On Saturday, our church was featured on the front page of the NY Times. About a month  church a reporter named Warren St. John  from the Times came to Clarkston with the sole purpose of covering the story of an International Southern Baptist Church.  You can read the article here.  They also covered it on a video for the NYTimes.com.

Check it out, its a great story.

We had an amazing opportunity today to meet with several Muslim men in the local mosque.  A friend of mine had organized the meeting with the Imam but, unknown to us, he was sick this weekend.  However, when we showed up unannounced and uninvited, the craziest thing happened – they invited us in and spoke to us of their religion for over 90 minutes. The men , both old and young, sat with us while we discussed the holiday of Ramadan.

I listened during the discussion, as they explained the pillars of Islam and how it is practiced. There were several questions from the group of us that attended. However the most important comment that was made by one of the elder men had to do with the violence and extremest topics.  He made sure to state that Islamic Radicals are not followers of Allah.  He also stated that the issues we see in the news have very little to do with religion. They are products of the global communities politics.

Most of what we see in the news is politically driven from one side or another. As I have mentioned before, the only way to understand people is to befriend them.  Book knowledge and websites  – this blog included, are incomplete.  People are not to be merely read about, they are to be encountered.

Today marks the first day of the month long Islamic Holiday of Ramadan.  The celebration is different than most Christian or Jewish Religious holidays.  Ramadan centers around the Lunar cycle, and lasts about 30 days. The end marks the beginning of a 3 day feast, called Eid Al-Fittar.  It is a celebration of the Night of Power where it is believed that Mohammed ascended into heaven from the mount on which the Dome of the Rock currently resides. Also, instead of eating continually, (as we do on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter) they chose to fast everyday, from dawn till dusk. At dusk, the call to prayer is sung, and the feasting begins.  Some of you may remember my blog post last year conserning Ramadan in Jordan. Near dusk, the restaurants in downtown Amman fill up with hungry, nicotene deprived Arabs. They stare as the food is laid out before them, anxiously awaiting the Call to Prayer from the local Mosque.  When that signal finally arrives, all goes silent, and for 30 minutes everyone feasts. Here in Clarkston, we are expecting the Somali community to be especially devout in their fasting.

Ramadan is also a time of generosity towards one another.  The Arabic greeting during this time is “Ramadan Kareem,” followed with a response of “Allah Akram.”  The idea is that we are to be generous as God is generous.

Several of the believers here in Clarkston are choosing to observe Ramadan.  This is a great time for you to invite your Muslim friends over for  “Iftar,” or “the breaking of the fast.   It is also a perfect excuse for you to do your own fasting and praying for the Islamic community of the world, as well as the community that lives close to you.   The ideas of fasting and generosity are very close to the Islamic heart. Use this as a topic of conversation. Discuss why you, as a believer fast. And most importantly, listen and learn from their culture.  Show some hospitality and respect for their holiday, and allow that friendship to grow.

When I came home from Jordan, over 3 months ago, I truly believed my life had taken a turn toward dullness. Surely nothing America had to offer could match that of the Middle East.  I thought the issues I dealt with in Jordan would dwarf that of the issues found within the boundaries of the “Home of the Free.”

Today, I would like to recant those thoughts. I am currently living in the strangest city I have ever visited, much less inhabited. Although my heart longs to return to the work in Jordan, I know that God has placed me here, in Clarkston, Ga for a time and purpose.

Until 15 years ago, Clarkston was a quiet, white suburban town of Atlanta.  Then the white southerners worst nightmare happened. Refugees from all regions of the globe became neighbors after government placement.  Clarkston is ideal for refugee placement, since it has easy access to the city of Atlanta along with a vast amount of apartment complexes with-in its suburban radius. Since they initial refugee placement, the diversity has only grown. Clarkston High now boasts 47 different languages spoken by their students.   You read correctly. 47.   The people groups range from Laos to Bosnia to Somalia to Sudan. The Somali’s boast largest number in our little suburbia.  Of the refugees, somewhere between 70-80% are of Islamic faith.  The local mosque is Somali controlled, however a few other groups also attend.

