Reed Family Update: Engagement Parties and How to be Chopped!

This is going to be quite an exciting year for our family.  My son Noah and his fiancée, Hannah Birmingham, will be getting married on May 6, 2022.  My daughter Hannah and her fiancé, Matt Koster, will be getting married on September 10, 2022.  Four months apart, and lots of intense wedding planning, which is so much fun!

Since both of my children and their beloved having been living independently for some time, they both declared that they didn't need wedding showers, so we decided to hold engagement parties for them instead.  And as we talked about fun things to do at an engagement party, we all agreed that our family's love for cooking shows would be a fun theme.  So, on November 27, we held a "Chopped" Engagement Party for Noah and his Hannah; and on February 20, we held a "Chopped" Engagement Party for Hannah and Matt.  We had grandmothers, aunts and uncles, parents, siblings, groomsmen and bridesmaids and their significant others and more!  Both parties were really a lot of fun, so I'm sharing this with you with bunches of photos!

If you aren't familiar with the show Chopped, the idea (which we modified for our own delight) is that teams of two have to cook with mystery food ingredients, in a limited amount of time, with a variety of sabotages that can also be thrown their way.  Then judges judge the food based on taste, presentation, and the use of the mystery ingredients.  They had to cook with artichokes, plantains, tomatillos, and other fun ingredients for the entree; and for the dessert, they had to figure out how to make a tasty dessert with root beer, pomegranate, Cheetos, and other fun ingredients!

The sabotages they had to deal with included having their hands tied together (with a garter of course - it's a wedding theme!) for the whole cooking round; for one member to have to hold a bouquet in one hand for the whole cooking round; to wear "Team Bride" glasses, which have very limited vision, for the whole round, and more.  There was tension, laughter, frustration, and fun, all wrapped up in what turned out to be very successful and tasty dishes over all!  

Enjoy these pictures!  I'll put Noah's engagement party pictures first, then Hannah's engagement party pictures.  

Noah and Hannah Birmingham's party:

Those who cooked for Noah and Hannah B's party - Hannah Reed was the MC.

The bride and groom to be...and yes, Noah felt left out of festive dressing, so he is wearing the veil.  (Is he a little bit like his dad?  Absolutely!

Some of the beautiful plates of food, and the judges for Noah and Hannah's party (including the bride-to-be, and my husband Michael, who both did a great job!)

Hannah and Matt Koster's party:

Brother and sister, getting married four months apart.  Love these two!

 

Hannah and Matt opening a few kitchen presents that could be used for the Chopped party, and then would end up in their home.

The Grooms team - Matt with his groomsmen as well as his sister, who will stand up for him - cooking for Team Groom!

The bride's team - Hannah's maid of honor and bridesmaids, as well as her brother who will stand up for her - cooking for Team Bride!

Bride and groom as judges, as well as one of Hannah's bridesmaids and Matt's grandmother!  (And yes, you had to be a bit brave to eat this food, so I give her props!)

Noah and one of Hannah's bridesmaids trying to cook while tied together.  Not easy to do!

Trying to make a dessert while holding a bouquet!  Mwah ha ha ha ha!

The Team Bride sunglasses, which only has pinholes through which to see.  But the pie looks pretty good, doesn't it!

All in all, a fun time.  We have decided that we will do these types of competitions on our own as a family, as we enjoyed it so much.  But not until after the weddings!  

Bob is not far from our thoughts with all of this - his missing these upcoming events with his children and our missing his presence and input.   He has missed so much already in the last twelve years.  While the amount of time since he left us continues to grow, our missing him at these big events does not lessen.  But God is still good!

Crap Detector #1: Blessings - Passive Receiving or Active Equipping?

When I look back over my own faith journey, I'm sometimes surprised to realize that I've essentially been pastored by two men.  From birth to age 17, I attended the churches where my father was the pastor.  At age 17, I moved from Canada to Grand Rapids and started attending Madison Square Church, and Pastor David Beelen was my pastor until he retired a couple of years ago.  That is a lot of years of influence on my life and faith, especially from Pastor Dave!  

A recurring exhortation that Pastor Dave would use in his teaching was that all Christians need to fine-tune their own "crap detectors" in order to determine what was Biblical truth and what was not.  I remember chuckling over that phrase - one that my father, the other pastor in my life, would NEVER have used and definitely not from the pulpit!  What's even better is that Pastor Dave had a "crap detector" built and brought it to the pulpit on many a Sunday to press home the illustration.  His goal was to get us to not blindly accept what was taught from the pulpit or anywhere else, but to learn the word of God and bury it in our hearts.

Over the years, my crap detector has become finetuned in detecting some specific foul-smelling errors relating to my passion and my work.  My crap detector has been known to go off when I hear or read false or muddled unbiblical ideas especially around the concepts of the sacred/secular divide, the theology of work, and the purpose of our place in creation.  Others may have their crap detector attuned to different biblical issues and problems.  For my husband, Michael, for example, who has spent his adult life being an editor for New Testament studies and theology, his crap detector is very attuned toward Pauline studies and matters relating to what Paul teaches.

I pray your indulgence as I am going to spend a few blogs pointing out where my crap detector has been going off lately. I hope that in sharing these things within the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit will help us all to be attuned to God's word, keeping our "crap detectors" finely tuned for the falsehoods that so easily pose as truth.

The first alarm bell I want to sound is the way Christians misunderstand and misuse the word "blessing."  My crap detector has gone off for some time when I hear how believers use this word, but only recently has it become clearer to me why this is so. 

