Joy in Praying for Others

You’re making your way through the church lobby after a Sunday worship service when you see someone you know coming though the crowd in your direction. After you greet one another, your friend says, “I was hoping I’d catch you. I have a prayer request I want to share with you.”

What’s your reaction in that moment?

“Alright! It’s an opportunity to lift up someone’s need in prayer! This so totally ROCKS!”

or

“My prayer list is already too long… Let’s see if this request is important enough to make the cut.”

or

“I really care about this person, but I’m so busy right now. I really wish they’d have asked somebody else.”

Or if you’re like me…

“I hope I remember this later!”

If we were to follow the example of the Apostle Paul, our reaction would be closest to the first of these, as silly as it may sound. Paul found great joy in praying for others, asking God to intervene in their lives in order to accomplish His purposes. Take a look at Philippians 1:4-8.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Paul was a prisoner, and yet his affection for his brothers and sisters living in Philippi was so great that it brought him joy to pray for them. This joy certainly didn’t come from his circumstances. So from where did it come?

1. Joy in their shared history – Paul had been through hard things with these people. In Acts 16, we read about how Paul and Silas were jailed in Philippi. As the two missionaries were being run out of town by the magistrates, they visited the fledgling house church there one last time. That church was the one Paul later wrote these words to, once again jailed for the sake of the gospel. Paul honored their history together by praying for them with joy.

2. Joy in their shared standing in Christ – Paul recognized that these people he was praying for weren’t just any people. They belonged to the household of God, beloved children of the Almighty, co-heirs with Jesus Christ! He knew that God was at work in their lives, and that God would carry that work to completion. He knew they shared in God’s grace – with him. They were beloved just as he was beloved. What a joy it is to know that others experience the love of God just as I do! What a bond we share!

3. Joy in God’s love for them – Paul longed for these people “with the affection of Christ Jesus.” He was able to see them from God’s point of view. Shouldn’t we, as God’s people, care about the things God cares about? God takes joy in answering the prayers of His people. Should we not also take joy in lifting their prayer needs to God?

And so, I am convicted. I want to be more like Paul in this, finding joy in lifting the needs of my brothers and sisters to our Father. I want to pray as Paul prayed, that their love would abound more and more, that they would have knowledge and discernment, and that they would remain pure and blameless until the day of Christ (Phil. 1:9-11).

Speaking of which, do you ever notice that when Paul prays for people, he never prays that they would find relief from their bunions, find a new job, or get along better with their sister? He always prays for things like “abounding love,” “depth of insight,” and “the fruit of righteousness.” I wonder if we prayed these things for one another how it might change our level of excitement about praying for others. I wonder how it might change our lives…

But that’s another post for another time. For now, let us pray for one another with all joy!

Now, remind me again what you wanted prayer for...

Are You Writing?

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

-- Hebrews 10:24-25

I’m writing this because a thirteen-year-old called my cell phone at ten o’clock last night. Had he not done so, I would surely be doing something else. But he called. So, here I am.

This requires some explanation. Let me back up.

Several weeks ago, following a sermon on investing in eternal things, my Ever-Lovin’ Wife (ELW) led our small group in a prayer exercise. We were to ask God if there was something He wanted us to invest in, either with our time or our money, and then to listen for His response. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began to pray silently.

Instantly, I knew what God wanted me to do. He wanted me to write. Devotionals, blogging, curriculum, sermons…my books. He wanted me to invest in writing for Him.

I felt anxious, agitated. “But God,” I replied, “I don’t have time to write. If I were to do that, I’d have to give up some of my relaxation time. I’d have to watch less TV! You know how much TV means to me!”

Looking back on it, this reply seems somewhat childish and awfully silly. But in that moment, it seemed true. I had been convicted by the Holy Spirit to do something that I had no desire to do, and I felt angry that God would even ask. By God’s grace, I shared this experience with my small group and asked them to pray that God would change my heart.