My neighbors are from everywhere except America. The majority are a group of Russian Turks, which I will detail their extraordinary journey to America at a later date.  The rest hail from Afghanistan,  Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone (to name a few).   Walking outside every morning is a inter-cultural experience. The older Turk men are sitting, talking and smoking while the covered Somali mothers walk with their babies in the cool of the daybreak breeze.

There is so much to be done. In discussing the needs of the refugee population, it is hard to know where to begin. All have been placed here by the government, and have 90 days to start living independently before the Federal support runs out. Thats 90 days to find a job, learn the local bus system, learn how to cope with American appliances, learn how to save money, develop enough of the English language to apply for a job, and deal with being in a new, faster, and less friendly American culture.

Overwhelmed yet?

Well the beautiful thing is that God is not overwhelmed. He has brought the nations to Clarkston, and He has placed a remnant of His people with-in them.  I have been amazed at the unity that He has developed in what I call the “Church of Clarkston.”  Through my discussions with the local believers that have chosen to live among the people of Clarkston, a common goal and vision has been the topic.  God is at work, and we are seeking His wisdom and guidance.

The harvest is ready, and the workers are here.

I had a great chance this past week to visit Yemen, a country rich in history and Islamic tradition. If you don’t know where that is, its located on the south-west corner of the Arabian Peninsula.  It is not quite Africa, and not quite Arab in its culture.  It is the poorest of the Arab countries, and is the only one that is considered 3rd world.  We had a great opportunity to visit with some friends there and were able to get to know the culture  a little. It is a beautiful country that is hardly traveled by Westerners. It’s tourism industry is not developed, allowing for an outsider to truly see into the culture. It is virtually 100% Muslim, making it one of the least reached areas of the planet. This is actually the country that Bin Ladin’s family holds it’s origin. He is considered as a hero, and the war in Iraq and the Israel/Palestinian conflict are considered Jihad. Although they live in an extremely conservative Muslim environment, the people are very friendly and genuinely kind.

We were able to visit a few major cities, Sana’a, and Taizz.  Sana’a is the capital of Yemen, and is nestled nicely around several mountains.  One of the oldest and major Islamic teaching centers is located there, which reportedly had links to terrorist organizations.  We spent much of our time in the beautiful old city, where blacksmiths and open markets are abundant. The traditional way of life there is abundant, even amidst a city that is attempting to move forward in development.

The majority of the trip was spent in Taizz. It is a city of about 500,000 people, located at the base of a mountain. To be quite honest, the scenery makes this one of the more beautiful cities I’ve ever seen.  Originally the capital of the country, it was home to the countries ruler, an Imam that lived atop a castle overlooking the city.  During one of the failed revolts, he would watch the public executions from the local Futbol stadium, where literally thousands were slaughtered.

While we were there, the friend we were staying with invited us to go with him to a wedding. It was great.  In a Yemeni wedding, the parties are completely segregated.  Men never see women, and visa versa.  The only time the groom sees the bride is when he goes to sign the marriage contract. He then returns to his guests.  We went to the wedding around 1pm. We left around  11:30 pm that night, however it was still going strong.

During that time, the men sat… and sat… and sat.  They chew cott, which is similar to a tea leaf. It acts as a cultural tradition. Like many of the cultural traditions in the Middle East, it is built around socializing and conversation. The conversations deal with jobs, religion, and politics.   The idea of merely “being” with one another is foreign to us as Americans. We would consider it boring, and pointless. The need for entertainment seems to emerge rather quickly whenever Americans get together. Later that evening a ude player showed up, which definitely  broke the monotony.  When we left, the party had moved outside, where the many were dancing. It was a great chance to get to know the culture.

One of the things that I couldn’t get out of my head was one simple fact. Every one we met, saw and came in contact with during those 8 days were going to hell. Although it is similar here in Jordan, it is not as chilling.  We have churches, and I know Arab believers here. In Yemen, the darkness prevails.   This fact is true of all Arabian Peninsula Countries. The darkness prevails. The desire of others to go to such areas and take news that is foreign and forbidden. The amazing thing is that the job laid out before us is impossible.  But is not the idea of God becoming a man impossible? Is not the virgin birth impossible? Is not making 5 loaves and 2 fish more than enough for 5,000 hungry people impossible?  Is not the idea of a man dying on a cross and rising form the dead impossible?