My crap detector has gone off when I hear Americans talk about how blessed we are to live in this country of relative safety, wealth, and opportunity.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to live in the US, especially all the more so this last week with the war between Russia and the Ukraine.  However, in my mind, I wondered when I hear such things from other believers: "Is this really a blessing?  The way in which our country has achieved our current state of prosperity and relative peace was not exactly 'Christian' in many ways.  How do we now get to say, 'Thank God for these blessings?'  

A secondary bell goes off on the old detector as well. Doesn't this level of 'blessing' that we so enjoy tend to lead to complacency, apathy, and express itself in a lack of need for God?  Are we not fast moving toward a post-Christian era in the US because of our individual, cultural, even spiritual attitude toward these "blessings?" Would not the flip side be that if this prosperity and relative peace is blessing for us, then Ukraine is not blessed?  Or there is no blessing for Nigeria, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, or other countries dealing with on-going conflict or poverty?  Intentional or not, we, as Americans, thank God and cling to these privileges received as blessings, as if they are richly deserved.

To be fair, my crap detector has also sounded when I have left American shores. It's gone off when, for example, I hear Africans praying for blessings.  Frequently enough, there has been a subtle (or less than subtle) subtext that to receive a blessing, a believer must have enough faith, or spend enough time in prayer, or plant a large enough seed, or be holy enough.  In this case, it's as if the blessing is earned.

Maybe my crap detector has become heightened to the question of "blessing" because of Bob's death.  Many missionaries talk about how blessed they have been by God in His protection; that was not something I could say after Bob's death.  Or maybe it has become sharpened through spending so much time in countries with poverty, disease, conflict, and war, so that when I hear North American Christians pray for what we enjoy and describe as "blessings," it sounds hollow and superficial. What we in the US might perceive as a lack of blessings, may be the rich fertile soil for a deeper understanding.  As New Testament believers and Christians in most of the world know from experience, even as we are going through trials, it does not mean that we are not blessed. Both Matthew 5:5-6 and James 1:12 reminds us that we are blessed when we are under trial and persecution. (Matthew 5:5-6, Message version: "You're blessed when you are at the end of your rope.  With less of you there is more of God and his rule.  You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.  Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." James 1:12 - "Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.") In this case, blessings are not an event or a material good, but it is the loving word of our Father over our lives that is revealed on our life's journey.

Blessings cannot be earned NOR are they deserved NOR are they an event.  

Blessing is an empowering or an equipping.  It is not passive receiving.

God does not ask us to do something without empowering us to do what He is asking.  His blessings are an active equipping.  In Genesis 1:28, we were blessed before we did anything, in order for us to fulfil our purpose on this earth.  We are blessed to be fruitful.  We are blessed to reign. Those blessings are for all nations, for all people, made in HIS image, flourishing in this amazing world that He has created, with resources for all to use for our own flourishing and the flourishing of others.  

We are blessed to be a blessing just like Abraham (Genesis 12:2 and Galatians 3:9).

Inherent in this is that we should be careful when we pray for a blessing.  To whom it is given, much is required.  We are to pass that blessing on to others.  We are to keep open hands before the Lord when He gives blessings.  These blessings are not ours to hold tight to and try to control.  But rather, with open hands, we give the opportunity for these blessings to be a renewable resource that can make nations great, and people flourish.

Does your crap detector go off when reading this blog?  If so, please feel free to write me at renita@dmleaders.org.  And I would also love to hear what makes your crap detector go off!

More about Rwanda

As a novice to Rwanda, I find it to be fascinating.  The genocide of 1994, which killed approximately 800,000 people (1/5th of the population!) in ten days by approximately 150,000 perpetrators(!) should have decimated the country for years to come.  There should have been backlash, acting out, PTSD, mistrust, and more for quite a period of time to come.

But after twenty years, there is quite a different testimony.  Consider this:

• Kigali is considered the cleanest city in all of Africa.
• Rwanda is considered the safest country in all of Africa.
• Per capita income has more than doubled since 2019 and is $2155; in 1990 it was $933.  There is still a lot of poverty in Rwanda, with 55% of the population still below the poverty line, and 22% in severe multidimensional poverty.
• 
  Health insurance is provided for all citizens at the low cost of $10/year.  Infant mortality and death of children under the age of five has plummeted.  Life expectancy went from 33.4 years in 1990 to 69 years in 2019.
• Public schooling is free and Rwanda boasts that 97% of children are in primary school, the highest in Africa.  Expected years of schooling in 1990 were 5.7 years; in 2019, it was 11.2 years.
• They were one of the first countries to get rid of plastic bags.
• Electricity has been brought throughout the country.
• Rwanda has the highest proportion of women in government in the world.  They now have the right to own property and keep an equal inheritance in a divorce.

Only 71 people were convicted by the UN tribunal for their role in the genocide. Most others confessed and went through the peace and reconciliation process, allowing them to process forgiveness, healing, and reintegration into society.

To discourage tribalism and identify as one nation of Rwandan people, the government introduced a new flag and new national anthem in 2001.

The World Bank measures the ease of doing business in countries around the world, and Rwanda ranks better than the US in a number of areas!  Rwanda ranks at 29 out of 190 countries for the ease of doing business; #2 for registering property, #14 for protecting minority investors, and #35 for paying taxes.  