Weeks went by, and despite my small group community’s prayers and encouragement, still no writing. But I could sense God softening my heart toward the idea. I went from loathing at the thought of it, to begrudging acceptance that it was a good idea, to some sort of vaguely eager anticipation of it. I even came up with a plan for how writing might occur. Each night after putting ELW to bed (I’m still tucking her in after twelve years of marriage), I would spend the next hour writing. It was specific, measurable, and not overly ambitious. In other words, it was perfect.

Except for one thing. I didn’t do it.

Enter my thirteen-year-old friend, Tyler Crane. Tyler is in the 8^th grade guys small group that I lead at church. Last weekend several folks from our youth group, including Tyler and me, attended a local Summer Camp in the foothills. There, we heard a message on Ephesians 5:15-16 about making the most of the short time we have on earth, spending it doing things with eternal ramifications. Again, God brought my writing to mind. I mentioned this conviction with my 8^th grade guys, both during our car ride home and at youth group this week, in an effort to model transparency. But God had more in store.

After youth group, Tyler came up to me and said, “So, your plan is to write after your wife goes to bed each night?”

“That’s right,” I said.

“So, what time does she go to bed?"

“Oh, between 9:30 and 9:45 I suppose.”

"So…if I called you at 10:00, you should be writing when I called, right?”

I hesitated. I could see where this was going. “Yeah, I guess that’s right.”

“Okay. I’ll call you tonight.”

And he did. At 10pm. On the dot.

I answered, “Hi, Tyler.”

Three words came back in response: “Are you writing?”

That was last night. I did write last night, though I was working on a Seminary project, and as my wonderful ELW reminded me this evening, God did not tell me He wants me to invest more time in getting my homework done.

And so tonight, I’m writing this.

I’m writing this to say that I now have a real life example of what the author of Hebrews means when he commands us to “spur one another on.” Spurring is aggressive encouragement. Help that can’t be ignored. A ten o’clock phone call to find out if you’re writing. That’s being spurred on. That’s love.

I’m writing this to say that while God filled the powder keg of inspiration and conviction that has led me to write, it was Tyler Crane who lit the match. (Tonight, I was three paragraphs in when he called. I don’t know what I’ll be in the midst of tomorrow night, but I know I’ll be writing something!)

I’m writing this to ask you if someone in your life needs this kind of spurring on. Maybe you need it yourself. For me, being spurred on is a nightly phone call and a simple question. What would it look like for you, or for the ones you love?

Because, if we’re honest, we all have times in our lives when what we really need is for someone to call us and ask, “Are you writing?”

Enough is Enough

“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

Luke 3:10-11

Brad led a dorm bible study that I attended during my first year in college. He shared a house just off campus with a few other Christian guys, and he and his housemates ministered to many of the neighborhood’s homeless men. After several months of doing this, it became known in the homeless community that Brad’s house was a place you could go for help.

One chilly winter night, a homeless man showed up on Brad’s doorstep asking if the guys might have a blanket to spare, since he had nothing to shield him from the night air. Brad and his housemates searched the house, but they had given away all of the spare blankets they usually kept on hand for such occasions. In fact, there was only one spare blanket in the whole house: Brad’s childhood blanket, affectionately known as Brad’s "binkie."

Brad had loved his binkie as long as he could remember. He had grown up with it. His binkie had brought him comfort as a child, and even now as a young adult, it still stirred fond memories in his heart.

But that night, someone needed his binkie more than he did.

Brad carried his binkie to the front door, gave it one last hug, and handed it to the homeless man on the porch.

How much do you need to have before you have enough to share with others? According to John the Baptist, if you own two outfits, you’re ready to start giving!

For most of us, this standard seems unachievable. We are much more likely to hold our possessions with a clutching claw rather than with an open palm. But it doesn’t have to be this way. By the grace and power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we can learn to trust God with our possessions, even when that means giving them away.

Even when it means giving away our binkie.

Why We Proclaim Such Foolishness

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God... Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."

-- 1 Corinthians 1:18, 26-30

No matter what we do, the world will continue to see our faith as foolishness.

