Just Plodding Along

My advisor has informed me that the next thing he wants to
read from me is my submission-ready thesis. For the past four
weeks I have been working hard on it. For about ten days I have
been struggling with my first chapter. It was the first one I
wrote and it is the most important because it is the founda-
tion for my argument. I expected I would be spending more
time with it than any other chapter, but I thought I would
have moved on to other parts by now. There are times when
I sense a portion of the thesis is ready but that hasn't come
to me yet regarding chapter one.

But what I treasure most from last week were the chats I had
with people. Last Monday I was walking somewhere when an
old man greeted me as I passed by. I stopped, returned the
greetings, he started talking to me, and I listened with great
enjoyment. His name is Tom, he's ninety, worked as an animal
keeper for the university his whole working life, been retired
for 25 years, and now gardens, keeps bees, and cares for his
ailing wife. He told me he is much better off economically
than ever , but that life was much better in the old days.

Yesterday, Sunday, I enjoyed lunch and conversation with two
of my favorite people here, a young couple from Canada. Ryan,
on staff of the management school and working on a doctoral
thesis, is savvy politically and we can spend all our time discus-
sing the latest news. Colleen is an early primary grade teacher.
Yesterday she shared about education, discipline, and behavior
issues that she faces in the classroom. She's an excellent teach-
er and she gives me hope regarding education.

Those were the two bookends of a week of delightful chats with
people. During the week I talked with students from the Basque
region, Norway, Rwanda, Spain, the Ukraine, Mexico, New Zea-
land, and Slovakia. I meet many of these people in conversation
at the place where I take my evening meals. I usually leave the
dining room feeling well-fed and enriched by good conversation.
Then I go back to plodding away on my thesis.

All the best, Jeff T.

A Late June Update

I have been hard pressed with thesis writing for the past five
weeks or so, and therefore I have had no inclination to do any
blogging. I have been occupied with my journal, but unfortun-
ately I didn't feel the desire to blog.

My advisor has let me know that he believes that my thesis
is at the stage that it is ready to be prepared for submission.
That means no more major writing or changing. I am to work
with what I do have in order to shape, tweek, and sculpt the
material that is already in it. I do have the conclusion yet to
write, but the usual procedure is to wait to do it at the very
end. Overall, I expect that the next seven weeks will mean
more painstaking work.

In the past five weeks I have put a lot of work into getting the
bibliography into shape, refining the crucial introduction to the
thesis, and doing considerable altering and molding of the first
chapter. I expect to have my work cut out for me in chapters
two and three, but after that I should have clear sailing in the
remaining six chapters. I don't expect the conclusion to be hard
to do.

I am planning to have a submission-ready draft by mid-August
for my advisor to read through. He has already approved with
suggestions the drafts of all nine chapters and introduction, so
I don't expect any surprises. But he will let me know of places
that I need to write with greater clarity. I really hope to be able
to submit the thesis by the end of August.

I have been putting in some pretty brutal hours six days a
week and my mind is frequently brain dead after long hours
at my desk. Despite all this I really enjoy what I'm doing. This
whole process has given me a lot of joy. For right now, I'm
where God wants me. So, keep praying for me.

A May Update

It is the end of May and my PhD thesis is progressing at a good
pace. I finished a draft of the ninth chapter, the last one, near-
ly two weeks ago. Just the other day I met with my supervi-
sor to go over the chapter. He was pleased with my progress
and identified some things for me to work on.

During the past two weeks I have been preparing to give a
fairly good draft of nine chapters and the introduction to my
supervisor in the first week of June. Both my supervisor and
I need to read the whole thing through (minus the conclusion)
in order to see how the argument flows.

Depending on his observations and suggestions I plan to spend
most of June and all of July (while my supervisor is on vacation)
preparing the thesis for submission sometime in August. We
have set September 1 as the latest date for submitting my thesis.
At this point we both don't see any major problems with my work.

The oral defense of my thesis has been set for some time in No-
vember. It is composed of one professor from the university and
another professor from outside St. Andrews. The latter profes-
or, Andrew Kirk from Birmingham, is not available until then. I
had hoped for an earlier date, but that was not possible.

I will be narrowly focused on my thesis until I submit. I don't
spend all day working on my thesis, but it does seem that I
spend the whole day thinking about it. I can imagine that
other people see me as being being rather boring. There still
is a considerable amount of hard work to be done in order to
make the thesis flow smoothly and make sense. I have been
like this since last February, and I expect I will be this way for
three more months. But the end is now in sight.

I would appreciate you remembering me in your thoughts and
prayers.

The Ascension of the Lord Jesus

Today, Thursday, May 17, is Ascension Day. It is a public holi-
day in the Scandanavian countries, Germany, and the Nether-
lands. But it is hardly noticed in Britain and North America ex-
cept by Roman Catholics and Episcopalians.

But Ascension Day is as important as Christmas, Good Friday,
Resurrection Sunday, and Pentecost because on each of those
days we remember that God did something marvelous and a-
mazing. On Ascension Day we remember that the resurrected
Jesus, in the presence of His apostles and disciples, ascended
bodily into Heaven.