As a red blooded American male, there are several things that I naturally believe.  Things like: “every restaurant has free refills,”  “bacon goes on cheeseburgers,” “full contact backyard football is just how the game is played,”  “baseball is the only constant good in the world (excluding anything wearing pinstripes), ” and “weakness is just pain leaving the body.”  The latter one is something that seems innate not only in the western world, but in the Middle East as well.   In the Muslim mind, weakness is not respected, it is not honoring to ones family, or community.

This got me thinking. Why is weakness a negative idea? Personally, I hate showing weakness in anything. I would almost rather lie than appear weak. I think the technical term is American male ego.  God has been molding in such a way that the thinking patterns I came here with, have drastically changed.    The knowledge that so many things are “not known” requires weakness and humility in order to truly trust. Understanding weakness is something I am working through. When things like Arabic study, spiritual warfare, disappointment in a close friend, and questions with answers that seem to be hidden combine on one person, weakness seems to fill the mind and body.

What I am learning however is that weakness is not pain leaving the body. It is when pain has entered that one becomes weak. Only then can that weakness bring forth humility. Only then can the knowledge of a sovereign God take hold. In the words of Paul, only then can God’s power be made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

I don’t think the point is the to get over  our weakness. I think the point is to accept that is who we are. We are weak, fragile, depraved humans. That is reality.  We have a strong, unbeatable, lovingly gracious God. This is a greater reality, and one that we undermine with our view of weakness.  Combine those two very true realities, and weakness is a blessing, not a pain or trial that one gets through. Weakness is becoming a way of life, and ironically, I happen to really like where it’s taking me.

It is becoming clear to me that my belief in myself is meaningless. It is becoming clear that Jesus has a desire to not only save the lost, but the believers as well. I came to the Middle East to seek out the lost, however I believe Gods desire to heal me and make me whole is just as strong as His desire to save those who do not know Him. Saving is something that Paul describes as a process. Before I loose some people, let me be clear that I am not arguing about the assurance of our place in the Kingdom, rather, the life that is lived while in that Kingdom, here on Earth.  I am a frequent reader of RelevantMagazine.com, and today, a certain article caught my eye by a guy from Indiana, named Brandon Andress.  As much as I wish this was from my own study it is not.  In it he described the Matthew 8 passage concerning the Roman Centurion and his lame servant (or child, depending on translation).  In the article, Andrass notes that the Greek word used for “heal” in Matthew 8:7 is the word “therapeuo” meaning simply what it says, “heal, to make well.” Jesus states that, “I will come, and heal him.”  This wouldn’t be of interest, except for the Roman’s response in 8:8. “…Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” The word used for “healed” is different than the one used by Jesus in 8:7. This word is “iaomia.” It refers to a different type of healing: “to make one whole, to bring about salvation.”  The verses following contain this word for heal, and states that the servant was “iaomia” that very hour. This is the same word used by Peter when he describes our salvation by stating that, “by His stripes we were healed (1 Peter 2:24).

The desire of Jesus is to make us whole.  It goes so much farther than salvation unto eternal life. It is salvation unto healing, and binding the brokenhearted. It is salvation unto a life that is abundant and free.  His desire is to save us and to do so by making us whole.  This process is not a walk down an aisle or a one time prayer we made when we were 11. It is life. It is walking in the light of the One who loved us, and whose desire is to make us heal, bind, and mend.

We cannot boast for it is His doing alone that brings us to this salvation. It is his doing that brings us to wholeness in Him.

This song has been a huge encouragement to me as of late. I pray it is for you as well.

Isaac Watts’ “No More My God”

No More My God, I boast no more
Of all the duties I have done
I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of Thy Son

No more my God
No more my God
No more my God
I boast no more

Now, for the loss I bear his name,
What was my gain I count my loss
My former pride I call my shame
And nail my glory to His cross

Yes, and I must, I will esteem
All things but loss for Jesus’ sake
O may my soul be found in Him
And of His righteousness partake
Amen, amen

The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before Thy throne
But faith can answer Thy demands
By pleading what my Lord has done

I am learning to understand and listen to people here. Some of you just had a heart attack (my mother included).  It seems, that as an American, Gospel-believing guy, that I don’t know everything. Shocking, I know.  (Hopefully you are catching the sarcasm.)