There are a number of contemporary Christian apologists working hard to engage the dominant culture on behalf of Christ. Some, like Ravi Zacharias, strive to earn respect for the Christian worldview in the marketplace of ideas. They want the world to see our faith as reasonable, rational, and logical. Others, like Brian McLaren, are working to demonstrate how our ancient faith can appeal to post-modern concerns. They want the world to see our faith as relevant, powerful, and authentic.

Both of these groups are motivated by a genuine zeal for Christ and a desire to extend His Kingdom, just as we are commanded to do. But it seems to me, we must acknowledge that no matter how well we reason and argue and demonstrate and appeal, the vast majority of the world will continue to see our message as foolishness, choosing to perish rather than to accept it.

So what, then? Do we cease to put forth our message because most will reject it? Certainly not! As this passage goes on to state, through this message of the cross, God calls the lowly and the weak and the base in the eyes of the eyes of the world to be saved. It is for the sake of these that we continue to proclaim God's message of reconciliation.

Thus, none of us who are saved can boast. God did not save us because of our worthiness, but rather, He saved us in spite of our unworthiness. We who would proclaim His message to others need to keep this in mind, because it applies to us as well. God does not save others because of our persuasive words. Often, He saves others in spite of them.

The Trinity on Display

I shared this with a couple of 8th-graders today, and I think it's interesting enough to share here as well.

We were talking about the Trinity, and how the term never actually appears in the Scriptures, though the concept is clearly taught. In fact, there's one particular scene in the Bible in which the "Three-Personed" nature of God is undeniably on display: the baptism of Jesus.

Here's how it's presented in Luke 3:21-22.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

In this one scene, we see all three Divine Persons. God the Son is the One being baptized, God the Holy Spirit descends in a visible manifestation that resembles a dove, and God the Father speaks audibly from heaven. This is a simple, clear, and quite beautiful depiction of the three distinct Persons in our "Three-in-One" God.

So keep that one in your back pocket, just in case you need to blow someone's mind.

A Return to Blogging: Small Churches

As most of the readers of this blog probably already know, I (Gary) have been battling depression these many months. My depression has made it very difficult to concentrate on anything for an extended period of time, so reading, writing, and similar tasks have become much more difficult for me. In an effort to take back some of this ground, I am forcing myself to write for this blog more regularly. It's therapeutic for me to share what I'm thinking, and I really do enjoy writing, so it makes sense for this to be an outlet for me.

With that preface out of the way, here's my initial effort:

I like small churches. Always have, always will. This is true for a number of reasons, but the core of it is simply this: I think discipleship happens in smaller groups rather than in bigger ones.

When I look at the life of Christ, I notice a bit of a pattern. When Jesus chose to reveal a little bit of Himself, it was almost always before a small group of people if not a single individual. The servants at the Cana Wedding, Nicodemus, the woman at Jacob’s Well, the blind, the demon-possessed, and most notably the Twelve, all received private and semi-private glimpses of who this Jesus of Nazareth really was.

Now crowds, on the other hand, did not seem to be something Jesus enjoyed. It was a crowd in Luke 4 that wanted to throw Him off a cliff -- not the most effective way to start a public ministry. And though the crowd at the Triumphal Entry shouted “Hosanna,” that same crowd just days later would be shouting “Crucify Him!”

Throughout the Gospels, crowds are filled with people demanding more of Jesus - more food, more healings, more miraculous signs. In fact, it seems like every time a pretty good sized crowd started following Jesus, He made every effort to thin them out.

In Luke 14, we find the following verses:

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple... In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

And again, in John 6, when Jesus teaches that He is the Bread of Life, and that His disciples must eat of His flesh and drink of His blood, we find that his was too much for the crowd: “On hearing it, many of his disciples said,

“This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’... From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.”

It seems to me that if any modern evangelical pastor had been standing near Jesus when He said things like these, he would have been tempted to correct the Lord. “Jesus, you are making it unnecessarily difficult for people to come to you. You should lighten up and be a little more ‘seeker sensitive.’ How do you ever expect to get a church up off the ground?”