Jesus' Ascension took place forty days after He was resurrect-
ed. During those days He preached, taught, and was among His
disciples and apostles. You can read biblical accounts of Christ's
Ascension in Acts 1:6-11, Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-51, and Eph-
esians 4:7-13. We also affirm His Ascension whenever we con-
fess our faith as expressed in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.

We believe that Jesus ascended into Heaven in order to sit at
the right hand of the Father. This means that He rules over
all of creation with majesty and power as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. He intercedes to the Father on our behalf, pre-
pares to return to take us home, and has sent His Spirit as He
had promised.

In the Act's account, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would
come upon the Church so that we would be empowered to be
His witnesses to all the world. So we look forward to Pentecost
in ten day's time. Two angels declared that Jesus would one
day return to us just as He had ascended into Heaven. And so
we look forward to Jesus Christ coming again as King of Kings
and Lord of Lords.

Come, Lord Jesus!

Lingering Resurrection Glory

Here it is, the fourth week of Easter, and I am still soaking in
the lingering glory of Resurrection Sunday. All during Holy
Week (the seven days beginning on Palm Sunday and running
through to Easter Sunday) God's people heard, saw, tasted,
sang, spoke, confessed, viewed dramatizations, imagined, re-
flected, meditated, and heard heart-stirring music about the
person and work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. I feel like I had
feasted at a seven course royal banguet and since then haven't
had the desire to eat.

Late on the night before Easter a small, intimate group of us met
in an historic Presbyterian church in town. We sang an ancient
Christian hymn of Christ's resurrection and greeted the Risen
Christ at midnight. On Easter Sunday I joined with others at
my home church to praise God for what God had done in Jesus
Christ. Later that day I enjoyed a wonderful nap in the after-
noon before joining dear friends for an Easter dinner and relax-
ation. Sadly, earlier that afternoon I learned that a special cous-
in had passed away the day before. As another special cousin
explained it, as a believer he experienced his first full day in
Heaven on Easter!

But for me the highpoint of Easter Day and of Holy Week was
the sunrise Easter service held on a promontory overlooking
the North Sea. Over two hundred of us from various churches
in town gathered on the site of an ancient church where Chris-
tians have met to worship God for over twelve hundred years.
We sang songs of praise, prayed, and heard proclaimed the
Good News of the Risen Christ. Then we made are way to the
nearby grounds of the 'younger' Cathedral raised up nearly
nine hundred years ago, but reduced to ruins in the sixteenth
century. The bread and the cup of the Lord's Supper were wait-
ing for us on the foundation of the high altar of the ancient cathe-
dral, once a great pilgrimage destination in the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries. Then we passed the cup and the bread from
hand to hand, to everyone in the group.

I couldn't help but sense the sacredness of the time and space.
Truly we were on holy ground. As I stood there I reflected on
women and men of centuries past who had stood in the same
spots where we were standing: disciples of Colomba from Iona,
medieval serfs and monks, pilgrims from near and afar, fiery
and fired-up reformers, worn out fishermen and their famil-
ies, hard working and hardly working students and towns peo-
ple, and even golfers. Indeed, I sensed the communion of the
saints. I also had a deep sense of being in communion with peo-
ple all over the world who were meeting that very day to wor-
ship the Living Christ.

After the services people gathered for bacon rolls and warm
drinks. I took my time joining them and slowly worked my way
along the bluffs, pondering Christ's resurrection. I soaked up the
warmth of the rising sun and I felt the gentle touch of the sea
breeze upon my skin. There was something magical about the
light: it seemed to radiate a golden glow upon the earth that
heightened the colors of things. The sea and sky were a majes-
tic blue, and there were dazzling yellow flowers clinging to
green-covered bluffs. The sea was gentle, and waves gently lap-
ped up upon the beach below. Birds glided on air currents above
me and made their own kind of music. I will never forget that.

In it all I pondered the mystery of the faith: Christ has died,
Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Blessings to you and yours.

Hearing the Story Anew

I am still savoring the wonderfulness of this past Holy Week,
with its effects lingering on and delighting my soul. Before this
Holy Week I realized that I was forgetting the Story that had
captivated my life all these many years.

I remember that last Advent (the four weeks before Christ-
mas) I was thrilled as I heard God's promises again, eagerly
awaiting the birth of the baby Jesus. And, oh the joy of Christ-
mas Day, and how it swept me on into Epiphany (January 6).

But, as I had done many times before, I started to forget the
Story, that is, until Holy Week. Something clicked in me on Palm
Sunday, and I sensed my heart getting more in tune with God's
redeeming grace. Over the days of Holy Week I started remem-
bering the Story again and I sensed that my heart was gradual-
ly being tuned by the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

On Monday of Holy Week I listened on my IPod to the Story
put to music and sung by the likes of Michael Card and The Sec-
ond Chapter of Acts, some of my favorite vocalists and song-
writers. During the next two days the Story was visualized for
me. On Tuesday a small group of us walked through Jesus' walk
to the Cross and on Wednesday a colleague led us through a Jew-
ish Passover Seder, tying it to the life and death of Jesus.

