope God´s presence is swirling around you in ways that you can notice the little blessings and miracles of everday life. Thanks be to you oh God!

notices and book

2010-07-15T20:25:00.000-05:00

Good Thursday evening! Since Sunday, the week has been pretty typical. With tonight being parade night in LP and tomorrow is a feriado (national holiday), our week has been shortened somewhat. Still there was class to take and to teach, faculty meeting and office hours. I´ve got a wedding this weekend, so I met with the couple and planned the service. This week I also started a new book, "By the River Piedra I Sat and Wept" by Paulo Coelho. I definitely recommend it if diverse images of the divine interest you. Some of the great things I noticed today are:

-faith that sustains
-unceasing prayers that bring a sense of peace
-Kari´s smile after a tiramasu cup from our favorite bakery
-anticipation and hope
-the friendliness of the mini-bus driver.

What was God up to in your day today? I hope your tomorrow is filled with God´s sense of peace that surpasses all understanding. TBTG!

"Gather me to be with you"

2010-07-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

O God, gather me now to be with you as you are with me.

Soothe my tiredness; quiet my fretfulness; curb my aimlessness; receive my compulsiveness; let me be easy for a moment. O Lord, release me from the fears and guilts which grip me so tightly; from the expectations and opinions which I so tightly grip, that I may be open to receiving, to learn something refreshingly different.

O God, gather me to be with you as you are with me.

Forgive me for claiming so much for myself that I leave no room for gratitude; for confusing exercies in self-importance with acceptance of self-worth; for complaining so much of my burdens that I become a burden; for competing against others so insidiously that I stifle celebrating them ad receiving your blessing through their gifts.

O God, gather me to be with you as you are with me.

Keep me in touch with myself, with my needs, my anxieties, my angers, my pains, my corruptions, that I may claim them as my own rather than blame them on someone else. O Lord, deepen my wounds into wisdom; shape my weakness into compassion; gentle my envy into enjoyment, my fear into trust, my guilt into honesty, my accusing finger into tickling ones.

O God, gather me to be with you as you are with me.

-Ted Loder

flying days

2010-07-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

Good Sunday afternoon! Today the streets of La Paz are silent and empty with everyone inside watching the finals of the World Cup in South Africa. The house is filled with the sound of the vuvzela horns from the tv and I´m trying not to pay attention. With chapter two of the textbook almost done, tonight will hopefully bring three and four to a near close as well. Today´s notices have been:

-the excitement of hope, joy and dreams
-the silence in the streets
-the laughter of my love as she reads
-the taste of good fried chicken
-the realization of another weekend flown by

God of life, thank you for the blessings of these days. Grant us, we pray, your continued support and strength as we journey into the days ahead always trusting that you are by our side. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

today

2010-07-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

Good Saturday afternoon! Today´s been one of those days. You know...where sleep decides it´s going to tell you what to do and all you can do is quietly obey. Yes, with much to do on my list, sleep which wasn´t invited to the working party arrived to crash everything. I guess she knows where she needs to be and when. So now with Poptarts in front of me, it´s time to wake up and do some work...probably until late because sleep has the bad habit of reorienting schedules, cycles and routines. Here I am with sugar running through the veins, ready to work...so let´s go.

Today´s notices:

-remembering Celestine from yesterday
-nice breakfast with K after an early morning errand
-the comfort of snuggling on the couch
-the desire to work and the power of rest
-being grateful we have food, water, a roof, each other and faith

Has sleep every taken over your Saturday before? If so, did you give thanks to God for it? Blessings to you and TBTG!

lime green shawl

2010-07-09T16:09:00.003-05:00

*disclaimer: In writing this story, I´m taking the risk of misrepresenting reality; however, I must tell you how I experienced it.

I walked past her like I do always do when I´m met with someones empty outstretched hand. But this time was different. While I was standing in the lobby calling K to see where she was, I looked back out through the glass doors and could see her. What was it that pushed me back outside, I don´t know. I handed her two Bolivianos and I asked her if I could sit beside her. She hid her cavity riddled grin in her faded lime green shawl and I took it as a yes. I just sat there less than a foot away from her and the whole time she scanned me over from the corner of her eye. I noticed this because I was doing the same of her.

It was cold so I asked her if she was cold; another quick return to hidding her little face in her shawl told me she wasn´t much for chatting. So I just sat some more. Why had I come back out to sit on the steps of this fancy building with a little 7 or 8 year old girl begging for change? I don´t know. As I sat with her, or rather her with me, she taught me the sad reality of poverty. Within 7 or 8 years of her life, she´s already learned the bolivian beggar hand wave: palm up, arm outstretched and waving like a limp branch on a malnurished tree. The longer I sat, the sadder and angrier I became. Not only does this child know poverty, but probably hunger and humiliation too. I could tell this wasn´t her first time at this, for by age 8 she´s an old pro.

Not only did she beg for change from passerbyers, which hurt my heart, but worse she was ignored. For the first time since arriving in Bolivia, I sat beside someone begging on the street. With very few words shared between us, she told me her story with every little hand shake as people walked past us. Her mother was nowhere that I could see, which told me she too was probably begging on another street corner. Her dirty face, hands and feet told me she´s not bathed lately. Her cavitied and broken teeth told me her diet isn´t the best, probably what people give her from the streets, but she´s grateful. Her traditional Quechua outfit told me she probably has a place to stay at night and yet her long dangling earrings tell me this is her job.

In my silence, her tiny beg every 5-6 seconds called to mind what I´d heard about children who beg in Bolivia. They´re often sent out in the morning by their parents to beg change from people in the city and if they come home with no money or less than their daily quota, they´re beaten, only to be sent out again the next day to repeat the humiliating ritual. This is quite typical and is something you see all over the city, but what you don´t see is the dehumanizing affect of ignoring another human being. As people walked came close she put her head down, let out a tiny beg and shook her hand in that familiar way. With each ignoring person who walked by, her hand collapsed back into her lap waiting to be lifted toward the next potential donor. I asked myself, "Where is the love for this child? Where is the mercy for this child? Where is the justice for this child?"

In the 30 minutes I sat with her, I asked God to forgive me for doing to others what others where doing to her: ignoring her, acting as if she didn´t exist and blocking out her cry for something, anything. Today I noticed her and I noticed myself. I finally asked her name and she said quietly, "Celestine." I told her it was nice to met her and that my name is Justin. Five minutes later, K arrived and not wanting to startle her I gently said, "Hasta luego Celestine, que Dios le bendiga" (See you later Celestine, God bless you). And I stood up transformed by her.

Thanks be to you oh God, sustainer of life, for little Celestine. Please protect her and hold her close in your merciful embrace. With Jesus´ presence surrounding her I pray, Amen.

smiles on the inside (notices)

2010-07-08T16:07:00.001-05:00

Good Wednesday afternoon, today the things that brought me smiles...

-the excited feeling and warm memories of how the pilgrimage in Spain changed by life
-the smile of a sick friend
-the hope that i hold
-being able to host a good friend for breakfast
-the joy of learning

What is God up to in your life today? Whatever it is, because God is doing something, I pray it´s a blessing! Thank you God.

awareness

2010-07-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

Good Wednesday night...today I noticed...

-the scared face of a new student
-morning traffic jam
-the warmth of my wife´s hand
-the chill in the air
-the smile from someone we trust

How was God present to you today? God´s blessings on your evening.

notices today

2010-07-06T14:22:00.000-05:00

Good Tuesday afternoon! Today I noticed:

-the sun shining in my eyes to wake me up
-the sound of cars outside the apartment
-the smile of a friend
-the feeling of accomplishment
-tranquility

What have you noticed today? God´s blessings over your day.

"Where have you been?"

2010-07-05T14:26:00.002-05:00

Good Monday afternoon! "WOW... where has the Pilgrim Pastor been and why hasn´t he been writing anything on his blog. We´ve been looking for something to let us know how things are going down there, but nothing, just nothing."

The short answer is insufficiently sufficient. We´ve been working harder than worker bees in a colony! As Kari´s newsletter highlighted, we´ve started several new projects since my last blog at the end of May. The three biggest are:

-I am now working on a textbook in collaboration with the IELB and the seminary where we teach.
-We´ve both started leading afterschool clubs at the Lutheran Institute in El Alto (Kari: English, me: confirmation).
-Kari has started writing Sunday school curriculum with the National Womens Coordinator.

With all this going on and maintaining a presence at the central office, teaching in the evenings and being busy with events, workshops and pastoral activities almost every weekend the pilgrimpastor blog has had to take a backseat. In some sense I feel responsible for keeping you all up to date on what life is like here and at other times I feel like you have a general idea that our ministry here requires a lot from us and don´t hold the absence of a blogpost against me. Thank you.

Something I´ve been thinking about doing on here is inviting you to recognize and jot down "what you notice around you in a day" (no more than 5 is sufficient). After a number of days we can reflect together on what we notice in our worlds and if God´s presence is recognizable or not. This can be like a honing your noticing skills. My "notice" list from July 21, 2007 when we were on the pilrgimage of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela en Spain: "spider web with dew, laughter, compassion, patience, peace, rest trees clapping, familiar faces, desire for communication." Thank you God for being present with us in our ordinary noticing and revealing yourself to us through them.

stewardship (mayordomía)

2010-05-31T07:45:00.000-05:00

Good Monday morning! What a blessing it is to be wide awake at 7:45am, thinking about class, group dynamics and all the fun we might have! Tomorrow starts the second trimester of the 2010 school year here and I´ve been tagged to teach, Introduction to the New Testament. It´s been four years since I´ve taken the course and now I´m teaching it....seems a little strange. At any rate, teaching it gives me more opportunity to dive into scripture, the history, cultural and political contexts that set the stage behind every letter and "book" that we call holy. Since I don´t have a congregation to preach at every Sunday, I´ve fallen off the lectionary bandwagon and don´t feel as grounded in it as I wish I were, however when we lead workshops and conferences, the bible is always the basis. Introducing the New Testament means that we have only twenty-some 1.5 hour classes to run through all 27 written pieces, highlighting the main points, controversies, chatting about some of the theologies and then moving to the next. While this really isn´t my style of learning the NT, I know the students will be taking more classes that focus specifically on the gospels and the letters of Paul later in their seminary careers, therefore, my class is really just an introduction of the 27 writings and opening up the NT world to them.

On Thursday and Friday of last week, K and I led-facilitated a workshop on mayordomía, which means stewardship in Spanish. Most of my pastoral colleagues have led one if not many stewardship campaigns, attended workshops themselves on how to talk about stewardship without the congregation recognizing the coded speech for giving. In preparing for our workshop, I thought about many of the same challenges that I hear people back in the states go through. However, this is not "back in the states." As I already knew, but was confirmed here is that stewardship isn´t about giving or tithing or campaign pledges. Here (and I suspect everywhere) stewardship is about managing, sharing, caring, proclaiming and giving thanks. When people don´t have money, you can´t start with talking about their money; when people don´t have developed spiritual gifts, you can´t start with their gifts; when people don´t have much time outside their 3-4 jobs, you can´t start there either. So where do you think we started?

Caring for creation. Since the vast majority of the Lutherans in the IELB live an agrarian-farming lifestyle, they live much closer to the land than other people. They rely on mother earth to provide for all the necessary pieces of life, when listing things to give thanks for rain and sun are always close to the top of the list. Here, stewardship starts with how we care for the planet, that which God first gave to us. It´s not so much about "ourselves, our time and our possessions" that are signs of God´s gracious love, but rather the land that we live on and need in order to survive. The air, water, land, atmosphere, plants, and animals are signs of God´s gracious love too, without focusing on ourselves or what´s ours.

As we concluded the workshop, we all realized that focusing on being good administrators (mayordomos/as) leaders, listeners and care-givers in our homes, congregations and communities is vitally important to our lives as Christians. God has called to us to take care and manage all that is given by God (Genesis 1:26-28) and to not use "have dominion and subdue" as license to damage, neglect, exploit o violate the gifts of God that enable us to live.

So this week, I invite you to think about how you, your household, your church and your community understand stewardship. If you had no money, would that campaigning word change it´s meaning? Say a prayer for your sisters and brothers around the world who begin their stewardship understanding with creation and nature instead of the wallet and pledge cards. Blessings to you as you step forward into a broader view of stewardship. tbtu for all that you have first given us and may we be buen mayordomos en tu reino!

higher education

2010-05-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Good Tuesday afternoon! We have entered the 2 week break between trimesters at the seminary and are enjoying the time off from teaching so that we can do some of the other things that have been needing our attention. We both finished up the first trimester with great classes and with most students passing. K´s students are doing really well with their English and mine were eager to see how the drama of the first waves of the conquest and the arrival of missionaries into the Americas would alter the course of church history after the Reformation. While I won´t be teaching them that branch of the church´s history, I do have the opportunity to teach Introduction to the New Testament while K teaches English 2.

