40 Cents

In the churches I grew up in we had something called Faith Promise. Commitments were made to give to missions over the course of the year. The cards said something like, "I promise in faith that by the help of God I will give $____ to missions" and then you indicated if that would be a one time or monthly pledge.

Honestly, I enjoyed "Faith Promise Sundays." Often special speakers were brought in and some pretty cool stories (always true) were told. One that keeps coming to mind is about a couple who, knowing faith promise was coming up, had discussed how much they could/would pledge. When Sunday came, due to various responsibilities, they were separated and both filled out pledge cards, thus promising twice the discussed amount. They went to the pastor, apologized, and explained their inability to donate that much. The pastor said he understood and would understand if it didn't work out but challenged them to let God work. They did and HE did. They were able to meet their pledge. Pret-ty cool.

Here in Germany they don't call it Faith Promise but they have similar missions-giving opportunities. Just a couple of months ago cards were distributed for pledges to be met by the end of this calendar year. After translation :) as well as some thought and prayer I felt like God was leading me to pledge 50 euro. At that point there was talk about me working with a little girl one day a week (for 2 hours) to expose her to and help her learn English. It wasn't set and I didn't know how much it would pay. I had a "back-up" plan knowing I could cash in some traveler's checks if necessary but aside from that I didn't know where the money would come from.

It was a Saturday night, just a little over a week before the end of the year, I wanted to get the money prepared to easily slip into the offering plate. After a little calculation I realized that, with the "baby-sitting" money I earned, after tithe I had 50 euro and 40 cents left. That was 40 cents more than I needed to pay my promise! Praise the Lord! God is so good. He provided more than enough.

It is exciting to be part of the unfolding story. My cup runneth over... :)

A Christmas Eve to Forget (or perhaps remember)

The day started late, really sleeping in for the first time in what seemed like months. My stomach ached a bit, actually quite a bit - to the point of throwing up, which I did. I spent Christmas Eve in 2 places- my bed and in the bathroom, hanging over the toilet. It's hard to say what actually caused the trouble but it was a long 12 hour day.

We had a candle-light service at church and I went to fulfill various media responsibilities (both expected and unexpected.) I wearily made my way up and back down the stairs to take pictures before making my way up front to take some shots closer up. I sat down, tired and ill. We began to sing the final song, Silent Night, in German and it brought joy to my heart. It is one of the few songs I know by heart in German, the first verse anyway.

When I first arrived in Germany one of my teammates and I lived with an elderly couple from the church. They spoke very little English and I spoke even less German. Sometimes in the evening we would go in and sit with the man who would be watching TV, often an opera, and have a small glass of white wine. We would enjoy sitting with him for a few minutes and attempt to express how our day or week was. It was still October when I delved into my limited German knowledge to pull out "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night). He and I sang it together, a memory we both hold near to our hearts.

As we sang it in church last night I enjoyed it - from the depth of my heart. I sat there, next to a stranger, holding the camera and the candles were lit all around me. I was without one as my hands were full entering the service and knowing that I may not be able to participate due to other obligations. So I sat there, too weak to stand with those around me. The next thing I knew, a woman from the church tapped me on the shoulder and with her limited English said, "Evan, you don't have a candle," while handing me one.

It brought tears to my eyes. She knew me by name and met me right there. I'm not sure she could know how much it meant to me. There I sat, alone, thousands of miles away from home and she called me by name and gave me the opportunity to "participate", even if only in a small way, in Christmas. Tears filled my eyes and slid down my cheeks as the other verse were sung. It was beautiful. "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht"
Silent Night, Holy Night..."Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!" Sleep in heavenly peace.

Merry Christmas

Paths

Sometimes the lit paths are as daunting as the dark paths.

Hope Lives

I was doing some last minute preperations to lead small group last night after realizing the preperations I had made wouldn't suffice.
Our lesson on Ruth just wasn't fitting for what I had just found out would most likely be the groups last meeting before Christmas and the New Year. :)

As I drew thoughts and questions from the Sunday sermon "Hope Lights Lights" (doesn't sound nearly as good when its translated to English :) and I thought about our theme "Celebrate Hope" the following came to mind. I should also note that it comes from the experience & pleasure of hearing a pastor (Dr. J.K. Warrick) preach a series a few years back that has always stuck with me.
I hope you enjoy it...

Hope Lives
It wasn’t just any other Christmas season. Yes, it had begun even before the turkey made it to the table Thanksgiving Day and “Black Friday” officially kicked off the season. Salvation Army bell ringers once again braved the cold, or not so cold, and stood outside of malls and shops with their red metal buckets collecting shoppers spare change. Mariah Carey and a host of others sung Christmas song on the radio. Christmas carols played in every store. Yes, to outsiders, on-lookers if you will, it seemed like just another Christmas season – complete with hustle AND bustle. But you see, it wasn’t… it was Christmas 2001.

Just a few months prior 9/11 occurred, the country had been attacked and was inundated with images of the fallen twin towers. Images of black smoke and rubble, of make-shift memorials and rescue workers still lingered in the back of peoples minds.

Can you see it? Ground zero.

Do you remember the way it virtually forced us to embrace those around us, to embrace community?

John 1 says, “In him [Jesus] was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.” “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” and later says, “ The Word [Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us.” Other versions of the Bible say, “The Word became human and lived among us,” but perhaps my favorite translation say “and God moved into the neighborhood.”

God… moved in… to... the neighborhood.

Christmastime isn’t always full of presents and cookies and fond memories. For some it brings painful memories of loss or is a constant reminder of loneliness or despair. The sting of these circumstances reaches to the depths, to the ground zeros of our lives.

But there is hope – hope to embrace, to encounter, to know, and yes, even to celebrate. God moved in to the neighborhood, and because of that hope lives at the ground zeros of our lives. This Christmas, as we not only celebrate the season (and the reason for the season) but perhaps as we face the ground zeros in our lives may we be courageous enough to embrace community. May we know Hope, himself. May we understand that hope has moved into the neighborhood - the community we are apart of. May we come along side one another both to ask for help and to offer it. Hope lives at ground zero. God moved in to the neighborhood.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he was called you (Ephesians 1:18-19)