On Thursday I attended a Maundy Thursday service. As we
took opportunity to focus our attention on Christ's death, the
sanctuary was cleared of Christian imagery and the lights were
turned down. We then all left in silence, preparing ourselves
for the great event of the next day.

On Good Friday the Story started coming to a climax. Good Fri-
day is good because by His death on the cross Jesus has won for
us the victory of salvation. At the church I go to, I was able to
hear reflections on the Story of Christ's crucifiction and the ef-
fects of His death on us today. Later that day at the same church
I joined with others in renewing our baptismal vows and taking
the first communion of Easter. As we pondered the redeeming
work of Christ on the cross at the end of the service, the organ-
ist let loose with a beautiful, awe-inspiring voluntary that that
filled the sancturary with praise and honor to God. It was breath-
taking and inspiring!

I'll write soon about the events of Resurrection Sunday. But
now I want to stress that my heart was being tuned in order
to praise God for all the great things God had done through
Jesus Christ.

Until the next time, peace.

Divine Choreography

I often view lively, biblically-based, Spirit-inspired faith to be
like a dance. It is not so much choreographed steps that we
men and women dance, but a divine choreography, the Dance
of God. Jesus Christ, the Son, dances; God the Father choreo-
graphs; and the Spirit of God animates and invigorates, enabl-
ing the Dancer, Jesus, to dance the Dance choreographed by
the Father. All we can do is watch and marvel at God's glorious
Dance.

Every year for countless generations, we and our ancestors
have watched the the same Dance unfold. During Advent, the
four Sundays before Christmas, we hear the promises of the
coming Dancer, and wait in eager anticipation and expectation.
At Christmas we joyfully celebrate the Dancer coming to dance
among us women and men who knew not how to dance the
dance of life.

It was on a Friday nearly two thousand years ago that the Danc-
er got out on a dance floor outside a city gate of ancient Jerusal-
em and danced the Dance that not one of us could ever dance.
He died. He was buried. But the Spirit raised Him from the dead.
Out on the dance floor He went, dancing the dance we could nev-
er dance.

The Dance did not end there with the Risen Dancer dancing the
night away in Jerusalem of yesteryear. We continue through the
year to remember Jesus' ascension to be with the Father (this
year on May 17) and the coming of the Holy Spirit with power
at Pentecost (May 27). But even then the Dance is not ended,
for we eagerly await Jesus' coming again in glory.

Please do not take me too literally or seriously for what I now
write. But I often envision the Triune God out on the dance
floor, taking great pleasure in dancing the Dance. All around
the dance floor there are multitudes of us who believe that we
are not good enough dancers to go out on the dance floor to
dance the night away. But I see the Triune God inviting us out
onto the dance floor to join in God's Dance. And I hear the Tri-
une God saying to each one of us: 'Dance, my children, dance!'

Continued blessings to you and yours.

Starting to Descend

This past week I experienced what felt like the girding up of my
loins for the final stage of my dissertation writing. I wasn't real-
ly expecting it, but I wasn't surprised when it happened. During
the past three weeks I have submitted my introduction and sixth
chapter. My advisor was pleased with both submissions, and we
agreed that I had turned a significant corner. I am several days
away from finishing my eighth chapter (chapter seven is done),
and I have already written a significant portion of the final chap-
ter. I expect to have that done by early May. I will submit a qual-
ity draft of all the chapters to my advisor in early June. Based
on his evaluation, I plan to submit my completed dissertion for
examination no later than September 1.

Late last December I flew from Frankfurt to Denver, a twelve
hour flight. I enjoyed chatting with my seat companion during
much of the time in the air. Even though it was long flight, it
was a good one. About an hour and a half out of Denver the pi-
lot announced when we would be expected to land and what
the weather was like in the Denver area. I had been having a
good time, but I was excited about reaching my destination. I
felt a burst of energy and I had a grin on my face as well as a
smile on my heart.

That's how I feel now, only more so. And rather than being a
passenger on the plane, I am the pilot of a Boeing 747 Jumbo
jet. The control tower has just reported that they have picked
me up on their radar. I look at the check list of things I need
to do as we prepare to land. It used to be a lengthy check list
at the beginning of the flight, but now it has gotten shorter. All
that I need to do is follow my submitted flight plan and keep
checking off the things that need to be done. There is still a lot
to do, but the end is now in sight. I am working very hard, but
I am having fun doing it!

So, dear friends and family, if you have an occasion to remember
me in your prayers, please pray for me.

All the best to you and yours.

Decompression, a Parade, and a Long Conversation

This past Thursday I turned in a draft of my seventh of nine
chapters. I worked on it quite intensively, so I was relieved to
submit it to my supervisor. I needed time to decompress be-
fore I start work on the eighth chapter on Monday. I have been
doing reading for fun, walking, listening to radio programs on
my IPod, and doing light chores that I had neglected.

