Years ago, when I was on a business trip to New York City as an HR consultant for one of the banks, I attended what I still call a Sunday School class (the rest of the world has moved on with new and various titles but I am nostolgic at times). It was just after nine-eleven and the topic of this class was money. What were people supposed to do? Jobs had been lost in a heartbeat and these class members were sitting in a room at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan talking about Jesus.
I thought I was only attending the class because it was Sunday and that is what I do on Sundays, go to church. I am humbled to even think God had plans for me that morning, but what happened in that class blew me away. Sitting on not terribly comforable seats, we leaned forward as a man at a chalk board pulled us out of ourselves and got us to think about how Jesus could be in this violent and financial mess. Not the "how" of metaphysical how, but in reality, what was He doing here? How was He connecting New Yorkers to Himself and how was He getting His people to share the burdens of the time?
Then a word came up and impacted my life. The word came from the man at the front of the room and that word he spoke so clearly was "accountability," but what blew me away was what happened next. Here in an urban environment, where trust had been rocked to ground zero the members of this class were talking about openly sharing their financial situations with each other. One man spoke of how me met with his "accountability partner" at lunch and they opened their checkbooks to each other with the goal of working to support their families with Christ like standards.What? In New York share your checkbook stubs?
Yesterday, and this is now 2010, I had the priveledge of meeting with someone from Redeemer to talk about accountability for writers. The result of that meeting is that I've been asked to write a proposal for a writers conference to be held here in New York City. Working title: Urban Christian Writers Conference. Purpose: to be blown away by God's role for writers. Writers accountable to Him by challenging each other to be all He meant us to be.Let's pray!
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Because of the Cross
Philippeans 2:3
To me, good manners are esential for telling/showing someone they are important. It's a way we show 'preference' in that we show/let someone know that they are importnt to us, maybe even more important than our own wants and desires.
To some, I live in the land of good manners- England. I agree that English writers have produced a number of good books on the subject and many of the Queen's subjects display great qualities of consideration for others, but the English version of manners is only one version of the etiquette we have agreed to call "manners."
Each culture has a group of behaviours and words considered to be "best manners." Best manners are often about protocol, and I prefer to think more in terms of "simple manners." It's not complicated to say "sorry, love." when we have hurt someone with words or behviours even if we have no idea what we have done. It isn't pretentious to apologize and save sorting out the resons behind a hurt for a later date.
It is pride that keeps us from acknowledging our humanness and our willingnes to "prefer one another." Pride keeps a wife from apologising for dinner not happening, a nation from the starting point of reconciliation with another nation, and me laying my whole life at the foot of the coss.
On this Holy Weekend I want to say sorry to God in the name of Jesus...not a light or polite or flipant "sorry" but a more deeply felt "sorry" that my countries where I have a passport, where I live and play are not raising the name of Jesus above all other names. May nation upon nation prefer you.
To me, good manners are esential for telling/showing someone they are important. It's a way we show 'preference' in that we show/let someone know that they are importnt to us, maybe even more important than our own wants and desires.
To some, I live in the land of good manners- England. I agree that English writers have produced a number of good books on the subject and many of the Queen's subjects display great qualities of consideration for others, but the English version of manners is only one version of the etiquette we have agreed to call "manners."
Each culture has a group of behaviours and words considered to be "best manners." Best manners are often about protocol, and I prefer to think more in terms of "simple manners." It's not complicated to say "sorry, love." when we have hurt someone with words or behviours even if we have no idea what we have done. It isn't pretentious to apologize and save sorting out the resons behind a hurt for a later date.
It is pride that keeps us from acknowledging our humanness and our willingnes to "prefer one another." Pride keeps a wife from apologising for dinner not happening, a nation from the starting point of reconciliation with another nation, and me laying my whole life at the foot of the coss.
On this Holy Weekend I want to say sorry to God in the name of Jesus...not a light or polite or flipant "sorry" but a more deeply felt "sorry" that my countries where I have a passport, where I live and play are not raising the name of Jesus above all other names. May nation upon nation prefer you.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Baptism
Just a quick note to say that we are away this week at a family baptism in Italy. The following week we head to New York City and then down to Tampa where I look forward to catching up with a spot of blog writing!
In the meantime, let me say I think I found my new favourite airplane: Air Dolomiti. In addition to the interior of the plane being my favourite colour, you start with the flight attendants handing you a warm face cloth (real cloth, not paper) and then lovely snacks on a short flight. My six foot husband was actually comfortable in his seat and pleased to not have to pay extra for carrying large bags with grand-baby items.Smiles alround with cabin crew;and above all a good safe flight....not for the faint hearted, landing in Ancona as you slip over oil tankers. Oh, and it was cheaper than Ryan Air.
A blessed Resurrection Sunday to all...with Passover and Good Friday it is Holy Week, indeed.
In the meantime, let me say I think I found my new favourite airplane: Air Dolomiti. In addition to the interior of the plane being my favourite colour, you start with the flight attendants handing you a warm face cloth (real cloth, not paper) and then lovely snacks on a short flight. My six foot husband was actually comfortable in his seat and pleased to not have to pay extra for carrying large bags with grand-baby items.Smiles alround with cabin crew;and above all a good safe flight....not for the faint hearted, landing in Ancona as you slip over oil tankers. Oh, and it was cheaper than Ryan Air.
A blessed Resurrection Sunday to all...with Passover and Good Friday it is Holy Week, indeed.
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