Ukraine trip July 27- August 10 2015

Going to Ukraine!
I am going to Ukraine with my friend David from July 27 - August 10.
Every now and then I will post a little bit here, depending on internet connections. Please follow along and pray for us too.

Thanks!

I know of an intergenerational small group that has been functioning for 12 years or more. It is rare to find a group with that longevity, so I wanted to find out why...

What is the history of your small group?

We began as a young married group; there was one infant in the group, but there were no active children involved. Then in one year, there were 5 pregnancies, and we had a group of adults and preschoolers.

• When we had preschoolers, we continued to meet on weeknights. One of our members was a school teacher and she organized the children's time, and we all took turns leading that time with the children.

• When the children became school-age, we found that we couldn't meet on a school night any more and we began to meet on Fridays and we hired a babysitter. At that point we didn't have a specific program for the children. They would watch a Veggie Tales movie during our prayer time, but nothing else was organized.

• For a time we met for a study on Friday nights with the children, and then one Friday a month, we would all get sitters and the adults would go out for dinner. When all the children were in the elementary school, we took advantage of a mid-week children's program.

• Now, we are at a season when groups have Saturday morning commitments, and lots of evenings are filled. So we have a rotation. On one week the men meet, and on the alternate week the women meet. Once a month, we meet as whole families. We may have an outreach project or do a one-off study or activity together. The children are eager to see each other, and usually aren't with the adults.

We haven't been a closed group. There is a core of 3-4 families that has continued, but others have participated in the mens' group, the women's group and in the whole family group. joined in over time.

What are some costs and benefits of having an Intergenerational group?

• The group is a shared community for children and adults. The children are part of a larger spiritual family; they call the other adults in the group “auntie” and “uncle.” The other children in the group are their closest friends. They go to the same church service and the same midweek club, and sometimes deliberately enrol on the same sports teams and activities. Their parents are friends, they have been in each others' homes. Throughout the month, the children ask, “When is the next kids' night?”

• The adults share life with the other adults. They continue to have challenging studies, and they can see that their children are enthused and rooted in a strong community of believers. In the summer the families have picnics or go camping together.

• We realize that we could never replace what we have these relationships.



What is The bottom line?

Part of the solution is that each group needs to find out what works for them.



My Reflections:

The remarkable longevity of this group provides a few lessons. These families have created balanced long-term rhythms of family and group life. They came to these by paying attention to their own needs, and by tenaciously holding on to their values. The results of 12 years of meeting together are evident. The children are spiritually grounded both in knowledge and in confidence. The depth of community and trust and openness among adults and children is undeniable.

What is the secret? It was not the focus of a weekly group time that included time together and time apart. It was not in deliberate instructional time for the children on a regular basis. Instead the focus was on longevity of relationship for the sake of building a faith community. This longevity came through frequent association. As the families deliberately chose to participate in the same church services, children's activities, the children developed the anticipation of seeing the other children and their families. As well, the group did not take on more than they could handle. The need for sustainability affected the way that needs could best be met. Childrens' formal instruction took place in the home, in Sunday School, and in church clubs. Yet the children learned important life values through the group. They learned:

• that faith and mission are an important, if not the most important basis for ongoing association; that faithfulness over time yields lasting fruit;
• that there is joy in being together.

They learned from the collective modelling of their parents that the best pursuit is to seek first the kingdom of God.

Some groups will have more resources to create exciting shared learning events with adults and children together, and some churches may provide resources and curriculum for that purpose. Some groups may be culturally ready for the full inclusion of children, youth and adults every week. What we can learn from this group is this: The goal of developing a sustained life of faith in community is achievable through a variety of paths, and that the individual group has the best knowledge of their own situation.

My Bucket List

Lately, since i turned sixty, I've been thinking more about the things that I would like to do. I don't just mean to climb a mountain or to see pyramid. But I am tired of having a list of things that I really hoped to get at, and then to come to the end of the day – the week – the year, and see that they are not done.
Lots of these items aren't just personal goals – they came to me when I was praying, and I honestly believed that my God was calling me to do something. Here is the start of my list of things that really matter to me:

1. There are some key passages from the Bible that I want to study inside and out, in original languages and culture as well as current interpretations. So far, this list includes: Deuteronomy 6:1-25; Isaiah 53; Isaiah 55; John chapters 5-10; John 17; Ephesians 3:14-21; Colossians 1-4. (Perhaps I may memorize good portions of these.)
   
