JUNE / JULY 2006
We Need More Fireman Bobs
In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old
mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia.
Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of
determination. Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all
his dreams. Now that was no longer possible.
The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dreams to
come true. She took her son's hand and asked, "Billy, did you ever think
about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what
you would do with your life?"
Mommy, "I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew
up." Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish
come true."
Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix,
Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix. She explained her son's final wish and asked
if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on
a fire engine. Fireman Bob said,
"Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven
o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole
day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire
calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real
fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy, one-with the emblem of
the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber
boots. They're all manufactured right
here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast."
Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his
fire uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and
ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back
to the fire station. He was in so happy! There were three fire calls in Phoenix
that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different
fire engines, the paramedic's van, and even the fire chief's car. He was also
videotaped for the local news program. Having his dream come true, with all the
love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy that he
lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible. One night all of his vital signs began to
drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept that
no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. Then
she remembered the day Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the Fire
Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the
hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief replied,
"We can do better than that. We'll
be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the
sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA
system that there is not a fire? It's just the fire department coming to see
one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his
room?
About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the
hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window. 16
firefighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room. With his mother's
permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him.
With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief,
am I really a fireman now?" "Billy, you are, and the Head Chief,
Jesus, is holding your hand,"the chief said. With those words, Billy
smiled and said, "I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels
have been singing.." He closed his eyes one last time.
received via email
Shay’s Grand Slam
At a fundraising dinner for a school
that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students
delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After
extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he said:
"My son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He
cannot understand things as other children do."
The father continued. "I believe,that when a child like
Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity
to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other
people treat that child." Then he told the following story:
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay
knew were playing baseball. Shay asked,"Do you think they'll let me
play?" Shay's father knew that
most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father
also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a
much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in
spite of his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked
if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around for guidance and
said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with
a broad smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his
heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom
of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by
three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the
right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just
to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father
waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team
scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning
run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their
chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew
that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the
bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher,
recognizing the other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's
life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be
able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards
Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow
ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft
grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would
have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the
first baseman, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and
both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never
in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base. He scampered
down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!"
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling
to make it to second base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the
right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to
be the hero for his team for the first time. He could have thrown the ball to
the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and
he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the
bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way
Shay" Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and
turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!
Shay, run to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and
those screaming, "Shay, run home! Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate,
and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game
for his team.
That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his
face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
into this world.
Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter,
having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming
home and seeing his mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats
it's least fortunate amongst them.
received via email
The Gardener
Right after World War II, a U.S. Army
officer and his wife were stationed in Japan. That country had been devastated
by the war. The post-war economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached 60%.
People came to the Army wife's door daily looking for work. One man said that
he could do wonders for her garden if she would only give him a chance.
So, for the first time in her life, this young Army wife hired a
gardener. He spoke no English, but the wife, through sign language and pencil
and paper gave him instructions about where to plant, prune, and pamper her
garden. He listened politely and followed her instructions exactly. The garden
emerged as the finest in the neighborhood.
When she finally realized that her new gardener knew far more
about the matter than she, the wife stopped giving him directions and let him
freely care for the garden. It was magnificent. Then one day the gardener came
with an interpreter who expressed the appreciation but the regrets of the
gardener. "He will no longer be able to care for your garden. He must
leave."
The wife expressed her regrets and thanked him through the
interpreter for making hers such a fine garden. Out of politeness, she asked
the interpreter, "Where is he going?"
The interpreter replied that the gardener was returning to his
old job as the Professor of Horticulture at the University of Tokyo.
Can you imagine the look that must have been on that Army wife's
face when she discovered that her gardener was the university professor of
horticulture! No wonder he knew so much
about gardening!
We have just celebrated Jesus’ ascension into heaven – forty
days after Easter. He has gone back to His
heavenly throne from which He rules the world.
Imagine the look on the faces of those who refused to trust in Him as
Savior and Lord, when He comes again to judge the living and the dead.
Is there someone close to you who does not yet know who Jesus is? Share His Word with them today!
Go To The World
Jesus
did not command the whole world to go to church. Jesus commanded his church to
go to the whole world.
The
call of our Lord is "hidden" in a whole chorus of worldly voices
which beckon us. Other would-be shepherds seek to tempt us away from the Good
Shepherd, the joy of his forgiveness and the security of his love. And when we
are weak and confused we may fall victim to the enticements of other gods.
I am reminded of an
American tourist who was traveling in the Mid East. He came upon several
shepherds whose flocks had intermingled while drinking water from a brook.
After an exchange of greetings, one of the shepherds turned toward the sheep
and called out, "Manah. Manah. Manah." (Manah means "follow
me" in Arabic.) Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest
and followed him.
