Ireland, Missions
Today was great! Tomorrow begins a very busy ministry schedule so today we filled up our collective batteries visiting some significant ruins from Ireland’s great history.
We visited Kells, one of Ireland’s oldest monasteries, then headed over to Trim to visit Trim Castle. Lastly, we stopped at Bective Abbey, a 12th century monastary, and spent some time praying. What an amazing place to seek God!
Check out the video and pictures below. More great stuff coming tomorrow!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JsXwEWbd0E]
Apparently digging up graves was a problem in Kells
Steeple entryway in Kells
The team near Trim Castle
Bective Abbey
Tree at Bective. Reminds me of Psalm 1:1-3.
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We made it to Ireland! After flying through the night and loosing six hours, we arrived in Dublin, picked up our car, bought groceries, and drove out to Slane Farm Cottages in County Meath. There’s never much to report the first day since you feel like the walking dead until you adjust to the time difference.
Our phone number here is 011 353 87 664 5183. Please remember, we are six hours ahead if you decide to call. If there is no answer, it’s because we’re sleeping or in a meeting.
Here are some pictures from day 1…
A snack before taking a serious nap!
Piling in the car to go eat.
Irish signpost. Going in to Slane.
Ancient road marker across the street from our cottage.
Dinner at a proper Irish pub
Vanessa, Bethany, and Jarica barely awake and ready to eat something besides airplane food.
Another update to come tomorrow!
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Here’s one from a while back I wanted to share with you…
I was listening recently to a 500 year old benediction, sung in Latin, by a four voice choir. There were several things that struck me about the piece. One was the way the song sounded so full and rich, even though it was only four voices, no accompaniment, no effects or processing. Just four voices lifting praises to God. Another was how beautiful and melodic the music was. It seemed to gently rise and flow like small waves on the water. It was a far cry from the four chord wonders we play in church today. Lastly, even though I understood not one of the words being sung, I was moved. Moved to tears, moved to meditate on God’s great beauty and, because the choral was birthed from Psalm 51, moved to repentance. I found myself asking forgiveness for my severe inadequacies in expressing worship to The Father, my inability to communicate to Him beyond simple, base expressions, and for the shallowness my own spiritual well.
I’ve often thought about the idea that my life could be a song to The Lord. I’ve even sung it in church “My life’s a love song to you”. But what kind of song am I? I’ve also watched movies and thought, “If my life were a movie, what kind of movie would it be?” A complicated drama directed by Oliver Stone? A heartwarming romance starring Hugh Grant? A Will Ferrell comedy? Or a sprawling epic of bravery and history making events? I would love to believe that my life is an epic story of heroism and courage. Unfortunately, I live much of it like a Disney, straight to DVD forgetable film. The difference? Like movies, it’s often the cost that separates the great from the mediocre. It simply costs too much to do great things. Constant devotion to their instrument makes a musician great. Hours every day in front of a canvas allows a painter to make color and shade come alive. And a focused life of prayer, fasting, worship, and selfless service equips a person to do great things for God, spilling over with beauty that inspires others to do the same. Like I said, the cost we are willing to pay is what makes the difference.
So what am I? What do I want my life to be? A four chord wonder or a radiant benediction swelling with a depth and sincerity? Am I a made for TV movie or a massive life-changing film? I guess that depends on how much I’m willing to spend and whether or not I stick to my commitments to God and not be tempted by what comes easy. I guess it comes down to Psalms 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Am I going to produce the movie of my life to please God, or my self? Am I singing the song of my heart for God’s enjoyment or to impress others?
“Lord, as the song of my life is sung, let it be a masterpiece that is lovely to your ears and compelling to all who hear it. Give me the grace to keep living the epic when what is easy, comes natural, and is safe is calling my name. I love you!”
Missions, social justice
There is a group of interns that I have the honor of meeting with on a regular basis. We pray together, read the dead guys, and hold each other accountable. For a few months now, we’ve been mulling over Isaiah 58. It’s really gotten a hold of us! Break the chains of injustice, set the oppressed free, and feed the hungry. It’s a picture of God’s heart and a list of things that we should be doing if we call ourselves believers.
It’s so easy to look at the massive need in our world and become totally overwhelmed! But God doesn’t ask us to fix it all, he just asks us to do something. So my four interns decided to sponsor a child in Kenya (that’s her picture above). They combined what little spare income they had and gave it to an orphanage so that a little girl can have food, shelter, and clothing. It’s an incredible honor when we act and become the answer to someone’s prayer. I know what you’re thinking, “So what. It’s only one little girl. What kind of difference will it make in the long run?”
Consider the following story by Loren Eiseley. My youth pastor used to tell it to me when I was a teenager:
Once, after the tide went out, there were thousands of starfish laying out on the beach. They were dying because there was no way for them to get back into the water. The sun was rising and the poor starfish were literally baking in the heat. Running along the beach was a little boy. He was frantically grabbing the starfish and tossing them back into the ocean. As he continued along the beach, he met an older man. When the old man asked what he was doing, he explained that he was saving the starfish from dying on the beach. The man replied, “Are you crazy? The beach goes on for miles and there are thousands of starfish out here. How can you think you can possibly make a difference?” The boy reached down, grabbed a starfish, tossed it into the ocean, and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
I received a new picture, the other day, of our little starfish named Doris. She’s wearing a school uniform and has the most beautiful smile on her face. It was a $360 picture and was worth every cent! As you wonder if you can possibly make a difference in a world with so much poverty, disease, and hunger please realize you can. You may not be able to save the world, but you can make a difference in the life of a starfish or two.
Family, Love
Tonight I got to take a turn putting my 6 year old to bed. We were snuggled up together reading a book. It’s so great reading with him because he really gets into the story. He’s learning to read and often wants to tell parts of the story to me. I kept looking up at him, amazed that he’s really my son. I stopped reading for a moment to tell him how blessed I am to have him in my life. I told him how big he’s getting and that I can’t believe he’s already 6. He turned, pressed his buttock against me, and farted.
I love you Hudson.
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