One of the things we´ve been discussing are the differences in educational systems, methodologies and expectations between Bolivia and the States. Many of my students work full-time jobs and come to class in the evenings. They often are tired and worn out from the day´s work by the time they get to my class; therefore, more dynamic and interactive teaching is required. (This does tend to make church history or other "boring" subjects more interesting). I always tried to tell the church history like a juicy, scandalous soap opera (telanovela) that would peak their interests. Some of my students even traveled 2 hours in a mini-bus just to get to class each night, which may explain why they didn´t always have time to read the assigned material or do their homework.

Teaching in higher education is different from teaching at other levels. It´s definitely not like Sunday school, confirmation or a Wednesday night parish ladies book club. Teaching here (and I bet really everywhere) is so much more than about teaching...it´s about learning how to listen intentionally and to listen for the second level of conversation; it´s about looking at a tired student and knowing that the whole class probably needs a quick break; it´s about being vulnerable and not ashamed to say I don´t know, but I´ll find out for next class; it´s about speaking truth to power and not hiding the skeletons in the closet, especially of church history; it´s about asking the students to see themselves throughout the development of the Christian church and inviting them to reflect in ways they´re not use to; it´s about being open to being corrected by the students and being willing to say, " I was wrong about this, but thank you for bringing that to my attention;" it´s about learning from those who have come to learn.

Higher education, as I´m coming to realize, should be open to all people whether they can pay or not. Education shouldn´t be something that limited to select few, but really free to all people, especially those who are lower in the socio-economic status so that poverty can be combated with education, learning, teaching, being in community. Communicating one´s thought, opinions, frustrations and joys is one way to liberation and freedom. tbtu for the gift of learning, especially of you!

"go in peace, know that God loves you."

2010-05-08T15:48:00.000-05:00

Good Saturday afternoon! We are still here, working away and staying busy. Since my last post not much has happened and yet everything has been going on. We have been writing, reading, teaching, conflict managing, learning, eating, celebrating and many many other things. I ended up racing to finish the Henri Nouwen book I was reading just so I could move on to other things that were waiting for me to finish. My Church History I class is winding up with this coming week as their last week with me. Then we have two weeks off before I begin teaching Introduction to the New Testament. I know I´m a theology nerd because I simple am elated to be in class, both learning and teaching. I hope my next group of students don´t hate me too much because I´ll be teaching lots of the NT from the Greek because there is no way around it (and it´s fun, says the professor).

The other day, we were invited to attend the anniversary of the Lutheran primary-secondary school in El Alto. But not only were we invited, we were also named as the padrinos (godparents) of the cake, which meant that we were to supply a cake that would feed 300+ students, staff and teachers. While we were a little perturbed at first, it ended up being nice. The day before the big event, I was asked what I thought of sprinkling the students and faculty with water as a blessing during the ceremony. I wondered why she was asking me this and said sure, like a remembrance or thanksgiving of baptism. She was excited that I didn´t have a problem with the rite, but had been worried that I wouldn´t do it for some theological reason. So I found and translated the rite and used it to open the celebrations.

As always is the case here, what I think would be appropriate for a rite is always changed at the last minute to "make do." So instead of some nice bowl or water vessel, I used a plastic fried chicken plate that was functional and so I´m sure God looked on approvingly. As I dipped the flowers to sprinkle the students they braced themselves for the cold shower that was about to come. Their giggles, squints and screams of excitement made it all worth while. At the end of blessing each group of students (because we did it by class levels), I was to send them away in peace, "vayan en paz, sirviendo el Señor." But I didn´t think kids would really get it, so I said something like, "go in peace and know that God always loves you and is always with you, in fun times and challenges. No matter what, God loves you and so we go out serving the Lord." To my amazement, all their little faces looked at me in agreement with a few nodding their heads. I was touched that they knew what I was saying and knew that God loves them and is with them. I left feeling blessed by my little sisters and brothers in faith and felt that I had been privy to a special window into their faith life. tbtu for their presence in our church, for we would not be complete without them!

the courage to speak

2010-04-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

Good Friday afternoon! We are back from our week long trip to Cochabamba and are resting today. From the 19-22 of April, there was the Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático (the People´s World Conference on Climate Change) to discuss and proposed new ways of honoring and protecting the rights of Mother Earth as well as fight climate change caused by destructive human activity so that our future generations will have a place to live. The conference definitely gave me a new perspective on many things including the sentiment that often exist in "developed" (read: capitalist) countries that if it doesn´t affect me, it´s not important.

A few hours after we got there on the 19th, I received a phone call asking me for a BIG favor...to be a presenter at the panel on Religion, Spirituality and Climate Change: "The Cry of Mother Earth" speaking from an evangelical perspective. To say I was scared would be a grave understatement! But I hesitantly agreed praying, God if this is something you want me to do and you´ve brought be here for this reason, then I will try my best even though my fear is rising. The funny thing is that a on Sunday the 18th (the day before this call) I read these words of Father Henri Nouwen in ¡Gracias¡:

I kept asking myself: "What do I really have to say to these people?" I had the feeling that they had more to say to me that I to them. I thought: "Who am I to think that I can say anything of value in this situation. I have never been poor, I have never had to struggle with survival as these people have, and I do not even know their language!" And yet I knew that I was here to preach and that none of my hesitations was a valid reason not to preach. That, I am sure, is part of the mystery of being sent. I prayed that somehow God would touch the hearts of the people through my broken words.

This paragraph kept things in perspective as I struggled to gain confident to actually do this and rework a paper I just so happened to have brought along with me thinking I´ll never have to say anything at a major world conference like this...but God speaks to us in silent voices urging us to take things along...just in case and then plants seeds with those "just in case" things.

Often my hybrid life of being a missionary means confronting fears, overcoming obstacles and addressing challenges that I´m faced with. All of this is done through prayer, reflection, humility at recognizing new challenges and trust. I asked K to pray for me and for the whole process of reworking a paper I´d written and I asked our group from the seminary to keep me in prayer during my presentation and everything worked out. I even received unexpected complements and made new friends from around the world through an act of overcoming a fear of publicly speaking in spanish to a large group of people. As always, before I opened my mouth, I prayed: "God, I trust that all things are in your hands and that you are with me." This simple, yet profoundly comforting prayer is one of my most prayed prayers while here in Bolivia.

So in thinking of all of this, I invite you to reflect on how God has recently helped you confront a fear, overcome a challenge or do something bold. What prayers do you say before stepping out in faith? Who do you lean on when you know you need support? Do you remember to give thanks for those people and especially God? May the God of all strength, consolation and courage surround you and walk beside you through moments of self-doubt and challenges, always whispering you how much you are loved and how fond God is of you. tbtu for the courage to speak!

the journey

2010-04-17T08:13:00.000-05:00

Good Saturday morning! Looking back at the blog, it seems I haven´t written for about two weeks. While part of me feels a little bad about this, another part of me feels that it has been a needed and deserved break from the poetry that filled my Lent and led me to the glorious celebrations of Easter.

Lots has happened, but nothing spectacular. We have been working both at the office and at the seminary. We teach four nights a week at the seminary and it has been fruitful as well as stressful at times. Last night K was teaching her English class here and I was down in the kitchen finishing up a weaving I´ve been working on, writing some letters and completing some reading. Today we may go with some friends on a short day trip near the lake to see some ancient sites and just tour around a bit.

But last night as I was preparing to walk with K over to the seminary, I just browsed through our home library for a book to read while I waited. Now I could´ve been at home watching a movie or something, but I don´t really like the idea of her walking home by herself at 10:00pm at night, even if it is just around the corner and down the block. So, I grabbed a book that I haven´t opened since we were discerning our call to come here to Bolivia back about a year ago. Sitting down last night, I opened the book to the last place where I had stopped reading and found what I had underlined last. (I often read a book first with a student-professor eye making marks and underlining key parts and then re-reading the book, but only the underlined parts...I don´t know why...call me nerdy.) So anyway, these are the words I encountered in Henri Nouwen´s Gracias!:

God came to us because he wanted to join us on the road, to listen to our story, and to help us realize that we are not walking in circles but moving towards the house of peace and joy. This is the great mystery of [our faith] that continues to give us comfort and consolation: we are not alone on our journey.
These words ring in my spirit like fresh sunshine because reminders such as this tell me, yes Justin, you are still right on your path that God has led you on...have faith, keep walking, keep listening, keep smiling, keep being. As we´ve now been here almost 8 months (the longest either of us have lived overseas), this is slowly starting to feel like home, where new friends become like family and family back home hear all our funny stories. And at work, we are feeling accepted, which is always a good feeling to have when you work so closely with people who have often been hurt by people who look like us. So we give thanks to God for accompanying us as we try to accompany and be accompanied with; for this is what our ministry is all about: being sent out in to the world to proclaim God´s love for humanity, cultures, languages, mother earth and many more things. And we are grateful for you all who find your way to this random pastor´s musing and babbling and accompanying us spiritually and prayerfully over so many miles away. We love you all and may God´s eternal peace fill your days and nights.

As Father Nouwen wrote of his vocational discernment: "Does God call me to live and work in Latin America in the years to come?" and this has surprisingly become common worlds in my prayers. But for you, in your case, "where is God calling you to live and work in the years to come?" May this question and prodding be light to your path and give you food for thought and prayer. tbtu for those who hold us in prayer!

¡Cristo está resucitado! (Christ is risen!)

2010-04-05T11:57:00.001-05:00

Good Monday morning! We hope you had a wonderful Easter, celebrating the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ and his triumph over death and the grave. As you can tell from my previous posts, I hadn´t posted my Lenten poems for a while. The only thing I can ask for is your forgiveness. Over the past two weeks, we have been celebrating holy week and Easter multiple times because we had national elections yesterday and on said days, people are forbidden to congregate...hence, no church. So we celebrated days and weeks before.

Over this past weekend we went to a small village in the valley of Bolivia called Millipaya. We had a blast off-roading in our "alpacita" (the name of our car because it makes a squeaky noise like an alpaca). After about 3 hours of traveling over rocks, through rivers and past herds of animals: mostly alapaca, cows, sheep and llamas, we arrived at Millipaya in time to join church service and then have lunch. I was immediately notified when we showed up that I would be preaching at the next service. Thanks goodness I had prepared a sermon on Jesus´ last 7 phrases from the cross.

When the service time came, my supervisor translated my sermon into Aymara, the native language of the people and the vast majority of the Lutheran church here (see photo). While they all understand Spanish, for them to really get the message, it being in Aymara is always the best way to go. We ended up having many more worship services that day and in between we ate and took time to learn how to use the bathroom outside. Now, you may be thinking, that´s not so hard Justin, you are a scout and have camped for many years...why would you have to learn something like that. Well....every place we go here, the manner of using the bathroom outside is different. When we were in Franz Tamayo, behind a building, on a tire, leaning against a building was sufficient. But in Millipaya, it was much warmer and there was a general place for everyone to "hacer pis" (make pee). However, there weren´t many place to "hacer caca" (make poop). Without getting into details, we finally swallowed our pride and asked how to go to the bathroom and where. We were blessed with gentle souls who didn´t laugh in our face and walked us to where we needed to go.

Being a missionary, you definitely are always learning and this past weekend we learned how to celebrate Christ´s resurrection Bolivian style. We were blessed to have a place to sleep that was covered and warm; we were blessed to have plenty of food (that included stomach, heart, liver and intestines); we were blessed to be surrounded by brothers and sisters to worship with; we were blessed with a vehicle that could handle the terrain; and most of all we were blessed with the good news of renewed hope justice, peace, life and salvation through the victory of the Christ over the shame of the cross. In all things that we have experienced recently, we give great thanks to God and our family here!

