The Peacemaker

Have you read this yet? I strongly encourage you to do so. Lots of wisdom inside these 320 pages.

The Peacemaker : A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ken Sande’s book could be a game-changer for Christians and churches if we are willing to follow the principles found in it. He expertly gives insight into the Scriptures on peacemaking and reconciliation, and reminds us that this is our job as those who have been reconciled to God and have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in [Christ], and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” (Colossians 3:15)

View all my reviews

21st Century Evangelicals in the UK

Here’s an encouraging study on Evangelicals in the UK. Though I don’t have an one-to-one comparison with the US, my gut tells me the state of Evangelicals in the US would be less encouraging. My hunches about our differences aren’t scientific, but based on studies I recall hearing over the past few years, and upon my own experiences working in American churches and living in England.

Notice the differences between Evangelicals in the two countries. For instance, one statistic that underscored what I experienced while over there is the one on miraculous gifts of the Spirit (p.5)—83% of Evangelicals in the UK “strongly agree that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit did not come to an end in the first century.”

I also think we’d see differences in tithing, belief about Jesus as the only way (though this is a hallmark of Evangelicals, I suspect that fewer than 91% of American Evangelicals believe this), and abortion (the US is stronger on this one than the UK, but it’s interesting that it’s younger people in the UK who never justify it).

I came away from this study with a sense that God is moving in the United Kingdom—a sense I had while I was there. Evangelicals work together better than we do. They aren’t as lukewarm. They realize they must take a stand and they’re learning to do it together. We can learn from them.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Prayer amongst the Chilean miners

Here’s a cool article about the power of prayer in the “community” of Chilean miners when they were trapped.

Chilean miner Jose Henriquez spoke to the National Prayer Breakfast this morning.

The article reminds me of James 5:16, of the healing brought through confession and prayer. Though in the immediate context, James seems to be talking about physical healing, I think relational healing is implied as well, because mutual confession will result in relational healing.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

God’s Word for American Teens

from an email by Debbie Meroff

The Gideons used to hand out copies of the Bible to schoolchildren but in the U.S. today such activities are sharply censored. Now a new outreach by the Gideons, called the ‘Lifebook,’ has within a few weeks delivered more than 300,000 copies of the gospel message to students inside their own schools. This is possible because they’re given by volunteer students on a peer-to-peer basis during non-instructional blocks of time, such as between classes. Local churches provide leadership and coordination and student volunteers are recruited to hand out copies, totally supported by donations. A planned springtime 2011 campaign could handle a million copies. Ultimately, God’s Word should reach most of America’s 17.5 million high school students. Says a spokesman, ‘It’s like we’re helping students smuggle God’s Word into a closed country (public high schools) to reach an unreached people group; because studies show that only 4% of today’s teenagers are Bible-believing Christians.’ [WorldNet DAILY, Oct. 9, 2010]

Things I can’t wait for

Here are some things I am excited for in coming back to the States, in no particular order.

1. Being with family and friends again

2. Smash Volleyball – bump, set, spikin’ with the Motley Sand Crüe and Dairy Queen after

3. Mountain Dew – the nectar of the gods

4. Taco Bell – especially with my friend, AndreA

5. Panera – my new address

6. Rocknes – I’m gonna have me some Terminator

7. Many other foods – We have good eats in America. Yup.

8. Target and Pier One – my favorite stores

9. Driving on the right – I enjoy both sides. I just hope I turn into the correct lane on a right turn. I keep imagining the wrong one.

10. My house – I miss my little Cape, and I look forward to sitting on the front porch in a thunderstorm.

11. Pretzel – My kitty. Layin’ on the sofa with the purrin’ machine on my stomach. That’s comfort. I just hope he remembers me.

12. The Chapel – I can’t wait to worship with my church family again!

13. Whatever the Lord has in store for me – this ride is actually much more of an adventure to me now than it used to be. After seeing what He’s done this year, I’m excited to see what’s next.

14. Warm weather – ‘nuf said. Though I have to admit, today has been gorgeous.

15. Going out on the lake – I get to live on a lake when I first come home and that will be fun! I also must visit my friends in W Lake.

16. Unlimited drink refills – we really do everything big in the US, but this is one I will take advantage of again. Though I have learned to drink less, and that’s probably a good thing. Maybe I’ll won’t refill as much. (Except when I spend hours at Panera.)

17. Screens (on windows) – I don’t know why there are no screens in Europe, but there aren’t. It will be nice not to have as many bugs in the house.

18. Directions on signs (N,S,E,W) – Every time I’ve gotten lost (mainly in Scotland), it’s because the A roads don’t tell me which direction the road I’m turning on is headed.