Then one of the two remaining
shepherds called out, "Manah. Manah." and his sheep left the common
flock to follow him. The traveler then said to the third shepherd, "I
would like to try that. Let me put on your cloak and turban and see if I can
get the rest of the sheep to follow me."
The shepherd smiled knowingly as the
traveler wrapped himself in the cloak, put the turban on his head and called
out, "Manah. Manah." The sheep did not respond to the stranger's
voice. Not one of them moved toward him. "Will the sheep ever follow
someone other than you?" The traveler asked.
"Oh yes," the shepherd
replied, "sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then it will follow
anyone."
We have seen it, haven't we? People,
young and old, who are "sick." Battered by the storms of life and
distracted by voices urging them to go this way and that, they have lost their
bearings and they don't know where they are or where they are going. That can
be more than a little frightening; it leads to despair, to hopelessness. And
when someone is "sick" they will follow anyone who will promise a
moment of happiness, a brief feeling of peace or forgetfulness, a sense that
they are someone.
But the call of Jesus the Good
Shepherd is, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." There is no
better way, no greater truth, no happier life. Our Lord reaches out to us in
love that we might follow him.
Sheep Know Their Shepherd
In
her book The Preaching Life, Barbara Brown Taylor tells of a conversation she
had with a friend who grew up on a sheep farm in the Midwest. According to him,
sheep are not dumb at all. "It is the cattle ranchers who are responsible
for spreading that ugly rumor, and all because sheep do not behave like cows.
Cows are herded from the rear by hooting cowboys with cracking whips, but that
will not work with sheep at all. Stand behind them making loud noises and all
they will do is run around behind you, because they prefer to be led. You push
cows, her friend said, but you lead sheep, and they will not go anywhere that
someone else does not go first. Their shepherd-who goes ahead of them to show
them that everything is all right."
Sheep know their
shepherd and their shepherd knows them.
He went on to say that "it never
ceased to amaze him, growing up, that he could walk right through a sleeping
flock without disturbing a single one of them, while a stranger could not step
foot in the fold without causing pandemonium."
Sheep and shepherds develop a
language of their own.
George
Adam Smith, the 19th century Biblical scholar tells of traveling one day in the
Holy Land and coming across a shepherd and his sheep.
He fell into conversation with him
and the man showed him the fold into which the sheep were led at night. It
consisted of four walls, with a way in. Smith asked him, “This is where they go
at night?” “Yes,” said the shepherd, “and when they are in there, they are
perfectly safe.” “But there is no door,” said Smith. “I am the door,” said the
shepherd.
He was not a Christian man and wasn’t
speaking in the language of the New Testament. He was speaking from an Arab
shepherd’s viewpoint.
Smith looked and him and asked, “What
do you mean you are the door?” “When the light has gone,” said the shepherd,
“and all the sheep are inside, I lie in that open space, and no sheep ever goes
out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am
the door."
Our Master Makes The
Difference
As I have
moved among men and women from all strata of society as both a lay pastor and
as a scientist, I have become increasingly aware of one thing. It is the boss,
the manager, the Master in people's lives who makes the difference in their
destiny.
I have known some of the wealthiest
men on this continent intimately, also some of the leading scientists and
professional people. Despite their dazzling outward show of success, despite
their affluence and their prestige, they remained poor in spirit, shriveled in
soul, and unhappy in life. They were joyless people held in the iron grip and
heartless ownership of the wrong master.
By way of contrast, I have numerous
friends among relatively poor people-people who have known hardship, disaster,
and the struggle to stay afloat financially. But because they belong to Christ
and have recognized Him as Lord and Master of their lives, their owner and
manager, they are permeated by a deep, quiet, settled peace that is beautiful
to behold.
It is indeed a delight to visit some
of these humble homes where men and women are rich in spirit, generous in heart
and large of soul. They radiate a serene confidence and quiet joy that
surmounts all the tragedies of their time.
They are under God's care and they
know it. They have entrusted themselves to Christ's control and found
contentment.
*****************
Stop
telling God how big your storm is.
Instead, tell your storm how big your God is!
*****************
Was The Lantern Lit?
A man was
killed at a railroad crossing one summer evening in 1891. His relatives sued the railroad, claiming
negligence on the part of the watchman.
During the ensuing trial, the watchman was called to the witness
stand. The prosecuting attorney asked
him several questions. "Were you on
duty at the crossing at the time of the accident?" "Yes sir, I was." "Did you have a lantern?" "Yes sir, I did." "Did you wave your lantern in
warning?" "Yes sir, several
times."
Having
answered in the affirmative to every question, the watchman helped the railroad
win its case. An officer of the
railroad came to see the watchman later to thank him for giving evidence in
favor of the railroad. The officer
inquired, "Tell me, Mr. Jarvis, were you nervous during the questioning at
the trial?" The watchman replied,
"Yes, I feared every moment that he would ask, 'Was the lantern lit?’”