And maybe that’s just it. Jesus wasn’t concerned with building a following, building a crowd, building an organization or institution. Jesus was building disciples. Individuals. Persons who knew Him, and loved Him, and desired to follow in His Way. And that’s what church should be about today as well.

Discipleship happens when we get into each others’ lives in an intimate way, when we are honest with one another, when we give each other permission to speak into each others’ lives the very utterances of God (1 Peter 4:11). It doesn’t happen where I can show up, talk to no one, go unnoticed, and anonymously blend into the crowd; where I am nothing more than a consumer -- a customer to be sold to, pleased, and encouraged to come back.

And so, my heart soars when I walk into a congregation of 100, or 75, or 50, where the pastor can mention people by name in his sermon and the whole body knows who he is talking about. I love worshiping in a place where people are missed when they’re gone, where there’s a sense of unity and wholeness that comes by not just sitting in the same building together an hour a week, but by doing life together.

Put more simply, crowds are not intimate; churches ought to be.

Reading the Good Book

With the end of the year in sight, I have been reinvigorated to finish my "through the Bible in a year (or 3)" plan.

I started in Genesis in January 2006, and have been working my way from left to right, cover to cover, with the desire to read and understand the entirety of God's word in context.

I've taken breaks here and there to move around and study a topic in greater detail, or meditate on scriptures relating to life events, but I always come back to the silk ribbon and renew its progress.

The cover to cover method has been valuable for me to spend time in scripture passages that I may not have come across through a sermon or a devotional. I like knowing that I've read everything in the Bible (hmm, if only I could remember everything I've read!).

This will be the second time I've completed the reading from cover to cover. The first time through, I read the NIV Life Application commentary alongside the relevant scriptures, which also took me three years (I enjoyed the extra information, but ultimately found that the extra weight of the Bible discouraged me from taking it with me anywhere).

So, how shall I spend my daily quiet times in January 2009? I've got a couple different options in mind.

One is the "One Year Bible", which is based on the idea of (surprise) reading through the entire Bible in a year. What I like about this Bible, is that it automatically divies up the reading for each day, so that instead of reading a huge chunk in one place, you read a bit from the Old Testament, a bit from the new, and a Psalm (Hopefully this would keep me from getting bogged down in long passages of similar content).

Another option is a topical daily devotional. Yet another would be to do an in-depth study of Romans, and pick something else once I'm done with that. Ultimately, my goal is to continue learning about God's will in my life through His word, and to grow in obedience and maturity.

How do you choose your Bible devotional / study material? Do you follow some sort of a plan, or the pick and flip method?

My Hero

"Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so.

They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."
Daniel 6:3-5

Wow. I can't read this without stopping to think, 'that's the kind of person I want to be'. Faithful, honest, diligent, uncompromising... innocent of all but loving and serving my God whole-heartedly. Easier said than done, I know, but a challenge I want to live up to.

Daniel's my hero.

What's Your Birth Verse?

Go to this website and enter your day and month of birth, and it will look up your "birthday Bible verse".

My birthday is November 7, and my verse is:

Psalm 11:7 NIV

"For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face."

What's yours?

ht: GW Sr.

Calling my prayer warriors

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)


When things are good and life has been going well, it's easy to forget that we have an enemy. Like a lion, he conceals himself and prowls around until the right time to attack.

As Christians, we shouldn't be surprised when these attacks come. We can't be lulled into a comfortable sleepy faith that leaves us unprepared for an enemy that would like to see us devoured. That's why Peter says "be self-controlled and alert" (this is the area I am most trying to grow, to be more disciplined in my faith).

The reason I bring this up is that we (at Fair Oaks) are on the verge of several new things (Retool Kit, Youth Worship Night, Women's Bible Study, among others) that have great opportunity to advance the kingdom of God. While we rejoice over God's blessings, we must not let our guard down. We should be more alert than ever, knowing that the enemy will try and devour, disrupt or distract us before these things successfully get off the ground.