19. Chapel Soccer – It was the first thing on my calendar (besides a dentist appt., which I can wait for).

20. The towpath – Can’t wait to enjoy some time on this and the Metro Parks.

Oh yeah, and …

21. Petrol (gas) being only $2.59-ish/gallon. (Instead of between $6 – $7/gallon.)

Things I’ll miss, Part II

Some more things I’ll miss about England …

11. the City Centre – I love how Carlisle (and most other towns) has a pedestrian shopping area with all kinds of little back alleys with shops and entertainment on weekends. It really is the hub of the city and a lot of fun. And great old architecture, not the least of which is Carlisle Cathedral.
12. alternate modes of transport – (coaches not included) I love that trains are more readily available (though still not cheap) then in the U.S. It’s also possible to get really cheap flights to other countries. I also love the underground in London! Another alternate mode of transport that we don’t use enough in the States but is quite common here is walking.
13. OM/friends from OM – I’ve grown to love this organization and the team here at ICT. I will miss the atmosphere, prayer times, discussions about language and culture, Communications team prayer time, and the OMNI (Communications) staff. I will miss hanging out at the Mallons’ house and going with Esther on crazy, last-minute trips, not to mention solving all the world’s problems at the Turkish Baths. I will miss Global Action and cultural dinners with the group. I will even miss the ride to and from work with Thomas and Johan.
14. St. James Church – In the short amount of time I’ve had at St. James, I’ve really enjoyed this congregation. St. James is a church that cares about the people of Denton Holme (neighborhood where they’re located), and they have made me feel at home. I’ll miss the Gap group and the Sunday evening service (and the time I’ve had to sleep in on Sunday—I knew that wouldn’t last, so I took advantage of it!).
15. no tipping – This is a nice one. Imagine actually paying the wait staff enough so that tipping isn’t required. On the other hand, imagine the service you get when the wait staff doesn’t have to earn tips. Yeah, that’s a problem.
16. no sales tax – VAT (value added tax) is included in the price of everything you buy. So you know exactly how much you’re spending. It’s wonderful.
17. unlimited tea and biscuits at work – This is a nice one, too. We have an assortment of drinks in the office and always at least 2 kinds of biscuits (cookies) to choose from for free.
18. Sandwich Club – a delicious little take-away (carry-out) close to the office. My favorites are their chicken, pesto & mozzarella panini for £2.20 and tuna savory baguette with veggies (kinda like a sub) for £2.10. I will miss this cheap but yummy lunch place.
19. Crown Inn – a good pub right down the street from me with free wi-fi. They have good food, especially the nachos, and it’s not usually too busy. I like the atmosphere, too.
20. CULT – don’t worry. I’m talking about Carlisle ULTimate frisbee—a group of adults that play this wacky but fun sport every Tuesday. Frisbee is great exercise and the group is great, too. Everyone likes to hang out and we have frequent events outside of frisbee, like BBQs, curry nights, etc.

Things I’ll miss, Part I

Hard to believe that in one month I’ll be returning to the US of A. I’m anxious to come back, and in a while I’ll post some things I’m excited for. But before that, I wanted to post things that I will miss about the UK. I’m sure some of this I won’t even realize until I come home, but these are things I have grown to love and will be sad to leave. Some fun, some more serious. So here we go (in no particular order) …

1. clotted cream – a delicious, thick, entirely fattening cream, which goes incredibly well with the next thing …

2. scones with jam and cream – yes, I can get them in the States, but not for the prices I can get them here!

3. choc chip shortbread – a Scottish influence, Starbucks in the UK sells these triangular morsels of goodness. Yum!

4. sheep – they are so cute and make the countryside so … pastoral. I see them frequently yet still can’t get enough of them. And the lambs are adorable—kicking up their heels and running!

5. driving on the left – yes, can you believe it? I really enjoy driving on the left. I actually think I have better depth perception on the left than right. Left-hand driving still feels adventurous to me, and especially goes well with

6. driving down tiny streets – this is partly what makes driving in England so fun—when you realize what tight spots you can actually get in with your car, or when you think, “these lanes are so narrow and everyone is driving fast,” but you do it, too, and make it through!

7. roundabouts – another driving pleasure, regular roundabouts make a lot of sense and when people know how to navigate them, they just work! The problem in Ohio is that people don’t know how to properly navigate them. But let’s forget those mini-roundabouts—stop signs would be better there.

8. Lake District – a no-brainer. If you’ve seen pictures, you can tell why. And it’s so close—I’m glad I’ve been living in Northwest England instead of somewhere far from the Lake District.

9. stone walls – yep, these are beautiful. Quintessentially England, everywhere, and lovely.

10. a castle in the middle of town – it’s hard to beat living in a city where there’s an 11th century castle smack dab in the center.

For now, that’s all I’m going to say, but I’ll post a second round on another day.

Man of Sorrows

I’d like to repost something I wrote on my blog about a year ago. I read it last night and it hit home once again.

“Terrified and Depressed” 28 April, 2009:

No, I’m not talking about myself. I’m talking about Jesus. My Lord and Savior. My God.

I know I’ve missed Good Friday by a couple of weeks, but this is really striking me tonight. This is possibly the most human Jesus we’ve ever seen.