Anyone can
go through the motions of outward religiosity.
We can wave our lanterns wildly, but it accomplishes nothing if we do
not light them! The night is dark. Many lost souls have no hope but us. Are our lights shining?
PARABLES WITH HUMOR
Do-It-Yourself Worship Kit
Robert
Hastings has designed a "Do-It-Yourself Worship Kit!" for "Lone
Ranger Christians" - those who think they can serve the Lord without
“going to church”. Here's what you'll
find in each carefully planned package:
One
portable, lightweight seat, shaped like a church pew. Can be set up anywhere.
One
small, paper covered hymnal containing one dozen well-known hymns (words and
music).
One
harmonica - or mouth organ - to take the place of the church organ. (Frankly, you will find it difficult to play
and sing at the same time. But you can
master it, and after all, there must be some challenge.)
One abbreviated New Testament
with familiar selections designed to be read in less than one minute each.
One
small offering plate - to be held in the left hand while putting coin in with
the right. (Denomination of the coin is
unimportant as you will get it back anyway.)
One
brief sermon entitled "What a Good Boy Am I." You will feel much better after using this
sermon. It may be read aloud or
silently.
"Those who have used our
Do-It-Yourself Worship Kit," say Hastings, "tell us they get an extra
lift from their own service if at the close, they rush to a mirror and shake
hands with themselves. But this is
optional."
Minnesotans And Heaven
Garrison
Keillor once said, in one of his famous Prairie Home Companion soliloquies,
"My people are not Paradise people. We've lived in Minnesota all of our
lives and it has taken a lot out of us. My people aren't sure they'll even like
Paradise: not sure perfection is all its cracked up to be. My people will
arrive in heaven and stand just inside the gate, shuffling around. It's a lot
bigger than I thought it was going to be, they might say. We'll say, "No
thank you, we can't stay for eternity, we'll just sit and have a few minutes of
bliss and then we have to get back!"
Filling
In The Holes
A bright
yellow highway department truck creeps along a quiet, city street. A worker slowly climbs out of the truck and
laboriously digs a large hole between the sidewalk and the street. A few minutes later a second worker gets
out, fills in the hole, and tamps down the dirt. A few yards down the street they repeat the same procedure, then
again and again.
An elderly
lady has been watching. She walks over
and asks, "What in the world are you doing?"
One of the
workers says, "We're on an urban beautification project."
Beautification?"
she asks with dismay. "What's so
beautiful about all those filled-in holes?"
"Well,
you see," says the worker, "the man who plants the trees is out sick
today."
In a
ridiculous way that little story reminds us that different people play
different roles. When one person does
not do his or her job, there is a hole.
I'm Not The Shepherd
A
pastor was taking a group of parishioners on a tour of the Holy Land. He had
just read them the parable of the Good Shepherd and was explaining to them
that, as they continued their tour, they would see shepherds on the hillsides
just as in Jesus' day.
He wanted to impress the group, so he
told them what every good pastor tells his people about shepherds. He described
how, in the Holy Land, shepherds always lead their sheep, always walking in
front to face dangers, always protecting the sheep by going ahead of them.
He barely got the last word out when,
sure enough, they rounded a corner and saw a man and his sheep on the hillside.
There was only one problem: the man wasn't leading the sheep as the good pastor
had said. No, he was behind the sheep and seemed to be chasing them. The pastor
turned red. Flabbergasted, he ran over to the fence and said, "I always
thought shepherds in this region led their sheep - out in front. And I told my
people that a good shepherd never chases his sheep." The man replied,
"That's absolutely true... you're absolutely right... but I'm not the
shepherd, I'm the butcher!"
I am afraid that in this day and age
we are all too familiar with the butcher, and not very familiar with the Good
Shepherd.
Can I Guess Your Business?
A
shepherd was herding his flocks in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand new
Jeep Cherokee advanced towards him out of a dust cloud. The driver, a young man
in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and a YSL tie, leans out of
the window and asks: "If I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have in
your flock, will you give me one?"
The shepherd looks at
the yuppie, then at his peacefully grazing flock and answers, "Sure!"
The yuppie parks the car, whips out his notebook, connects it to a cell phone,
surfs to a NASA page where he calls up a GPS navigation system, scans the area
and opens a database and some 60 spreadsheets with complex formulas. Finally,
he prints a 150-page report on a miniature printer, turns to our shepherd and
says: "You have exactly 1586 sheep!" "That's correct. As agreed,
you can take one of the sheep," says the shepherd. He watches the young
man make a selection and bundle it into his Cherokee.
As the car starts to pull away, he
calls out: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give
me my sheep back?" "Okay, why not?" answers the young man,
stopping the car. "You are a consultant" says the shepherd.
