I'm home from doing a series of meetings in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. I had a restful, peaceful week. The new friends I made are genuine. The adventure was worth it and I feel like the Lord blessed our effort. Unfortunately, some of the pictures I took didn't pan out. My camera is too cheap. (Excuse me: I am too cheap to buy a good camera.) I took pictures of each baptismal candidate, but the church was too dark so they didn't turn out. I got them as a group, however. Eight people were baptized and five came into the church by profession of faith. Just for the record: I had nothing to do with these people coming into the church. The Pastor had worked with them beforehand.
I really had a great time. Everyone treated me like a member of their family (better even). On Sabbath a number of us went for an afternoon hike. Afterward, we went to a Benedictine Monastery for vespers. That was interesting. I wish I could have taken pictures, but monasteries are dark by nature. The architecture was what you'd see in a movie. Reality, I guess, wherever a monastery exists. The vespers was ceremonial, the priests wore long white robes with hoodies. They are well choreographed in march and chant. They all sing good. The style of music is dirge-like, lamentations magnified. There was a lot of sit/stand/kneel, and finally they shut the lights off for several meditative moments for effect. Once the effect took effect they marched out, sprinkling everyone with water (holy or otherwise, I could not verify.)
The best was yet to follow: We went to the White House (restaurant) for pizza. I had a Mean Green Pizza. That means it was vegetarian--soy cheese and lots of spinach with green olives.
Life is exciting for me. I get to travel everywhere and I get to see different ways of doing the same thing. I have become less condemnatory at heart. I don't see differences in terms of right and wrong as much as I use to. Don't get me wrong, I don't subscribe to situation ethics or cultural relativism, but I see humanity as one whole lost race. I see that I am one with all the others, and I am not superior. My heart's yearning is that I might share what I know and that I might receive what they have to teach. My fear is that everyone is so set in their opinion (including myself) that we couldn't hear God's voice even if He shouted at us. I believe in the way God has led me. I don't intend to compromise God's Biblical principles, but God hasn't led everyone through SDA self-supporting institutions. I take people where they are and I am consciously dependent on the Holy Spirit to guide me to say and do what is right at any given moment. Not everyone is ready to hear just anything, much less everything. We need to be helping each other to the kingdom.
The Preacher to his tribe
Amen, preacher.
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