the Odd Kouple

It has been some time since we posted.  I am sure you are wondering if we have fallen off the face of the earth.  Trust me that’s not the case. We have just been packed full of activities and getting into a new rhythm.  In fact, one of those activities I want to share with you right now. 

As many of you already know, Nikki decided some time ago to leave the CBF of GA and stay at home with Natalie.  This has been a wonderful, yet challenging transition.  The time Nikki has had with Natalie has been a blessing.  At the same time, Nikki has also found something to keep her involved in ministerial life.  In my eyes, she has found a little niche that fits her perfectly. 

I have been blessed to find a beautiful woman, but also one that has a great mind.  The thing that I have always loved about her preaching is that she would always bring out new perspectives and fresh ideas on biblical texts that I had never thought about before.  Even texts that I have heard preached on hundreds of times.  That’s why I love her new project and wanted to share it with you. 

Currently she is the face and writer behind a new form of discipleship media.  She is working with Faithelement.com to create background material for Sunday School classes or small groups.  The material is provided free of charge but is supported by donations and sponsors.  I encourage you to check them out and spread the word if it is something you find meaningful. 

Nikki provides the background information and research through a short video while other writers provide a variety of other material to accompany it.  When we look at new ways to approach our beliefs, I believe this will be one of those channels that people will gravitate towards. 

If anything, use it for your own meditations and growth as Nikki does what I love and brings a fresh pair of eyes to biblical texts.  Check out the links below and like I said….spread the Word.  I hope to post new videos as the become available. (Did I mention she is in HD…for me that’s just cool.)

Faith Element Home Page – provides full explanation of what they are trying to accomplish.

Collection of Nikki’s Videos found at Vimeo – Nikki’s FaithElement video collection

The June 6th video….(includes a blooper reel!  See if you can find the moment where Natalie interrupts the filming.)

I hope everyone is going great!  Thanks again for all your support!

Daniel

One of my favorite things about traveling to other parts of the world is learning about different faith traditions and how they are practiced.  Yesterday, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit a mosque and a Buddhist temple.

Our day started out at the mosque.  This is a large mosque and hundreds of people come to it everyday for prayer.  It is capable of holding 7500 people at one time.  We were not allowed to go into the mosque because we are not Muslim, but we were allowed to walk around it and learn about it.  We saw where the people washed before they went in for prayers.  They wash their feet, hands, forearms, face, mouth, and the top of their heads and they wash each of these three times.  After they wash, they may go inside to pray.  There are different patterns for kneeling and bowing based on which time they are praying during the day and they go for prayers 5 times each day.  The mosque did not have the typical look of a mosque that you might see in the states or in the Middle East.  The people who built it in the 1700s used a collection of architectural design to represent the various cultures that live in the area.  One of my favorite things about learning about other faith traditions is the way that it gives me pause to consider my own.  I was struck by how “set apart” the Muslim tradition seems to be.  They do things that cause them to visibly demonstrate their faith: they pray 5 times a day, some of the women wear the head covering, they are specific about washing before entering the mosque, and only Muslims are allowed to enter.   Whatever I believe and feel about these practices put aside, I was struck by this.  There are not many things I do that would cause people to automatically know that I am Christian.  I occasionally wear a cross around my neck and I go to church on Sunday mornings.  Other than that, most of my expressions of faith are done in private with my family.  It caused me to wonder, is there value to allowing your faith to be more visible in the things that we do? Not in a pious kind of way, but in a “this is who I am” kind of way.  

The Maitreya Buddha

After visiting the Mosque, we went back to the house for lunch and a rest.  Then we went to the Buddhist temple.  I am always so curious about Buddhism.  I think because I have the hardest time understanding it.  There are many wonderful things about the Buddhist way of life.  They have a wonderful respect for life, they express compassion, and they seem concerned with justice and inclusivity.  At the same time, I struggle to understand their desire to reach enlightenment.  This particular temple honored the Maitreya Buddha, which is the Buddha of the future.  This Buddha is said to bring about ultimate peace, joy, and happiness on earth.  This particular temple promoted vegetarianism and believed that one of the ways we can save the world is through the practice of vegetarianism.  This belief was important because it demonstrated their respect for all life.  There were some lovely statues of the Buddha and you were encouraged to pray before these statues.  We got to eat at a restaurant sponsored by this temple and it was wonderful food with a Chinese flare to it. 

Natalie was a big hit at the temple.  They allowed her to run all over and everyone wanted to pick her up, touch her curls, and pinch her cheeks.  She was a wonderful sport about it all.  Everyone is surprised when they find out she is not even two yet because of her size.  They always say, “Her body is so big!”

John and Casey's Church

This morning, we had the wonderful opportunity to go to church with John and Casey for Easter. While I love learning about other faith traditions, there is nothing like coming home to your own even if it is in another language.  The entire service was in the local language, but some how the language of faith transcends actual language barriers.  As we sat there and tried to sing along to both familiar and unfamiliar tunes, I was truly moved by the emotion that was expressed by those in the room.  It all felt so familiar to me.  The pastor preached on the resurrection, and even though I did not understand his words, I understood the joy that came across when he expressed the truth of our faith-that even in the darkest of times, God’s love conquers all and carries us through. 

Natalie is so active and she had a hard time sitting through the service today. I am so grateful to a wonderful woman who works here with John and Casey.  She volunteered to watch Natalie while we experienced the service.  Her young daughter helped to keep her entertained.  It was nice to be able to sit and enjoy the service. 

I really have felt so moved and humbled and challenged by this trip.  I am reminded that my world is so small and there are so many more perspectives on life and faith and the world than my own. It is a joy to experience new ways of thinking and to be challenged to look at things in new ways.  

Tonight, we got to have Easter dinner with a family who John and Casey work with here.  The couple hid eggs so that Natalie and their children could have an Easter egg hunt.  It was fun to watch Natalie run around, picking up eggs, and enjoying herself.  

There is more to write about from today, but that will be another time.  For now, I hope you are all having a wonderful Easter day and find yourself strengthened and encouraged by the good news that “Jesus is Risen!”

The Easter Egg Hunt