The Bishop of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda

This work of rebuilding the nation spread also to the churches.  In 2018, 6000 churches were closed for not meeting structural and pollution regulations (in many cases, sound pollution - churches competed to be the noisiest with their services).  Many of these churches were able to reopen once they met the standards, but the message given was that churches need to be contributing to the flourishing of people, and not deceiving their congregations with misleading sermons. Pastors are now required to have a first degree in theology.  We met with the bishop of the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda (pictured here), the largest evangelical denomination in the country, who had as one of his first duties to let go of 1000 pastors.  Those critical of this work were quickly silenced by being reminded that the church was complicit in the genocide.  Additionally, the church is criticized for not contributing to the flourishing of human life on earth, rather it promotes dependency and complacency.  This is in part why the Pentecostal Church of Rwanda is interested in working with Discipling Marketplace Leaders.

Lots of great things.  Lots of changes.  Lots of challenges.

It is quite fascinating to think about why and how and who.  So many countries continue to struggle with the aftereffects of various forms of devastation and the ability to move on seems illusive.  How did these changes happen?

Two key leaders in Kigali DML training

While what I know is extremely limited by only what I hear and read, I believe that President Kagame has articulated a very clear and critical message of resisting a dependency mentality, which has had an impact on how the government works (looking internally for change and development rather than externally), as well as how the average citizen works, not looking externally for assistance and development but looking internally for ways to contribute to Rwanda.  President Kagame is quoted as saying, "We have understood for a long time that you can't cure poverty without democracy.  the only cure is through business, entrepreneurship, and innovation."  Forbes goes on to say this in the same article:  "On a continent in which power tends to coagulate at the top and rarely spreads to regional and local levels, Rwanda preaches a gospel of free enterprise and private sector job creation."

In contrast to countries who proclaim that, if elected, they will bring salvation and relief from misery (promoting dependency on government) and willing to sell out to foreign donors, this is a more healthy, Godly view of people, made in the image of God with the capacity to be co-creators with Him.  This is not to say that there aren't points of criticism about the who and the how and the when, and I'm aware of those criticisms.  But the results are quite remarkable.  It makes me want to live there for a while, just to watch and learn.  I pray that there may be lasting peace, progress, and flourishing for all citizens in this country!

Leaders trained in Discipling Marketplace Leaders in Kigali

Fourth stop, Kenya (and a new tip for getting an audience's attention!) 😊

I'm sending this from home, where I arrived last night (Sunday).  So thankful to God for traveling mercies and trip mercies!

In the past 24 days, the following occurred:  

• Nine flights (total flight and airport time was 57 hours)
• 32 hours driving on the road 
• Ten different beds (which includes ten times packing, unpacking, and the favorite pastime of ironing), 
• Seven two-day foundational workshops (112 teaching hours) in seven different cities in four different countries, training 620 pastors and church leaders
• Nine COVID tests, dealing with long lines, costing a total of $390 USD per person
• Countless meetings before, after, and during the workshops with DML teams, leaders of denominations and organizations, old friends and new friends.

Praise God for the strength and ability to get through all of this, relatively smoothly!

Karibu Kenya

The last leg in this journey was in Nairobi, Kenya.  Here, we met with a new DML partner, Life Ministries Kenya, which is the Kenyan name for Campus Crusade for Christ.

CRU (as it is known in the US) is not just about campus ministry, but it also works with churches and denominations, encouraging discipleship and leadership development, as well as church planting.  The workshop in Nairobi was attended by many of the Life Ministry Kenya staff, including the National Director.  

The message of DML resonated with them and they said that the time is right for this message, especially in this season of COVID where churches have lost significant amounts of members.  One leader said, "The church has been caught with their pants down - they made the church all about the building and programs, and not about equipping the people."

Other comments made at the close of the workshop:

Everything you are saying is in the Bible - and we have this same Bible...How did we not see it? (Justice Mediator and Business Owner)

 I realize that I have been teaching everything wrong.  I have been teaching scarcity and population control.  I have learned that people are not the problem, they are God's solution.  Going forward, I will be changing how I teach.  (Economics Professor)

The leadership of God's church is shifting from the pastors and bishops to the leaders in the Marketplace.  (Pastor) 

We are excited to see what God can do through this partnership!

Tips for Commanding the Attention of an Audience

For those of you on Facebook, you may have learned of the *shocking* experience I had in Mwanza, Tanzania.  I am developing tips on how to command an audience's attention.  In Ethiopia, I fainted while teaching and was caught by my translator.  In Mwanza, I was electrocuted and saved by my translator.  All of this is a good (albeit humiliating) way to get the attention of the audience!

What happened was this:  We were just opening the workshop with welcome and introductions, following which we would show a short video.  While Pastor Anthony was doing the intro and welcome, I was making sure the video was ready to go.  We were using two projectors - one for English and one for Swahili.  I realized that the computer we were using for Swahili did not have the video on it, so I decided to switch HDMI cords to project from the English computer.  I unplugged the HDMI cord from the Swahili computer and walked over to the English computer and unplugged that HDMI cord.  As soon as I did, the current (220, not 110) started surging from one hand to the other, through my body.  I began shaking.  I tried to shake the cords off of me, but they were now stuck on my palms, attached like magnets.  I called out, "Help me!" three times, while stumbling backwards and then falling to the floor.  Pastor Anthony tried to pull the cord to get it off of me but it would not detach.  He then grabbed my arm and was able to pull one of the cords off, which ended the flow of electricity.  It took about 10-15 seconds.  So, there I sat on the floor, and looking up, saw everyone gathered around with great concern.  Yup.  Embarrassing.  