My life, previous to this year, has been spent inside a bubble of a sub-culture called the American Evangelical World.  This is the place where we have our own bookstores, radio-stations, schedules and views that concern us, the American Evangelical.  Obviously, I do not condemn these things, but growing up in that environment has defiantly had its positive and negative impacts.  In my life, I have seen the un-saved, lost or the un-evangelized as nothing more than a project, merely a ministry opportunity.

The idea of “us” and “them” has become something that influenced the way I make friends.  The idea that “you shouldn’t have friends that aren’t Christians, at least, not close friends,” simply has left me lacking.  When I read the Gospels and see Jesus truly being a friend toward those who are less than “Christ-like,” (i.e.: tax collectors, prostitutes, interested religious leaders, not to mention all of the disciples) I begin to realize that our opinion of, “in the world and not of it,” is completely un-Christ-like.  I have friends who are Muslim. Only by being their friend, in the truest sense of the word, can I begin to understand them, and begin to truly love as Christ would have us to. It is an amazing thing to have a relationship with someone so different.  God has given us his love.  He has counted us friends and heirs with Jesus himself.  Jesus is that “friend that sticks closer than a brother.”   How better to show His love, than to be that same friend to someone else, no matter how different. I have come to believe that it is really not a question of what is the best philosophy. It is a question of who do we love more. Is it comfortable little atmosphere of Christianity? Or is it our neighbors, whom we gossip about the way they live, and how they are bringing down the neighborhood?

“Truly, I say to you, as you did not do unto one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”
-Yesuah ( Matthew 25:45)

Is it possible that we love ourselves more than our Savior?

One of the things I fight the most in my personal life, is my American up-bringing.  This is not to say I regret, or dis-value my American Identity, it simply just gets in the way.  Many time people believe that the people involved in our business are spiritual giants, that have such a good handle on biblical principles like love, selflessness, and sacrifice. Well I cannot speak for everyone, but for me, nothing could be further from the truth.  This experience has and I hope forever changed my view of the work of Christ.  It has shown me that no matter where I find myself, my job is the same. Infiltrate the culture with the Gospel by creative and efficient ways, while trusting the idea that “all things work together for good.”

My American-Western culture, however, is a double-edged sword. I am convinced that although we have an endless amount of resources, and are by far the a blessed nation, it is a huge road-block.  As Americans, we can say many good things about ourselves and our great country. It is a great place to live, and regardless of who is in charge every 4 years, it remains the best country to call home.  I value that. However, I value certain characteristics of it too much.  Comfort has a huge price tag in the US.  We will pay out the nose for comfort.  We buy a car with heated leather seats that turn on with a push of a button form inside our home because we don’t want to be “uncomfortable” on our way to a plush job that includes heating, air conditioning, and a nice guaranteed salary including a great 401k.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love heated leather seats.  My first car had them (although the windows didn’t work.)  And I coudn’t agree more that we should be good stewards of our money. So don’t misunderstand my point. I don’t believe any of these things are wrong.  The point is, we value comfort in every area of our lives.  “The couch is too lumpy,”  ” The mattress is too hard,” or “Our TV is just not big enough.”

We love our comfort, and that is a great thing about America, it’s comfortable.  Nice sedan to work with our frape-chino, go home for a nice meal, and fall asleep to Sports Center (at least thats what I do).  This is our life. Of course we Christians go to church and are very committed to in great spiritual things like family and youth group.  All great things. Important things.  We live on a platue however, that values comfort over truth.  When that happens, we very quickly become apathetic toward the rest of the world, becaue to entertain thoughts of what the world goes through on a daily basis is “uncomfortable.”

