Sneezing & coughing … since I stepped down from the bus after the Pulau Besar camp. Physically, pretty worn out partly because I’m not used to long journeys like this. But, we had a good time in the 9th Mile Lutheran Church Youth camp. I learnt a lot and discovered more about the youth & young adults in the camp. And these guys and gals can really play! My prayer is that they’ve begun the process of discovering GOD’s purpose in their lives … at least begin “Seeing” it … happening!
After coming back – just imagine, before I could seriously get some rest I attended one 11am meeting for the Reformation Celebration this Friday and the LCMS education meeting at 2pm (phew! with tissues, hankercheifs, vicks etc.!)
So, when I managed to read Winn’s blog & Eric’s blog about their two days with Eugene and Jan Peterson – what a contrast with my last few days. Somehow reading what they posted “nourished” me when I’m so physically weak. Here are some parts of their Q & A with Peterson that “struck” me:
From Winn__
… For him the Holy Spirit creates the church, not us. We should be careful not to develop strategies to beef up our own significance. Size is not what brings true significance, influence is….
The last morning he suggested that followers of Jesus should be aggressive in their attentiveness to God and apathetic to what others say about their attentiveness. Aggressive attentiveness and apathy should be seen as spiritual disciplines.
From Eric __
living is hard
-there is a lot to know
-people are messing it up not because there stupid, not because they are dumb, but becasue they are impatient.
How would you do a small group?
ask them to commit to studying becauses conversation implies that ther is no truth or authority. but, there is stuff to know, scriptures to understand. … how else is a gathering going to reach past church and get into kindgdom?
Story
-story is the heart of language,
-we don’t have to figure them out, thats the holyspirits job, to teach people, not ours, we just present the story and move on.
-we can add definition later if they want more
Eric added extra stuff … Today. This really “struck” me!
a man dying in 3 years called eugene and asked him “who should i be reading” eugenes response that he wanted to give was “you should have been asking this question 20 years ago”
Great stuff though I don’t agree with him on the Eugene comment. The reasons why we come to God vary for all of us and this mans was just as legitimate as anyone elses. It smacks a little of christian superiority……
rather we would think thank God for giving us an opportunity to help the man !
Knowing Eugene … I’m sure he’s not a man in any-form of “superiority” – I read a number of his books and he’s definately a great model of humility (as witnessed by those who him lately). I’m sure he ministered to the dying man appropriately. The point I think he’s getting at is too often we wait until the last moment rather than taking the opportunities for “change” here and now (or earlier).