It was definitely scary for me, and I keep wondering what would have happened if I was alone - how could I have ended the flow of that current?  But God is good, and I am fine!  My doctor encouraged me to get an EKG when I could, so I was able to do that in Nairobi and was told my heart is "perfect." But I didn't touch the cords at that workshop for the rest of my time there!  

It's not unusual for things not to be grounded in various parts of Africa, and I've been shocked many, many times.  But never for a sustained period like this!

For more tips on commanding an audience, especially if you are willing to be embarrassed, stay tuned!  

The training in Nairobi, with the majority of participants from Life Ministries Kenya and the Africa Community Fellowship Churches.

View of Lake Victoria from Mwanza, Tanzania

Third stop, Tanzania

I am writing to you from Mwanza, on the north side of Tanzania, on Lake Victoria.  It was quite a road trip to get here! After arriving in Dar es Salaam (the economic capital) on Wednesday, we took a 12 hour (500 km) road trip on Thursday (had anticipated it would be a six hour road trip) to Dodoma (the political capital).  There we had a two day foundational workshop on Friday and Saturday, and then drove 12 hours to Mwanza (700 km).  Flying had been suggested but with four of us, this seemed more economical.  

But the fact that it is a beautiful country, and I was with delightful company, made the trip enjoyable.  I was with Pastor James Kamau, Pastor Anthony Kayombo, and Dr. Walker (pictured below), and with the four of us over 24 hours, we shared, debated, laughed, sang, and prayed.  The car did break down about seven hours in to our trip to Mwanza (pictured below) - and I happened to be driving at the time :( - but after about an hour, it started again (and I was the one who happened to turn the key when it started, which made me feel better!).

One of the reasons for the longer drive to Dodoma was a stop made on the way to a Masai village, deep in the bush.  There were actually no roads to this village and we drove on a pathway.  This village is one that our DML team has been reaching out to and visiting regularly for the past year.  There is no church in the area, and during the recent drought (which I shared about this past December), they lost many cows.  For the Masai, cows are life.  Because of the sustainability projects that we have been able to do through our partners and with your generous support, we were able to give thirteen cows to four different Masai men in this village.  This opened the door to have conversations with them, as they were astounded that cows would be given as gifts, with no strings attached.  Over time, the team was able to show the Jesus film in the village, and a number of men and women from this village have given their lives to Christ.  A number of people from this village are still viewing this team with great suspicion, but many came to greet us and they allowed us to take a picture with them.  It was a great privilege to be a guest in that place.

The workshop in Dodoma went well, and there seems to be a good group that is growing in their capacity to be leaders and trainers in DML going forward.

It is DML's first time in Mwanza so we shall see how it goes here!

On Wednesday, we fly to Kenya, which will be the last leg in this journey.

Thank you for your prayers!

Participants in Dodoma, held in a Free Pentecostal Church.

Pastor James Kamau, me, Dr. Walker, and Pastor Anthony, enjoying a quick stretch after seven hours of driving.

But shortly after that, the car broke down.  Here Dr. Walker pretends to fix it while Pastor Anthony can't help but laugh.

But we had a beautiful view and after just over an hour of waiting, the car started again and we made it safely to Mwanza.

Second stop, Rwanda.

Greetings from Rwanda!  This is my first time in this beautiful country! 

Many years ago (2001), my late husband Bob visited Rwanda as he was feeling a call to Africa and there was a position opening that would be a good fit for him.  It was the first African country that he had visited and I was unable to accompany him (I was not yet feeling the call!).  He came away from that trip feeling that living in Rwanda would be very difficult, especially because of the language challenges (French).  Since then, Rwanda has changed to have the official language be English, and under the leadership of President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has made amazing progress economically!  According to the World Bank, which assesses each country on the "ease of doing business," Rwanda is doing better than the US in a number of areas (taxes, registering property, and protection of minority investors)!  This is quite a contrast to their neighbor, Burundi.  The per capita income in Rwanda is $2100, whereas in Burundi it is $780. 

Both Rwanda and Burundi are amazingly beautiful countries, with rolling hills and mountains.

We are here at the invitation of one of our partners, Global Advance, who adopted DML as one of their key ministries a couple of years ago.  Last August, their Rwandan leader, joined us for a workshop in Tanzania and became convinced that DML was the way forward for the church in Rwanda.  Bosco is a business man as well as a leader of a nonprofit that is helping with poverty alleviation in Rwanda.  Bosco is not a man who sits still, and as I write, I am quarantining in what Bosco describes as a "DML hotel."

We are excited to be here.  I think if there is any world leader that I would be interested in interviewing, it would be President Kagame.  What he has done in his 20 years as president is quite remarkable, especially giving the genocide that happened just before he assumed power.  Yesterday as we drove in from the airport, his entourage drove by and I wanted to stop it and meet him, but was advised that it might not be the best approach!  (Kidding, of course!)

View from hotel in Kigali

During our time in Burundi, we were amazed that there were leaders present from 15 of the 18 provinces, with a total of 434 pastors and church leaders, from many denominations.  The response was very positive and Burundi as a whole seems to recognize both the problem and the opportunity in understanding that work is to be done as an act of worship.  The DML team in Burundi did an amazing job in organizing the events, and we have heard that the government has been discussing DML as they have been frustrated that the church has been focused on salvation only and not on the flourishing of people while on earth.

