Washing Feet, Watching Soccer, and Making a Connection

I was asked to preach today in Mexico. In Spanish. After all my time here, I still consider myself only conversant in the language, so reluctantly, I said yes. My text was John 13 where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. I was focusing on his treatment of Judas. According to scripture, Satan had already entered Judas when Jesus knelt to wash his feet. This is important to me because Jesus shows that we are called to serve not just those we like, but those we despise as well. Tough teaching in any language, but even tougher for me in Spanish. I think I did alright. In any event, I haven´t yet been run out of Mitla. After church, we ate together and then I sat down with the pastor to watch the U.S./Mexico Gold Cup Soccer Final. After a scoreless first half, the U.S. team got the bums rush in the second period. During one 11 minute stretch, El Tri [the Mexican team] scored three times. I have never seen a blowout like this before. With any luck, the score could have been 10-0, as the Americans were spared further embarrassment by some outstanding goaltending. The only thing that made this game watchable was the Spanish language announcing crew. They could hardly contain themselves as they looked for for words to describe what was happening. We were pulverized, asleep, cadavers, and on vacation at various times during the game according to them. It was hysterical. But I bring this up not to bash our hapless team, although it is fun, but to point out that effective cross cultural mission happens when those serving know about, and are comfortable in the local culture. It gives you the ability to speak into someone´s situation even when you are a foreigner. As I started my sermon today, I mentioned that I was going to keep it short so that we could watch the U.S. beat Mexico. As were getting pasted, I received a text message from one of the youth in the church razzing me for our team. It was the best part of my day because I knew I had made a connection and could now take the next steps in helping her walk more faithfully with Jesus.

Oaxaca and the Guelaguetza

Every summer I am in Oaxaca, Mexico as part of my travels with Adventures in Life Ministry. This year we will be helping a small church improve their temporary place of worship. As many Oaxacan churches are in the economically depressed rural areas, a permanent facility is almost out of the question for many of these small Protestant faith communities. So they borrow a building from someone, and then make whatever changes they can to have a useful worship space. Our offerings are not much, and never enough, but helpful none the less. On a side note, my time here coincides with the annual Guelaguetza, or Festival de Lunes del Cerro. It is a time for locals and visitors alike to participate in, enjoy, and celebrate the Oaxacan culture. This of course includes the colors, dances, artwork, and famous food from this indigenous area of Mexico. The festival is well known throughout the world, although less so in the United States. One of joys of being here now is listening to the variety of spoken languages. When you join all of the different local languages [from 16 distinct people groups in Oaxaca] to those of the visitors, this place is incredibly diverse for a couple of weeks every year. Here is a link that will give you all the 411. It is a great slice of the Mexican culture unfortunately missed by many.

If It´s July, I am in Mexico!

It’s July so if you know me, you know I am in Mexico. With all of the news of violence in Mexico, the still sour economy in the United States, and a run of Swine Flu, there are less people serving alongside me this year. This has given me more time to read, something I love to do, but which gets put off too often when I am in the states. Between family, television, work, and whatever else, some days it is just too difficult to steal away a couple of hours to relax, think and read. Anyways, I thought I would share with you what I am working through. First up is “The Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne. This is Claiborne’s story of his life as he tries to live out Jesus’ command to love your neighbor and his call to “be the church” through his ministry The Simple Way in Philadelphia. It is a compelling read that calls us to action and real change in our faith walks as we consider what God has for us. Next up is “Fundamentalism and American Culture” by George M. Marsden, former Professor of History of Christianity in America at Duke Divinity School. This award-winning book traces the rise of Christian fundamentalism in America from before the civil war up to about 1925. It is a good, balanced work that does a good job of not casting stones, but rather presenting the facts and allowing the reader the come to their own conclusions. Perhaps most interesting for me are the parallels between the religious arguments of the period Marsden has chronicled and today. Many of the same issues, intellectualism, whether we should be a “Christian Nation”, and the place of science and common sense in society, were present then as they are today. I am also wading into David Livermore’s “Serving with Eyes Wide Open…Doing Short-Term Mission With Cultural Intelligence”. This book is brutal in its critique of short-term mission [STM] in general and the response of the "Church of America" in dealing with some horrible realities around the world. If you are involved in short-term mission, have kids that participate with your church in short-term mission, or are getting ready to go on a mission yourself, this book is a must read. Let me give you a couple of statistics that Livermore cites. 20% of the world lives on one dollar a day. 20% of the world lives on two dollars a day. The combined income of the 450 wealthiest people in the world is equal to that of 50% of the world’s population, or about 3.25 billion people. The numbers he cites, and the way he thinks about STM are not to be pushed aside by those of us who work and serve in this important area of the Christian church. Finally, if you are the type that prays, please remember me, and my ministry, Adventures in Life, the next couple of months. I am currently in Ensenada and will be heading to Oaxaca, Mexico in a couple of weeks. Until I return in September, I’ll leave all of the sports, political, and cultural stuff to all of you. Blessings!