Today, Saturday, I took pleasure in the annual Kate Kennedy
Procession. Nothing much is known about the Lady Kate, and
legends about her abound. But there has been a procession in
her honor for many centuries now, celebrating the return of
spring to Scotland. Today was a glorious spring day that accom-
panied the 2007 edition of the Kate Kennedy procession. How
I enjoyed it!

The procession has been organized by the Kate Kennedy Club,
and it has three purposes: to preserve university traditions, to
encourage university and town relations, and to raise funds for
local charities. The highpoint each year for the club is organizing
and conducting the procession. The procession promotes and
proclaims the collective memories of the town and university.

The procession of selected students representing just over
eighty significant historical figures of the town and university
process through the three main streets of the town. There are
colorful figures from the early Scottish church, the War of In-
dependence, the founding and long history of the university
(since 1410), the arts and sciences from the university, the
Scottish Reformation, Royalty, the National Covenant era,
revolution, reform, and the town, each figure or group dress-
ed in the colorful attire of their era. There was a bagpipe and
drum marching band at each end of the procession. I loved
the history, pageantry, and especially the bagpipers. The mu-
sic really stirred my heart and I wanted to get out on the street
and march with them. It was all quite fun!

Since the procession was relatively short, I viewed it from var-
ious places in the town. I was waiting for the procession to come
to my new vantage point when a Scottish guy I had seen around
town for the past few years came up and started to chat with me.
People say I am easy to talk to, so I do have plenty of occasions
when people I don't really know come up to me and engage me
in conversation. Over the years I have had many memorable
conversations. It seems to happen when I least expect it, but
I really enjoy it.

He started talking to me about political stuff in the US that was
in line with British public opinion and the British press. Many
times I sense a degree of hostility from British people and the
British press in regards to the president and various policy is-
sues. Politically I am conservative, and when I hear such talk I
usually roll my eyes and move on. But I was really annoyed, and
I went after him.

I sensed that he realized that I was not like most Americans liv-
ing here in St. Andrews. I would characterize most of the Amer-
cans, ever since 2000, as being in a state of moaning and groan-
ing, and mourning, that is until the US elections last November.
As I replied his eyes got bigger and he seemed to think more
carefully about what he was going to say.

But I really respected him because, even though he realized
we held contrary positions, he didn't walk away but convers-
ed with me for over an hour. He recognized our disagreement,
but he listened to me. In all of this he never told me that I or
anybody else with my views were evil, stupid, or a Christian
right wing idiot. He didn't go ballistic on me! I firmly believed
he was wrong, but I would never have considered him evil or
warped. We listened to each other and had respect for one an-
other.

We both got so caught up in our discussion that we didn't take
the opportunity to watch the parade going by. But it was worth
it.

The Italian Connection

I had wanted to write about my Holy Week, Good Friday, and
Easter Sunday, but that will wait until later. I would like to
share with you about my dinner conversation at evening meal
today. I was eating and chatting with three delightful Italian
students over the evening meal just a few minutes ago.

For three weeks now I have been taking my evening meals
at Deans Court, the postgraduate accommodation just be-
hind the building where I have my office. I have now been in
St. Andrews for three and a half years. Deans Court was where
I stayed my first two years. Each of the fifty postgraduate stu-
dents has his or her own room, and three meals a day, five days
a week, are provided. I really enjoyed my time there because
I made friends from various countries of the world. I have to
admit that I wish now that I had not moved out because I did
enjoy it so much. I have so many happy memories there and
friends whom I remember fondly.

Two good friends of mine, Michael from Slovakia and Alan from
Scotland, were at Deans Court when I lived there and had also
moved out the same time I did, but had continued to take their
evening meals at the residence. Three weeks ago I talked with
the administrator and asked if I could take my evening meals
there. Ever since she gave me her ok, I have never regretted
being back there.

The food is good (the chef is a good cook); it costs me about the
same (if not less) than cooking for one on my own; I get vege-
tables, fruit, and a good variety of food; and I have very interest-
ing table companions. It has been a very good deal for me.

I have tended to be one of the last ones to leave the dining room
each night because I get caught up talking to people (and I am a
very slow eater). Tonight I found myself sitting across the table
from three Italians (one from the north, one from the south, and
one from the middle). Two of them are doctoral students in phil-
osophy and the other is a Masters student in history. I asked
about whether Italy ever had much in the way of colonies. What
followed was a history lesson about the Italian city states and the
reasons why Italy never really had an empire. Then they told me
about the distinct differences between their respective regions. I
really enjoyed the conversation and listening to each one share
about his affection for his respective region.

I left well-satisfied with good food and excellent table conversa-
tion.

What to Do About What Was Done

Last week I was experiencing a tension, perhaps even a con-
flict, in my life. I was going through a time of sustained clarity
of mind and an abundance of energy. I was able to write a sub-
stantial portion of the next chapter of my dissertation. I had
such a momentum going that I had planned to turn in my next
chapter early next week!

The tension arose when I realized that this week was Holy
Week. For many centuries now the Church has seen fit to set
aside special days to help God's people prepare their hearts
for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, the high point of
the Christian year.