Below are some pictures of our three workshops, from Bujumbura, to Ngozi, to Gitega. On Wednesday, we fly to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, and then will drive to Dodoma (the capital) to do a workshop, then on to Mwanza.  Please continue to pray that the right people may be in attendance and that the Holy Spirit may go before to open the hearts of those who hear this forgotten message of Genesis 1 and 2!

Bujumbura training

Ngozi training

Gitega training

First stop, Burundi

View from the road

We thank God for our safe arrival in Burundi.  The trip included an overnight in Nairobi, and then a drive from Bujumbura to Ngozi (about a 2.5-hour drive on a very curvy road, uphill most of the way, with numerous blind spots and lots of people and bikes on the road).   To boot, our car has the steering wheel on the right, even though they drive on the right side of the road.  All that to say, when we say we are thankful for safe arrival, we really mean it!

On Sunday, I was blessed to lead the commissioning service at a Baptist Church in Ngozi for 25 Marketplace Ministers who had just completed their training.  Dr. Walker led a commissioning service in Gitega which commissioned 28 new Marketplace Ministers.  What a privilege to commission people to be ministers in the Marketplace, doing their work as an act of worship, with integrity and excellence!  And what a blessing to hear the congregation say that they will support, pray for, and encourage them in their various parishes, stretching their hands toward them in blessing.

I was also able to give the message on our call of working every day to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.  I talked about how God's work brought order, beauty, provision, joy, and potential to creation, and how we do the same thing in our work.  But I got a lot of laughs when I pointed out that the corn that I had eaten for breakfast that morning gave me the energy to be able to preach right now!  And I thanked those in the congregation who grow maize, as it might have been from them!  The resources that God has given us in creation, and how we interact with them, give potential for many things and great flourishing!

Monday and Tuesday we will have our foundational workshop in Ngozi for about 150 pastors and church leaders.  Then we will drive to Gitega, where we will do the same workshop for about the same number of people.  Then we will drive to Bujumbura, where we will do it again!  Right after Saturday's workshop, we will fly to Rwanda, where we will have to quarantine for a short time, before beginning a training in Kigali.

I'll let pictures tell the rest of the story.  Thank your prayers, and please keep praying!

A Burundian government official praising the church for doing DML to help the people.  We have been told that the Burundian government has been critical of the church for only caring about people's salvation and not life on earth.  This government official is going to write the cabinet about the work of DML in the churches.

 

View from the back seat. Tight corner up ahead!

Abundant farming in Burundi!

The church in Gitega with their Marketplace Ministers.

These two men plus one more went through the TOT in Burundi last August and have now been going throughout the district with the Friends (Quakers) church to bring the message of DML.  The executives of the Friends Church will be in our training this week.

Gotta have the picture of the cute kid on the worship team!

Jesus - More Questions than Answers

I received an email reflection recently that talked about how Jesus is recorded as asking 307 questions in the Gospels.  In contrast, He directly answers only three of the 183 questions that He was asked.  Just three.  

Jesus asked questions that could be easily answered, as well as questions with no obvious answer.  He often answered questions with more questions, either to make a point, expose deception, or get people thinking.  

This, from the Son of God.  The One with all the answers.  He doesn't rush to teach, to explain, to solve, to inform.  He doesn't teach all that He could with every question asked of Him.  His approach is RADICALLY different.  

It made me pause and wonder why.  I know that asking questions is a good approach to learning about people, but Jesus already knew their heart.  Asking questions is a good approach to get people thinking, and certainly that happened.  Asking questions is a good way to prompt conversation, and that happened as well.  But was that necessary 307 times?  Isn't that a bit extreme in approach?

The author then said that Jesus uses questions to "confer dignity on people."  Ah.  Now that makes sense. Jesus saw the people around Him not just as a people in need, but people made in the image of God.  He desired for them to understand their capacity and potential.  He didn't want a dependent people but a people with a deep knowledge of God and in that deep knowledge, an understanding of their own place in joining with God to be part of the solution.

So often I feel compelled to give answers.  Sometimes I give answers when there hasn't been a question!  And I know how I feel when someone "mansplains" something to me - I feel belittled and patronized.  When this happens - either with me "mansplaining" or someone else doing that to me, the truth is that I end up being deaf to what is really going on around me.  

Jesus only answered three questions.

In his book, Jesus Asked, author Conrad Gempf refers to Mark 13, which is the chapter in which the disciples are asking Jesus about the end times.  Their question is, "When will this happen and what will be the signs?"  In typical fashion, Jesus does not answer their question, but rather tells them how to look, referencing the fig tree.  Then, in verse 32, Jesus admits that He doesn't know the answer to the question.  In this, we see that Jesus had given up omniscience as well as omnipresence in becoming man.  But it is not a sin not to know something.  Not for Jesus.  And not for us.

How difficult to tame the tongue!  How difficult to ask questions or admit that we don't know.  

I don't want to be deaf to what is going on around me.  I want to ask questions and learn to listen and grow from everyone nearby - not just the sages and wise teachers.  From adults, and teens, and children.  Especially about their frontline - where they spend most of their time: What is the culture of your frontline?  What are the values that shape it?  Who are the heroes?  What do you like and dislike? How can it become more Kingdom like?

I want to practice starting conversations with, "I wanna ask you something..."  What an invitation to listen and learn.  

I want to be more like Jesus.

On Thursday, I leave for East Africa, where we will be doing workshops in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya.  We have a very tight schedule of back-to-back workshops and travel, so please pray that all travel may go smoothly, especially in light of COVID.  Thank you!

