Saturday Shots

We had our monthly families event for Church this morning. We had Music with James come and play for us (the kids especially). Then the Moms and Dads looked at these verses (thats a pdf Download) in a Bible Study exploring the dynamics of our love for God. Then after that we went to a play ground with our friends. And tomorrow, we are looking at Romans 5:1-11. Can't wait. Thats our Saturday.

People at my Church #2

In a sea of negativity, its great to read something positive about Church.

Here is a correspondence between two friends from Christ Church NYC (This cut'n'paste by permission):

Laura: Did you notice that my blog and your blog had similar tones recently?

Clara: No way! Lemme check it out!

Laura: We both love CCNYC. :)

Clara: YES!

Click to Laura's Blog to read why she likes her church and why she became an Anglican.
Click to Clara's Blog to see how God answered her prayer to find church she could serve in.

Here are two parts to Laura's Post:

I looked around a bit and I found this little church plant that was meeting in a common room at the Seamen and Wayfarer's House.

And during the coffee hour on about my second visit, I was asked to usher the next week. Honestly, for a girl feeling very far from home, that was the most loving thing anyone could have asked me. I love our ministers and I love worshipping with the Book of Common Prayer, but what really sealed the deal for me were the people.

I really looked forward to the coffee hour after service each Sunday where I could talk to people who remembered my name from week to week and asked how things were going at school and genuinely listened to me explain how my students couldn't address envelopes to their own homes. I offered to become involved with student ministry (at the time we had two college students regularly attending the morning service).

And I brought Clint along when we started dating. That church has been our family, and their honest faith and emphasis on a simple, Biblical Gospel sustained me through some soul searching times and some tough questions.
...

I am an Anglican because, even though it can be scary to allow conversation, the tradition doesn't "major on the minors" of Christianity. The Gospel is clearly outlined in the liturgical services and their prayers and creeds.

The Bible is read out in a cycle that attempts to include as much as possible. The scriptures are held up as the most important source of knowledge about God. I can sign on to that whole heartedly. And I'll fight to defend it too.

Besides, where am I going to find a church where I don't have to fight to defend the gospel?

We thank God for Laura (and Clint), Clara and many others...

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Pic is of The Little Lady flying kites in Central Park.

People at my Church...

Not all these people go to my church. In fact, only me and Karen do. Karen is in the center of this picture. Let me tell you about her...

A few weeks ago, Karen invited me to her 'colloquium'. Karen is in our congregation, and is about to graduate as a student at NYU. She is the President of NYU InterVarsity (Read EU), and she has become our friend. Karen has been so faithful in our church, and we have very much been blessed by her presence.

So it was a privilege for me to be invited to her colloquium. She had chosen 4 academics as the 'panel' to quiz her, one of whom is the President of NYU, John Sexton. She added her pastor in for good measure. Dr Sexton (pictured on the far right of the photo) hosted the colloquium in his stunning office overlooking Washington Square Park. It was a privilege to be included among them.

I assumed (since there was more brain power in that room than I or my progeny for a thousand years will ever muster) that I would be silent. But it turned out very differently than I thought.

Karen's work is on justice, faith and international relations. Karen has spent time in Rwanda and other places learning from the victims of extreme injustice. She had read, and was defending at her colloquium, academic writings on the place of the Christian to speak out and defend the vulnerable.

Now, here is the interesting thing: the other three in the Colloquium mostly wanted to know about Karen's faith and how it played out in her studies: How she handled suffering and disappointment; how she processed the Problem of Evil; how she viewed her contribution as a Christian. We spoke about Jesus, and about 'other religions'. We spoke about what motivates and sustains her. Karen was there to defend her understanding of the readings that she had chosen. But we all wanted to know her testimony!

That's not to say that she wasn't grilled. But it was interesting how a real, humble and engaged life is more compelling than theory.

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