"That's correct," says the yuppie. "How did you guess?"
"Easy," answers the
shepherd. "You turn up here without being asked. You want to be paid for
information I already have. And you don't know anything about my business
because you just took my dog."
I
just realized that while children are dogs ... loyal and affectionate ...
teenagers are cats.
It's so easy to be a dog owner. You
feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knee and gazes at
you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when
you call it.
Then around age 13, your adoring
little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside, it
looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging
your doorstep, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry ...
then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen long enough to turn its nose
up at whatever you're serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that
old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you then gives you a blank stare,
as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.
You, not realizing that the dog is
now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so
antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won't go on family outings. Since
you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command,
you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you
redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.
Only now you're dealing with a cat,
so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired
result. Call it and it runs away. Tell it to sit and it jumps on the counter.
The more you go toward it, wringing your hands, the more it moves away.
Instead of continuing to act like a
dog owner, you can learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near
the door and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and
your affection too. Sit still and it will come, seeking that warm, comforting
lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it.
One day your grown-up child will walk
into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet
all day. Let me get those dishes for you." Then you'll realize your cat is
a dog again.
Sound Travels Slowly
Childhood
is a time of rapid changes. Between the
ages of twelve and seventeen, a parent can age thirty years. Someone else has said, "In these times,
the accent may be on youth, but the stress is on parents." Robert Orben put it this way: "Sound travels slowly. Sometimes the things you say when your kids
are teen-agers don't reach them till they're in their 40s."
Jungle Journal
(Missionary Terry Schultz, Lima, Peru, and
member of Mt. Olive)
It’s early morning deep in the Amazon.
Our motorboat pilot Segundo had that unmistakable
slightly-crazed look in his eyes. There was no doubt in my mind what he
was up to: He was going to try and drive the entire way back to Yurimaguas
without stopping overnight. We’re talking over 18 (yes 18!)
straight hours of intense concentration (watching for tree branches and all
that debris in the water) that could damage the outboard and leave us instantly
stranded. When you’re this deep in the Amazon, another motorboat might
not come by for weeks!
And then there was that unavoidable business of traveling back
through Condoshi territory. A quick recap: Two of the villages that
we pass are notorious for stopping boats on “their river” and picking them
clean; relieving them of all their supplies, especially the plastic barrels of
gasoline. (They use the gas for the village’s peke-peke canoe motor.)
We did not have a requisite tribal chief from any of the nearby
villages riding in our boat to vouch for us. However, with the Shapra –
Condoshi feud at a murderous pitch once again, it would have done us no good to
have our brother Manihuari with us. It would have put him and us in more
danger.
There was also the simple fact that on the way in, we had not
stopped at the two villages even when they emphatically signaled for us to pull
over. We just sped by. (On our last trip over a year ago we hadn’t
stopped either. Instead, we had raced by at the sound of a
shotgun.) Now, the Condoshis knew we would eventually have to come back
through.
All these thoughts however, could hardly cloud the joy of our
wonderfully blessed evangelism visit in Viejo Limon Cocha. Saying goodbye
after our final morning service was deeply emotional as always. We have
so many true brothers and sisters in this remote village. I love the way
they look you straight in the eyes when you assure them of God’s love and care
for them. It is the most graphic display of people grasping the
incredible implications of God’s promises that I have ever seen. Their
formerly fear-filled hearts are thrilled to know that God is watching over
them. They are nothing less than astounded when I say with authority that
God has paradise waiting for them after their brief life on earth. That
is what Jesus has done for them. That is what the Holy Spirit is powering
them to believe.
Let me tell you something. Nothing in the world feels like
the long huge hug of a person who believes the message you have brought him has
saved him. It is indescribable. Maybe it’s like the embrace between
rescued family members and firemen who have pulled them from burning houses, -
except that our brothers and sisters were pulled from the eternal flames!
Those huge hugs from the older men tell you they realize how lost they
were! They and their wives and children would not be saved if the Holy
Spirit had not worked through the word we brought!
So we’re back on the river in the cool early morning taking in
the awesome surroundings. The fog is just lifting off the river, still
hovering about the enormous trees that drip with plants and vines. It is
all so primordial, so mysterious, that it looks just like one of those “lost
world” dinosaur movies. Add the sounds of jungle birds, monkeys, and it
is so spectacular it doesn’t seem real.
A couple hours later and my mind has snapped back to
reality. We have now entered Condoshi territory. Segundo informs us
that we are about 20 minutes from the first of the two unfriendly
villages. Ronal checks his backpack. Jose checks his shotgun.
Victor puts his mysterious little duffle bag on the bench beside himself.