Accountable for the Risks NOT Taken

If you have spent any time around Rev. Dr. Johnson Asare from Northern Ghana, you will have heard him say that it is "risky not to take risks."  This is a man who has taken many risks in his life, as a businessman, a pastor, a Muslim-turned-Christian, and a community leader.  He knows what he is talking about.  While others have said something similar to this, hearing him say it has stuck with me because of his testimony, and I find myself repeating that phrase from time to time.

Especially in the beginning of a new year with lots of planning to be done.

I was recently reminded of that line relating to the parable of the talents as told by Jesus in Matthew 25, where the master leaves and gives three servants three different amounts of gold according to their abilities.  As you probably know, the one with five bags of gold puts it to work and earns five more; the one with two bags of gold puts it to work and earns two more, but the one given one bag just buries it.  He doesn't spend it, doesn't waste it, but neither does he invest it or increase it.  The master is pleased with the first two, but not at all with the last one, to put it mildly.

This parable reminds us that it is a sin to squander what God has given us.  He has given us three main resources:  time, treasure, and talent, and all three work together for the flourishing of the world, for the flourishing of ourselves, and for the glory of God.  This parable reminds us that we are not to wrap or bind up those opportunities and bury them for fear of losing them through risky ventures or doing things "incorrectly."  

I see this over and over in my work.  Doing business is risky and I have watched many people take those risks.  Unfortunately, many businesses do fail, but there is much to be learned in those failures.  But we take risks in more than business:  being in relationships is also risky, as is being in a church, accepting a new job, or investing yourself in your community.  Living involves risk.  It is an investment of ourselves to people, places, and things.

We are accountable for the investment of our lives.  We are responsible to God, to ourselves, and to each other.  

We may sympathize with the person who received one talent, but we must always remember that the source of that conservatism, as author R. Paul Stevens says, was his "inadequate view of God."

Think about that.  The servant with one bag only saw his master as someone who was "a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not sown seed."  Because of that perspective, he "was afraid and hid the gold in the ground."  

I have heard people describe God in this same way. They might say, "I didn't ask to be born and now I have to work for him?  And if I don't, hell for eternity?"

But this is based on an inadequate view of God.  He has given each person unique combinations of time, treasure, and talent.  And has crafted us in a way that when we use these resources with integrity and love, it is a win-win-win.  And when we don't use them with integrity, when we confess, He forgives us and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

As I head into this new year, I wonder what risks I will take with my time, treasure, and talent.  I wonder which ones I will cower at, which ones I will embrace, and which ones I will bury.  I'd like to think I will embrace them all, but I know myself better than that!  

But my heart's desire is to embrace them and to remember that I am accountable not just for the risks I take but also for the risks I don't take.  Playing it safe doesn't work when following a call from God to join Him in the work of helping this world flourish.  

We serve a God who wants us to take risks and we are accountable for the risks that we take AND the risks we do not take.  

As you enter 2022, I hope you join us in taking risks for the glory of God!

Itchy Ears

I have itchy ears.  Both literally and figuratively.

In both cases, itchy ears are annoying and distracting.  They are annoying because you really can't talk about and it's not socially acceptable to scratch your ears in public.  It's also distracting because there can be all sorts of good things going on and yet if your ears are itchy, that is all you are thinking about.

It is the figurative sort of itchy ear that is more challenging and that is what I have been really preoccupied with of late.

My ears are itching to hear a gospel that goes beyond a "get them through the door" evangelism, beyond "my relationship to God is the whole message of salvation," to a robust discipleship that recaptures a vision of the fullness of redemption.  I long to hear that in messages and sermons when the church is gathered, and when I don't hear it, my ears begin to itch.  It's annoying and it's distracting.  It's annoying because it feels like I'm being critical of the church, and I don't want to be critical.  It feels distracting because there still often is still a good message for me and for the church in the message being shared, but I'm distracted by my itchy ears.

Articulating the problem does help.  I'm calling out and confessing that I have itchy ears.

When I scratch at the itch a bit, I realize that there are a few things Biblical irritants.  In Genesis 3, we discover that three things were broken in the fall:  our relationship with God, with others, and with work/creation.  Yet the large majority of messages and sermons that I hear focus only on our relationship with God and largely ignore our need to be discipled and redeemed in these other key areas.  

Gary Black, Jr, in a book called Whatever You Do for An Integrated Life writes this:  

One key motivation for this lack of attention to discipleship is imbedded in a misapplication of a key biblical doctrine.  When the theological tenets of justification by faith are thought to be the beginning and end of the gospel story, then sanctification becomes a non-essential add on to the Christian life.  A biblically valid understanding and application of Christlike discipleship, and the habits of sin it seeks to address and transform, is becoming progressively lost to mainstream evangelical congregations, universities, and seminaries.  Sin, it turns out, doesn't preach very well to a consumer driven society.  In sum, Christian discipleship demands surrendering to the process of holistic transformation of character as an inescapable priority of the gospel Jesus preached.  In this way the gospel is how Jesus provides for human beings to experience the unbridles wholeness god originally intended for us to experience and share.

We know how deeply embedded sin is in our lives and cultures.  Our character can't help but be shaped by this, and when our brief times on Sundays focus on knowing better who God is, but not knowing better who we are in Christ, we come away having better head or heart knowledge of God but not transformed or sanctified further in vocations and callings.

