Anniversary trip

Jeannie and I began our 30th anniversary trip in the small Austrian village of Hallstatt. Hallstatt is amazing and can hardly be described in words (so I’m adding a couple of pictures). Only 1200 people live here and they built the town on the side of the mountain right next to the lake. The buildings are literally built into the mountain and you can’t go anywhere very far without climbing steps! The town itself is really old, going back thousands of years because of the salt mines. Most of the people are Catholic and, in fact, it wasn’t until the 18th century that they even allowed a Protestant church in the town. Of course, we took tons of pictures and enjoyed the quiet, slow pace. Because of our travel schedule, we didn’t plan to eat until late and the most fun part of the dinner was sitting across from a group of young men from Thailand who were filming a travel commercial/movie! They ordered this huge feast of grilled fish, steak, ham and more and then proceeded to film all of it while two of the guys talked about what they were eating in Thai. It took forever for them to arrange the shots and close-ups to get the right angles and to show the guys eating the food in the right order, etc. By the time they actually started to eat, everything was cold! But they explained that this is what they always do and the restaurant people took the stuff and heated it up again. It was a fun bonus “floor show” to our dinner!

In Hallsatt, we decided to forego any big tours of stuff like the salt mines in favor of quieter days of relaxing and walking and taking pictures. We went to the “Charnel House” located behind the Catholic church. This Charnel House contains about 600 painted skulls! This is a cultural tradition of the eastern part of Austria where people are buried for 10 years and then they dig up the bones and bleach them in the sun and then paint them and put the bones in this Charnel House. They would then re-use the grave space. Most of the skulls in this house were from the 18th century, but one was as late as 1983 and you can still see the lady’s gold tooth in the skull! This is just one example of some very unusual religious traditions that we have observed in Europe, but definitely one of the most strange! The people connected this tradition with the passage in Ezekiel 37 where Ezekiel was in the valley of dry bones and God brought life to them again.

The sad thing is that what really needs the breath of God’s life are the religious practices we have observed. What is it that turns a church that was once the center of life in a community into a museum of the past? One of the things that I am praying that God will impress on me during this time is how to lead our church to avoid becoming only admired for our architecture or valued only for historical interest. My desire is for First Baptist to continue to be a vital force for God long after I have passed off the scene and that requires giving much thought to the future, not just the past!

A Lesson in Waiting

It has been a while since I posted anything. May 20th was mine and Jeannie’s 30th anniversary! We got up that day and took the train to Moreton-in- Marsh in the Cotswolds. They were having a huge outdoor market so we went exploring. Some of the salespeople were clever like the guys who looked like a middle eastern with a long beard and said, “Bin Laden is with the Taliban but I am the “towel man” – he was selling bath towels! When we got hungry we saw a lot of people coming out of a little fish & chips shop so Jeannie went in to investigate. They were frying fish and chips as fast as they could and then they wrap it up in several sheets of manila paper with lots of salt and malt vinegar. We got two and two drinks and went to sit down at the bus stop.
Riding a bus in the Cotswolds is an opportunity to increase your prayer life. The roads are narrow (think of Helen St. by our house and take off 2-3 feet). So when one bus meets another bus or a large truck, they really have to maneuver to get by. We went to another village called Chipping Campden. We walked around and explored the shops, a large church and saw the quintessential Cotswold scenes of old church, stone walls, ancient gravestones, and lots of sheep grazing on the hills. Lots of beautiful flowers and old buildings with the Cotswolds honey colored stone. We found out where the thatched roof homes were and walked to see them. There were many that were quite large with lovely gardens. We walked along a street called “Sheep Street” that had one very nice house for sale that we later saw was £1.25 million or about $2.5 million. I decided that those sheep farmers weren’t “pulling the wool over our eyes,” they must have “fleeced” a lot of people to be able to afford a home like that! (Sorry, a little sheep pun humor for ewe).
Our day ended with a lesson in trust and patience. As we waited for the bus to return from Chipping Campden to Moreton-in-Marsh we realized that we had looked at the schedule wrong and we either had to take a taxi back ($40) or wait for a later bus that would put us back only 10 minutes before our train was to leave. We decided to trust that God would allow us to make it back on the bus in time or He would work things out for a later train. Of course, God already knew that, 1) we would have Speed Racer as a bus driver, and 2) the train would be a few minutes late, which gave us plenty of time. We made it back to Oxford in time to eat dinner and get ready to leave the next day to go to Salzburg, Austria (this was the real 30th anniversary trip).Because we had to wait an extra two hours in a little town that we had already seen, we also learned a little about the value of waiting. Waiting allowed us to have some quality time together on our 30th anniversary to just talk and share. It reminded us both of the importance of learning to wait on God. Sometimes we read God’s schedule wrong (or more often try to put Him on our schedule) and so we end up waiting on God’s perfect timing. We can either wait patiently or impatiently. When we wait patiently, we can discover the value of using that time to deepen our relationship with God, to have extended conversations with Him so that, at the end, we value the waiting time instead of regretting it.