Meanwhile, up ahead, a medium-size dugout canoe paddled by one
native slowly comes into view. Strangely, the man in the canoe is
signaling for us to stop. What? Could this be some kind of
trap? I quickly look back at our pilot, Segundo, who is staring hard at
the figure in the dugout, trying to quickly size up the situation. A few
moments later and we discover the energetically waving native is none other
than William, the Condoshi we met for the first time on the way in!
Segundo cut the motor and expertly pulled up right beside the
dugout. No one was relaxing yet, as we had no idea what William was up
to. William grabbed the side of our boat and held on, obviously wanting
to discuss something with us. He had ascertained from our first encounter
that Ronal was the “assistant chief” of our group. Talking barely above a
whisper, William entered into an intense discussion with him. It appeared
that William was asking for something. A few moments later and Ronal
informed the rest of us: William was insisting that we carry his dugout
canoe and him in our boat several hours down river to a neighboring village.
Segundo, Ronal, Jose, Victor, and I quickly flashed glances at
each other, trying to figure out what to do. Ronal and I didn’t like the
idea. William was a big strong guy and did not have a sick person in his
dugout to transport or any other emergency. Basically, he just wanted a
free lift. However, the enormous weight of the hardwood dugout would slow
us down considerably. Plus, we would go through a whole lot of extra gas,
- precious gas that we might not be able to replace along the way.
(Segundo was already nervous about our dwindling supply.) Ronal and I
began to indicate that we didn’t think we could give William a lift.
However, that’s when things really got strange.
I got one of those weird looks from Segundo, then one from Jose
and even Victor that said back off, we will handle this. Their looks were
unmistakable. I immediately clammed up. A few moments later, and
Jose and Victor are helping William haul the heavy dugout canoe out of the
water onto our boat! They balanced the long, heavy dugout on the front of
the boat horizontally (forming a “t” with our boat) and we were ready to start
out again. Segundo drove slowly at first, the precariously balanced
dugout was adjusted a bit, then we started to pick up speed.
A few minutes later as we approached the first of the
cantankerous Condoshi villages, I realized what Segundo, Jose, and Victor were
up to. Just like we feared, all the men of the village were lined up on
the high bank (they had heard our outboard miles away) and they were all primed
to try and make us stop. A few natives were even positioned in dugouts
right on the river! However, the villagers then spotted William perched
in our boat, smiling and waving at them. The natives were
speechless. Jose and Victor, standing in the front, smiled and waved
while pointing at the dugout (as if the villagers couldn’t see it) to indicate
that we were in the midst of helping one of their own. The natives on the
bank were caught flat-footed. They had no idea how to respond.
Segundo never slowed down for a moment. We simply sped by.
Unbelievable!
A few hours later, and the entire little vignette was played out
again at the second Condoshi village. Once again, the natives had lined
the banks ready for something, then froze at the sight of our motorboat
carrying a Condoshi canoe.
As we got past that second village, Segundo, Ronal, Jose and I
exchanged glances of relief, shaking our heads and exhaling deeply. It
had definitely gone better on this trip. We now had the most dangerous
part of the journey behind us. Good thing we had met William (for the
first time ever) on the way in. Good thing we had then run into him on
the way back, when the natives were ready and waiting for us to come by.
Those two encounters with William were obviously no accident. God had
provided a simple way for our Evangelism team to get past the angry villagers
safely. It was nothing short of incredible.
About an hour later, after much conversation between William and
Ronal, we dropped William and his dugout off. He soon disappeared down a
small side river. We hoped to figure out a way get the Gospel to his
villages in the future. It could be difficult, but we will see what the
Lord would have us do. I keep thinking that it might depend on our Shapra
brothers finding a way to cross over to the rival Condoshi tribe with the
Gospel. Generations of war and hatred do not bode well for that
option. Then again, it would be a huge
mistake to underestimate the transformative powers of the Holy Spirit.
Isn’t that what it’s all about?! Manihuari, Poanchi, and others are thrilled
that salvation has come to their remote village. They realize that they
have been saved from eternal death by God’s sheer grace through Jesus. I
think they will make great missionaries some day!
Until next time amigos!
Terry
(NOTE: Missionary
Terry and Mary Schultz will be at Mt. Olive on Sunday, June 18th. Terry will preach for our 9:00am Mission
Festival Service, and Mary will give a powerpoint presentation on the
highlights of the Lord’s blessings on their work during the past year. A potluck dinner will follow. All welcome!)
What
About the "Gospel of Judas"?
Maybe you saw the National Geographic
special on TV, or maybe you read about it in the paper or in a magazine or on
the internet. There has been a lot of hype, but one thing we can say for sure
is that the so-called "Gospel of Judas" was not written by Judas. The
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John. But Judas did not write the document to which his name has been attached.
We know that because it only dates back to about 300 AD. Yes, that does make it
1700 years old, but by.that time Judas had been dead for more than 250 years.