That itch is further exacerbated when I spend time with believers who express their frustrating with work, who are unable to see God in their workplace and see their work as an occasion of serving Him.  They desire meaning in their work and yet are often frustrated by it being a form of drudgery.  This past week I had a chance to speak to some college students who asked how they can find fulfillment in their work and what path they should take to get there.  It's not unusual at that age to be hungry to find a vocation with meaning, yet we rarely hear significant attention given to the meaning of our work lives given from the church, even though work involves the majority of our awake time every week.

There are long reaching impacts of our relationship to work and how it can become corrosive to human flourishing that must be addressed.  

Spiritual formation is incomplete without this important emphasis.  And the world cannot be reached when we only grow in our understanding of God as a personal Savior, but not in personal sanctification through discipleship that reaches into every corner of life, from the home, to the workplace, to the marketplace.

So my ears continue to itch.  And while I feel bad about their itching, and while I sometimes feel like I'm a "noisy gong or clanging cymbal" (1 Cor 13:1), yet they are likely to continue to itch.  I'm beginning to accept it and recognize that there is something from God in the itching.  Some itches are meant to be scratched.  Some itches are meant to be caught as the underlying reason for the itch remains and must still be addressed.  

I'm now asking God to reveal what good can come from this.  

Are your ears itching too?

The Drought Ravaging East Africa

Last week I mentioned the drought in Tanzania, but in the advent of Giving Tuesday, it may have lost some of the importance of our request for prayer for this crisis.  Thanks to many of you, our supporters, we were able to send money this past week to our partners in East Africa to help mitigate the challenges to farmers because of this drought.  But let me share more about the situation now.

We are told that Kenya has received only 30% of their normal rainfall at this time, making it the worst rainy season in decades.  Many have lost up to 70% of their livestock and the remaining are too skinny or sick to be sold.  The price of cows has gone from $357/cow to $45/cow.

Droughts often happen on a five-seven-year cycle in this area, which allows for water bodies to fill up again.  But the last drought was just three years ago, which was not enough time to regenerate the water supply.  Women in Northern Kenya are often responsible for fetching water, and it is estimated that they now have to travel an average of 14km or 8.7 miles to get water (‘We will all die’: In Kenya, prolonged drought takes heavy toll | Climate Crisis News | Al Jazeera)

From the BBC, this short report and then a link to a video, which may be disturbing to some as it contains images of dead animals:

A t least 26 million people are struggling for food following consecutive poor rainfall seasons in the Horn of Africa.

Drought conditions in northern Kenya, much of Somalia and southern Ethiopia are predicted to persist until at least mid-2022, putting lives at risk.

The situation is already so bad that wild animals are dying in their hundreds and herders are reporting losses of up to 70% of their livestock.

The BBC’s senior Africa correspondent Anne Soy reports from Wajir in northern Kenya.

WARNING: This video contains images of dead animals which some people may find distressing.

The drought ravaging East African wildlife and livestock - BBC News

Please pray for rain for this region.  If you are a business owner or work in a business, you can imagine the devastation of watching your hard work die before your eyes.  The poor are often those most affected by the impact of climate change.  If droughts are expected to be more frequent and longer, there are things that can be done to mitigate those challenges, but they do take a lot of money and infrastructure.  But our God is also able to hear the prayers of His people and send rain where it is needed most.

Multiply Your Gift to DML on Giving Tuesday! And a prayer request for Tanzania.

Friends, we have an amazing opportunity on Giving Tuesday this year.  Two businesses, Belstra Milling (Indiana) and Alsum Farms (Wisconsin) have each agreed to match, up to $10,000, any gift given on Tuesday, November 30.  BUT if you give to DML through Facebook on Tuesday morning, your gift will be met with a fourth match by Facebook.*  That means if you give $100 through the DML donation website, it will turn into a $300 gift, and if you give through Facebook your $100 gift will become a $400 gift!  That is amazing!  We are so thankful to Belstra Milling and Alsum Farms for this opportunity!

(*Facebook will match the first eight million dollars given through FB starting at 8 am, and after that they will match 10% of gifts given.  Last year they had $50 million given through FB on Giving Tuesday, so if you want that fourth match, please give early!)

We are excited to finish 2021 strong and lead into 2022 with continued growth and opportunities in new areas.  Please consider joining us!

And for our prayer partners, we received word over this past week from our partner in Tanzania of an ongoing drought throughout Tanzania.  They told us that the Masai pastoralists with whom they have been working, pictured below, are losing many of their livestock due to this drought. 

The DML team in Tanzania was able to put a well in, and it has turned out to be a great help.  All the Masai and Mang'ati in the area are running here.  Before they were not mixing but they are now coming together in harmony:

Before it was a little bit green in this area, but not now:

Pastor Anthony also sent this message this past weekend of the effects of the drought in Dar es Salaam:

Frank's project is one of the unique projects through which many people are going to learn how to raise chickens (egg layers), pigs, and cows in Dar es Salaam environment. Sadly, Frank has experienced a very bad disease in his project which has led to the death of more than 350 chickens. Thanks to God, government veterinarians have intervened in medical support.   The main challenge now is water availability. WE NEED RAIN. Let's uphold East Africa before the LORD Praying for rain 🌧️🌧️ 🌧️ Drought has affected many social and economic activities. It has led also to serious power cuts due to hydroelectric power dependency. And when there's no power, many businesses remain stagnant.  Pictures to follow:

Friends, please join us in prayer for rain in Tanzania!  Thank you for your partnership in prayer and financial support for the ministry of Discipling Marketplace Leaders!