So now that Lent (Cuaresma) is over, I will resume writing about our experiences, laughs, challenges and learnings that all remind us of God´s presence with us. I hope you found something in my Lenten poems that stirred you. May God bless you all this day so that you live and witness to the raising power of God. Much love to you all and Happy Easter!

cuaresma40.sed

2010-04-05T11:34:00.000-05:00

La Madre Teresa de Calcuta empezó su vida religiosa, ella tenía la pasión saciar, quitar la sed de Jesús en la cruz y esta era el propósito de su congregación. una vez, ella escribió: "cuando Jesús dijo en la cruz, --tengo sed, él estuvo privado de toda consolación, muriendo en pobreza absoluta, dejó solo, despreciado y roto en cuerpo y alma. él habló de su sed-no para agua-sino para amor. él tuvo sed para amor. ¿qué es el amor él tiene para cada uno de ustedes? no solamente él te ama, pero aun más que eso, él está deseando que mueva usted más cerca de él. siempre te ama, aun cuando no sientes digno. decir, tengo sed, es algo más profundo que diciendo, te amo. hasta sabes adentro profundamente que Jesús tiene sed para ti--no puedes empezar entender lo que él quiere ser para ti, ni lo que él te quiere ser para él."

cuaresma39.familia

2010-04-05T11:27:00.000-05:00

Jesús no estaba pensando sobre su mismo cuando estuvo en la cruz, estaba él preocupando sobre el bienestar de su mama: ¿cómo podrá a ella comer, sobrevivir, viver, quien cuidará para ella? Jesús encomendó la cuidad de su familia a su querido discípulo y estoy seguro que todos los discípulos hubieran cuidado para ella. hagamos la misma cosa acá porque la iglesia consiste de ustedes y yo, discípulos y discípulas, apóstoles, que se hemos encomendando cuidar a cada otra miembro. por medios de la familia de Dios, la que es la iglesia, Jesús te cuida.

cuaresma38.perdón

2010-04-05T11:22:00.002-05:00

¿por qué Jesús no pidió el castigo sobre los que están crucificándolo? en vez de buscando la venganza, él les quiso ser liberar, en su primera oración de la cruz él está orando para su liberación de ignorancia por medio de perdón. creemos que perdón es algo más grande de nosotros. él no les quiere estar en esclavitud a sus acciones malas o al poder del pecado, sino libre para ver los errores y hacer un cambio. entendemos que él sufrió en la cruz a causo de los pecados humanos, a causo de nuestros pecado. nuestros pecados son los mismos pecados que él fue a la cruz perdonar. cuando merecemos castigo, recibimos amor por la cruz; cuando no merecemos perdón, recibimos rendición por la cruz. por la cruz, Dios nos da liberación, amor, perdón y salvación.

lent37.compromise

2010-04-05T11:20:00.001-05:00

my word today is compromiso-compromise. then i was asked to reflect on myself and my word in relation to my family, faith, work, vocations. at first i thought of nothing, then i came to see the compromising steps i take toward the center, toward the togetherness in the middle where i unite with the unique One who is the source of all reality. in the compromise, i move closer to the divine goodness at the core of all existence. i dare not back step or back slide or ever peer over a shoulder at the outer edge toward individualism, arrogance, selfism, of being far from the ground of all being. my compromise is a move away from myself toward you, my neighbor, my family, my enemy and compromise is the love that´s left with each step toward the heart of all creation. Lord, accompany me as i keep stepping away from individualism and closer toward community, to love of neighbor. over love of self and putting the interests of others before my own. thank you for reflection in your rippling pond of truth and freedom.

lent36.voices

2010-04-05T11:19:00.001-05:00

where are their voices? why aren´t they heard? is it the color of their skin or the style of their clothes? is it their tradition and smoke that chains their voices or their method of being? why can´t the dominant world hear them and recognize their desire for representation and freedom from the slavery of globalization and the continued colonization of their minds? God of every tongue, i sit at a table fill with people who look nothing like me, my sisters and brothers, and i hear their frustrations, i see their tears, i sense their connection with nature. how Lord are you sharing them and their story? how are you using each of them, each of us, as your vessel of light and life? how, oh Lord, are you lifting up their voices in a wilderness that too often swallows them whole?

lent35.answer

2010-04-05T11:18:00.000-05:00

i´m asked to answer: the right answer, the requested answer, the long awaited answer. but i fear. i´m afraid of repeating history that damages cultures and destroys identities. i fear contextualizing in one place by boxing it in the context of another place. i´m afraid of answering and yet i burn inside with an intense fire to walk with the ones as together we figure this thing out and answer the question together. i´m afraid of imposing my hegemonic context from the dominant power of the world, and i don´t want my fear to choke out my learning. perhaps this struggle is for my benefit and for the growing identity of the ones who request. i don´t want to be another white male colonizer from the outside. God of post-colonial imaginations and realities, teach me to be with the power of your love, lead me to see you free them with your keys of the gospel, open my heart to be a Christian like them. God i´ve examined myself, never saying i´m done, and see my socially located reflection striving to be different than those before, recognizing that i walk in many of their footprints.

lent34.shabbat

2010-04-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

sabbath/shabbat God, i desire the thing so hard to catch...rest. you give us a clear example of resting, taking time off to just be: by the river communing with your divine, in the sun being drenched in your light, on the couch stretched out and watching a favorite cartoon movie. God you said to keep the sabbath day holy, but i´m afraid i have failed at this direction. i´ve tried to fake it and busy myself in order to rest, yet never achieving my goal. sometimes i think where did the hours go in this day and how many times have i stopped to give thanks and notice you around and inside me? as i see and know too well, when i don´t follow your lead and shill, the doors open to stress induced illnesses and then i must stop because i can´t continue. Lord of rest, reminds me to take it easy, to honor the sabbath that isn´t mine and reflects your trusted nature. God let me learn how to rest in you.

lent 33.begging

2010-04-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

when it struck again, i fell to my begging knees and pleaded for speedy recovery. God of healing, forgive me for ceasing to pray, forgive me for not lifting your name on high at the mere fact of waking up each day with a new breath and new chance to do better, be better. her pain causes me to worry and immediately turn to you and your healing hand. you bless our journey here with people to care and advise us and for them we are deeply grateful. but it´s you who heals through the medicines, ancestral and modern that remind me of your presence with us. we thank you for renewal and recovery and trust in your eternal embrace.

lent32.responsible

2010-04-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

(forgive these for being late, but i just now have time to post these poems written during lent)

invited from far away, they came and put on a show. not the kind you find under a big top or in a theater, but they did perform. representing each continent, they listened and scribbled, munched and watched the display before them and while they were here to collect and receive, i wonder how much they will report to the hegemonic powers that be, the powers they represent as flags liter the walls, giving us all the sense of something much bigger than ourselves, globalization. but with that comes responsibility, the deed not to turn away and discount, but the truth of engaging and retelling, of being responsible and cognizant of the understated power that they have. will they be responsible with their words? will they be responsible with their representation? will they be responsible with their experiences? i pray they don´t repeat history of colonization, but rather struggle and stretch toward a post-colonial mindset and world.

lent31. justified

2010-03-21T12:07:00.000-05:00

my heart rips and resews, is wounded and reheals to experience the turmoil of home back home. while our presence is outside, we have a greater glimpse of the family battles inside. with brother against brother and sister against sister, our home, the church struggles and thrives with the beat of our sinfully righteousness hearts. there are those who of us condemn and those of us who welcome and those of us to continue doing ministry as we always have, following the example of the redeeming carpenter from Nazareth. the names by which we call ourselves form and further divide, chiseling marks that separate us instead of uniting us. where are we and who are we (as ones sanctified and made right through faith by the obedience of Christ) when we don´t see Jesus´ ministry as our ministry to continue: to address the wrongs of our contexts and the rights of our situations, to say no to oppression and discrimination and yes to radical love and hospitality, to see Christ as our center and with it comes social, economic, family justice. who are we not to fight for our neighbors rights, even if it means losing or expanding our own? we are stronger than to let disagreements halt us from love and push us to hate. for we are here to serve, to minister, to accompany justified.

lent30.essays

2010-03-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

i could not believe my eyes, for they had not failed me in my quest. with words too similar too miss or count as anothers´, i knew they had cheated. and even worse, some of them cheated and then lied about it. God of new beginnings, when i began i could see and feel their fear, but your love and leaning opportunity gave me hope and them breath back into their bodies. they knew what had happened and from the strong knods of their heads, i don´t think they´ll return to their old ways...at least that´s my hope....so we´ll see. God, you teach us to love and forgive and begin rebuilding trust when we wrong or are wronged. thank you for this for often i, we, they don´t deserve it, but the truth is that i don´t deserve anything and yet you continue to love and accompany and nourish me with your presence and the pricey conviction of being your disciple and living into my salvation of righteouness on your account. out of your lips spilled, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." i´ve applied this to their essays.

lent29.co-education

2010-03-21T11:46:00.000-05:00

he yelled at me...right before it was time to leave. and he did it infront of other people no less. had we been on my area, i might have met his match with sharp words to put him back, but here i´m not on my area, i have no home turf to stand upon. i can´t say, "stop it..." or worse, but they can and they did. Lord forgive me for being startled by his abrasive scream and pardon me for smiling on the inside at finding comfort inher defense. for we both know she told him how it is and would be from here on out. she had the right and space, so i listened. what does it mean to respect? what does it mean to learn? what does it mean to have a free space in which to speak your mind? i know and pray he learns. grounded in grace and feeling unconditional love when i mess up gives me the example of how to love this brother even harder. i believe and hope in second chances and so i will start again from there. he may have been having a rough day and his brother broke his camel´s back. grant him please forgiveness, another chance and be present, filling the room with your spirit of peace, cordiality and camaraderie. may we learn how to lean from each other and refrain from yelling or screaming or fighting. guide us with your love to the truth of co-education.

lent28.frustrated

2010-03-21T11:38:00.000-05:00

i get frustrated and maybe it´s my due. when i was there, in that place, maybe i didn´t follow directions either. i get frustrates when i ask them, write for them, invite them to do something and what i get is less, wrong, borrowed or manipulated. part of me is upset that what is required isn´t according to the guidelines or rules. the other part of me is perturbed at myself for not being more grace-filled, for this is only the first of many. God of constant grace, remind me of how to follow you, your example of constant love and chance after chance. allow the stores and feelings of the former days to float back through so that i may be present to these as they were with us. i was in their shoes and held the same preocupations and i survived. they will too. gracious Lord, you called me to be a pastor who pastors, caring and accompanying. enliven this group and fill our space with your presence, providing comfort, fun and learning.

lent27.strength

2010-03-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

standing in the arena huddled together, they await. they await their destiny that´s to come with a leap and a bite. scared beyond all comprehension, hair is redone and will is strengthened with the resolve of steel. while other pains before were hard, this new pain is taken on by another for whose name their position is due. when coerced to convert and tortured to recant and beaten to turn away, they remained. they would rather accept the beast´s pounce or the torch´s spark or the swing of the hammer striking the nail in their tree before they´d rebuke His name and turn away. for they were fearless and fruitful, trusting and hoping that they were already surrounded by the glory they were about to meet. their peace of soul flowed to their depths like the river of life making glad the cities of God´s dwelling.

lent26.ministry

2010-03-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

when asked how much it costs, she answers, "nothing. if it´s for the good of your ministry, it´s for the good of my ministry." for ministry is one big boat with many oarspeople rowing for the common goal, the common good. our captain remains in our mind even as we awake each morning reminding us that our cause, our path is more important than the destination. so side by side we row in the same direction, proclaiming the same love of the same God, sharing in our ministry endeavors. she does this because she understands what true accompaniment means, she knows what it is to be a fellow pilgrim of this long road of life, always passig others with a greeting and a wish. my dreams fill with her ideas of mutual ministry of bi-vocational spirituality that boldly exclaims with Christian love-if it´s good for your ministry, then it´s good for my ministry.

lent25.teacher

2010-03-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

i walk in, stand before them and pray. with my vulnerabilities displayed for all to see, i begin with a greeting and proceed to complete the things we´ve gathered for. as my mouth goes dry and i reach for the scribbler, i know deep in my gut that you are there, behind me, before me, beside me and above me. i´m always in your hands especially when my prayers plead for a loosened tongue and unstopped ears to hear the words and speak your truths. God of teachers, give me the continued breathe to keep speaking and educating as we constantly are transformed and reshaped by those we teach. for we are all teachers and learners, scared and timid, ignorant and knowledgable. grant our togetherness with your energetic presence and bring us to a greater understanding and familiarity with you.

lent24.justified

2010-03-12T21:12:00.001-06:00

pouring over the texts and sifting through the pages, i´m inundated by your love. your love that surpasses all understanding and is to our love like an ocean to a drop of rain. it is your love and faithful obedience on our behalf that makes us able to even stand before you and try to behold your brilliant presence. we couldn´t be, crawl, kneel, sit before you due to our nature, but you came to dwell in us, like us so that we might be saved. your constant, and at times un-human obedience to our Parent, covers us and our ugly sin, with or without contrition, by forgiveness, reconciliation, renewal, rebirth, sanctification and righteousness. Christ of new life, you stand before our maker in our place and in the place of all of history through your obedience. i could never be that strong and that´s why you´re the savior and redeemer. and through your stance before God, you justify, save us through faith apart from law and works. the fruits of this justified, righteous-made tree are the flowering works of you within me. they do not precede my faith or salvation, but rather shine and grow brightly in your s(u)n as a testimony to your presence, your faith, your love. may this blessing be engraved upon my heart for all my years and then some.

lent23.book

2010-03-12T21:04:00.001-06:00

free me oh God, free me from the chains of this world that enslave my mind keeping me from flexing the power and knowledge and creativity. open me to recieve your blessings and words that flow and swirl, catching life on the tip of my pen as it scribbles and scratches to induce your verbally silent coma. open me like a newly bound book, and write your words within me. pour out your love and inspiration into this your vessel to showcase your gloy and majesty with humanity. here i am, always before you...use me.