I’m reading a book by C.J. Mahaney called Living the Cross Centered Life (thanks Gail!), and this chapter is “Staring into the cup—the shock of Gethsemane.” Mark’s gospel tells us that when Jesus got to Gethsemane with His disciples, “He began to be deeply distressed and troubled” (Mark 14:33). I looked it up—the Greek for deeply distressed actually means “to be struck with terror.” That’s like one moment you’re fine and the next you’ve been slapped in the face with gut-wrenching fear. Jesus experienced this? God? The One who calmed the storm when His disciples were terrified and told them they had little faith?

What about this other word—troubled? This word means “to be troubled; great distress or anguish; depressed.” This is the strongest of the Greek words for depressed. Jesus wasn’t just a little sad here; He tanked. He says it in the next verse, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Whoa.

Why?
Mahaney calls it “the detestable drink.” Read his words:

As Jesus lies prostrate on the ground, we overhear Him praying: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.” He’s making this plea repeatedly. With His face to the ground, we can see sweat on His temples. He lifts His head, and His expression reveals an agony so intense that His sweat is “like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” His words tell us why: “Remove this cup.” Jesus pleads again. In this moment, there’s no doubt what is dominating His heart and mind. … This cup contains the full vehemence and fierceness of God’s holy wrath poured out against all sin, and we discover in Scripture that it’s intended for all of humanity to drink [Isaiah 51:17]. … No wonder that when Jesus stares into this detestable vessel, He stumbles to the ground. That’s why there’s shuddering terror and deep distress for Him at this moment. In the crucible of human weakness He’s brought face-to-face with the abhorrent reality of bearing our iniquity and becoming the object of God’s full and furious wrath. What Jesus recoils from here is not an anticipation of the physical pain associated with crucifixion. Rather it’s a pain infinitely greater—the agony of being abandoned by His Father.

So when I am struggling in emotional or psychological pain, I need to go to Gethsemane and watch this scene. ‘Cause He gets it.

The Crucifixion

Tonight I went to see John Stainer’s “The Crucifixion” from 1887 performed at Lanercost Priory in Brampton. Undoubtedly the best and most familiar piece in this oratorio is “God So Loved the World.” It was performed beautifully in an amazing venue. One thing that stood out to me in Stainer’s work were the almost hymn-like anthems of agony or worship between recitatives of scripture.

The best part of the evening, however, was the decision the director made earlier that day to end one song early with “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished.” This song ends with the tenor singing (a cappella), “And He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.” And that was it, we were left into the night and the quiet meditation of what the Son of God has done for us.

Surely He took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted.

Isaiah 53:4

Lanercost Priory

Lanercost Priory inside looking out on the ruins

Lanercost Priory from graveyard

Companies: American or not?

One thing that’s surprised me as I’ve been in the UK is the number of companies that I’ve always assumed were American but are not. I think this just goes to show how ethnocentric we can be. Take a look at this list and tell me if you are surprised or have known it for years.

Shell Oil – actually a subsidiary of Dutch company called Royal Dutch Shell. One of the six “supermajors” (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product marketing companies), Shell was listed as the world’s largest corporation for 2009 by Fortune and world’s second largest corporation by Forbes. The company’s headquarters are in The Hague, Netherlands, with its registered office at the Shell Centre in London, United Kingdom.

The Body Shop – Has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world. The Body Shop is headquartered in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, was founded by the late Dame Anita Roddick and is now part of the L’Oréal corporate group. In the early 1970s, Anita Roddick–then Anita Perilli–visited a shop called The Body Shop in Berkeley, California run by Peggy Short and Jane Saunders. This inspired her to open her own shop back in the UK. In 1987, Anita purchased the naming rights from the original Body Shop.(from wikipedia)

Virgin Megastores – as part of an enormous empire called Virgin Group, Virgin Megastores and Virgin media are just the tip of the iceberg. Did you know there are Virgin Trains, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Racing, Virgin Money, Virgin Holidays, Virgin Flowers, Virgin Cola and Virgin Galactic? They may take over the universe before Google or the Galactic Empire.

Cadbury – This recently exchanged hands and was purchased by Kraft Foods, but until January 2010, this company was based in Uxbridge. Cadbury sells much more than the Eggs we’re used to—chocolate, candy bars and other confectionaries are part of this candy wonder.

Nestle – Another candy company. This one isn’t British, but it also isn’t American. Like all best chocolate companies, this one’s Swiss. Nope, didn’t know that. I thought I was breaking off red, white & blue pieces from that KitKat bar, not red & white.

Douwe Egberts – Though it is now a subsidiary of Sara Lee, Douwe Egberts (by the way, pronounced “dow” not “duey”) is a Dutch corporation that processes and trades coffee, tea, and other groceries. Its full name is Douwe Egberts Koninklijke Tabaksfabriek-Koffiebranderijen-Theehandel Naamloze Vennootschap, which translates as “Douwe Egberts Royal Tobacco Factory – Coffee Roasters – Tea Traders, Plc.” (wikipedia)

There are tons of American companies in the UK, more than I expected. Here are a few I was surprised to see …