But sadly, I felt that Holy Week was taking me away from
concentrating on getting more of my dissertation done. I just
did not want to be bothered by all kinds of Holy Week activities
that would distract me from what I thought I needed to do.
God seemed to be interfering with my plans. I sought ways to
blow off the events of Holy Week.

But God slowly and graciously confronted me, questioned my
reading of reality, opened the eyes of my heart, and changed
my attitude. I sensed the change of my heart at church on Palm
Sunday. In a variety of ways those of us there all participated
in the drama of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem and the events
that led Him to death on the Cross. Through the preached
word we pondered Christ's suffering on the Cross in our place,
and later we were nourished by sharing in His death at the
Communion Table. I noticed that my heart was slowly soft-
ening and loosening its controlling grip on the agenda of my
life.

Later that day a friend and I went to see the movie Amazing
Grace. The movie powerfully portrayed how God's amazing
grace brought to life a dead-hearted slave ship captain and
won the life-long allegiance of a member of the British Parlia-
ment who committed the best years of his life to abolishing the
slave trade and reforming British society. What impressed me
was not the amazing things these two men did, but that their
lives were anchored and grounded in God's amazing grace, that
is, what God had done through Jesus Christ's death on the Cross.
I was moved by what I saw in the movie.

I am letting the rolling wave of Holy Week wash over me. So
far this week both Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer have
centered on the passion of Christ. On Tuesday a small group
of us prayed and walked through Jesus' own walk to His death,
pausing for times of prayer, devotion, and reflection on what he
had done.

Last night children and adults gathered for a messianic inter-
pretation of the Jewish Passover Seder. The Passover Seder
is arranged around four questions, each asked by a different
child. All the answers focused on what God has done to liber-
ate the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Since that act of
liberation so long ago, Jewish people throughout the centuries
have reclined at the Passover table and identified themselves
with their ancestors whom God had delivered some 1500 years
before Christ.

I have often associated Moses with the Exodus, but he is never
mentioned anywhere in the Passover Seder. The focus, however,
is on God and what God has done to liberate God's people. The
beautiful words spoken during the meal are full of blessings upon
God's Name, remembering what God had done to rescue Israel
from slavery, and crying out to God for God's continued deliver-
ance and blessing. The meal stretched my heart, making it in-
creasingly capable to hear again and remember what God had
done for Israel in the Exodus, and what God did for us by means
of a greater exodus, Jesus' death on the Cross.

It is Maundy Thursday as I write this, my heart is growing in-
creasingly aware of all that God has done through Jesus. Tonight
at church there will be a choral eucharist and Stripping of the
Sanctuary, followed by a time of waiting in silence. It will be a
precious time to contemplate and ponder all that God did all so
long ago. More importantly, in a way I don't quite understand,
we are there in the Upper Room with Jesus and the disciples,
and then at the foot of the Cross. It is my sin, it is all of our sins,
that put Jesus Christ to death on the Cross. He died to set us free
from the bondage of sin. Oh, how I need to remember that.

Tomorrow, Good Friday, especially the afternoon, will be a time
to remember, to wonder, and to ponder Jesus' death. It is sad
to say that I often get caught up focusing on what I am to do
rather than looking at what God has done. The Christian faith
is not a religion of dos and don'ts, but a relationship with the
Living Lord based on faith in what God has done through Jesus'
death on the Cross. I mourn that I often forget that. Let us pon-
der all that God has done for us through Christ's work on the
Cross.

Blessings to you and yours.

God's Forgiveness: The Heart of the Gospel

I hope the title of the blog piece doesn't sound so spiritual or
religious that it scares you away. As we journey on further
into the Lenten season and prepare ourselves for Good Fri-
day and Resurrection Sunday, I am increasingly aware of my
need -our need- of God's forgiveness.

I recently viewed The Barbarian Invasions (2003), a hard-
hitting and thought-provoking companion movie to The De-
cline of the American Empire (1987), both written and di-
rected by Denys Arcand, a well known French-Canadian film-
maker. The context of the film is post-1966 Montreal, the year
when a majority of people fled from the Roman Catholic Church
and turned their backs on God, the Church, and hope.

The central character is Remy, a feisty child-of-the-60s aca-
demic and a frisky philanderer who is dying. His lifestyle and
philosophy of life have devastated his relationships with his
estranged wife and children. Arcand uses the visits of his aca-
demic colleagues, former mistresses, and alienated family
members to comment on such issues as healthcare, the Ro-
man Catholic Church, financial prosperity, euthanasia, mar-
riage, family relationships, and death and dying.

My overall impression of the film was that it captured the es-
sence of life in North America and Europe: of societies of wom-
en and men who live without God and without hope in the
world. When I finished watching the movie I appreciated how
well done it was, but I was also saddened and grieved by see-
ing people who chose to live their lives as if God did not exist.
I felt a sense of heavy heartedness.

