We spent seven hours last Saturday trapped on I-77 in West Virginia--it wasn't snowing and as far as we could tell the roads were reasonably clear, but someone had apparently decided we couldn't go, so there we were in a long line of cars and trucks, unable to go anywhere and with no idea when traffic would start moving.
This was, as you can imagine, a very frustrating experience! As we sat hour after hour in the same place, I thought about the poorest of the poor, "The Bottom Billion" that economist Paul Collier writes about in his book of that name that (coincidentally?) I had just finished reading. These folks are also trapped, not just for a few hours in reasonable comfort as we were, but for a lifetime in living conditions that are deplorable.
Jesus talked about "the least of these." Those of us who claim to follow Jesus (speaking for myself) are often both woefully ignorant about the poorest of the poor and too self-focused to think about what God may want us to do to help change the status quo.
Reading Collier's book has helped with my own ignorance and--after having a small experience of being trapped--I am hopefully a little more motivated to be a part of what God is doing to make a difference in the lives of "the least of these."
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Witness to God's Faithfulness
Some thoughts on what it takes for me to be a witness to God's faithfulness
Listen to God
What do I hear when I read the Bible? John Stott has written that “...sometimes we hear from Scripture only what we want to hear—the soothing echoes of our own cultural prejudice—and then we miss the thunderclap of his Word as he challenges us to listen.” In my work with university students, I've seen Chinese with no prior exposure to Scripture observe details in a passage that are missed by Americans who are so familiar with the Bible that they do not carefully read a passage because they are sure they know what it says.
I also reflect on the difficulty I have in making a quiet space so that I can hear what God the Spirit is saying to me. “Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.” (Eugene Peterson'sparaphrase of Proverbs 3:6)
Wrestle with God
While we may primarily think of Jacob in this context, the psalms and prophetic writings are full of examples of those who wrestled with God. Our tendency is to want to find the correct answer to the difficulties of Scripture and of life.
But the secret isn't to emphasize correct answers. As Jesus teaches in Mark 4:10-11, he wants us to bring our questions and difficulties to him. As we wrestle with God we get to know him in a deeper way. And it is this knowledge of God, the experience of him as we wrestle with him and see how he loves and cares for us, that helps us with what we don't understand.
Work for God
We cling to the truth of Eph 2:8-9 (salvation by grace through faith and not by works) but too easily forget Eph 2:10—that we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Whatever I do, whether teaching from the Bible or fertilizing my lawn, is to be done heartily for the Lord (Col 3:23).
Jesus is Lord of every part of life (Php 2, Rev 1); the idea of a “sacred-secular divide” is not Biblical. A gospel message that is reduced a kind of fire insurance, as though what really matters is that my soul is saved from hell, is a gospel with a huge hole in it. God wants me to work for him in way that brings the whole gospel to the world he loves.
Listen to God
What do I hear when I read the Bible? John Stott has written that “...sometimes we hear from Scripture only what we want to hear—the soothing echoes of our own cultural prejudice—and then we miss the thunderclap of his Word as he challenges us to listen.” In my work with university students, I've seen Chinese with no prior exposure to Scripture observe details in a passage that are missed by Americans who are so familiar with the Bible that they do not carefully read a passage because they are sure they know what it says.
I also reflect on the difficulty I have in making a quiet space so that I can hear what God the Spirit is saying to me. “Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.” (Eugene Peterson'sparaphrase of Proverbs 3:6)
Wrestle with God
While we may primarily think of Jacob in this context, the psalms and prophetic writings are full of examples of those who wrestled with God. Our tendency is to want to find the correct answer to the difficulties of Scripture and of life.
But the secret isn't to emphasize correct answers. As Jesus teaches in Mark 4:10-11, he wants us to bring our questions and difficulties to him. As we wrestle with God we get to know him in a deeper way. And it is this knowledge of God, the experience of him as we wrestle with him and see how he loves and cares for us, that helps us with what we don't understand.
Work for God
We cling to the truth of Eph 2:8-9 (salvation by grace through faith and not by works) but too easily forget Eph 2:10—that we were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” Whatever I do, whether teaching from the Bible or fertilizing my lawn, is to be done heartily for the Lord (Col 3:23).
Jesus is Lord of every part of life (Php 2, Rev 1); the idea of a “sacred-secular divide” is not Biblical. A gospel message that is reduced a kind of fire insurance, as though what really matters is that my soul is saved from hell, is a gospel with a huge hole in it. God wants me to work for him in way that brings the whole gospel to the world he loves.
Monday, September 21, 2009
"CGSA reunion" in Bloomington, IN
We were delighted when several current and former Ohio State grad students asked us to join them the weekend of July 31-Aug 2 in Bloomington, the home of Indiana University.
Markus and Stephanie Dickinson were CGSA leaders when we started working with grad students several years ago...Markus is now on the Linguistics faculty at Indiana U and Stephanie works in Statistics. We enjoyed the great tour they gave us of the campus and the fellowship at their church, which is very involved in community outreach.
Luke Corwin has a post-doctoral position in Physics at IU--his fiance Kelly is still a grad student at OSU. Their wedding is planned for December in Columbus and Luke has asked Gary to be his best man--we are so honored and thankful for a friendship with this couple as they begin their life together.
More photos from Bloomington are on Facebook --
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=294647&id=678060251&l=35690d9a84
Markus and Stephanie Dickinson were CGSA leaders when we started working with grad students several years ago...Markus is now on the Linguistics faculty at Indiana U and Stephanie works in Statistics. We enjoyed the great tour they gave us of the campus and the fellowship at their church, which is very involved in community outreach.