lent22.writing

2010-03-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

my eyes so heavy i can barely see, my mind swirls with thoughts of another day slept through as scholastic spirituality wells up within. to this place i´m called and write of my relationship with it. i put this chunky ink down so as to remember my footsteps. it´s to you, for you, because of you, because i can do no other. my freedom rests withing the words of these poems. scribbles indicate my intense musing because i can´t write fast enough. but you wait, i breathe and then we go again. i´ve often wondered what it would be like to not have you, to now have our shared language of misspellings and fleeting thoughts. and i can´t wrap my mortal mind around it. i just need to sit and be and open my own closeness to you and to receive you. my voice in words in solemn and gritty, but it´s the voice of truth i struggle to find. there is a revealed hidden-ness and a hidden revealed-ness in this, our little communication. only you, me, my soul your spirit can speak through. be with me, Creator of the Word, as i breath my unending prayer.

lent21.communion

2010-03-10T16:43:00.000-06:00

Glorious Host of hosts, standing at your life-giving table i´m brought low and remember my humanity, remember your all encompassing love. i´m there giving out your blood that´s shed for us and she steps forward with young tenderness cradled in her arms. seeing her i try to look away as the tears well up within. my knees shook to be a servant of your people and i prayed for you to not let me collapse in that sacred place. where´s my grandmother? with that cute little smile as she comes forward to take communion, grinning at me with a wink and a wave. i cried then. but today it´s an infant that came forward and received your blessing as her mother received the elements. my soul stirred that morning for joy, for compassion, for mercy, for your unending grace.

lent20.comfort

2010-03-10T15:25:00.000-06:00

when things don´t go as we expect, where do we go? where do we run or to whom? when the difficulties arise, we fall to our knees and plead for help. and in all this worry, i truly know where you are, sleeping by my side on the little bed in the waiting area as my prayers rise to you like nothing recently. when i fall and want to question, i can´t for my faith in your presence and mercy is too strong yet i keep on praying, keep on keepin´ on. at times i don´t think about praying without ceasing and i shouldn´t wait until something tough happens to draw me back into that prayerful posture of honesty and humble submission begging for healing, well-being, recovery. and as i care as you care for me, i know what it means through "sickness and health," i see what it means to be a life partner, caring for my companion of love, my spouse. the needs of the other do call us to place our needs, wants, desires aside to be fully present and care, nurture. but you, Great Comfort, give me the strength to care and wash and empty and feed and do all the things necessary. continue to fill us with your good health and bring us to full recovery and we lay held tightly in your grace-filled hands.

lent19.praise

2010-03-10T15:12:00.000-06:00

praise to you oh God of mercy, thanks be to you forever, raising high the weak and sickly, thanks be to you forever. physician of physicians, all praise and honor and glory to you for healing and wholeness. you hear our prayers and cries to be well and you do surround us in your loving presence. continue accompanying us through this life, trying to faithfully following your will. keep us safe, Lord of life, and bring us to wellness.

lent18.sickness

2010-03-10T15:08:00.001-06:00

God of healing, we come before you humbled by the strength of the foe. i know we are at your mercy and remain in your tender care and yet it´s still hard when we are sick. you healed the blind man with spittle and cured the woman´s bleeding through your divine words. grant us a healing that gives glory to you that we may proclaim your name and the works you´ve done. move your healing spirit through her body and work through the medications, doctors and nurses to bring her back to a place of wholeness, well-being and comfort. grant her caregivers, please, the wisdom to know how to treat her as we place our trust in you. thank you for our friends and loved ones who are praying for her. Lord, hear their prayers and surround us with your comfort and peace. in all things we give honor and all praise to you for your healing hands.

lent17.histories

2010-03-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

our history tells tales of ancestors gone by, the struggles of their lives and the paths they´ve walked so we can be here. from our common roots we flow with the same energy and believe with the same passion. and then came diversity within our unity. a diversity that didn´t matter much until we spoke different languages and fought against different things. but what united us was our grounding in you and only you, we all had the hope that one day your promises of peace and justice, healing and compassion would come to pass. some of our brothers waited and some of our sisters taught us otherwise, to wake up and see that a new light had dawned and we were living in a new day. and with that hope we began to proclaim a power that outshines the strongest power through humility and a love that is so un-understandable that all we can do is pray to be covered in it. God of histories, ours and others´, awaken us to the importance of telling the stories, of sharing the talesof how we are and who we are from where we´ve arisen.

lent16.creativity

2010-03-04T15:52:00.000-06:00

i write and read and learn and repeat...God you know my mind is difficult to slow much less be creative when the stress mounts and the work piles high. you bless me with gifts that the world may not recognize and therefore consume the energy and time needed to develop your gift. who am i to think i don´t have the time to stop and be creative? to set the work aside and trust that it´ll get done after the poem or after the painting. you grant me these moments of artistic bursts, yet when i look at my calendar there´s no scheduled time to be artistic. i know this is my fault for thinking i always have to work, of being one striving for excellence. God of the arts, still me in order that i may art, still me and whisper into my listening soul, "be still and know that I AM God." let me hear this mantra of wisdom and return time and again to the fount of gushing life-energy that´s brought to the surface through creativity. remind me how to be in sacred space with you and devote myself to some quality quiet time, for when i´m there, i can be fully present to you, to myself and to the world.

lent15.you

2010-03-03T19:45:00.002-06:00

Wise Guide, standing at a crossroads i could turn back or keep going. there´s a road sign and both ways say your name and remind me that whichever road you guide me along and whichever path i follow, it is you. with you and among you, you keep my eyes on your loving kindness and keep me in your warm embrace, cleaning my hands to have your work done through them. i know i´m being used by you, serving you by serving others, and i´m still listening and watching and following as you lead me along your path.

lent14.here

2010-03-03T19:21:00.000-06:00

God of presence, into the horizon i´ve walked to you, with you, walked paths i push through the reeds and dust to get to you. walking to the edge and falling, you catch me and float me to your shining, brilliant face where i begin to cry and weep for joy because you have me. and you´ve always had me, i just didn´t accept it then, i didn´t understand it then, but now i do, now i need, now i understand. you take my hands and say trust me, believe me because you know me. you´ve seen me, you´ve hugged me and cared for me. that´s why i´m here because you are here.

lent13.wheels

2010-03-02T07:21:00.000-06:00

Author of life, together we saw him bent low and pushing his wheels as he struggled to cross the street. with head bowed and the light changing the desire to get to the other side was fierce. then out of no where through the hustle and bustle came the one to offer help. with very few questions, the offer was accepted and the gentle soul helped him push his wheels to the safety of the curb just in time. the mercy of this strangers´ act and his selfless deed proves that goodness does exist in humanity and shines forth a hope that there are others like him out there. when the threat of death looms near, you meet us in the moment of heat, giving us a hand up or a hand across, offering us yet another glimpse of the reign and glory that surrounds us when we are least aware. and as we drag ourselves along the cross journey, we too leave tracks in the dust marking our past we can never return. and when we fall in the puddles or ditch, you are there to bend down low and ask, "can i help you?"

lent12.city dweller

2010-02-28T19:55:00.000-06:00

O God, the nights grow cold and the movement slows to a still and yet i remain.from the barks that alarm to horns that curse, i am a city dweller. here to be in the city isn´t something special, but at the same time it defines. there are those who live locked behind chained gates and sleep behind glass walls for what? for protection from the outside or for protection from the inside? to not exist outside the box others´ give is to be a prisoner of life. to never try something too hard to handle stifles growth and inhibits the soul from connecting with new souls around. but some stay, enclosed in oxygen-rich neighborhoods and rarely venture outside the walls created by money and power and fear. to see this, to visit this, takes my breath and binds my tongue to not speak, eat, live as some do. yes i look the part, passing invisible cultural barriers and all the while my heart screams out, reminding me that while i am permitted to enter, those closest to me are not. to live in a city calls for recognizing the good and the bad, always leaving me with the choice of choosing out of which eye to see the world.

lent11.prayers

2010-02-27T10:08:00.000-06:00

God of ascending prayers, when the earth does its natural things, we don´t always understand. and when things crumble and fall around us, we ask why. Lord we place all trust, confidence, care into your hands, praying that you´ll keep us safe when disaster strikes. as the ground underneath shifts and warnings sound to alert of pending danger, we wake up to our own needs and the needs of those around us. you see our troubles and hear our prayers, surrounding our fears with your tender hands. help those suffering to rebuild and grant them strength of heart, determination of spirit so that recovery is more than just homes and buildings. protect us from our doubts that natural events in your creation are punishment and enable us to continue as faithful stewards of all that you bless us with. keep us always held tightly in your bosom as our prayers rise like incense before you.

lent10.help

2010-02-26T20:36:00.000-06:00

O God, i know i´m called to give a hand when someone´s in need and the ways you manifest this love is often surprising. in the mornings when i wake, i think of many things and categorize the day as usual, but one thing i don´t contemplate doing during the day is pushing a bus, especially one i´ve paid to ride. you ignite in me a sense of humor at the right time that overcomes any perturbation or frustration that may come. continue, laughing God, to open my heart to the lighter side of this world so that i don´t always take myself too seriously. often i don´t think of it, but being an example includes laughing, having fun and smiling as the love of my life and i push through an intersection crowded with throngs of people and jump into the tiny tin can with wheels crawling up the mountain past the vegetable sellers and fruit ladies. i smile as big on the outside as i was on the inside. thank you for the day of helping out a brother as he helped us begin our day with a smile and a laugh. who knows, perhaps you should choke down more buses to allow people to find the joy in helping someone else.

lent9.shrewdness

2010-02-25T10:20:00.000-06:00

O shrewd God, you ask me to listen, you ask me to care, you ask me to accompany, but we both know there is more to this. when you extended the call to follow and serve, i don´t remember there being fine print about corruption, bribes and being taken advantage of. Lord forgive me for jumping to conclusions when the phone rings or a request is made and please tell me where else am i supposed to jump. after hours of sincere spiritual struggle, out comes the hand asking me to play bank and shell out six thousand bones. after story upon story that catches me up in the emotional turmoil, shines the plea of one who didn´t come for spiritual support, but a little something else. and when the offer to help better one´s situation, provide fruitful options or to simply just listen, the offer is rejected because it doesn´t have a famous face and numbers on it to make it go further in the market. God i want to trust the stories, the journeys and i don´t want to jump too fast, but something always stands in my way holding my breath until those words are spilled, "i once met a missionary who told me if i was ever in trouble to find another missionary to give me money." you God have shrewd ears and have heard many stories before these and many more i´ll never hear. listen to these stories with me and grant me a faith to trust your shrewdness in order that i may respond intentionally, honestly and with mercy. for i know you are always merciful with us, calling us to love one another and to work for the betterment of our sisters and brothers.

lent8.rain

2010-02-24T09:59:00.000-06:00

God of growth, from the window the brown fades to green as new life arrives. the dust and dirt that cover most everything is being replaced by shoots and leaves giving me hope. at times i feel cut off and dry deep inside, but i strive for those things which nourish me and nurture me. when all things seem bleak and bare as if nothing can survive, a little piece of life pops its head out to give me a smile. throughout the dry spells i often feel separated from fullness, groundedness, wholeness and growth, yet when the rain comes they bring with them reconciliation and renewal, drenching that which keeps me dry to rejunvenate my spirit and helping me see a new day. sin often has a way of parching my heart, making me thinking there isn´t much left to give me life. but as i faithfully place one foot in front of the other, i know that love conquers all sin, that your rain, your living water gives me new birth and carries me into a place of fertile spiritual well-being. and sometimes, when the drought appears to last and there´s no rain in the forecast, i just have to turn on the spinkler and fake it until the rains come.

lent7.new beginnings

2010-02-23T20:50:00.000-06:00

God of new beginnings, you invite me into spaces so new, so fresh, so desired that when i arrive i am troubled; not so in a bad sense, but in a nervously excited sense. in each moment that you call me into newness, i am given the opportunity to fall into your ever-present grace. when my insides shake and shiver at the unexpected that awaits me, i know i am in the right place to be touched by you, molded by you, somehow changed by you. and yet your invitations are like magnets to my soul that can´t help but follow and come closer to you as you move closer to me. in every new beginning i pray your spirit calms my rapidly firing mind and smoothes my flitting presence to be non-anxious and intentional. yes, new beginnigns frighten me, but not enough to cause me to run away. touch my heart this night, patient Lord, and prepare me for what may come my way, always trusting that wherever you call me, invite me, push me you are already there waiting to embrace me.