Furthermore, the reason why it was never seriously
considered for inclusion in the New Testament is because the New Testament was
already there long before any of the Gnostic Gospels came along. The so-called
"Gospel of Judas" belongs in the same category with the Gospel of
Thomas and the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Philip. They all come out of a
group of people known as Gnostics. The Gnostics took their name from the Greek
word for "knowledge." They proudly claimed to have a secret knowledge
that most other people did not have. If you were lucky, they might let you in
on their secret. But without their secret knowledge you could not hope to be
saved.
According to the so-called "Gospel of Judas,"
Jesus tried to pass along this secret knowledge to His disciples, but Judas
Iscariot was the only one who really got it. The Gnostics claimed that Jesus
regarded His own body as a prison from which His soul needed to be set free.
So, of course, the Gnostics felt the same way about their own bodies. This is
why the Gnostics did not really have any use for the resurrection. If your body
is just a prison that you are anxious to get out of, why would you want your
body to rise from the dead? It would be
better to leave your body in the grave, wouldn't it?
According to the Gnostic way of looking at things, Good
Friday was all Jesus needed. Once His body was dead, His soul was set free. Easter Sunday does not really fit into the Gnostic way of thinking.
But Jesus was no Gnostic. Jesus did not regard His own
human body as a prison. On the contrary, He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and
bom of the Virgin Mary because He wanted to enter into a human body. Jesus came
into our world in order to redeem us, body and soul.
Our human bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. Our
bodies are not just temporary containers for our souls. No, your body is a
marvelous gift that has been given to you by your Creator. So if you are a
young teenager out on your first date, remember that your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit, who is in you. You are not your own. You were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God with your body.
As you grow older your body may be damaged by disease.
Your body may wear out. But even then, your body deserves to be treated with
great respect. That is true when your body is lying in a hospital bed, and when
your body is sitting in a wheel chair in a nursing home, and when your body is
given Christian burial.
Jesus entered into His human body in
order to show us how much respect He has for our bodies. Jesus teaches us to have great respect for
our own bodies and for each other's bodies. That is why you shall not commit
adultery. That is why you shall not kill.
You shall not hurt or harm your
neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need. That is
precisely what Jesus did. He healed sick bodies. He raised dead bodies. Jesus
had great respect for the human body - both His own body and our bodies, too. The good news of
Easter is that Jesus will change our lowly bodies so that they may be fashioned
like unto His glorious body.
Update
on Pastor Daniel
On May 10th, the
Schlotes, our Kingdom Workers in Kumba, sent Pastor Daniel to the city of
Bamenda to be seen and diagnosed by Dr. Palmer, an American internist who is
working in that city with the Baptist Hospital. Dr. Palmer has been in Cameroon off and on and for the better
part of 25 years - being in the States at times especially when his children
were growing up.
Dr. Palmer
told the Schlotes that Daniel has a bad case of varicose veins that has gone
into statis. Because the veins can't
return the blood properly the leg develops ulcers that can't drain, the veins
work harder and the situation gets worse.
This week
Daniel and his wife are going to the Mbingo hospital in the Bamenda area for
surgery by an American vascular surgeon working there. A visiting American doctor is also involved. They will strip the veins and do follow up
care in a few days. After he returns to
Kumba he will receive follow up care and treatment to heal the ulcerated legs
at the Baptist Health Center. Some
missionaries by the name of Stephens live there, whom the Kingdom Workers know
as friends.
Please keep Pastor Daniel and his
family in your prayers.
Daisuke Nakamoto
As
the director of the Asian ministry training program of the Pastoral Studies
Institute of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, I am pleased to announce that the
Lord continues to provide to our Synod qualified Asian men to work with us in
carrying out the great commission. Our
Japanese ministry student, Daisuke Nakamoto, is completing his studies in the
PSI program, and will join the graduating class at the seminary on Friday, May
26.
On Sunday, June 11, at 7:00pm, we are
planning an ordination service for Daisuke at Bloomington Lutheran Church, 9350
Portland Ave. S., Bloomington, Minnesota.
After the service, we will host a time for refreshments and fellowship.
I cordially invite you to join us for
this celebration of God’s grace in providing workers for the harvest field. I
hope that you can join us for this special occasion.
Blessings,
Pastor Leon Piepenbrink
Asian Ministry Coordinator
Baseball
Fellowship Outing
Celebrate Summer Night Life with MN
Christian Life Ministries.
WELS/ELS
Saints with the Saints Night
St. Paul
Saints vs Pensacola, FL
Thursday,
June 29, 2006
7pm
1771 Energy
Park Drive
St. Paul,
MN
Tailgate
Party beginning promptly at 6pm
*Bring meat
& buns for grills (provided), and a dish to pass
*Some
tables/chairs provided, bring card tables/lawn chairs.