An Appraiser for God

Last week I had the privilege to be in Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), visiting several members of Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in their workplace.  Someone asked me during that week, "Where does your joy come from?"  I had to enthusiastically reply that it comes from meeting with people at their workplace.  I love learning what people do and how faith and work intersects for them.  So my days in Hamilton were very enjoyable.

Let me give you an example of why I love this so much:

Bob and Lynn are a brother and sister who run a Hamilton-based residential appraisal business that was started by their father.  Residential appraisals are unbiased professional opinions, done to determine the real value of a property, as each property is unique.  These appraisals are often done for loan purposes.

I asked Bob and Lynn to share what they love about their work and what is challenging in it.  It was quickly apparent that there is a rich opportunity to fulfill an aspect of God's character in this work, and to be part of the flourishing of customers that they serve.

If you look at the purpose of appraisals described above, they are "unbiased professional opinions."  There is a science to it, but it is ultimately an opinion based on experience and various criteria.  Bob very quickly began to tell stories about the high need for integrity in this business - he is serving the home owner but also the mortgage company. The home owner would often like for the number to come in high, while the mortgage company wants it to be very realistic.

Before long, they began talking to me about their customers.  This year, starting in January, they saw a surge in appraisals needed for divorces - people had hung in there through the holidays but in January started to call it quits in their marriage after the stress of 2020 covid pandemic.  Customers were often crying, and pressuring for a low or high number, depending on their position.  Other customers are engaged with needing an appraisal for the settlement of the estate of a parent or loved one.  Again, customers who are in pain, often fighting with other family members, pressuring for a high or low number, depending on their position.  Others are getting a second or a third mortgage, knee deep in debt and showing signs of drowning in it.  Bob and Lynn have strongly recommended against homeowners having an appraisal done (even though they would make money from it) if it looks like the number will not come in at what the homeowner wants in order to refinance.

These ministers in the Marketplace speak words of comfort and reality to people in pain on a daily basis.  They are helping people to flourish by presenting the reality of a value of the property.  They are able to pray for the customers who are struggling through divorce, death, and debt.  God is a God of order, and they help to bring that order to the people they serve.  They often walk away from a day of work feeling the weight from the result of sin in the lives of their customers.

I left that office amazed by the opportunities that are present in being the hands and feet of Jesus in fulfilling the work of residential appraisals.  

And that is just one business I visited.  I could tell you many more stories.  

On Sunday, I was able to give a message about why Marketplace Ministers need the church on Sunday.  While the church is scattered from Monday-Saturday, we need to carry in our joys and laments from those days when we gather again on Sunday.  Bob and Lynn need to carry and share the weight of what they have seen in the Marketplace, in the safe company of fellow believers in Christ, and be fed and equipped again to go out of Monday.  If you are so inclined, you can watch that service here:

Very thankful to Immanuel CRC in Hamilton for the opportunity to spend this time with them!

And in this week of Thanksgiving in the USA, we want to express our thankfulness to God who has allowed us to join Him in this work, and to each of you for your care, concern, prayer and support of this ministry!  Happy Thanksgiving!

From John 3:16 to 1 John 3:16

This past week we had our DML Global Team Retreat.  We met daily through Zoom with about sixty of us from eleven countries and it was such a joy!  We could hear so clearly that the message of our commitment to bringing the Kingdom of Heaven on earth is deepening and growing in the hearts and minds of our DML leaders.

Pastor Nokoson from Cameroon led us in devotions on Wednesday and he started by telling us that it is time for us to move from John 3:16 to 1 John 3:16.  I don't remember hearing the tying of those passages together but it caught my ear.

John 3:16 is probably one of the most famous verses in Scripture, especially in evangelism.  It says:

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

The essence of the gospel in one verse!

But 1 John 3:16 takes us further, as we strive to become more like Him.  Some say that this is the critical second half of the gospel:

This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid His life down for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

These two texts show a journey of awakening that is critical and essential to the whole story.  We move from an adolescent faith to the maturity of love, which IS the fullness of Jesus Christ.  This changes our calling while on earth from simply waiting for heaven, to being the hands and feet of Jesus in every place and every space.

Helping people requires us to show up and respond.  Loving people goes so much deeper: being in relationship, listening, and building trust.  

But laying down your life for others?  A depth that is difficult to describe.  

Yet that is what we are called to do.  We can't rely evangelistic events to do this.  We can't do it from the church building.  We do it as we are "going" about our business.  We do it as we meet people, listen to them, learn from them, and share with them.  As we do our work with excellence, bringing about the flourishing of humanity, using the gifts and talents of a creative God, we help to bring the Kingdom of God to earth.  We are the picture of God's love.

In Genesis 3, three things were broken as a result of the fall:  our relationship with God, our relationship with each other, and our relationship with work and creation.  Many of the messages we hear from church are about our relationship with God and understanding Him better.  But 1 John 3:16 makes it urgent that we also learn how to take that relationship, mature it, and apply it to our relationships with others, with work, and creation.

One would think that it would naturally flow, but the lack of transformation in nations and societies that are predominantly Christian tells us that it does not.  We need teaching and preaching and practicing of how to live out this great gift on Monday, Tuesday, and so on.  We need to develop the muscle that can answer the question, "What does it mean to love people where we work - the dishonest person, the unmotivated person, the negative person?  And what does that look like?"  

2 Corinthians 5:14 says that Christ's love compels us - because we have been loved much, we too need to love much, even to the point of laying down our lives.  May God bless you this week as you live this out!