This Morning

This morning went very well. We were entrusted with much. It was awesome to see how much they delighted in Jean. Much of the time I was brushed aside so that they could delight more in Jean. It was awesome. She blew them away. It was almost as though they were seeing beauty for the first time every time Jean spoke. It was that cool. She is like a super hero to them. Of course she is. She is gloriously Jean.

Quantum Of Solace James Bond Trailer-Another Way To Die

I heard this song on the way home from class last night. It is from the upcoming James Bond film. It's very different. It grabbed me.

Will We... Will They...

I am wondering what tomorrow will be like. What tomorrow morning will be like. I'm not anxious, but yet I am. Jean and I will meet with two others. What will that be like. Will we be offered too much. Will we be offered too little. Will they appreciate who we are. Will we appreciate who they are. Can we handle what they don't offer, or handle what they do offer. Will we be engaged. Will they. The morning, the meeting will tell...

I Shall Remain an Unbeliever

One of our readings this week is from a chapter called Consequences of the Incarnation for Spirituality. The whole chapter is very powerful. In one section of the chapter the author recounts the story of the hemorrhaging woman. He writes that healing takes place in two parts. The bleeding stops by touching the Body of Christ – the people of Christ. We, the body, can dispense full, complete healing through Christ when someone confesses. See the gospel of Mark for the two parts of the story.

The part that resinates with me most from his chapter is this story. He writes, "Some years ago a Christian carried the lament of a woman who, with some bitterness, explained why she did not believe in God. Never in her explanation did she mention dogma, morals, or church authority. For her, the credibility of God and of Christ depended more on something else, the faces of Christians. Her complaint went something like this [I am including the last half: And don't talk to me of church. What does the church know of my despair – barricated behind its stained-glass windows agains the likes of me? I once sought repentance and community within your walls, but I saw your God reflected in your faces as you turned away from the likes of me. Forgiveness was never given me. The healing love that I sought was carefully hoarded, reserved for your own kind. So be gone from me and speak no more of God. I've seen your God made manifest in you and he is a God without compassion. So long as your God withholds the warmth of human touch from me, I shall remain an unbeliever."

Have you been the woman? Or have you been the church that she speaks of? When was the last time you offered forgiveness, whether to someone outside of the church or to someone in the church? Have you only hoarded healing love for your own kind? Your close friends? Have you asked for foregiveness and been turned away?

This reading calls the body of Christ to be just that, the body of Christ.

Peace One Day

Dwight played this video Tuesday at the beginning of class. Encouraging each of us to celebrate the day somehow. It might be just in our own family, by taking a walk, or observing it by attending one of the marches around Seattle. Wednesday during class Roy shared the statistic that "the United States is 4% of the world's population, and we spend 50% of the world's military budget. We are also call ourselves a Christian nation." Happy "Peace One Day" day.

First Week of School

this picture is from my first day of school – before i left for kindergarten. i am the kindergartner on the right. my 1st grade neighbor, paul, is on the left. being a kindergartner is exactly how i felt tuesday. as i walked out the door i said to jean, "don't make me go!" i walked to the bus stop. waited for the bus. the playlist on my ipod was perfect for the journey. it was a playlist called, "seattle." i made it for sam and me to listen to on our plane ride, but we never listened to it. it was perfect for the morning ["gabriel's oboe" from the mission, "the journey begins" from everest, "chomolunga" from everest, "vertigo," "beautiful day," and so many other good journeying songs].

i nearly got off too early to make my first bus transfer. at first i felt like a little kid not knowing the ins and outs of public transportation. i told jean later i felt like my name should be on my underwear and all of my things. i felt so unsure. , but i quickly learned to trust the bus time schedule and route map i made. by the end of the week i felt like a public transportation veteran.

it's been a tiring week. very tiring. orientation each morning through afternoon, tuesday through thursday, then classes tuesday and wednesday evening, and a vesper service at the school thursday evening. i also did an inspection wednesday morning, and three yesterday. then a neighborhood dinner friday evening with some school students and spouses. last night as we walked out the door to go to the dinner i told jean i was so tired i wanted to cry. the dinner was a good time of conversation. it was the first time since moving here that i've felt i could just be myself with a group of people. i was glad we went.

the amount of reading we have to do for classes is unfathomable. yet, i know it is all for a good reason – the disruption and reconstruction of me. hopefully the disruption and reconstruction of us. this morning there is a convocation service to welcome the incoming students into the community of the school. our parents have been here for two weeks and fly out this evening. i am going to miss my mom. it has been good for us to sit and casually talk together and not feel rushed by time as we talk on the phone. but, next week will be a more normal week. just our family in our house. a regular week with normal classes and not much extra school "stuff" thrown in.

we went to a church last Sunday that was good. the people were actually friendly, the children's ministry staff were very welcoming, and the pastor was excellent. he even introduced himself to jean's dad as we were off dropping the kids to their classes. after the service while we were getting the kids the pastor said to be sure to bring us over to meet him. we met him. he's a very gracious and interested man in person. i felt like it was a place that i felt at home. the church has a nazarene foundation, which the traditional nazarene church has some conflicting doctrinal beliefs from how i was raised. i think jean wants to keep looking just to be sure we haven't "settled" without trying many and knowing we've really found the right one.

happy trails!