As I have reflected on the film I play back in my mind a scene
that swept past me when I saw it. From the opening scene to
the last portion of the movie, there is a nun who really be-
lieves in God in the midst of a world that does not believe in
God. In one scene the nun is engaged in conversation with
Remy, the dying academic. It was a powerful scene for me to
witness, and I may be embellishing it a bit because I am re-
calling it from memory. He makes a comment about the 3000
dead on 9/11, and how miniscule that was compared to the
30,000,000 indigenous people killed during the Spanish con-
quest of Latin America. Getting more agitated he talks about
the 150,000,000 dead at the hands of the British, Dutch, Dan-
ish, French, and US imperialistic ventures. Emotionally spent,
he falls back upon his bed, exhausted by his tirade.

There is a long period of silence. Remy stares at the nun. She
appears devastated by his outburst, and she struggles to re-
gain her composure. Meekly she utters that there has to be
someone to forgive us. Then with power she proclaims that
is what she believes. Now it is Remy's turn to be devastated.
After a while, he mutters that she is fortunate to believe that.
I do not quite know for sure, but I had the sense that he real-
ly wanted to believe that for himself. I couldn't help but won-
der if he wanted to have someone to forgive him for the infi-
delity to his wife, the withholding of love to his son, the mis-
use of countless women, and the misleading of generations of
students with his take on the latest intellectual fads and isms.

I do believe that the Church, God's people, is called to address
racism, poverty, oppression, hunger, injustice, corruption, ex-
ploitation, contemporary forms of slavery, and the environ-
ment, to name but a few of the issues. But as for me, what I
yearn for most, what I need most, what we need most, is God's
forgiveness. We all have gone astray from God's way: we each
seek glory for our names, build our own kingdoms, and walk
our own ways. What we need more than anything else is God's
forgiveness. We need it more than we need air to breathe, or
food to eat, or people to love us. My heart's desire is that we
would be God's people, the community of the forgiven and the
forgiving.

I'm fortunate to attend a church in which I have the opportun-
ity to celebrate communion at least every Sunday, and some-
times more. Each time that I see the elements laid out before
me, feel the Bread in my hands, smell and taste the swig from
the common Cup, and hear the Gospel proclaimed, I sense my
profound need for the Gospel of the Lamb of God who takes
away the sins of the world. Only then do the questions of who
I am and what I do, of who we are and what we do, are put in
proper perspective and make any sense.

Shalom to you and yours, in Christ's Name.

Shaving, Crockpot Thinking, and Dissertations

For the past two weeks I have been struggling with crafting
the introduction to my dissertation. I have written nearly sev-
en chapters in rough form and there are two more to write.
Usually the introduction is written after the complete first
draft is done, but I decided to do it before I did the remaining
chapters.

Most of my time has been spent struggling to shape a concise
thesis statement that would provide shape and structure to
the whole dissertation. I anticipate that the thesis statement,
if done well, will help me write the final two chapters and shape
the other chapters. As I had expected, writing my thesis state-
ment has been a time- and energy-consuming process. I tend
to do a lot of pacing when I'm doing hard mental work, and for
the past ten days I have done a lot of it.

Then there are times when ideas or words plop themselves down
in my mind when I least expect them. This happened this morn-
ing while I was shaving. The day before I had been very pleased
with the way my thesis statement was coming into focus. I don't
want to share it with you at this point, but know that it was ten
well-chosen words that communicated clearly and effectively
what I wanted to say in my dissertation. I was pleased, but there
still seemed to be something missing and I didn't know what it
was.

I had just woken up from a good sleep and I was shaving, some-
thing I do every morning. Somewhat lost in my thoughts, I was
enjoying the way the thesis statement developed. All of a sud-
den, as if out of thin air, one single word plopped into my mind
and into the thesis statement. In my mind I put it at the very
beginning of the statement, and it made a lot of sense. I could-
not contain my excitement! I finished shaving and then wrote
a single word on a Post-It note. My mind was racing, making
sense of whole sections of several chapters and connecting
them with the overall thesis statement. It really made my day!

Wishing you all the best.

It's a Small World After All

During my two decades in Boston, a city some people call the Hub of the
Universe, I had amazing opportunities to meet people from all over the
world. But only since coming to St Andrews have I had opportunities to
share daily life with a good number of people from other nations. All that
I can say is that my life has been ennriched and blessed by sharing com-
mon living space and/or meals with people from all over the globe, espe-
cially Africa, Asia, and Europe. My closest friends still come from the USA,
Canada, New Zealand, England and Australia-and one dear friend from
Germany. But over the past three years a number of people from other
countries have also richly blessed me with their friendship.

Earlier tonight while I was preparing my evening meal, I chatted with a
graduate student from Rwanda who was also preparing her meal. In pre-
vious chats I had been struck by her radiant smile and her joyful Chris-
tian faith. She was sixteen when the Rwandan genocide took place. I felt
awkward asking her more questions on that, so I asked what other lan-
guages did she speak besides English. Even though she was comfortable
using English, she found it difficult. Her language in school in Rwanda had
been French. And then she told me with a laugh that she apoke Chinese
because she did a university degree in finance in China. Now she's here in
Scotland doing a masters degree in the same subject. I found it hard to
imagine myself doing university studies in Chinese.