*Grassy
area west side of parking lot (away from stadium).
*Look for
large red Chevy van
*Picture of
group on field after the game. (Receive picture by email a few days later.)
*Free will
offering (suggested $3 per person) to cover tailgate expenses, group
picture fee, and other misc., with surplus going to MN Christian Life
Ministries.
There is a
sign-up sheet in the back of church.
Sign up Sunday!
Volunteers Make A Difference
Below
are 25 ways that each of us can make a difference in our Lutheran Home
Association, and to the wonderful people who now make their home in one of
facilities. Won’t you prayerfully
consider how you can brighten the life of another person?
1. Pray for our ministry
2.
Bring
your confirmation class and tour one of our locations
3.
Create
a donation box of goodies at church for our ministry
4.
Volunteer
at one of our locations
5.
Teach a
Jesus Cares Ministries’ Bible class
6.
Adopt a
location and send greeting cards throughout the year to our residents
7.
Create
welcome gifts for new residents
8.
Hold a
bake sale with the proceeds benefiting a specific location
9.
Bring
your church or school choir to a location and perform a concert
10.
Bring a
group of musicians and participate in one of our chapel services
11.
Make
quilts (twin sizes)
12.
Share
your children’s art with us
13.
Create
a bulletin board for your congregationabout
our ministry
14.
Hold an
annual Lutheran Home Association Sunday
15.
Participate
in Christmas decorating
16.
Have a
door offering benefiting our ministry after church
17.
Invite
a Lutheran Home Association representative to be a guest speaker
18.
Hold a
special Sunday focusing on issues for seniors and individuals with
developmental disabilities
19.
Send
video and audio tapes of church and school events for residents to enjoy
20.
Donate
your used vehicle to our ministry
21.
Volunteer
at our Thrift Store (Belle Plaine, MN)
22.
Serve
as a coordinator for our Belle Plaine Campus Auxiliary
23.
Start a
Jesus Cares Ministries outreach program in your congregation
24.
Become
a church buddy for a person with a developmental disability or other special
need
25.
Organize
a bus trip for area congregations to visit a location
We've
got a big announce-ment:
WhatAboutJesus.com has been completely redesigned! I’d encourage you to take a look at what
we’ve done to it. There is new content,
improved technology, and more features. We hope it makes the website even
easier to use and more welcoming for the unchurched.
Are you aware of this tool? Four
years ago the WELS Commission on Evangelism launched this website as a place
that people can introduce Jesus to their friends in a non-threatening
environment. The site had steadily
grown in readership.
Our new look aims at simplicity
and creating a welcoming atmosphere.
The simpler design allows for easier searching for content. One of the new
technological advances is site search
ability and another is RSS. RSS is a
method to "grab" scheduled content to read in an RSS (Real Simple
Syndication) Reader without entering an e-mail address. Learn more about RSS at
www.wels.net/jumpword/rss
Part of our new technology is also a
revamped Q&A and Prayer request. If you have a question or you or your
friend/relative are facing a hard time in life you can come and type in an
anonymous prayer request. God tells us
to pray for one another and we have a prayer team ready to pray for the
concerns of the unchurched.
My favorite new addition to the
website are Worship Helps. “Worship
Helps” are short Bible studies written by various pastors. Those who sign up will receive every Monday
in their email next Sunday’s readings.
With each reading there are a series of questions and answers to help
one prepare for the following Sunday’s worship. The series follows the
Lectionary (list of readings for the church year) found in “Christian Worship:
A Lutheran Hymnal.”
The most popular part of the website
remains “Daily Devotions.” These are
short inspirational devotions written by various pastors around the nation that
are sent out via email every Monday-Friday with the unchurched in mind.
Currently over 9,300 people are receiving these Daily Devotions in their
email. We also have been doing a series
on the book of Revelation.
So I encourage you to take a look at
the new design and use this tool for your outreach efforts!
If you have questions or comments,
you can direct them to me or to our webmaster, Mr. Kelly Huet, who is a
seminary student (Kelly.Huet@sab.wels.net).
He is doing a great job with the site's day to day maintenance. You could also let Rev. Mike Hintz, the
administrator for the Commission on Evange-lism, know your thoughts (Mike.Hintz@sab.wels.net).
Pass the word along about
WhatAboutJesus.com so that more people can make use of this redesigned tool!
Pastor Ken Fisher,
Project Manager of WhatAboutJesus.com
Todd & Susi Hawkinson chose to donate a Gulbransen
Console Piano for use in our Education wing for Sunday School and for choir
rehearsal. Originally they had it
listed for sale for $400, but when they heard that it would be used in a
church, they offered to donate it instead.
We appreciate their kindness.
Thank you!
It’s Party Time!
You are
cordially invited to a picnic/fundraiser for Carmen Soledad Huaranga Ocrospoma.