We are in a special and dangerous time, and I humbly beg for your devoted prayers throughout this coming week.

PLEASE PRAY

-for wisdom and direction for our church leaders
-for God's protection and blessing on our church families
-for saints willing to step up and lead in our children's (Sunday school) and youth (midweek small groups) ministries
-for God's love to flow through us, to heal the hurting around us

Spare the Rod...

The other day, one of my students asked me a very profound question.

He was concerned that a certain thing in his life was becoming more important to him than God, and he knew he needed to adjust his priorities. Not only did he recognize this as the right thing to do, but he also realized that by rebelliously holding on to the idol in his life he ran the risk of God forcibly taking it away from him.

Now days, we don't talk very much about God disciplining His people, despite the very clear teaching of Scripture on the topic. (Heb. 12:5-11, most clearly.) I'm not sure why this is. Maybe because it's not very "seeker-sensitive" to have a God who will hurt you in order to heal you. We live in a culture where even spanking is taboo, so maybe we fear that a God who punishes those He loves for their own good will be unattractive, even to those who believe in Him.

Anyway, the question my young friend came up with was this: "Why is it that God would take this away from me now that I am a Christian, and not take it away from other people around me who don't believe in Him?"

When I heard these words, I smiled ear to ear. This was a deep and important question, inviting the deep truths of Scripture. This is the kind of thing I live for.

I took my young friend back to Exodus. The Hebrew people had just come out of Egypt, crossed through the Red Sea, and seen God smash Pharoah's army something fierce. Now they were encamped at the base of a mountain called Sinai. Moses had gone up the hill to talk with God and figure out what happens next.

God had chosen these people to be His people, and if they were going to be His people, they needed to live a certain way. So, God gave them some guidelines. He started with ten simple rules, and the first of these ten was this: "You shall have no other gods before Me." (Ex. 20:3)

He could have started with any of the hundreds of commands in the law, but He chose to start with this one. Why? Because God does not want to compete for our attention or affection. He wants to be our One and Only. If we are going to be His people, if we are going to belong to Him, then He wants our complete devotion.

It's like me and Katherine. She is my wife. She belongs to me. (Readers with feminist tendencies, please don't be offended by my saying this. Truth is, I belong to her just as much.) So, if Katherine began treating some other man like he was her husband, I would get jealous. And rightly so. She ought not treat another man that way. She's my wife. I have a claim on her.

Now if a woman other than Katherine were to treat some man she was not married to as her husband, I would not react the same way. Sure, I could point out that what she was doing is wrong, but I would not be jealous for her in the same way that I would be for Katherine. Why? Because she's not my wife. I don't have a claim.

If we have put our faith in Jesus, we are God's people. Scripture tells us we were bought with a price, and refers to us as the bride of Christ. So, when we begin to treat something (or someone) other than God as though it were God, when we show a greater level of devotion to it than we do to Him, He gets jealous. And rightly so. We are His.

Now God is not vindictive. He does not do things to harm us maliciously. And I believe with all my heart that He will give you every possible chance to turn away from your idols and come back to Him. But there comes a time when there is no other way. When that time comes, God will take them by force. He will strip you down, and He will remind you that you are His, and He will do it because of His incredible, passionate, intense, scandalous love for you.

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."

--Hebrews 12:5-6

My Heart Breaks

The book of James is easily my favorite in the Bible. So practical, and so challenging. Even if you haven’t studied the book, I’m sure many of you are familiar with the verse (one of my favorites) which says:

“Religion that God our Father considers pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 NIV

Before I went on the World Race, I didn’t know quite what to make of this verse. I thought it sounded really good, but I didn’t even know of any distressed orphans. How then, could I look after any? I’ve had to accept the fact that even though orphans may not be running through the streets of Californian suburbia, that doesn’t mean I have no obligation to help them.