But there are a considerable number of Chinese women and men doing
university studies in English here in St Andrews. There are many grad-
uate degree students from China here in my residence hall, and it seems
that the majority of them are studying finance, marketing, or manage-
ment. I find that many of the Chinese students are so eager to chat that
they take the initiative to converse with me. I remember the first conver-
sation I had with one Chinese graduate student in finance. As we prepared
our meals and sat down to eat he expressed his fondness for anything that
had to do with the National Basketball League in the USA and American
TV shows that he downloaded from a Chinese website. I was amazed that
he knew so much about NBA teams, players, and standings, and the latest
TV shows in the States.

Then there was the time I was in the kitchen eating my dinner when
a tall Chinese doctoral student in financial management introduced him-
self to me. I guess it had gotten around that I was a Christian minister.
He stood on the other side of the table from me and started asking me
questions about God, Christianity, and the Bible. As I answered his ques-
tions and shared with him about God, the Bible, the Cross, forgiveness
of sins, what happens during a church service, and what a minister does,
he gradually worked his way around the table, slowly moving ever clos-
er to me, and finally pulling up a chair to sit very close to me, looking
directly into my eyes. He asked question after question and seemed
so hungry to take in whatever I had to say. It was really a special
time for me.

I often pause to remember friends (many of whom have returned to
their home countries) with whom I have shared living space and meals:
men and women from Germany, Italy, Spain, Scotland, Japan, South
Korea, Singapore, Portugal, Slovakia, California (just kidding), Argen-
tina, Greece, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, England, Australia, the
Netherlands, Canada, Cambodia, South Africa, and the USA. I have
been blessed by these friendships and they have enriched my life
here.





-

Blessed to Be a Blessing

One of my heartfelt desires is that people would someday speak of
me as blessed by God and, as a fruit of that, a blessing to others. This
would mean that God the Father would have so blessed me in Christ
Jesus, the Son, that the Spirit of God would have flowed through me
blessing others. That I would be blessed by God to be a blessing is
what I yearn for.

The pattern of God blessing women and men in order to bless others
runs through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. I first encounter
this in Scripture when God promised to bless Abram and his des-
cendants so that all the families of the world would be blessed (Gen.
12:2). God has blessed all the nations through Jesus, Abraham's prom-
ised descendant. By trusting in Christ Jesus we have been made sons
and daughters of Abraham (Gal. 3:7) and in Him we have received ev-
ery spiritual blessing in heaven and on earth (Eph. 1). Christ has sent
God's people who have been blessed in Him into the world to bless
others in the Name of the Triune God (Matt. 28:18-20).

I believe that Gen. 12:1-3 is a foundation for Christian mission. The
Church has been blessed in Jesus Christ to be a blessing to the na-
tions of the world. I also yearn to make the pattern of being blessed
by God to be a blessing a part of my daily life wherever I am. But I
am saddened by the reality that I so quickly forget God's blessings
in Jesus Christ. And so daily I feed on the Scriptures and pray that
the Father may grant me the Spirit so that I may know God more
deeply (Eph. 1: 17ff). I also pray that I would seek every opportunity
to do good to someone. That may mean spending time to listen to a
person or helping someone to do something. It may mean praying with
another in need or handing a person a cup of cold water or a mug of
hot coffee. It could be helping someone move to another house or shar-
ing with another about entrusting his or her life to Jesus Christ. But
the important thing is to seek every opportunity to do good to someone.

So I encourage you all who have been blessed in Christ Jesus to be a
blessing to others. Blessings to you and yours.

Mini-Sabbaths at the North Point

Every Monday through Friday, 8:45 until 9:30AM, I enter into what
has become for me during the past two years an established and sac-
red routine in my life. Most of this time is spent at a local coffee shop
writing in my journal. During this time I reflect on the past few days
and prepare for the day at hand. It is almost like having a mini-Sab-
bath each day.

On weekdays, with varying degrees of success, I try to get to my desk
around 7AM. Sometimes I get some work done, and sometimes I do
not. Around 8:35 I start walking the short distance to the University
Chapel for Morning Prayer that is hosted by the University Chap-
lain. I'll write more about that later, but suffice it to say that Morning
Prayer has become an important part of my life here at the university
during the past three and a half years. It is only ten minutes long, but
it has had a huge impact in terms of forming me spiritually and shap-
ing the direction of my life.

After prayer, I take a short walk to the North Point, a well-known
local coffee shop, for its morning Happy Hour. The hot drinks are
inexpensive during Happy Hour, the staff people are chatty, and
the place is full of life, conversation, and laughter. But what I like
best about mornings at the North Point is that they provide me with
place and time to examine the immediate past, pay attention to the
present, and look forward to the future. It offers me the time and
space in which I can journal about these things. There may be lively
conversation next to me, but I am usually lost in writing my thoughts,
feelings, and observations down on the pages of my journal. I don't go
out of my way for coffee, but I do enjoy hot chocolate, Fair Trade tea,
or Fair Trade Mocha while I sit, feel, think, remember, and write.