lent6.family

2010-02-22T21:03:00.000-06:00

family, means something new, it means sharing a meal, talking for hours and growing along as the road stretches before. sometimes when family is separated by distance new family is created, not to replace but to be a familiar place of support, comfort, love and advice. where the family that bore you isn´t present and a hole exists in the heart with a lacking and desire that can only be filled by something similar. and often in life one is given the chance to join a new family, to have a new family welcome one as their co-family, to have a a new one bless a family already in existence. family is something that shouldn´t be taken for granted and definitely something humans can´t live without, and yet we are all called to see our family, the human family as companions on this long road where sometimes we must move forwad on that path while others´ hold down the fort. and no matter how far we go or how long the travel is, we are never more than a prayer away, connected and covered by one big sky as we await for each other´s reply.

lent5.presence

2010-02-22T06:07:00.000-06:00

i tell her i want to hug you when i get to heaven and i realized that everyday i hug her, i´m hugging you. i don´t have to wait to see you, to love you, i already have you here. you reside in that deep crevasse in my chest and beat in every cell of my body. you´re in the wind, in the swaying of the dancing flowers, in the beauty of the bird´s songs, in the hum of the bees, in the giggles of a child. there you are in the face streaked with tears and in the lives that i pass by daily. you´re in the family that´s denied access and in the love that doesn´t know how to love back. God you speak to us through voices so familiar to us yet strangely unaware we are of your presence. help us to recognize you in each of us and then live accordingly. leo was right, your realm is within us. oh Lord, may I learn to see you in myself.

lent4.flame

2010-02-20T17:56:00.000-06:00

there is a glow from within, not the head and not the feet, but an energy that shines forth for all to see, lighting the path of darkness and uncertainty. asked about our relationship, you are my ruah, my breath of life that oxygenates and sustained my flame, the fire you lit deep inside on that March morning. and though it flickers and wavers, though it grows and shrinks, it remains constant because you are constant. its intensity is powerful, can destroy and warm, can cause pain and give light. oh Lord warm me with your eternal light that never fades and always burns brightly. refresh me with your gentle ruah and let me sense your presence.

lent3.hands out

2010-02-19T13:06:00.000-06:00

breathe deep and wait...wait to see if she´s still there. she haunts my days and nights as hard as i try to forget her. with ink finally spilling maybe she´ll retreat. ever since that day in the hot sunny plaza when she came up to me and looked into my soul, i haven´t been able to escape her presence. without a word, only big round eyes and dirty cheeks, she placed her hand palm up on my knee. she stared at me. then she backed away a few steps to begin dancing and quickly stopped to return her hand to it´s requesting position. my heart was ripping for i could see the sadness and dampened brightness in her eyes. yet had i reached into my pocket, we would´ve been swarmed with children like pigeons to bread crumbs. so i chose the easy road, the path that would lead me to anger and not compassion, the way that would twist my heart and not open it. i chose the road too often traveled and i regret every moment i didn´t give her something, at least even a smile. and so she journeys with me as i live out my life seeing hand after hand jutting out, jutting up at me from below. and even thought she haunts me, my hand stays in my pocket and doesn´t help to chisel the barrier between us. while this is a new place, this isn´t a new experience to be begged from, to be bumped into for some change. so i find myself turning away from the Jesus in them and the Jesus in me. i struggle between "give to everyone who begs from you..." and "be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." i´m not the one to scrutinize their history, but rather should listen to their story. i´m not the one to judge their past, but rather to share some sort of gospel for their future. so where am i now? do i always say no, always say yes or do the most inhumane of all, remain silent?

lent2.hunger

2010-02-19T06:35:00.000-06:00

the pain has set in, but hopefully for not too much longer. not having time to eat today wrings my stomach and writhes my body with the need most basic to humanity. with no food going in, it feels like an unintentional fast imposed by the forces of work, yet i know, i see, i hear my sisters and brothers for whom eating isn´t a daily activity, isn´t a desire that can always be fulfilled. i saw my brother digging through the trash today just for a scrap, just for something to sell, just for something to pass the hours and in that moment i hungered like he hungered. when we always have enough, we miss the pain and longing that connects us with those around, those with no choice. in the midst of this growing weakness, i pray for others to be sustained for we all know there is enough in the world to go around leaving not one stomach empty. despite this recognition we push those without farther out and go on with our "make believe" life. Lord give us today our daily bread that never fails and always reminds us of your never-ending grace.

lent1.ashes

2010-02-17T20:52:00.001-06:00

i missed that smell. i missed that feel. i missed those words. the smell of year-old burnt palm leaves, the feel of gritty ash smeared across and down my forehead stinging and penetrating deep, the words so often heard as they break the arrogance around my spirit. i miss knowing i am part of this finite creation whose end will come one day. those ominous words foreshadowing my death bring me to my knees and to that place of comfort knowing, trusting, hoping in something bigger than myself, something bigger than all of us. when i let the reality of my dust-ness ground me, i live each day as if it´s the last, each moment and breath becomes something to give thanks for. this breath, this death are what unite me with all things living and dying: for i am dust and to dust i shall return.

epiphany vulernability

2010-02-16T20:44:00.001-06:00

Good Tuesday evening! Today´s been a great and productive day. With it being the second day off for federal holiday (that is Carnaval), I was able to finish preparing everything for my Church history classes that begin this Saturday. I never knew I liked history this much, let´s just see how long the liking holds out.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday in the Christian church, however I don´t know how much it will be celebrated here. When everyday feels like Ash Wednesday is there a reason to designate a special day to being introspection and reflecting on how we live? From this perspective, I wonder if only the Catholics here will celebrate. Even though we probably won´t be ashed tomorrow in the sign of a cross on our foreheads and hear those profound words, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return," K will be giving the message at the office devotions tomorrow. I pray that I enter this season of Lent, this time of discernment, this chance to review my life and actions and find myself vulnerably leaning into the arms of God as I journey with Christ to the cross.

Tomorrow begins my 40 day journey through Lent via poetry. As I´ve mentioned before, this will be an opportunity for me to reconnect with my soulfully reflective side. And looking at my schedule, God couldn´t have planned it any better since poetizing helps me de-stress when work piles up. Now I can´t promise anything about what will bubble to the surface of my spirit or even if it will be "Lenten" themed, but I can promise you that it will be honest and real and at times gritty and sad and hopeful and Easter-gazed. My poems often start out randomly and end up as a prayer. So may you be touched, moved, inspired and lentenized by what the Spirit speaks through my heart. tbtu for the vulnerability we´re about to enter!

epiphany sling

2010-02-15T19:50:00.000-06:00

Good Monday evening! Today´s been a busy day even though it was a day off--officially. Today is the 3rd day of Carnaval and the festivities came to La Paz. On Saturday, the big entrada, or parade, was in Oruro. We had it in our main thoroughfare in the center of town. Despite all the fun and water spraying going on in the city, I´ve been squirreled away working hard to finish up last minute things for an upcoming baptism and the start of my church history class at the seminary.

Our good friends came over for mid-afternoon snack with their little one and she was so cute. She laid on our couch like usual and made all the typical newborn noises. Continuing on this walk of seeing God around me, yesterday it was when our friend was carrying his newborn (after the dedication at church) as we went for juice at a favorite restaurant. He had her her new little sling, had a blanket wrapped around her and an umbrella up to protect his new little daughter from the sun and potential water sprayers. He was the caring doting dad that reminds us of how God cares tenderly for us. We are at times as defenseless and needy as a newborn, relying only on the protection, nourishment and love of the unconditional presence of God. With a God who comes close to check on us when we make the slightest grunt or rustle, cry out or smile in our sleep, we can find comfort in God´s eternal embrace. tbtu for caring for us as a gentle father!

epiphany dedication

2010-02-14T08:16:00.001-06:00

Good Sunday morning! I´ll post a quick post because we are going to church today with our best friends to have their newborn dedicated to the Lord. While this doesn´t seem like such a Lutheran thing to do (at least I´ve never seen one) it may be an interesting and moving experience as a step before baptism. Since K and I are so close with our friends and were there only moments after their little girl was born, they have asked us to be there for her dedication. (I´m betting I will get to help with it...hehe!) I guess this is good preparation for next Sunday when I´ll baptize 15 children/young people. I´ll let you know how it goes.

The week finished with a bang. We are now in the time of Carnaval, which means that water balloons are tossed from open windows of buildings onto passer-byers below, people randomly spray you with water guns and everyone wears a little thin rain poncho to keep as dry as possible. With this week´s activities over, hopefully we can work again on our plans for teaching at the seminary. All seminary stuff had to be pushed to the back burner just to get through the 2010 scheduling of all the church-office activities. So now a new week stretches before us and so does a two day national holiday (Monday and Tuesday).

As I´m looking at some things for today´s dedication, in case I have to give a few words, I´m comforted again with the worlds of Psalm 139:13-16: "You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother´s womb...when I was growing in secret, you know that I was there--you saw me before I was born." The blessing of being a child of God is that God knows us, you and me better than we know ourselves. When we think we can´t do something, maybe there is someone bigger than us who knows differently. And I don´t think God´s intimate knowledge of us stops after we are "given light" (which is the Spanish way of saying being born or given birth to). I believe God knows our poverty, our hunger and our silent tears and comforts us with laughter, quenching our hunger and giving us God´s reign! (Luke 6:20-21) Moving toward ash Wednesday when we remember we are dust, and to dust we shall return, we embark on the dust journey with Jesus to the cross once again. Yes we were known in our creator´s womb, yes our vulnerabilities and limitations are recognized and guarded and yes we continue walking our path of faith, making footprints in the dust with Christ by our side reminding us we are beloved children of God. tbtu for calling us and loving us as your daughters and sons! (photos of today´s dedication to come)

epiphany teeth

2010-02-11T19:02:00.000-06:00

Good Thursday evening! Where to begin? From my last post, I wrote about how we were supposed to have a car strike on Tuesday and Wednesday...well sometime during the middle of the night before Tuesday, someone changed their mind and called off the strike. This meant that we had to go to work for a planning meeting of our schedule for all of 2010. (sounds fun huh?) So we went and were told we needed more concrete dates, which we didn´t have because other departments had met with us.

On Wednesday after the office devotional, we met with our supervisor and spent the following three hours on his floor drawing out a 2010 calendar that´s huge with all the possible dates of anything that could happen this year. Not only have we been working on scheduling everything, but we´ve also been cleaning out office and continuing the process of getting all the car stuff together. This like all other Bolivian processes take time, patience, prayers and sometimes a few cuss words said under one´s breath. But it looks like all things are coming together, thanks be to God.

I´ve been preparing my spirit for the upcoming tasks and the lenten spiritual journey of poetizing again, but have found myself looking for God all around me, in the faces and actions of people on the street. Today´s moment came on the ride to work when I saw an elderly woman take out her teeth to rest her gums since there were no shoppers in front of her. While I haven´t yet teased out a profound theological backing for why she was an image of God for me today, she just was. Maybe God too would just take out God´s teeth and hold them tightly wrapped in God´s lap and just chill. Maybe, just maybe. tbtu for taking your teeth out for me and let me find a smile amidst so much of what I see!

epiphany birth

2010-02-08T18:52:00.000-06:00

Good Monday evening! Today has been a whirlwind of a day. We were at work working hard when we heard that tomorrow there is going to be a strike of public transportation drivers (i.e., everyone and every way we get to work). This is due to some disagreements between drivers, the law and drunk divers. Many of the chauffeurs want all drunk drivers to be punished and not let off the hook. Therefore they are demonstrating tomorrow to show how much they want a change in the driving laws. Since I´m a fan of this stricter change, we will be working from home tomorrow and Wednesday (because it lasts for two days). We were thinking of taking a taxi tomorrow instead of a minibus, but were also told later today that when there is a strike and people drive, those driving are often attacked or have rocks thrown at them. SO, needless to say, we´re not going to chance it tomorrow.

But on a brighter side, our best friends here just had their first baby and we are super excited for them! We´ve been going through this pregnancy with them and she delivered within 30 minutes on Saturday once she arrived at the clinic. We rushed over to welcome our newest little sister into the world and celebrated with our friends. Today we stopped by to check in and see how things were going and were able to be there for her first bath. It was too funny and cute! We are all grateful that our friend´s older sister is here to help with settling in at home.

Overall, today has been a blessing. We are experiencing the grace and love of God through our friends´ infant; understanding that God cares for us, loves us and is fond of us the way a new mother or father is fond of the newest edition to a family. tbtu for blessing our friends and their child, please guard them and keep them well!

epiphany discipleship

2010-02-07T10:39:00.000-06:00

Good Sunday morning! Today is the 5th Sunday of Epiphany and in today´s gospel according to Luke, we hear again of Jesus´ call of his first disciples. Or at least that´s how today´s reading is usually advertised. Reading through the gospel (Luke 5:1-11) and having it hit me again for the first time, I´m struck by some things that I haven´t recognized before. First is the bi-vocational nature of the first disciples. Simon, James and John all had regular jobs that demanded hard work on their part ("Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing." v.5a) and little to show for it. Perhaps they were tired of being fishermen, perhaps they were waiting for something better to come along and drag them from their nets. But never the less, they were manual laborers trying to make ends meet and were frustrated when a non-fisherman tried to tell them how to fish.