Unfortunately, the AIDS crisis is giving the world plenty of opportunities to show love to orphans. I just read a report by Tom Davis (who I met during world race training in Mexico) who is there now in Swaziland (which I visited last November) with his organization Children’s HopeChest. In his blog, he writes:

It’s just heart-breaking to see the numbers of widows trying to care for 8, 10, or 15 orphans in a tiny little hut with no support and no food of their own. Starting tomorrow we are beginning a carepoint from scratch. We'll start feeding the orphans in the community under a tent (the one I preached in from a video blog a few days ago), with a cast iron pot. We’re excited to get some of our programs underway in such a desperate place. We found 95 orphans living alone who hadn't eaten anything in 3 weeks.

Wow… here’s a guy who is really living out the scripture. He has chosen to do what it takes to look after orphans and widows in their distress. I can’t read his words without wishing I was back there, alongside, providing food for the hungry and hugs for the forgotten.

I deeply appreciate everything God has given me, but I HATE the fact that my comfortable life soothes me to forget the great need that exists most places in the world, rendering me useless. It’s not that I don’t want to… it’s just that without constant reminders my outrage somehow slips away. I don’t want to live like that, full of my good intentions.

I invite you to join me, to challenge me, and to hold me accountable. If we have to do some research to find a good organization to support, let’s do it. If we have to get a little ‘uncomfortable’, and step outside our borders to show love to the lonely, let’s do it.

Whatever it takes.



These pictures are of me & a couple of buddies at a carepoint in Bulembu, Swaziland (Nov 2006). I don't know their stories, only their impact on my heart.

Bible Trivia

Just for fun, let's see if anybody knows...

Who said to God,

"You have curdled me like cheese..."

Leave a comment with your best guess.

Tzutujil Update

It's been a couple of weeks since I've reported on my quest to find a source of Tzutujil NT's for Pastor Antonio in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Since then, I've had some good contacts with Antonio, current world racers in Guatemala, and SIL Peru.

The situation, briefly, is that Tzutujil NT's were printed and distributed about 30 years ago, and no new copies are available. I have been praying and working to find a way to get a reprint, so that the Tzutuil believers can have the word of God in their own language.

One of the '07 World Racers, Stacy Utecht, has been working in the villages of Lake Atitlan, and was able to visit Pastor Antonio and his church. She writes:

"About 80 percent of San Pablo are believers and the church grows more and more every day. There is an apparent need for the word of God in their language. Antonio is the only pastor in San Pablo who preaches in Tzutujil so his church is bursting with people. They want to know and hear the word of God."

I am very pleased to report that SIL Peru has the ability to do a reprint, and since I've contacted them, have responded favorably to the chance to meet this need:

"The next step is to contact our administration responsible for this area of Latin America to receive their approval for making this a project. We would then send you or your contact, or perhaps someone else who might be able to answer some more specific and detailed questions about the language and church situation of the Tzutujil.

With this information we would submit an application to the funders and, if approved, this reprint could be scheduled for the coming year, perhaps be available in Guatemala within 12 months. There are lots of factors that can delay such a publication. But we pray that with God’s help we will be ready to move ahead a quickly as possible."

Obviously, there is still a ways to go, and much to pray for. But each time God opens yet another door, I get chills to see Him working to provide His word to His people. In the meantime, I pray that I can truly treasure my own Bible, and the times I can spend reading and studying in my own language.

Thanks to all who are praying along with me to see God provide!

Hallelujah!!!

For all of you who have joined me in prayer for my search for Western Tzutujil New Testaments, THANK YOU!!!! God is opening doors! After numerous dead-ends, I received the following e-mail this morning from the publications coordinator of SIL Peru:

Hi Katherine.

Thanks so much for your interest in the Western Tzutujil people and bringing this need of a New Testament reprint to our attention. We will pursue the possibility directly. We will need to have some information before we can proceed with a reprinting. Perhaps you have access to some of the answers or can let me know of some contact so we can proceed with the reprint request.