Please understand I am not accusing any of you of this attitude. These are areas that in which I see myself coming up short.  It’s so easy to look the other way.  If it’s the needy, or the Iraqi Refugee, it’s “more comfortable” to just not know anything.  Our comfort levals also control our opinions about international affairs.  We see things through American eyes, not the reality of situations.  Somehow, before coming here, it was very easy for me to have an opionon about the war in Iraq, about our government, and about what should or shouldn’t be done. I had a good cookie-cutter answer for each area. I was the typical, right-wing know it all.  Cookie-cutter answers don’t exist in reality.  It is never that simple. Our American comfort would say differnt, but it would be wrong.  Our simplistic attitudes and opionions sometimes end up costing many individuals and families thier homes, thier country, and thier lives.  Yet, living a mere 200 miles from the Iraqi border, it is easier to remove yourself from the reality of life for those individuals, and ignore it, then it is to see it.

Hears the facts. The Middle East conflict is more than close to boiling point. Depending on the location one would be discussing,  it has been over that point for a very long time.  At this point we are literally one push of a button away from a full blown world war. No annalist or press member can predict what this area of the world may look like by this time next year. Iran is gearing up, and Iraq is surrounded by those who would love to have their hands on the resources.  The decisions Israel, the United States and Iran will shape the future of this peace of real-estate.

As American Christians, we need to be praying for peace, and for God’s mercy on this area.  It is not enough to pray for the safety of our troops (although this is just as important).  We must pray for the peace of the Arab Nations.  Do not loose site of the reality of this conflict.  People have lost everything.  We cannot allow ourselves to feel continue to feel comfortable.  It’s time to value the truth of the Gospel above the comforts of our opinions. The Gospel is for the sick, needy and yes, the Arab.  Pray that God will open their eyes, and that more war will be avoided, and that in the middle of what ever happens, the believers will thrive, and that the truth will set their countrymen free.

Maybe you already have been doing this. Keep it up, and get the word out.  Our greatest weapon is prayer, not our missles or our trained military men and women.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God.”

-Yesuah,  (Matthew 5:9)

Year 2007 is now underway, and it seems like we are in full swing here in the Middle East. Our break in Egypt was great. God really blessed us with good weather and with only afew hang ups. Most of our experiences there were good, except for one bus ride. Lets just say the Egyption Muslims were less than cordial about sharing a bus with 4 Americans. But it worked out ok. If you would like to see afew pictures from our trip, check out the photoblog.

God has truly blessed one of the friendships I have been working on latly. We will call him Freddy for now. Freddy and I recently met up for lunch at a little sandwich stand not far from my apartment. I had been getting kind of discouraged about this relationship. It had developed into a good friendship over the past several months, but the level of spiritual discussion had been next to nothing. I was begining to think that he was merely using me just to practice his English. The only topic of spirituality we had discussed up to this point was “The Passion” and what his feelings were towards the film. Although this sounds promising, it was quickly dismissed in the conversation as just a good movie. This afternoon, however, was different. We started talking about the winter break trips he and I had made and the different expieriences that had come our way. It was just like normal. Then it happened. He brought up the latest christian film production, “The Nativity.” He said that it was really great how people were combining the story’s from the Quran with other “sources.” The Quran has a version of the Virgin Birth of Isa in it, that is actually very close to the stories in the Gospels, with some differences. This was an excellent chance to share the differences between Islam and Christianity. The growing mentality of college students here in Jordan is that the two religions are very closly related, and even lead to the same God. A pluralistic view of God has become more popular here among the shabab (younger generation). We then began to discuss the differences in the two religions. Mainly, that the story of Isa in the Quran and the story of Jesus in the Ingeal (Gospels) are much differnt. That is, that Jesus did not die in the Quran, rather Judas was replaced by God on the cross to pay for his sin of betrayel. Although most Muslims know this difference, few know its significance. Freddy was not one of the few. I had the amazing opportunity to sit across from him and discuss the significance of the Cross of Jesus. The facts that He had to die in order for me to live in the grace of God here on Earth and forever in Heaven. This was his first encounter with the Gospel. As most of you know, I get passionate about the things I care so much about. I thought I had pressed him too hard in this coversaiton, but Skywalker and I are invited over for lunch at his home this week! The Gospel still works.