Another thing I notice is that following Jesus´ request, order, instructions or whatever you want to call it, breaks apart what you already have. It seems that letting down the nets again brings them to the point of beginning to break (v.6) and then filling the other boats with so many fish that they begin to sink (v.7). Listening to Jesus, and having his power revealed, appears to fracture what it is that keeps us from him in order that we may follow him. Or what if all the securities around us that we´ve built up for ourselves in this life that keep us from vulnerability and radical discipleship begin to break and sink? Where would that leave us? Would it cause us to fall to our needs and beg to be left alone or would it give us the strength to hear, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will [minister, witness, testify, confess and profess]."

Yet another angle on this pericope is that with Jesus at the center of what we do, all things are possible. Due to a mix-up in the lectionary schedule at the church we attended last Sunday, they read and preached on this text. What the message centered on was the centered and centering presence of Jesus in our lives, faith, work and play. Continuing that when all seems hopeless or we have difficulties in life or we are too tired to try discipleship, there God meets us there in our worn out boat or along the well worn path and calls us to listen to his words of wisdom and salvation answering, "Yet if you say so, I will [do what you say]." v. 5b.

Being a missionary has often meant that we wait; we wait to hear the words of inspiration and collegiality, we wait to hear God´s call for our family, we wait to see God working in our midst and revealing God-self in the faces around us. Here we wait and walk along our road of discipleship being bi-vocational ourselves: missionary-pastor, missionary-educator, missionary-spouse, missionary-writer, etc. Being a missionary also means realizing the power of radical discipleship, of having the things you use to hold close begin to break and fray at following God´s call: like old friendships, old connections, old securities in things. The sending of God is a movement of separation from old things and gathering together with new things, new relationships, new connections. Also, stepping out in faith to go where the Spirit sends also requires a centering, trust and faith in the movement as well as the sender. We couldn´t be who we are and do what we do as missionaries if Christ wasn´t at the center of our relationship as a couple and at the center of our senses of call and discipleship and at the center of our mission. Simon´s response in v.5b, "Yet if you say so, I will..." is a familiar missionary response as new wrinkles in our mission appear, new opportunities arise and old dreams become reality. And we´ve found ourselves praying: Lord, we lay our life in your hands to do with as you will...and if you say so, we will. tbtu for calling us as disciples and missionaries and we pray that your will for us is revealed!

epiphany blessing

2010-02-04T23:09:00.000-06:00

Good Thursday/Friday middle of the night! Yes, I´m still up, putting the finishing touches on the syllabus and project proposals that I had to send in tonight. I´m amazed at how quickly time flies by when my schedule is a little more flexible. Take today for example, we were at the office early this morning to meet with the car insurance guy, then I met with a friend whose editing my manual, we met with the president to go over a few more things about the car, grabbed some veggies from our casera on the way down, went to the furniture area to buy a bookcase, ate lunch with some friends, took tupperware back to restaurant, took a nap, made and ate dinner, finalized and sent syllabus and proposal and now blogging. It´s been a long day, but I´m grateful to God. The other morning on our walk to the bus stop I thought: today I´m blessed because I have life, God, and Kari. No matter what happens today, I know I am blessed. So tonight, while you all sleep, I wish you a blessed night, rest, and wake tomorrow morning. Hold fast to the reassurance that God loves you. tbtu for blessing us!

epiphany work

2010-02-02T19:52:00.000-06:00

Good Tuesday evening! Tonight´s post is going to be real short because I´ve been looking at this little computer screen all day finishing projects I´ve been working on lately. The ministry manual is ready for editing. The syllabus for my Church History I class is ready for review before sending it to the seminary. The project proposal for my online class is ready to be looked over, handed in and dreamed about. Today´s has definitely been productive.

We were going to take the day to visit the alasita fair again, but opted to tie up most of the loose ends of our current projects before having fun. So with all these things typed, printed and ready, we can enjoy the rest of the week and take it a little easier. This is how ministry roles... Where was God in all of today´s activities: on the couch with us as we watched Disney´s Hunchback of Notre Dame, in the kitchen with us as we made homemade cinnamon rolls, at the table as we both diligently worked the hours away. tbtu for the breaks for hugs, kisses and more tea!

epiphany shawl

2010-02-01T17:44:00.000-06:00

Good February 1st Monday evening! Yes, looking back on my January posts, they didn´t muster up to the number I had been posting in the months before. So February, look out, my goal is to post more this month than the most-posted month (I think there were 14 posts). If today´s any indication of what´s ahead, then it´s going to be a month full of writing, reading and reflecting. I´m in the process of editing a ministry manual for the regional coordinators (formally, national missionaries), creating a syllabus for my Church History I class at the seminary and drafting a project proposal for an online class that´s to start toward the end of the year. Plus as I mentioned in an earlier post, the season of Lent will bring with it original poetic reflections from the pilgrim pastor´s poetry journal.

This past weekend we were supposed to attend a district meeting of church leaders from this area, but since K had a head cold due to the constant change in weather, we decided against it and she slept on the couch while I got some work done. Yesterday we went to church on the other side of La Paz where I will be baptizing 15 young people in about two weeks. I wanted to have a small workshop with the parents beforehand to go over the service, talk a little about the history of Christian baptism and answer any questions.

After that, we met up with some friends and went to the Alasita Fair where good fortune for the coming year is celebrated. At this fair, which by the way is huge, you buy miniature replicas of the things you hope to gain during the year. For example, if you want to buy a house, you buy all the supplies but tiny-size. Or if you want to buy a mini-bus to start your own business, you buy a tiny mini-bus. So you may be thinking what did we get from the fair??? Drivers´ licenses! Yes, we hope to obtain these this year so that we can drive our new car. We also picked up a few things for family members and generally enjoyed our time walking around. Oh, and we bought our first little plant for our apartment! I know it sounds silly, but "Allie" is the newest member of our family in La Paz and is standing in our bedroom soaking up lots of sun. It´s kind of nice to have something else other than the two of us living in our home. Since the night´s darkness drove us home from the fair, we´re going to go back tomorrow to the fair during the day time to pick up some more plants and see parts that we missed yesterday.

But one God moment that I want to share happened yesterday at church. We were sitting there in this small one-room church that has no insulation, but lots of love. Well during the service K and I started getting a little chilly, but figured we could handle it until the service was over. So we hugged our jackets around us a little tighter and sat closer to each other. Then out of nowhere came this woman with her wool shawl and placed it around both of our shoulders, making sure to tuck it in in the back so we wouldn´t get a draft. Of course this caught us by surprise and when I looked back to say "oh, you really don´t have to," she was smiling from ear to ear and so I said, "thank you." This was a God moment for me and I sat there thinking how blessed we are to simply have someone where their shawl with us. And yes, this meant that she was sitting behind us without it. The unexpected love from this grandmother was moving and this is how God´s grace and eternal love for us is too. It surrounds us to keep us warm, it says I love you, and it comes when least expected. With few words left, all we can say is thank you. so, thanks be to you holy God for covering us with your grace and mercy and love and guidance, now and forever!

epiphany car

2010-01-28T07:39:00.000-06:00

Good Thursday morning! What a week it´s been and it´s not over yet! Yes, I´m still sick, but have managed to work a little around it. Monday we were in the office where I was trying to finish up this manual I´ve been working on for the regional coordinators (new title for the national missionaries). Tuesday had us up early and back at the office working fast to get things done before our potentially new car showed up for all the processing. Mid-afternoon, around 4pm, we headed downtown to sign all the paperwork and start the process of buying our 2004 Nissan X Terra. After four long hours of walking from here to there and back here again and waiting in the notary of public´s office, we drove away with our first car in Bolivia! Thanks be to God.

By the time we got home, we were both pooped and just chilled out the rest of the night. Wednesday morning my stomach woke me up to tell me I had over done it the day before and wasn´t happy. Since issues like this require one to be near a bathroom at all times, we decided to work from home so I could finish the manual and hopefully my syllabus for the Church History 1 seminary class I´ll begin teaching at the end of February. Some friends came over for lunch then and we took a break from writing to veg with them and once they left, we hopped right back to work. Today, I´m skype conferencing with some of the professors from my seminary back in Chicago who are talking about how to set up online courses and develop pedagogies for virtual classrooms. This should be fun as it may help open doors to future self-sustainable ministries here in the Bolivian Lutheran Church.

As we´ve hustled and bustled through the streets of La Paz, we haven´t forgotten to look for God in the unexpected places of our lives. Still K and I feel that God is present in our private laughter about something someone did or said. We saw God in the relationship between a blind father and his son who guided him as he walked along the Prado in the center of town. We felt again that ray of hope and commitment to change watching the annual speech of one of our national leaders. We never know just where God´s grace and love might manifest itself in this world, so we´re keen to look for it everywhere, all the time, and expecting the unexpected. tbtu for blessing us with doctors, mentors, professors and friends who often reveal your smile to us!

epiphany sickness

2010-01-24T12:07:00.000-06:00

Sickly Sunday afternoon! Yes, I´m held up on the couch today, sick from something I hate, but don´t know what. I realized when I signed on just now that I haven´t posted since Tuesday, yicks! Well let me explain, not much happened around here on Wed and Thurs, just getting ready for the national missionaries to come back to the office so we could plan out the year and so they could construct a more concrete understanding of their new roles in the Bolivian Lutheran Church. While the meeting was supposed to be Fri and Sat, we finished up everything on Friday which gave us yesterday free. During the meeting they decided that the name or title "missionary" carries too much baggage (yea, tell me about it) and so they wanted to find something else to call themselves. So they crafted "regional coordinators" and we all agreed with the new title!

Yesterday found us up early and making phone calls about cars that we´re trying to buy. I mean we´re not trying to buy more than one, but this has been an ongoing project of finding a car that suits since we got here. So we called this one ad in the paper and sure enough he said we could come see it. We called the church´s mechanic to see if he could meet us downtown where the car was. He said yes and we were rolling. We met him mid-morning along with the owner to inspect the car and and have him take it on a test drive since we can´t legally drive here yet (no licenses, yes this means another process). It was nice and our boss said that if we liked it and the church´s mechanic thought it was good to go, then we would look at signing the paperwork on Monday (TOMORROW!) who knows maybe we´ll even have the car by the end of the week and let it sit safely in the garage we´ve already rented for it...because here if you park on the street, it´ll be stolen. We finished the day yesterday in Zona Sur (southern part of the city) to watch the new Sherlock Holmes movie. It was great ad I highly recommend you see it.

While we were at the mall yesterday, I started not feeling well and by the end of the movie my head was pounding. We came back and had some friends over who are studying English with K here at the house. All last night I was up and down and couldn´t sleep, yes the dreadful stomach issues had returned. I was supposed to teach a baptism workshop at a congregation today, but I couldn´t move off the couch to even eat breakfast. Needless to say, we rescheduled the workshop for next Sunday. All in all, we´ve been well except for last night. What I noticed as I laid in pain on the couch is how much an illness or pain or tragedy throws us back into the arms of God praying fervently that whatever situation we´re in will come to an end. I was no different this morning, praying for the chills to end and the fever to break. Then I remembered that God was with me in the pain and shivers and that I wasn´t alone. Being here in Bolivia is slowly but surely inviting me into the realm of "theologian of the cross." tbtu for a wife who made me get off the couch to take a hot (sit down) bath and made me some coca tea, which has seemed to help!

epiphany writings

2010-01-19T20:34:00.001-06:00

Good Tuesday night! Today has been a day spent writing. I´ve been asked to prepare a small manual/booklet for the national missionaries to carry with them when they visit local congregation from the materials that I taught them over our four months of workshops. Tonight I´ve finished with the first draft and will start moving it around and making sure all the bullet points match and spacing is correct before we begin editing it. My hope is to be able to distribute them to the guys by our March meeting.

All of this writing has got me thinking a bit ahead to how this blog will shape and morph. I´ve been thinking about themes to do or creative ways to mold what I post: the thoughts and musings and theologizing. As you´ve probably noticed since Advent, I´ve been writing with themes that deal with the particular church season we´re in. This works well and fine now that we´re in the shorter seasons, but what about the ordinary times after the Pentecost festival? So one thing that I´ve been mulling over lately is about the content of the posts for the next church season which is Lent (cuaresma) beginning with Ash Wednesday on Feb 17th this year. For those 40 days of reflection and walking the road of the cross with Christ, I´ve decided to write a poem (or share one already written) each day. Most of you might not have known that I am a poet too, but it´s a discipline that I have been neglecting since before we got here. Poemizing is one of the best ways that I theologize and reflect on myself and the world around me. However, my poetry is often vulnerable and more gritty than the prose I normally post. But what is Lent about if not vulnerability and humility, risking with Jesus the nails of the cross.

