Various Artists: Sounds of Earth: Woodfire
A poor man's fireplace when reading requires a snapping fire.
George Winston: December, Piano Solos: 20th Anniversary Edition
Justo L. Gonzalez: A Concise History of Christian Doctrine
Ever wonder why "doctrine" can seem so disconnected from 21st century issues? Gonzalez traces how much of the way we express doctrine was forged in the furnace of conflict with paganism and heretics. Often the formulation was done in such a way as to win the unbelieving world. Contemporary expression of eternal truth to win a world. Missional theologizing. I like that.
This is just a test. If you see a short screencast below, then this post was successful. If your monitor explodes and your cpu fries, sorry, it wasn't me. This blog can in no way be held responsible. Thank you for your understanding.
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From time to time people ask me what I miss about living in the States. There are quite a few things I could say but one thing I've not been able to find or reproduce in France until now:
Finally, I found quick frozen blackberries. The girls and I made the pie. Unfortunately, we added too much sugar and lost that tangyness (tanginess?) that makes a good black berry pie.
When we came to France in 1999, $1 bought us the equivalent of 1.07€
As of this morning, that $1 now buys us 0.64€.
The Lord provides for our needs. We've nothing to complain about. But if the exchange rate could go back to $1 = 1€, it sure would help us and our colleagues here in Europe.
The beginning of January is typically a time of reflection and prayer for the Ozoir church, and for many evangelical churches in France. This year's time of prayer took on additional meaning as we prayed for the Lord to guide the church in several important decisions that we face. I have the sense that the church has a renewed desire to really pray and seek the Lord's face. I remember times in the past where we might have 10 people praying together on a Tuesday evening. We scheduled small groups to lead the Monday to Friday prayer meetings so that there would be more participation and wider church exposure.
This time, instead of meeting for just an hour, we extended the prayer and worship time. Pastor Gordon lead each meeting. We invited the church to come and pray. In response, it seems like there were at least 25 each night and many people came for two, three and four evenings.
The prayer time was guided but left flexible. From our hearts came lots of prayers for wisdom, praises, and pleas that God might touch our neighbors' hearts.
If you think of the Ozoir church, please lift us up in prayer as we seek the Lord's heart for the future, for the possibility of hiring a youth pastor (a first), and for the impact that program and staff changes could have on the church.
Here is a picture of some folks after a prayer meeting.
Last night we were all cozy when the lights went off. They flickered twice before going out definitively.
Our house was not the only one without lights. Looking one way we could see houses and streets lit up. Looking other directions, there was nothing but powerless houses, black streets and neighbors discussing the situation. How would they cook without electricity? One neighbor didn't have any candles. Other neighbors just stood and wondered how long the darkness would last.
The humanitarian in me said "hey, maybe I can meet the neighbors, help them out with candles, and see what is going on."
The responses were varied and less that open. Imagine being asked by someone you don't know, standing in the dark, "Hi, how are you doing? Do you need candles?" Well, the answer from one man was "Who are you?" He lightened up when I said I was a neighbor.
So, my efforts at community building were less than a raving success. But it was fun to see folks outside talking, at night, in the middle of the winter.
At the very least it was a chance to walk the neighborhood with my daughter and talk about how we can help people.
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Zachary, our youngest, is not his sisters. When they were young, we could send them off to watch a video while Krista or I fixed dinner. Not Zachary. He has to be there, in the kitchen, watching from close up. He will tug at your leg until you lift him up high enough that he can see what is on the stove. He wants to see what is being stirred. He wants to see what you are chopping on the cutting board. If you put him down, because, in general, it isn't wise to chop onions with a sharp chef's knife while holding an 18 month old can of wiggly worms, he will protest. LOUDLY. Tugging on our legs until he can see again.
He also likes to empty our kitchen cabinets of all our non-stick cookware. The girls loved tupperware. A cupboard of tupperware was good for 15 minutes of dinner prep. Tupperware doesn't cut it for Zach. He needs heavy metal, metal that makes noise when you clang the lids and stir with wooden spoons.
When we bought him Christmas presents, I thought, "Hey, this is the first Christmas where I can go and buy little son some boy stuff. Better yet, some manly construction stuff." So, I bought a big tub of legos. Great find, I thought.
Well, it turns out is wasn't the right "type" of legos. So Krista went to return them and get another brand that would match another set of legos we already had. Apparently, not all legos work together. When she came back, she didn't have legos. No, she bought something else. She bought ... a kitchen set.
On Christmas day, Zachary loved opening presents for a while. He quickly lost interest in his stuffed animal and other things. But guess what? He loves that cooking set. He got out the pieces and quickly set up kitchen in the front room. He started stirring and organizing and cooking.
I think the boy may have found a possible calling.
Need an energetic cook that can crack enamel off of a metal dish? Give us a call. We may have your chef.
Here he is, cooking away:
Rioting youths blamed the French police for the teenagers' deaths
Youths have fought running battles with French police in a second
night of violence in Paris suburbs, leaving more than 60 police
officers injured.
Five of the officers are said to be in a critical condition.
Rioting began in Villiers-le-Bel, on the northern edge
of Paris, after two teenagers riding a motorbike died in a crash with a
police car on Sunday.
The youths who died were of North African origin. Similar riots rocked mainly deprived French suburbs in 2005.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is currently in China, has appealed for calm.
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Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The Lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Psalm 34.8-10
This has been a good year and along with you we have many reasons to be thankful. I hope to write about some of these reasons over the next few weeks but in this post I'd like to give a thousand reasons summed up in one photo. Thank the Lord for His many graces poured out on us!
Do you pray for your Muslim friends and the Muslim world? Antoine Gilardi would like you to know that God is answering your prayers. Antoine, pictured here with me, recently visited the Ozoir church to share an update what he has seen God do in his ministry and around the world.
He told of how men and women from all around the world are finding Christ and the joy of knowing His salvation. A man from Palestine gets saved and marries a messianic Jewess. Turks fellowshiping with Moroccans around a fellowship dinner at the local Christian center. For 30 minutes he told wonderful stories through video and personal testimony.
He asked a question I'd never asked. "Why is it that until recent history, we have not seen significant ministry results in traditionally Muslim countries? ... Because", he said, "until recently we've not seen sustained prayer for the Muslim world." The list of conversions and changed lives was powerful and humbling. May the Lord continue to move!
It makes me wonder too what would happen if His Church began to pray in sustained intercession for France as a whole. What kind of joy and holy awe to see people here turn to Christ in numbers. To see the church touch the world in which we live in giving, serving and loving our neighbors in authentic and deeper ways.
ishowu-capture.mov
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