Upcoming MIssion Trip

A couple of years ago, I became pretty interested in the hope for peace between Israel and Palestine. I don't know exactly what about it gripped my heart, but it did and I immediately knew I needed to go on a mission trip. A few trips came up, but there was always one reason (excuse) or another for me not to go. It was too much money that I do not have for one. It conflicted with other plans I had already scheduled was another. The fact that I was incredibly nervous about not only leaving the country, but to the Middle East was the unspoken reason behind everything.

As things with God tend to go, there were things that continued to work on me. Every time a mission trip came up, I received a phone call from the pastor leading the trip. I had a gentle nudging, but the response was generally "maybe next year."

Well, it's next year...

I received the phone call a couple of weeks ago. There was a mission trip leaving in June would I be interested in going. I told him that I really wished I could, but it was just too expensive and the timing was all wrong (not by much, but oh well.) I told him I would ask others in my congregation to see if maybe one of them would want to go. I had no takers. I called him back with the news.

I received another phone call a couple of days ago that went something like this:

"Sonja, I know you have expressed an interest in this and you are concerned about money. There is a gentleman in my congregation that has been and feels very strongly that others should have an opportunity to go. He is willing to pay half of the costs if that will help you out."

Okay, so I just needed to come up with the other half of the expenses that have almost doubled since last year. I told him that I needed to check on a few things and get back with him, but I was still concerned about the scheduling. Oh by the way, the dates on the trip changed and we are now leaving a little earlier (pretty much the amount of time I needed.)

I have a ministry team at my church that began raising money for me to go on the mission trip the first time I mentioned it. Some money was raised, but not nearly enough to cover the cost. I spoke to the chair of that ministry team about the situation. She felt that there would be no problem raising the money for me to go. "Sure, tell him yes!"

Okay, two excuses down...

In the previous conversation with the pastor leading the trip, I brought up my fears, especially with the fighting going on in Gaza. He assured me that we would not be anywhere near there, and that we would be safe. He told me that he was nervous his first trip too. That was helpful, because he has kept going back, so he must feel safe. I also believe that they will not send us if there is a possibility that there may be problems. So, that was taken care of as well.

I talked it over with my husband (who is also not crazy about the idea of me heading to the Middle East). And it is decided...I will be leaving in June.

Now I begin raising the funds to cover the trip. I have stepped out in faith and believe that God will provide. I am also asking everyone for prayers as this team prepares for this mission trip.

Shalom

follow me...not a suggestion

Sermon on January 25, 2009 based on the Scripture text Mark 1:14-20.

There were still some technical difficulties today, sorry if it cuts out periodically.

Idol Worship

I heard last year as the young new presidential hopeful took the stage to accept the Democratic National Convention's endorsement of him as their candidate that he was like a "rock star." This of course was immediately used by other candidates to imply that he was in some way evil, encouraging followers to worship him; or if not evil, then greatly misleading people who were too gullible to know better. It seems that if you are too popular, then that is in some way bad. We must all maintain a certain amount of decorum; this is after all politics we are talking about.

I thought that it was grossly unfair that simply being popular would be viewed in such a way. Of course, this young candidate carried a Blackberry, sent email to encourage support, had a facebook group that many people were "fans" of (simply because this is a facebook term), and spoke to a generation of people in ways previous candidates had not. I thought at that time, that it was "sour grapes" from a group of people who would never dream of twittering their thoughts, would never consider keeping up with friends on facebook, and only use email if they absolutely have to, in other words, people who are out of touch with the technology and advances that are so prevalent in the world today and do not listen to the voice of the generations who rarely use “snail mail” for personal correspondence, pays bills online, and social networking groups are common. I realize now this is unfair. There are those who are not tech-savvy that do not see Obama's support to be inherently idol worship, and those who are tech-savvy who do.

I again have read a concern that the exuberance of the crowds yesterday was in some way another demonstration of "worshipping" Obama. I am concerned that there are those who might actually feel something akin to worship for Obama, but I am more concerned by those who would convey that attitude where it may not be deserved. I am surprised by the thought that Obama is in some way worshipped...any more than any other president of the United States has ever been. I remember people staunchly defending President G. W. Bush for his decisions and claiming that he was all but sent by God (some actually have claimed this). I have seen the videos, news reports, etc., that depict a nation in deep grief, as deep as a family member, over the assassination of JFK. These are but two examples (one for each party) of deep patriotism and love for a President. Love, not worship.

I don't know if I would consider Obama to be worshipped. I don't think what we saw yesterday was necessarily worship; I saw it more as an exercise of hope. For some he is a symbol of the hopes and dreams of many that those of their race lived and died to fight for. I can't fault them for that one. For others he is a symbol of a new day dawning on America, and all the hope that goes with that; hope that the economy will get better; hope that no more children and parents, brothers and sisters, friends and relatives will have to be sent overseas to fight a war that many in this country never backed, and many more are beginning to question; and for still others he represents hope that we can become more of the middle than the right or the left. All of these hopes, and I am sure others, were represented on that mall yesterday. You can't blame these people for rejoicing in their hopes, and it would be falsely accusing them of idol worship to say they were worshipping Obama. I know for many, their hope is in the Lord and see this change in leadership as an answer to as fervent a prayer as many prayed in the other direction.