So having said all this, I invite you to journey with me (when we get to it) through Lent via poetry and personal reflection. Just as God is present with us in manifestations all around us now, the poetry will continue to reveal where God is often hidden and we choose not to see or miss. tbtu for your presence revealed in words inspired, written and shared!

epiphany body

2010-01-18T19:08:00.001-06:00

Rainy Monday night! We just got home from game night at some friends´ house and it´s starting to pour. Today we were back at the office prepping stuff for the week and getting an overview of what´s ahead. On Thursday we went on a trip with some youth to Cochabamba so see how they had interpreted and would present materials on the context of the Lutheran Reformation. We had a blast with the young people and they really did a great job. One group did their presentation like a news show with guests from the period, interviewers, and camera workers. Another group had this incredible origami-folded poster that had like 4 faces, it was crazy cool!

The following day we enjoyed some of the city with a friend by visiting Cristo de la Concordia. This Christ figure is like the more famous one in Rio de Janiero in Brazil, but is a smidge taller and you can climb up inside of Jesus. There were ventilation holes (see below) throughout the body, but you could also look out from them as you climbed up. As my mother-in-law reminded me, "Jesus was hol(e)y!" She is most certain right when it comes to this magnificent statue in Cochabamba. Since there are no bathrooms inside Jesus, there were levels where people had "taken advantage" and so there was quite a distinct odor inside Jesus. Essentially Jesus smelled like pee. And part of me thought that quality was fitting considering his "was-ness." Now I wasn´t a fan of fact that people peed inside Jesus, but when you gotta go (and you´re that far up) you gotta go!

When we climbed back down and came outside, there was a little kid up at the very top and he was screaming out of one of the holes to his mother back on the ground, "Mom, look at me, I´m in Jesus´ arm! Look mom, can you see me? Look I´m in Jesus´ arm!" While those of us on the ground looked up to see this tiny arm waving, I thought of how profoundly deep, theological, and real his exclamation was. He was in fact in the arm of Jesus, as we all are in the arms of Christ. Being inside of Christ was a surreal experience (thinking as a pastor of all the meaning), but a humbling one as well because on all sides were concrete with a few holes that let the light in. Without this light, we wouldn´t have been able to breath, see, climb, and would have been in darkness the whole time. But it was the light of life that came through the body of Christ that enabled us to move around, explore, and find shelter (had we needed it) inside him. tbtu for allowing us to be one with you as we move inside your body!

epiphany prayers

2010-01-14T16:33:00.002-06:00

Sad Thursday evening! After catching up on all the devastation and tragedy from the earthquake in Haiti, I´m saddened to hear of the number of lives lost, the many infrastructures that have fallen, the churches, homes, and schools that have collapsed with people trapped inside.

In reflecting on Tuesday´s tragedy, I am called back to Psalm 139:
"Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to the heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in She´ol, you are there. If I take the wings of morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right had shall hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you." (vv. 7-12)

Trying to make sense of the nonsense of natural disasters and seeing how the church and world can rally together, overcome differences, and help one another, I see God´s presence. God is with us throughout the world in the struggle and tragedy; not blaming or condemning or punishing, but weeping with us, searching with us, and hoping with us. As Psalm 139 comforts, when all things seem dark around us, we are never away from God´s spirit. No matter what difficulties we´re faced with, God promises to always be present. From the happiest days that feel like heaven to the darkest moments of hell on earth, we are constantly surrounded in God´s unfailing love and support. And this love is so strong that it has come into the world and shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:5).

Let us pray. God of eternal light, we weep with our sisters and brothers in Haiti who are suffering and dying as a result of this terrible natural disaster; we weep with family and friends who are searching for and mourning the lost of loved ones; we weep with our worldly neighbors as they try to survive and yet continue to struggle. We know you are with them, sitting with them in their pain and sorrow, and we trust that your grace and love will be poured out upon them as the healing balm of Gilead. Send now your Holy Spirit to comfort and heal and restore. We ask all this in Jesus´ holy name. Amen.

epiphany birthday

2010-01-13T21:30:00.004-06:00

Good Wednesday evening! Today has been a fantastic day so far thanks to God, my wifey, and great friends at work. Yes, today´s my birthday and we´ve been celebrating it with great fun. Since some folks are coming over soon, I´ll make this post short.

At the office today, they presented me with a cake and gave it to me "Bolivian style!" This means that I was to take the first bite from the cake and at the same moment someone would smash my face into the cake. This did in fact happen and so I had cake icing up my nostrils with a strawberry stuck to my cheek. It was a fun experience! (*photo forthcoming)

Ok, well I must jet, peoples just left and so we´re off to bed (it´s 11:30pm). tbtu for a wonderful birthday filled with fun, laughter and lots of well-wishes, prayers, and blessings sent my way! May this be a wonderful year of adventures and learnings and continued growth!

epiphany 100th post!

2010-01-12T19:27:00.002-06:00

Good Tuesday evening! This is my 100th blog post!!!!

I must say that I am quite surprised that I have been able to stick with something like this and to have it touch so many lives. To be honest, I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be able to call myself a blogger, much less have it reach so many people. This blog is read by people from California to Montana, Chicago to North Carolina, Japan to Hong Kong, and many other places I don´t know about. But truly, this has been a pleasure to share with all of you who read along and keep up with our ministry here.

And I think this blog is a good example of the manifestation of God (epiphany) where we least expect. (I´m not saying my blog is a manifestation of God, but perhaps a humble attempt to share the good news of Jesus Christ). By sharing our stories and ministry, I hope you have seen how God is present in all places of the world. God´s manifestation in the dirt and tears and hunger and oppressed and discriminated and illegal and immigrated and margins and surprises tells us over and over that God isn´t in the glory, glitz, or glam. Nevertheless, God is present in real ways with us human beings as we walk our caminos de fe (paths of faith). As I´ve come to find out over these 100 posts, messages of God´s manifestation, God´s epiphany can be transmited through the "interwebs," meeting us one screen at a time. tbtu for becoming like us and saving us through your love!

epiphany words

2010-01-11T17:06:00.001-06:00

Good Monday evening! We had a great day incorporating back into the work life of Bolivia. We went to the office to catch up on the work that´s piled up from vacation and to give out some chocolates that we brought back for everyone we work with. Settling back into work meant that we had several meetings with our supervisors and friends to chat about their Christmas break, New Year celebrations, and plans for the 2010 year.

We left after lunch to run other errands that needed to be done: check the mail, go by the hardware store, and pick up some syllabi. The reason for this last task is because we have both been invited to teach this year at the seminary where we first stayed when we arrived in Bolivia. The seminary and administration of both our church here and in the states are excited about this new venture. I will begin teaching Church History 1 from Feb-May; Intro to the New Testament from May-Aug; and Worship & Liturgy from Sept-Nov. K was asked to teach English at the seminary and so we are both rapidly preparing lessons, resources, and other activities.

Today on our mini-bus ride to work, I looked around again for the first time at our life in Bolivia. The sights and sounds and smells that let us know we are here and we are alive. We tried to explain what living here is like while we were in the states with our family and friends, but at times the culture and experiences couldn´t translate. So I was aware this morning of all the things that surround us and thought of how they might be explained with words.

But then I thought of how words often get in the way of the thing that is trying to be described; like God or love or truth. There are things in this world that can´t be explained away with words or verbal sounds, but rather can only be understood by being experienced; the like the freedom of forgiveness, unconditional love of a parent for a child, the touch of a spouse when you need support. This is how it is to live in another land. To experience everything knowing that not much of it can be explained with words. (which might seem to make the purpose of this blog pointless.) But not always being able to fully express an experience such as baptism or holy communion, doesn´t give us the liberty to not try. Even though we always fall short in descriptions, we are still called to proclaim the love of God in Jesus Christ, announce the good news to those who sit in darkness, to tell of the Savior we know. I believe we were given mouths to call a thing what it is (cf. theologian of the cross) and to try, hard as it may be, to share our life experiences. tbtu for moments of speechless awe and words to share you!

epiphany church

2010-01-10T18:25:00.002-06:00

Good Sunday evening! Today is the festival of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you were in church today you probably heard the story of how John the Baptizer was thought to be the Christ, but he proclaimed the one to come as wearing sandals he (John) was unworthy to untie. John announced that he baptized with water, but the one to come would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Then as Jesus came out of the waters of the Jordan, the heavens opened to him and the Holy Spirit descended onto him in the form of a dove. And then he heard those powerful words: "You are my beloved son; with you I´m well pleased." (Luk 3.22)

When I think of these words drenching over all the land, I hear God saying that God´s fond of beloved children, fond of Jesus and fond of us. I once was moved by that feeling, "Justin, I am especially fond of you" and it moved me to tears. I didn´t understand why, so I just sat there and soaked up the divine love I felt had been poured out upon me.

Since we´ve arrived back home in Bolivia, I´ve been thinking about a task before me which is to explore the identity of what it means to be Lutheran in this Aymara context. As you can imagine, this is a task that is quite difficult for me since I´m not from this culture or context. But I don´t know that that frees me from engaging this task. So in preparing for the cultural and ecclesiastic exploration, I have turned to look first at visions of the Lutheran Communion for the 21st century. This means asking the question: what does it mean to be church or where is the Christ of the Church? (The one whose winnowing fork is in hand and who is prepared to clear the threshing floor.) Dr. Molefe Tsele suggests that the presence of Christ of the Church is exemplified in his ministry. He says:

The church is where Christ is active, defending the innocent, liberating the oppressed,...creating communities where there is alienation and meaningless. The church is present where the struggles for life are taking place, where the gospel of liberation is being proclaimed, where the confessional faith of the humility of the cross is being proclaimed, where the works of love are being done. (Tsele, 98)

Tsele´s suggestion provides me, and I believe you too, a chance to glimpse what the future of Lutheranism might look like. Might it be a reforming movement led by our Lutheran sisters and brothers of the global South? Might it be a humiliating of the power and privilege that often plagues an "imperial" church of the First World? Might it be letting the oppressed voices of those often silenced by socio-politics and academia disturb our presence and cause us to see in them the Christ who liberates us all? These are just a few of the things zooming through my mind as I look into 2010 at the task before me and the servant I am called to be. tbtu for calling us together as Church in one faith, one baptism, one Lord and for being fond of me!

-Tsele´s quote comes from: Thomsen, Mark and Vítor Westhelle. Envisioning a Lutheran Communion: Perspectives for the Twenty-First Century. (Minneapolis: Kirk House Publishers) 2002.

epiphany baptism

2010-01-09T19:17:00.001-06:00

Good Saturday evening! We are back home in Bolivia from spending 15 whirlwind days with our family and friends in NC and Chicago. Our flights yesterday were all on time and went along just smoothly. We packed in so much in just a few days that we have been sleeping all day; I think we´re just now catching up on missed holiday sleep because there is no jet lag when you flight due south. At any rate, we are pajama clad and couch vegging today, watching some new movies, unpacking, and bathing. All of this is to say that it´s good to be home.

While we were with our folks, we had the chance to love on our beloved pooch Ethel. Her little face said everything as we constantly moved back and forth from house to house and we knew she knew we would eventually head back to Bolivia. She came to join us as we packed and peered into our rapidly filling suitcases wondering if there would still be room for her. With the final zips, she lowered her head and saddened her eyes letting us know that she wasn´t happy with us leaving again. Of all the goodbyes this time, the "hasta luego" kisses to Ethel were the hardest.

Tomorrow we meet up with friends from here and catch up on all the stories of our lives from the past 15 days. We´ve got a few Christmas gifts to share and our "to do" list is ready to be printed out. In all of this we give thanks for God allowing us to return home for a visit, for granting us precious time with the people we love, and for accompanying us as we tell of our place in God´s mission story. Many places we visited during our US tour, we shared about what it´s like to be a missionary today and how this sense of discipleship invites us all to see ourselves as missionaries (those who participate and are sent out by God into mission in the world).

Tomorrow´s gospel of the Baptism of Jesus sets us in a place to examine discipleship from the perspective of Jesus´ baptism by John in the Jordan and of our own baptisms. But it doesn´t just lead us to explore discipleship, but also what it means to be called and claimed as a beloved child of God. I once preached:

In the Word made flesh who dwelt among us, whose baptism was the mountain spring to the river of his public ministry, whose persecution and death drowned him with pain, grief, and ultimate compassion on the cross, and whose resurrecting Spirit flows through every font to immerse us in his grace and transform us by his Spirit, calling us as we arise from the waters of new life to follow. For Matthew, to be baptized is to step into discipleship, where Christ and the body of Christ are inseparably united in one meal… one faith… one baptism.