Soledad will be spending the next four years at Bethany Lutheran College in
Mankato on a scholarship from Bethany.
Mt. Olive Congregation has taken on
“The Soledad Project,” and will be raising funds for Mary Schultz to accompany
Soledad to the US in August to begin her college education at Bethany.
WHEN: Sunday, July 16, 2006,
3:00-7:00 p.m. (Dinner approximately 5:30)
WHERE: The Petersen’s’, 2101
Fairways Lane, Roseville, [between Hwy 280 and Cleveland, south of County
Road B]
FOOD: Plan on old-fashioned picnic
fare! Hot dogs, brats, baked beans,
chips, potato salad, Jell-O, root beer floats…
FUN: Volleyball, bocce ball, bingo?,
and 1st Class Entertainment!
Please bring lawn chairs if you have
them. We have several, but probably not enough! We are hoping for a huge
turnout!
Ted Lau and Gibbs Farm Museum are
graciously furnishing a large tent-canopy, so we’ll go “rain or shine!”
A freewill offering will be accepted
for the purpose stated above; purchasing Mary’s ticket so she can accompany
Soledad to America; as well as for gas and food while Mary is transporting
Soledad and getting her settled. Any money above-and-beyond that will be given
to Soledad to purchase clothing and school items as needed.
Please RSVP on one of the sign-up
sheets you will find in the narthex and in the church basement (on the calendar
bulletin board). Or, you may e-mail Linda at lkp@cnaengineers.com. Feel free to come even if you don’t rsvp,
but it will help to have an idea of the number of attendees for food purposes.
Thank you, and I look forward to seeing
you there!!!
Linda
Minnesota Legislature Grants Moratorium To
Belle Plaine Nursing Home
The Lutheran Home: Belle
Plaine has been granted permission to remodel its existing nursing home. Any
type of remodeling or construction project of a skilled care facility must be
approved by the state legislature. This approval is necessary due to the
difficult financial climate of nursing homes statewide and the changing
demographic needs.
Our plan calls for creating a balcony
on the second floor overlooking our chapel to allow greater resident
participation in worship services. We will also increase the number of private
rooms and bathrooms and create a spa-like bathing area. The current kitchen and
dining area will be removed so that several small, more intimate and homelike
dining areas for residents can be placed throughout the building. We will also
increase the size of the therapy departments and add other improvements.
The cost of the plan is estimated at
$6.4 million dollars. Now that the State has given its approval, the project
will move to the next stage: finalizing the designs and obtaining funding
sources.
We are
also moving forward with our assisted living residence and market-rate senior
apartments. These are exciting times at your Lutheran Home!
Sunday School News & Notes
Our
Sunday School closing program is scheduled for June 4th. We will sing for
church that Sunday and present our program during coffee hour following church.
The church picnic follows the closing program. Please plan to bring a dish to
pass and attend with your family. We will have a pińata and there will be games
for the adults. It should be a fun-filled day. Please watch the Parent Page for
more information.
As you know, E. John Fredrich and his
wife Alex will be leaving us in July. E. John has accepted a call to teach in
Antigua. We will miss them and Sean and Eleora but hope to maintain close
contact and to assist their mission work in any way that we can. Please keep
them in your prayers as they prepare to serve the Lord in a world mission
field.
Sunday,
June 4th is the date for our annual Church Picnic, beginning at
12:00 (noon). There will be games for
the children and the adults, and plenty of good times for all. Meat and beverages will be provided, but
please bring a dish or two to pass.
Join us at the Lion's Shelter in Central Park on Victoria Street, just
south of County Road C.
Fishing Outing?
The
Outreach / Fellowship Committee is seeking to determine if there is enough
interest for a fishing outing. Our last
fishing outing was on a launch on Mille Lacs Lake. Also under consideration is the Mississippi River near Alma,
Wisconsin.
If you have some interest in a
fishing outing, contact John Murray at 651.636.4733, MurrayCPA@juno.com
or Greg Schuyler at 651.748.0654, Schuylerzoo@aol.com.
No dates or plans have been set. Your suggestions are welcome.
Vacation
Bible School 2006 At Mt. Olive
Invite
your family, friends, and your neighbors’ children!!!
Date: July 31st – August 4th
Time: 9:00 – 11:30am
Ages: 4-11
The children will be taught a Bible
lesson each day which they can apply to their daily lives. The Word of God will be our chief focus.
(Please
plan your vacation and summer events around VBS so that you are able to be
here. Your help is much
appreciated. Thank you!)
More
Than Rubies
More Than Rubies Bible study
for women in their 20s and 30s will continue to meet during the summer months
at 7:00 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: June 13 and 27 and July 11 and 25.
We’ll be starting a new study on June 27 focusing on the book of 2 Corinthians, so