It seems to me that Obama has encouraged and challenged all of us to work together, and I believe “all” to include the right, the left, and the middle. I know I am willing to work to be in conversation with others. I hope more feel like me.

I also read that we need to pray. But of course we do! The election of a young, black, Democratic president should not be any greater prompting of this need than simply looking in our own mirrors. We should humble ourselves before God and our neighbor, beg forgiveness for our prejudices and seek to live in peace with one another. I hope you will pray for this with me.

An Inaugural Prayer

This week we will have a new President, a history making President, a President many feel very strongly in favor of, and some feel very strongly opposed to. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us:
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
It seems that in past years, there has been a lot of press about this group or that group who have the best interest of the nation at heart. Labels have been placed on people; labels such as conservative and liberal; labels implying that there is a right side and a wrong side. These sides square off with thinly veiled hatred, and people pray, but it seems that the prayers have largely been those that pray for the downfall of their opponents, rather than the reconciliation of our land. I suggest to you that we humble ourselves. It isn’t about us, shame on us for thinking so. We must come humbly, pray, return to God as our true leader, and God will be faithful to forgive and restore. The following is my prayer for our nation, our new president and all people.

A prayer for the inauguration of Barak Obama.
God of all people and all nations. God of all time and all history. We acknowledge your sovereignty in our lives and our world. You are our God, and we are your people.
As we face trouble and turmoil, you walk with us. As we celebrate and rejoice, you delight with us. As we weep and mourn, you cry with us. God you are always there to guide, to bless, and to comfort us in our lives. We again come to you to hear our cry and our prayer.

At this time, O God of us all, we face many things that are disturbing and troubling in our world. We look around and we see war in the Middle East, innocent blood being shed, lives being disrupted irrevocably, and families torn apart at the whim of those who should lead them to peace. We see economic uncertainty and hardship. We see natural disasters ripping through landscapes, destroying homes, and displacing people. We see extreme poverty and lives that face destitution and hardship. We see disease and famine, claiming the lives of the weak and the young. We see our youth falling deeper and deeper into cynicism and despair at a time in their lives where they should see the most hope! We face uncertain times, and we can fall into the trap of thinking that there is no certainty or hope in the world.

We look to our leaders to rescue us from the messes we are in, messes of our own making, and messes that are imposed upon us by the callous and heartless actions of others. We believe that the right leader, the right cabinet, the right President, the right government will set things right.

We look to government to fix problems and complain when the impossible cannot be done. We forget as the Israelites so long ago, who demanded a King, that you are God, the only leader we need. We fail to seek your wisdom and your guidance, and when we are faced with the obvious, we rationalize and turn our backs to your teaching and your desire for our lives.
We are in economic crisis and we have real worry about our future. And on the nightly news we see names and faces of those who would sacrifice others to make a buck. And we feel helpless to effect a change in our world, so we succumb to the temptation to be just as self-serving and greedy, so we aren’t trampled in the dust of materialism.

We recognize the wrongness of this thought, but lack the understanding of how change can come about. We know the difference between right and wrong, and we desire to bring right to our lives and our world. We desire change, because our current situation begs for it, but are we ourselves ready for change.

In the United States we have just come through a campaign season and a general election which in and of itself has brought about change. The nation has selected Barack Obama, as the President Elect. We pray today for his presidency, his administration, and his family at this time of transition and decisions.

But God, change does not come about by any one person, or one administration, or one ideology, but by all people working together for good greater than their own agenda. Help us to be agents of change, real change, your change in our world. Help us to seek to bring about reconciliation, rather than division. We pray that you will enable us to see what is good in people, rather than only the bad. The only true change we can control in our world is change in ourselves. Help us to allow you to work in us to bring about change of heart and mind, change from cynicism to hope, and change from blaming the other to a desire for working together.

We pray for our new president. We pray that your Holy Spirit will guide his presidency. We pray that hope, peace and reconciliation will begin to burn in the United States and spread throughout the world. We pray that you will begin that flame in our hearts.

We recognize that Jesus, the Christ, is the Savior of the world, and all others, even the President of the United States, are only elected leaders, mere mortals, and have the same humanity as us all. Bestow upon us the courage to live up to the purpose to which you have called us, and the courage to work with others and recognize we are not alone in our efforts to make our world a better place. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.

New Post by Peace Man

I recently had a post about two friends, one in Israel, one in Gaza, probably less that ten miles apart from one another. They blog about life where they live, and recently that has been pretty bad. I have been concerned about "Peace Man" who lives in Gaza, because he hasn't posted in a couple of weeks. While this is understandable considering the situation, I was worried that we may not hear from him again. But today he posted about the cease fire (read here). The optimism and hope for peace that these two men exhibit brings hope to many of us.