For many years now journal writing has been an enriching spiritual
discipline in my life. It has always been a part of my Sunday routine
after church. During the last few years I have tried to make time ev-
ery day to take short mini-Sabbath times of rest. Journal writing has
become a way in which I can take God seriously and pay attention to
what God is doing in my life. There might be lively and loud hustle and
bustle jampacked into every one of the forty or so available seats in
the North Point, but I am oblivious to it all while I write in my journal
as if before the face of God. As I write about people I have met, conver-
sations I have had, the books and articles I have read, movies I have
seen, the feelings that are within me, decisions I have to make, and the
things I have done, I am oblivious to the world around me. As I write
things out I become aware of things I hadn't noticed before, make con-
nections I had not seen previously, and gain insight and wisdom. I am
also aware that at times I find it difficult to write about something and
to bring it before the face of God. There are some things that are just
too painful or shameful. But I do pay attention to those things because
what I don't want to write about is just as important and revealing as
what I do write about. As a result of my experience I would say that
journal writing has become as important to me as writing and complet-
ing my dissertation, and perhaps even more so.

On most week days you can find me at the North Point drinking a hot
beverage, journaling about the good and bad experiences of life, and
entering into a mini-Sabbath with the Lord.

My Tardy New Years Resolution

I do realize that I am a bit late in making my New Years resolution,
but I do want you to know that I have been thinking about it since
before the New Year. Last November I read a short devotional piece
about Hilda, an amazing woman who served as a leader and pastor in
the early English church of the sixth and seventh centuries. Hilda is
one of the more significant Christians from the past to whom I look
for wisdom and direction in the continual formation of my own pastor-
al leadership and service of the Kingdom of God. (I will share more
about her in a future posting.)

Ray Simpson, Guardian of the present day Community of St. Aidan
and St. Hilda, has frequently reflected on the life of Hilda. At the end
of one of his meditations on her ministry and service he offered a
prayer that touched the chords of my heart. It helps me to give shape
to some of the desires I have for 2007:

Wisdom on High,
help me to learn from the likes of Hilda:
to be reliable, to grow in prudence.
To study, work, and pray hard, but not too hard;
to treat every person with courtesy and none with contempt;
to maintain resolute faith, balanced judgment, and friendships.

That's a lot of what I hope for this year.

All the best in 2007.

Epiphany-Continued Season's Greetings!

This posting of the blog comes from wet and wild Longview, Washing-
ton. I am enjoying a marvelous time with friends and a few family. From
the 28th of December through the 3rd of January I visited with cous-
ins of varying degrees and levels in Minnesota and South Dakota. I had
a delightful time there and it has continued through my time here in the
Pacific Northwest.

Last Saturday, the 6th of January, was Epiphany, a season of Chris-
tian celebration that has been closely connected with Christmas since
ancient times. For centuries the Church has observed Epiphany as the
climax of the Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas. The
latter begins with Christmas Day and continues until Epiphany. Even
though many churches these days do not celebrate or acknowledge Epi-
phany, it has been an important day for other Christians in the ancient
churches of the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, and
in many of the older historic churches and denominations of Europe and
North America.

In those ancient churches and in the growing number of the historic
churches, Christmas and Easter are considered the two primary sea-
sons of the Christian year. The Season of Christmas begins with the
First Sunday of Advent, a time of expectation and anticipation of Jesus
Christ's Coming, and ends with Epiphany, a time of remembering and
reflecting on the Church's mission to the world with the Good News of
Jesus Christ.

The term epiphany means to reveal, to show, or to make known. For
churches in the West, Epiphany is a day to remember the visit of the
wise men bearing gifts for the Baby Jesus. The wise men were not Jews,
but gentiles, perhaps from Persia. But they recognized that the Christ
Child was Lord and King of all the nations. The wise men recognized
that Jesus was sent by God to be Saviour and Lord for all people, and
not just for the Jewish people. They presented Jesus to the whole world.
For many of us who are not Jewish, and yet who believe in what God
did through Jesus Christ, we sense our kinship with the the wise men
who visited the Baby Jesus.

For many Christians from Latin America, especially those who are Ro-
man Catholic, the 6th of January, Epiphany, is el Dia de los tres Reyes,
or 'Three Kings Day,' and is considered more important than Christmas
as a time of celebration of the birth of Jesus. Epiphany is a special time
when presents are given and received. In some of the Eastern churches,
the 6th of January is Christmas, and Epiphany follows twelve days later.
In other Eastern churches, the 6th of January is the day to remember
Jesus' baptism.

For me, Epiphany is a time to reflect on the mission of the Church. Look-
ing back from the 6th of January I remember Christmas, when we cele-
brate the time that God the Father sent his missionary Son into the
world as its Lord and Saviour. On Epiphany I realize that the Church has
been sent by the Triune God on a mission to proclaim Jesus Christ as
Lord and Saviour to people of every nation, language, and race.

Even though Epiphany has just passed, I wish that the blessings of the
Christmas season remain with you and yours.