Luke Corwin has a post-doctoral position in Physics at IU--his fiance Kelly is still a grad student at OSU. Their wedding is planned for December in Columbus and Luke has asked Gary to be his best man--we are so honored and thankful for a friendship with this couple as they begin their life together.
More photos from Bloomington are on Facebook --
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=294647&id=678060251&l=35690d9a84
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Seattle trip photos
Visiting Beth (Barnet) Fuhriman in Edmonds, WA--Beth was valedictorian of my Fullerton Union High School class of 1959 and this was our first time together since graduation!
New friend Alene Wright and very good friend (we won't say how long) Kathy Tanner
Down to Tualatin, Oregon for Mother's Day with Marcy, Dave, Riley, Trevor, Kendall and Delaney
Then about an hour east of Portland and time with Berni and Dave Gorgas--I've known Berni since the 1950s in Fullerton (added Jan 2010: this was the last time I saw Berni alive)
Then to Moses Lake and lunch with Mary and Ruthie (Emmans) and their husbands,
Mary and Gordon Froese
(Gordon was a boy in Walla Walla when I went to Whitman)
and Ruthie and Rick Ames
Finally back to Seattle and more wonderful opportunities to connect...
Nelson and Helen Wright
(Nelson from the 1950s in Fullerton, Helen from 1960s in Seattle)
Al and Nancy Erisman
Al calculates we have known each other for 60 years!
Nelson and Helen Wright
(Nelson from the 1950s in Fullerton, Helen from 1960s in Seattle)
Al and Nancy Erisman
Al calculates we have known each other for 60 years!
But the friend who goes back longer than anyone is Alan Sclater (here with his wife Nancy)...Alan and I remember playing together in the 1940s in Huntington Park, CA!
Friends and family--these are rich treasures--from those I've known for over 60 years to those in these photos I just met for the first time on this memorable trip to the NorthwestTuesday, June 16, 2009
Lunch with Masao
Friends and fellow Ohio State faculty came to be with economics professor Masao Ogaki, who will soon be returning to Japan after 25 years of living in the USA.
Masao's economics colleague Pok-sang and his wife Yen-wen brought their daughter Esther...
In this video clip Masao talks about his research interest: how does one's worldview affect economic choices...does being a professing Christian make a practical difference...
We all are thankful for the six years God gave us to walk alongside Masao and share in his desire to grow in his faith...now we pray that God will grant his heart's desire to be used as a witness for Christ in Japan.
Masao's economics colleague Pok-sang and his wife Yen-wen brought their daughter Esther...
In this video clip Masao talks about his research interest: how does one's worldview affect economic choices...does being a professing Christian make a practical difference...
We all are thankful for the six years God gave us to walk alongside Masao and share in his desire to grow in his faith...now we pray that God will grant his heart's desire to be used as a witness for Christ in Japan.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Microfinance Conference in Seattle
I will share more about this outstanding conference soon, but in the meantime please check it out at http://www.spu.edu/depts/sbe/se/microfinance/photos.htm
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Monday to Friday
A poem by a school teacher, from "Pocket Prayers for Work" as compiled by our friend Mark Greene (published 2004 in London by Church House Publishing):
Monday, oh, how depressing.
Tuesday, I'm over the worst.
Wednesday, 1/2 way through the week,
that's great:
tomorrow I'll be saying,
'It's Friday tomorrow.'
Thursday, nearly there.
Friday, hooray! It's the weekend.
It's Monday again, that's not good.
Lord, you can't want me to live like this,
racing through the days.
Each day matters to you.
Help me to savour each day as it comes,
to live for you in the moment.
(more great resources at http://www.licc.org.uk/)
Monday, oh, how depressing.
Tuesday, I'm over the worst.
Wednesday, 1/2 way through the week,
that's great:
tomorrow I'll be saying,
'It's Friday tomorrow.'
Thursday, nearly there.
Friday, hooray! It's the weekend.
It's Monday again, that's not good.
Lord, you can't want me to live like this,
racing through the days.
Each day matters to you.
Help me to savour each day as it comes,
to live for you in the moment.
(more great resources at http://www.licc.org.uk/)
Friday, April 3, 2009
February update
South Carolina, Ohio State and "one last thing"
South Carolina
Feb 7-14 we were in the Myrtle Beach area, our first extended time just to relax in more than a year. This "R&R" more than met our expectations!
Sunrise from our bedroom...
...and moonrise
"Broadway at the Beach" was pretty deserted...
Brookgreen Gardens were a highlight...
...sculpture depicting Psalm 139:9-10...
...looking over a shoulder at the news
Ohio State news item
Greg Washington is a committed follower of Christ who is a professor and interim dean in Ohio State's College of Engineering.
There is a great video clip of Greg telling the story of how he became the first in his family to get a college education. You'll enjoy it and it will give you an idea of the kind of folks we get to interact with here at Ohio State--check it out at http://www.osu.edu/access/
One last thing
Cardinals on a tree in our back yard in January
earlier blogs at http://moldovagary.xanga.com/weblog
South Carolina
Feb 7-14 we were in the Myrtle Beach area, our first extended time just to relax in more than a year. This "R&R" more than met our expectations!
Sunrise from our bedroom...
...and moonrise
"Broadway at the Beach" was pretty deserted...
Brookgreen Gardens were a highlight...
...sculpture depicting Psalm 139:9-10...
...looking over a shoulder at the news
Ohio State news item
Greg Washington is a committed follower of Christ who is a professor and interim dean in Ohio State's College of Engineering.
There is a great video clip of Greg telling the story of how he became the first in his family to get a college education. You'll enjoy it and it will give you an idea of the kind of folks we get to interact with here at Ohio State--check it out at http://www.osu.edu/access/
One last thing
Cardinals on a tree in our back yard in January
earlier blogs at http://moldovagary.xanga.com/weblog
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