2. Ask myself each week – is everyone in my family certain that I love them. Is there a way to show them and tell them again soon?
   
3. Keep going on dates with Pat, letting her know that I'd rather be with her than anywhere else in the world.
   
4. Pray and then ask myself each week: Who are the people that I can bless this week? Then do it.
   
5. Review my 35 years of journals, take note of the significant moments of insight and record them together in one document.
   
6. Take time to mediate on those insights, and to speak lovingly and honestly with my God every day.
   
7. Begin a practice to record the dates of funerals that I lead, and continue to follow up with the family regularly as appropriate. Back date this practice for the last few years, and do the same for weddings and baptisms and child dedications.
   
8. Be alert to current discussion and articles about Faith and Science, and other key questions of truth and worldview.
   
9. Make sure that I have invited my family, my friends, people that I love, to choose Christ – not only to be ready for heaven, but to have the full robust faith needed for this life.
   
10. I want to make music on my violin and piano and guitar, and ride my bike year-round.
    
11. I want to read a book every two weeks and classic novel each year.
    
12. I want to live out loud, and live generously as a spiritual life coach, equipping leaders and emerging leaders, and listening to anyone who needs to talk.
    

More things will hit the list, and some of these are getting checked off. When it is all said and done, I want no regrets. I will stand before God, full of worship and gratitude, and out of breath because life has been so full.

Whatever you believe must deal with these questions

Last week, I couldn't sleep, and began to wonder about a statement that I heard, "For something to be true, it must be true in all avenues of life." I must not have gotten it quite right, because I can't google it anywhere. If you find the original, let me know.  In any case the following comments came out of that sleepless hour....

As one considers the foundation for their world view, there are universal questions that need to be dealt with in any view of life. The greatness of these questions means that any view will have difficulty in fully satisfying them. Yet any view that fails to adequately deal with them cannot be considered valid. These questions include:

Material questions:

1. The question of origins. Did the physical universe always exist, or did it come to be? It appears from the Law of Entropy that the universe must have had a beginning point. One could postulate that the Law of Entropy had a start point. If the universe came to be, how could it have begun? If the universe had a beginning, what was there before the beginning?
2. The question of complexity. What explanations are possible for the complexity of the genetic code, the balance of nature and vastness of space.
3. The question of eternity. What does “forever” mean?

Ethical Questions:

4. The question of evil.
5. The question of evil in me. If there is a true measure of what ought to be, and if I fall short, what prevents me from attaining that true measure?
6. The question of morality and ethics. Is there a standard of right and wrong?

Spiritual Questions:

7. The question of personality. Does the presence of personality in human beings and in other creatures point to a higher personality?
8. The question meaning in the face of decay and death, The certainty of my own death and the death of all whom I might influence and the reality of the eventual decay of everything causes me to question the purpose and meaning of life and of the world. Is meaning to be found in this world, or is meaning to be found beyond this world?
9. The question of love and beauty. Is an understanding of love and beauty essential to an understanding of the world, or is it possible to have a world view that does not assign value to love and beauty?

Rational Questions:

10. The question of consistency. How can I explain the apparent presence of universal constants, physical, mathematical, logical, spiritual? These form the basis of discovery, the basis of reason and argument, and the basis a view of life. These constants are necessary for any discussion to take place.
11. The question of truth. Is there truth, and is there a way to discover truth? Is there a means to weigh truth and opinions about truth? Is all truth found by searching? What other means of attaining truth may be considered? Is truth knowable?
12. The question of responsibility. Is there a responsibility of each person to determine and to sift out what is true and to live in accordance with truth? Is it enough to attempt to seek truth? What is the consequence of living in a way that does not cohere with truth?

A system of belief must be able to answer these questions. The law of consequence would suggest that living by an incomplete system will bring one into conflict with the laws of the universe. It would appear that there must be only one system, and that such a system will have consistency, coherence, and universal application. One must not assume that one belief system will be as good as another, and one must reject a system of belief on grounds of personal preference or history.  