As we celebrate the festival of Jesus´ baptism, may we remember that God has called us beloved daughters and sons (and puppies), uniting us into one family and sending us out as one church to serve and love and proclaim the presence of God with us. tbtu for dwelling with us and within us as we move forward in your light; for safe travels and loving dogs!

christmas presence

2009-12-30T22:38:00.001-06:00

Good Wednesday night (late)! What a blessing it is to be able to carve out a few moments to share some insights. We have had a blast this Christmas visiting family and friends and really celebrating what it means to be with people. A phrase that crossed my mind the other day was, "Presence is more important than presents." I don't know what made me think of this, but I think I just coined a new phrase for Christmas that I will come back around to time and again. This really sums up what it's been like this season where traditionally gifts have won out over spending quality time with people you love. We recognize that we are blessed beyond measures with a family and support network that rivals many. This season, we've all seen that laughing, watching movies in pajamas, going out to eat, and sitting around living rooms and dinner tables means more than any "thing" money could buy. (Granted we had to spend some money to get here, but that's beside the point.)

As we look toward the new year, we're heading out once again to spend the holiday with friends in our second home, Chicago. Yes we know there's snow on the ground, but that only entices us more to head north, ride the L again, and maybe sweat a little. I guess what I'm trying to say is that presence is more important than presents. Does this go for God too? I think so. In our pilgrimage through Advent and Christmas we now stand at Epiphany's threshold with the magi from afar beholding the presence that is more important than presents. The presence of God with us, Emmanel, can't be match by any gift that can be bought. So in some sense, Jesus is truly the best Christmas presence! tbtu for coming into our midst and making your tent among us!

advent tears

2009-12-23T07:56:00.000-06:00

Good Wednesday morning! We are packed and preparing to head to the office for the Christmas party and apthapi (community meal). We head out tomorrow, but I´ll still be blogging during the trip. Safe travels to everyone else traveling these next couple of days.

Yesterday we went to the Instituto Luterano in El Alto to see the kids Christmas performance. They did some little dances, sang some Christmas songs and received one gift each. But yesterday as I sat there watching these great kids sing and dance, that old feeling of unbound joy began to fill inside me and I realized what was happening again. In seminary I often found myself wiping the tears from my eyes as I sang or experienced the power of the Holy Spirit with me. Often during church services, I would be filled with joy and weeping for no real reason. Usually the tears would arrive when I was worshiping and not leading.

It´s been four months that we´ve been here and rarely do I get to experience worship in the same way because I´m always leading some part of it. So my spirit doesn´t get that quite time to stop and commune with the divine. Every Christmas before this year, we´ve always attended a Christmas Eve service where we had our little candles and all sang Silent Night. This year, there were no candles, it wasn´t night, but it was perfect. Close to 15 kids were standing up in front of everyone dressed in traditional clothes and singing Noche de Paz (Silent Night in Spanish). Their singing took me back to my old home congregation´s candle light service, and then brought me back to this reality; then it took me back to my internship congregation and their service and then brought me back.

Their singing filled me with that indescribable joy and I had to fight back the tears. I could feel my face contorting into the weepy face, but I knew if I had started to cry these kids wouldn´t have known what was going on. So I fought them back with all my strength. In that moment, I thanked God for the lives of these kids, for their families, for the food on their tables, and for allowing me to experience their faith. This was the perfect Silent Night rendition and because we will be traveling while most congregations will be singing it tomorrow, we received our Christmas gift from them early. I wouldn´t have wanted to hear this song sung anywhere else this year. tbtu for silent nights of peace as we await your arrive in our midst!

advent fillings

2009-12-22T12:01:00.000-06:00

Good Tuesday afternoon! This morning we were blessed with the opportunity to sleep in a bit and finish up the errands from yesterday. The bags are packed, emails have been sent, December´s expense report completed, documents in order, house is cleaned and now we´re getting ready to head to the office. Later on this afternoon, we´re going to hear some young people sing Christmas songs they´ve been practicing up at the Lutheran Institute in El Alto. They are excited because the last time we spent time together was at their Confirmation. This should be a real treat!

In preparing for our holiday travels, I have made sure to include my bible, ELW, IELB hymnal, notepad and pen. I always travel with these things now because I never know when I may be invited to give a 10-15 minute reflection on something. Even though I gave a brief reflection on Mary´s Magnificat on Sunday during my impromptu sermon, it´s a hope that´s stuck with me since then. In her thanksgiving she sings out: "He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty" (Luke 1:52-53). This lifting up the lowly and filling the hungry with good things is something that resounds here.

Yes the city is filling with twinkling colored lights and the Christmas fair, where you can buy everything from Christmas dog coats to freshly painted manger scenes, is in full swing, but there are many children who in the coming days will sing: "Navidad, navidad, hoy es navidad. Es el día de tristeza y calamidad" (Christmas, Christmas, today is Christmas. It´s the day of sadness and calamity) to the tune of Jingle Bells. Yes there are stores with fake trees and stacks of Chinese-made ornaments that give the feel of glitz and glamour of the North-Atlantic World, but there are many homes that still lack water and parents struggling to feed their children and give them an education. Yes there are cookies and pantetones (like fruit cake) being sold everywhere, but the streets of La Paz are filling with low-to-no income mothers and children from the Potosi region hoping to receive a free Christmas gift from a public program and there are some who will only receive a mango this Christmas.

So here we all are today, waiting to receive God´s unconditional love realized in a tiny helpless baby, born to a poor unwed single mother who has had God´s blessings shower down upon her. From her social status, she has been lifted up and made special in the eyes of all generations. And it´s her God, our God, whom she proclaims has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things! This God of ours does not miss the homeless sister sitting in the shadows of an alley hoping for a way out of prostitution. This God of ours does not ignore the abused child crying himself to sleep at night. This God of ours does not abandon the hungriest of people, but lifts them up and calls them blessed, holy, and special. Our God is fond of these our sisters and brothers and empowers us to be fond of them too. Mary´s identity from lowly to blessed changed everything. And God´s identity for you is also blessed and it changes everything. tbtu for calling us holy and for lifting up the lowly; filling the hungry with good things!

advent thanksgiving

2009-12-21T17:52:00.000-06:00

Good Monday evening! All is going well as we´ve entered the week´s pilgrimage to the manger. This past week´s classes finished very well and the national Lutheran missionary brothers were very excited! We worked from Wednesday through Saturday teaching and learning, baptizing and presiding, being justified and sanctified... After all was finished, we were all zonked. Because the majority of the brothers had to travel back significant distances (up to 8 hours) to return home, we decided to finish early on Saturday covering the rest of Luther´s bio, his writing, Christian and Lutheran symbols, eternal life and the doctrine of Law and Gospel.

Sunday found us attending a church in El Alto to celebrate the Día de Agradecimiento (Day of Giving Thanks to God) for all the blessings throughout the year. Also on this day, there is a special offering taken up to support projects the church will face in the coming year. Needless to say, we didn´t know we would be attending three worship services that day. After the first service, we had the Bolivian version of a church potluck (apthapi) in the back courtyard of the church. You know you´re serving in the campo when they have to put the chickens up before you can eat lunch. We brought a watermelon to share and so God blessed that medium-size watermelon and we had the miracle of multiplication happen right in our midst. There was enough of this little watermelon to feed over 40 people and we still had a few slices left over.

After lunch, we went back upstairs to the sanctuary to have the special service for giving thanks. About ten minutes into the service, I was tapped ever-so gently on the shoulder from behind (I always know what this means) and was asked if I would give a 10-15 minute "reflection." I asked about what and was told whatever I wanted to talk about. Then I asked how long I had to prepare and she said, "a minute and a half." So I agreed and then got out my pocket notepad and made a few notes. (Luckily the pastor hadn´t preached on the gospel text for the day, so it was perfect!) I approached the ambo and took a deep breath, said a quick prayer to myself and delivered one of the best sermons of my pastoral career. It was about 15 minutes and everyone stayed awake. Perhaps when I´m surprised with a preaching gig, the Holy Spirit can grab hold of me better than if I prepare for days or weeks.

In all of this, we gave thanks. Some of the more senior members of the congregation gave thanks for the rain and sun, the land and the produce that feeds the people. Others gave thanks for their families, health and homes. I gave thanks for them, for their presence in our lives as part of our new family here in Bolivia. I gave thanks for their accompaniment of us through the past four months and told them that we could not do what we are doing without their help and the help of God in whose work we´re walking. With smiles abounding in the assembly, I heard a few Améns...this made my heart sing! tbtu for all that you bless us with and we pray that your blessings continue into a prosperous new year!

advent life-giving

2009-12-17T11:54:00.000-06:00

Good Thursday afternoon! I have found a bit of time to sneak in a quick blog post to let you know how things are going. The brothers came yesterday a little later than expected, so we decided to begin after lunch. I had to quickly move some items around that would fit in the limited discussion time we had, but all worked out. Yesterday we covered the context of the Protestant Reformation and the first half of Luther´s biography. This morning, two other brothers arrived so we have four of five present today. This morning, like I expected, we spent significant time on the doctrine of justification and the beginnings of the sacraments. They were engaged and really excited about the topics, which always makes the facilitating easier.

Since I had been talking most of the morning, I decided I needed a little time to myself and am eating lunch in my office to prepare for this afternoon´s workshops. When we begin again, we´re going to be practicing baptizing. Most of them haven´t baptized in their congregations, so this will be a good opportunity for them to get their hands wet...pun intended.

Once again, I find myself tired from teaching and at the same time rejuvenated to teach more. This is the energy that my spiritual director I had in Chicago told me was from God. This is the energy that gives me life as a pastor, educador, missionary, and learner. Even though yesterday´s workshops were a little laboreous, today´s have been something different, with a different feel and different spirit. Heeding the wisdom of a great friend, I am paying attention to this that is life-giving and thanking God in the process. Perhaps it was a similar hope that filled the astrologers from the East that encourage them to keep walking, to keep wandering in search of the humble king who was to save the world. That Northern Star was and still is life-giving to us who believe, leading us to where our liberation and salvation is laying. May what is life-giving stumble upon you so that we can revel in it´s light.

"Children of the heavenly king, as we journey let us sing; sing our Savior´s worthy praise, glorious is his works and ways.... Lord, obediently we´ll go, gladly leaving all below; only thou our leader be, and we still will follow thee." - Children of the Heavenly King.

tbtu for giving us things in life that are life-giving, help us to recognize them when they fill our hearts!

advent patience and sharing

2009-12-16T08:24:00.001-06:00

Good Wednesday morning! Well, it´s 10am in La Paz and I should not be sitting here at my computer still looking over today´s lesson plans, but rather should be about to wrap up the session on justification. But instead, I am waiting for my missionary brothers to arrive. We had a similar thing happen last month when they trickled in throughout the day instead of all coming at once. These lessons are difficult teach to a small group who doesn´t chat much, but it´s even harder when there are less than four.

Since this is common place, to work on Bolivian time (at least an hour later than the anticipated start time), I am not stressed or worried like I was last month. Funny what a little ole month can do to one´s spirit of patience. I let my supervisor know that the brothers weren´t here and that we could start the workshops when they arrive.

I´ve been thinking all about waiting since Advent started and what I´ve come to notice is that we as humans wait quite a bit during a single day, much less a lifetime. Today´s Advent pilgrimage has me thinking about this state of being again; of waiting for someone (or some people) to arrive. It´s with great joy that I await to receive them and be in their presence again where we laugh and joke around and learn from each other. But nonetheless, I´m waiting. Returning to my month-long questions of what do we do while we wait...we work, continue living, loving, and serving. As the old saying goes, "you make hay while the sun shines." You do what you gotta do while you wait for whomever or whatever it is you are expecting to arrive.

The people who came to John at the river were worried about what they should do in order to bear fruit worthy of repentance and he says, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." (Luke 3.11) And this exhortation filled the people with expectation as they awaited the one who would baptized them with fire and the Holy Spirit. It is he whom we await even though we too are unworthy of untying his sandals. Like John, as we wait for Jesus´ arrival, we proclaim the good news in all that we do.

The longer we´re here, the more I´m able to reflect on my own culture from back in the states. And it´s interesting the amount of patience and understanding I have here. Normally if things didn´t start on time at church, my alb was in a bunch and I was looking to "fix" the problem of our tardiness. In focusing on the problem and fix, I often missed opportunities to share with those around me. But here, we just go with the flow knowing that relationships, sharing what we have and spending time together is more important then being punctual. But I guess this is how it is. We wait and while waiting, we play and work and share and pray and sing and enjoy life because really what is life with out waiting? tbtu for helping me see the silver lining in the clouds!