Running the Race

This weekend I participated in a race here at Oxford called the “Town and Gown 10K.” The name comes from a period in the history of Oxford when there was a sharp division between the members of the university and the rest of the city. The academics somewhat looked down on the townspeople and the townspeople thought the academics were snooty. At times it went beyond attitudes to violence. So the designation “town and gown” became a part of Oxford culture. One person I told about the race said he envisioned people running in academic robes and I actually saw on runner dressed that way! I ran in the race as a part of the “next step” theme of the sabbatical. It was a lot of fun! About 3300 people participated and the course wound through the streets of Oxford.

Sunday evening at the church we attended, St. Aldates, the sermon was about running the race from Philippians 3. The pastor talked about taking stock of what shape you were in before running and committing to consistent training. The message also focused on getting up when you fall and “shaking it off” and continuing on in the race in order to finish strong. Afterwards, I thought about my own experience in the race. Running the race was a parable of sorts for this whole sabbatical journey. I almost didn’t enter because of the difficulties in registration and I almost gave up but stuck with it and got in. I have to admit I was nervous about the race partly because I have not run a 10K in a long time and partly because I didn’t want to get injured or something this far from home. But I persevered and ran the whole way and even finished under my goal time! I didn’t finish first (or anywhere close) but I did complete the race.

One of the things in the sermon last night applying all of this to my spiritual life that was encouraging to me was the idea that the Holy Spirit in me wants me to finish strong, He wants me to persevere. He wants me to run all the way! The same is true for you. The Spirit is not only the power that enables you to run the race of faith, He is your biggest cheerleader, urging you along, pushing you to persevere. Keep running!

We are glad to hear of people reading the blog and keeping up with what’s happening. One of the things that is hard to keep comprehending is how old things are here. This church we worshipped in last night dates back to the 11th century! And yet we sang contemporary praise songs and watched a video screen! It is really cool to realize God has been and continues to work through all different forms of worship. Thanks for your prayers! We love and miss our church family.

A Very Big God

We have been at Oxford for a little over a week now and I am having several different kinds of feelings. As you look around the city when we walk to see the sites, it is incredible the influence of Christianity. Listen to some of the names of the colleges: Christ Church, All-Souls, St Peter’s, St Mary’s, Jesus, St John’s, and those are just few. Almost all of the colleges have beautiful chapels with historic stained glass and connections with figures in the history of the church. And yet when you look into the faces of the people and listen to them talk, there seems to be a great disconnect between the overwhelming historical impact of Christianity and their daily lives. I am impressed that as a whole most people do not have a growing relationship with God. Christianity seems much more of a formality than a daily walk.

And yet, we have had the privilege – especially here at Regent’s Park – to meet some incredible Christian people who are seeking to make an impact for the kingdom of God in this center of academic life. At the Friday evening dinner (called the High Table), we met a couple from the USA who are at Oxford because he is a senior research fellow in anthropology. He came here from working with Young Life in the Kansas City area where he and his wife were both on the staff. They found out that the Young Life group they were with was closing down and the day after that happened, he got a call to come to Oxford to research why people believe in God. Apparently the Oxford community is very open to evangelicals who can give a good explanation of their faith. He and his wife have had many opportunities to give witness to people who literally have the potential to impact the world!

We are so grateful to God for allowing us to have this experience. It has already been both challenging and enriching. It is amazing to learn about how God is working in places where I never could have imagined. If nothing else, it has confirmed to me the truth that God is growing His kingdom all of the time. As the Gospel of John says God is always at work and He invites us to join Him in that work. How awesome it is to be reminded that God is not limited by my perspective or even my imagination. One of the books I am reading is Kingdom Principles for Church Growth. Encountering people from different parts of the world encourages me that we have a very big God and nothing is impossible for Him. I am thankful for the ways that God is teaching me that lesson here at Oxford!