Body Image is a Spiritual thing

Recently (last Sunday, actually) I heard our Pastor Wayne, a really tall man, tell the congregation that, as a boy, he was a target for bullying because of his size. Kids would tease him about anything, but especially his non-namebrand clothing, just to see if they could disturb him. If he did get upset, they would know that they had found a way to show their power over him.
Our bodies are our primary vehicle to express our spirit, in joy or in woundedness, in fullness or in or in fear. Childhood and youth, especially from the ages of 9 years on up, are the most vulnerable. The focus on social standing becomes the testing furnace of a child's confidence and belief in who they really are. The negative beliefs about ourselves and the relational wounds that we carry can all find links to these critical years.
The wise teacher will help children talk about diversity in race, in abilities, and in body shape. They will help children to express how it feels when teased about appearance, and they will help other children to empathize by asking questions like, "When you see someone who is teased or bullied, what have you thought it would be like if it happened to you?" or "What would these words mean to you in that situation?"
At the core of our spirituality lies a decision to either trust God's wisdom and unfailing love or to take matters into our own hands. Unless we have the grace to trust God, the issues in our lives can control us and lead us to lash out, to "medicate" to cover up, or to live in shame. The path of acceptance and courage, of faith and generosity in Spirit is a difficult path, and there many opportunities to choose to leave the way.
The painful truth is that most of these choices will be wrong choices until the deep inner belief changes. As long as a child or adult believes that there is something unacceptable about their bodies or their circumstances, they are likely to make the wrong choice. Perhaps this is why ancient scriptures say that this is not by our own strength. "But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love." Psalm 33:18 New International Version.

How do faith and generosity fit together?

Generosity goes hand in hand with a faith that is posited on a generous God. If we don't need to worry about clothes or food because our heavenly Father cares for us (in the words of Jesus), then we don't need to hoard them for ourselves. Similarly, if the creator God defines our value by the worth of our spiritual life, then we don't need possessions to define our value. If this world and all that we hold dear in this world will one day fade away, then we don't need to cling to them. We can use them to bring spiritual benefit to others. Those possessions can bring joy, encouragement, can provide food, and can inspire hope and life in people near and far. Faith gives a freeing perspective to life that enhances generosity. Generosity is part of the spiritual life because it lessens the hold of the material on our spirits.

The Evening Church Visits

We shared evening church visits at the Filadelfia church in Xochimilco on May 14, at the Neuvo Amanecer Church in Texcoco on May 19, and the Jerusalem church on May 21.

In each of these visits, accompanied by Daniel Ambriz and Daniel Valencia, Walter had opportunity to bring greetings to the people, and both he and I had short teaching sessions. Walter opened with acknowledgement of the pain that exists in the home, and gave practical ways to help resolve conflict. His teaching on The Blessing, taken from Gary Smalley's book of the same name, meant a great deal to people. He pointed out the frequency and the impact of blessings that were given in the Old Testament and in the New, and he higlighted five key and oft-repeated elements of the blessing.
These five elements are: physical touch, affirming words, communicating worth, listening to your child's dreams and putting them into a word picture and, reinforcing their dreams and hopes in practical ways. Since I didn't have Spanish language powerpoints ready for these evening gatherings, I prepared images of children at different ages and described the opportunities and the importance of teaching and encouraging children at each age.



The Filadelfia church, mentioned in an earlier blog, is led by Pastor Francisco Ranget. This church has doubled in attendance in a year, and continues to grow.

The Neuvo Amanecer (New Dawn) Church was full of people in the middle of the week.

This is Cedric, age 7, one of the most enthusiastic guitar players.Children are part of the life of the church, and little treats and nametags were waiting for them in the building.

The pastoral couple Josuet Alvarez and Carmen Garcia lead this church and two other churchers as well.  As one church grew strong, a daughter church was planted, and then the daughter church also planted a church.


Getsemani Church was the original mother church, and Neuvo Amanecer is the daughter church.

The third generation church plant, Neuvo Amanecer in Xalostoc, is the 'granddaughter' of Getsemani Church. The church in Xalostoc was the location of the quince party mentioned in an earlier posting. A Centre Street Church work team added a second story to this church, doubling the available space and allowing room for children's minstry.

On Friday evening, May 21, we attended the Jerusalem church. It is currently padlocked, due to a dispute with a neighbour. The sign tells of the various home meetings.  Please pray for a peaceful, gracous and just resolution to this problem.

Work teams from Centre Street Church put the second floor on this church during a recent visit.

The church, led by Pastor Reuben Velasquez, continues to function without use of a building. We met in a home and about 25 people were able to crowd in.

As sang and prayed and learned from each other, this home setting helped to anchor the important truths in the reality of everyday life.