What is the current status of the Western Tzutujil church?
How many believers are there? How many church attendees?
How many local congregations are there?
Is the church growing and at what rate?
How many of the Western Tzutujil people are literate and could use a copy of the New Testament?
Is there an ongoing literacy program in the Western Tzutujil language?
How many New Testaments should be printed?
Who would be willing to handle the importation, storage and distribution of the shipment of New Testaments?
Would the Western Tzutujil church be able or willing to contribute to the cost of reprinting?

You can imagine that it would be important for us to find the strategic answers so we can commit to the effort of republishing this New Testament. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. We will also investigate other sources.

Thanks so much.

Obviously this is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new one. I am so encouraged, though, to find that a reprinting is definitely possible! Please continue to pray more than ever that God will continue to open these doors and put scripture into the hands of the Tzutujil believers of Atitlan, Guatemala.

How do you buy a Bible?

Last February, when we were in Guatemala, we lived with a pastor, Antonio Moxnay, and helped him and his family to do ministry at a church he had just planted the month before. Pastor Antonio’s ministry was unique in that though most churches in Guatemala will only teach in Spanish, he was intentional about teaching in the native language of the people in his village. Tzutujil is a Mayan dialect spoken by about 40,000 people living in the villages that dot the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan.

Pastor Antonio shared with us that about thirty years ago, missionaries came to Atitlan to learn the language, translated the New Testament into Tzutujil, and distributed printed copies of the book. Since the project ended, however, the missionaries have gone home, and no new copies have been made available. Pastor Antonio is fortunate enough to own one of the rare copies, but sees the people around him desperately hunger for the word of God. He asked us to pray that God would provide new bibles for his people in their own language.

At the time, the world race kept us constantly moving and I didn’t have a chance to research the possibility of acquiring more Tzutujil New Testaments. Since returning home, however, I have remembered the need of the church and have begun to pursue a way to meet this need. Turns out, this is a more difficult quest than I would have imagined.

The organization that did the original translation, Wycliffe Canada, doesn’t provide the resources they have translated. The publisher, Hosanna Publishing House, does not have a web page, and the only phone number I could find was disconnected. Wycliffe Associates, American Bible Society, Hosanna-Faith by Hearing, Summer Institute of Linguistics: all were dead ends. I’m still hoping to hear back from USCWM as well as Multi-Language Media. Perhaps they will have a lead for me.

There is one resource that IS available: a verbal reading of the Tzutujil NT on audio-cassette. Of course, that probably means providing tape players and batteries, which would not be a cheap proposition. Another idea I’m working on is to bring a scanner to Atitlan and manually scan the pages of Pastor Antonio’s bible, then come back and have copies printed more cheaply in the U.S.

Please pray that God would open the doors to providing the Tzutujil people with scripture in their own language. The translation work has already been done! It just needs to get into their hands. If you have any leads, resources, or ideas, or would like to get involved in this project, please let me know.

Thanks.

Worst Day Ever?

This morning, I began reading the book of Job (I had initially planned to do that “Bible in a Year” plan, but it’s been a year, and well, this is as far as I’ve gotten…). I got to the end of chapter one, where Job has just received word that his livestock has been stolen, his servants murdered, and his ten sons and daughters all killed in a freak accident. Now, I’ve had some bad days, but nothing that comes close to this. Now, look at Job’s response:

“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship…”

What, seriously? The man has just received the worst news of his life, and his first response is to worship God. That’s amazing. In my heart, I want to be able to praise God in any circumstance, a feat so much easier said than done. By worshipping in the midst of tragedy, Job shows us that God is so much bigger than our circumstances. Even when we don’t understand what’s happening in our lives, we can still trust that God is good, and loving, and holy.

Job goes on to say,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised.”

What a perspective… to know and accept that everything we have, even for a short time, is a blessing from the Lord. What humility to know that we aren’t owed anything in this life. What peace to know that, even in difficult circumstances, God is still in control.

I’m not so sure I’m ready to tear my clothes and shave my head, but to be more like Job and respond in worship at all times, through the good and the bad, this is my heart’s true desire.