On a lighter note, here are some good reasons to live in Siloam Springs:
· Gasoline is ONLY $3.50 a gallon vs. $9.00 a gallon
· Eggs are only $2 a dozen vs. $6 a dozen
· Hordes of Japanese, French & Italian tourists do not run you off the sidewalks all over town!
· You can get a cup of plain coffee for less than $3
· Starbucks is 3.50£ for a mocha which is $7 in US dollars!

Courage and Creativity

On Monday Jeannie and I began the readings in the book Returning to Holiness by Gregory Frizzell. I am grateful for the 40-Day plan that allows us time to really reflect on the scriptures and on the probing questions. If you have started this 40-Day journey too (and I hope that you have!), by now you have realized that the questions, if taken seriously, are indeed very probing! As God begins to work on my thought life, I am grateful to have the opportunity to give additional time to this reflection. The Bible is clear that the transforming process of becoming like Jesus begins with allowing God to shape our minds. I am challenged to grasp what it really means to think about the things of God more than the daily routines. I am pretty sure it doesn’t mean thinking about the programs of the church! I would love to hear from you what it means to you to think more about the things of God than the things of this world. Do you find that hard? I hope you will comment on what you are beginning to learn through reading Dr. Frizzell’s book.

I have also been reading a book entitled, “Reaching People under 40 while Keeping People over 60.” Does that sound like a challenge or what?! That book along with a book based on research from Willow Creek Church entitled, “REVEAL,” have been challenging my thoughts over the last few days. The sub-title for the “Reaching People under 40…” book is: “Being Church for All Generations.” Does that sound like a challenge? Both of these books are helping me to begin to grasp the future possibilities for our church. They have challenged me to go back and examine the ministry of Jesus and the early church for their priorities. I certainly don’t know all of the answers, but I do know this – I want to be focusing on the priorities of Jesus and His commission, not what allows me to stay comfortable or what is easy.

Where we are staying in Oxford is a great place to think about those kinds of challenges. One of the features of the Angus Library here at Regent’s Park College is a collection of memorabilia from William Carey (including the couch where he died!). William Carey was the founder of the modern missionary movement. He was an English Baptist and he wanted to go to India to take the gospel. When he sought support, he was basically told “that if God wants to save the heathen in India, He can do it without us!” That didn’t stop Carey, he just found another way to accomplish what God was calling him to do. I pray that same kind of courage and creativity will characterize our lives.

Jeannie's Turn!

I thought you might be interested in some of our observations about Oxford. Someone said “that the US and England are two countries separated by a common language” and is that ever true! Here are some “we’re not in Siloam Springs anymore” things we have noticed in our first five days here:
· Talking to people with names like Penelope, Myra, Fiona and Nigel.
· Climbing narrow stairs to the “loo” and being careful not to bump your head on 500 year old wooden beams.
· Brewing a pot of tea for breakfast along with toasted crumpets, butter and honey—YUM.
· Not knowing what the fat grams and calories are because everything is listed in the metric system—I like this!
· Being at a Baptist college and being offered sherry before dinner and wine with dinner.
· College students playing croquet at all hours of the day and night.
· Checkers at Sainsbury (grocers) looking disgusted that I cannot understand their English.
· Tepid water pitchers on the tables.
· Everyone riding bikes from the 12 year-olds to the 80 year-olds.
· Beautiful parks on a Saturday afternoon with college students jousting with poles and wooden shields.
· Delicious breads and bright, bright yellow butter.
· Citrus-flavored Diet Coke—really good.
· 1£ and 2£ coins and 5 pence coins smaller than a dime and 2 pence coins as big as a 50 cent piece.
· Incredible chocolate bars, great “biscuits” or “digestives”(cookies) and “crisps” (potato chips).
We are loving this experience and walking around a town that has so much incredible history. Walking by a pub that has been here since 1262! Sitting in the church where John Wesley preached his first sermon. I love this incredible adventure but sure miss our wonderful friends from Siloam. Can you guys all fly over for a week?

New Experiences; New Insights

One of the best things about being at Oxford is the new experiences we are having and the new insights God is giving us. Last Friday we experienced an Oxford tradition called the “High Table.” This is a somewhat formal dinner for the faculty and students where everyone dresses up and then there is somewhat of a ceremony to it. We were invited as part of our program here. It begins with the faculty and guests meeting in what is called the “Senior Commons Room” to visit before dinner. When the students are seated, then someone comes and knocks on the door and we “process” into the dining room! The dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. sharp and then at 8:00 p.m. the principal hits a gavel and dinner is over! Ready or not!! It was fun, but the best part was the people we got to meet.
We met a wonderful couple named Alister and Allison Brown. Alister is the head of the Baptist Missionary Society of Great Britain but in September he is going to become president of the Northern Baptist Seminary in Chicago. We talked about the differences they will experience coming from England to America. It was fun to listen to Alister because he is from Scotland. We also met a lady who knows Dick and Jane Mohline from Siloam Springs! When she heard where we were from, she asked, “Do you know a Dick and Jane Mohline?” and we said, “Yes.” She had studied at Talbot Seminary in California when Dick was teaching there. Small world!! We had wonderful discussion at dinner about worship and the impact of Christianity on culture. In England, everyone is basically born into the Anglican church unless you choose not to be, but hardly anyone attends church. Baptists are very much in the minority. In fact, our church would be quite a large Baptist church over here.
On Sunday, we attended a city-wide service called “Love Oxford.” It was sponsored by many of the churches in Oxford and attended by 3-4,000 people. It was an amazing and powerful worship service! It was a wonderful display of Christian unity by people from all different denominations and also different racial and ethnic backgrounds. It made me think about what I had read in my quiet time the day before from John 17, where Jesus prayed that we would all be one. I’m quite sure He wasn’t just praying for Baptists! God is honored and Jesus is revealed, the Bible says, when we come together in unity as Christians. One example of the spirit of unity was a time of baptism. Four people were baptized by two pastors – one a Baptist pastor, the other the Bishop of Oxford (Anglican). That’s not something you see every day! (By the way, it was by immersion!).
At the service we met a lady named Kim who, having only just met us, asked us to pray for her because she felt God wanted her to go to Africa to work with AIDS orphans. You should have seen her face when we told her that a group from our church was going to do that very thing this summer in Uganda! We told her about World Orphans and promised to pray for her.
One of the songs we sang at Love Oxford was called, “You’re the God of this City.” It was a very powerful song that spoke , I believe, a word from God to me in the chorus that said: There is no one like our God. Greater things have yet to come; Greater things are still to be done in this city. I believe that is true of Siloam Springs – greater things are still to be done in this city! I pray that this sabbatical time will help me listen to what greater things God wants to do!

I’m not quite sure how to begin a “blog”! I’m not even sure where the term came from, but maybe someone will let me know. We arrived about 9:30 Thursday morning (May 8) at London Heathrow Airport. Both Jeannie and I slept little on the plane, partly because of people coughing or babies crying (standard fare), but more so because of the compact space you have. When you board the plane they make you walk through business class and sometimes first class to make you think, next time maybe I’ll do that – then you find out how much it costs!!

We arrived by bus at Oxford around 12:30 and walked the short distance to Regent’s Park College where we will be staying. Regent’s Park is a Baptist College in the Oxford University system and so the dining hall is Helwys Hall and we are staying in the H. Wheeler Robinson apartment. More about who those two are later, but suffice it to say that we are surrounded by Baptist history and even more than that the broader history of those who believed in the cause of Christ at a level many of us have never even considered. Right across the street from our apartment is a monument to the Oxford martyrs – Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer – who were burned at the stake in that very place in 1555. Why? Because they disagreed with the church at Rome on salvation by faith alone and because they believed that the Bible should be translated into English. It makes me wonder what I would be willing to die for. Do I hold any convictions so deeply that I would refuse to deny them even while being burned alive? That’s pretty serious!

I hope to be inspired by such historic commitment and deepen my conviction of what is worth giving my life for – whether God asks for it in a dramatic fashion, or whether He asks for it a little bit at a time. For most of us that is the commitment God wants, total commitment, given one day, one hour, one minute at a time. That’s pretty hard too.

Tomorrow we learn about getting connected to the college and the university libraries and so on. It has been a long day and we are both tired but grateful to God for this amazing opportunity. May we be good stewards of what we’ve been given.

We are in an apartment just around the corner from the Eagle and Child - the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein met to read their stories to each other and exchange comments. It is the place where Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia were created! The picture shows Jeannie in front.

That's all for now!