Every Sunday it feels so hard to remember all that I did. Perhaps I should update twice a week?? Meh. I would probably forget.
Anyways, this week I have been sick (as the title suggests). This has kinda made the whole week a blur of coughs and headaches. But it has still been a good week none-the-less!
In class we have been working on turning a story into a play. It's the story of the old shoemaker, and the Lord says he will visit him, and the next day he takes care of 3 people in need and it's the whole "whatever you have done for the least of these, you do for me" thing. So that's been going good. I get to play a starving street kid who steals food from an apple lady. It's pretty fun. I get to be a little boy! Yay for playing different genders! ^_^ I think next week we will be done with that for a while and pick it up again when we are closer to the day that we perform it. It's for some celebration...I don't quiet know when.
The play did lead to a very interesting realization for me. We were talking about the goal of the play and what we wanted the audience to see, and someone said that we were basically trying to give them a guilty conscience about caring for those less fortunate. And I was thinking, well that would be hypocritical if we said they needed to take care of others, and then we didn't do that same thing. So I asked May Brit if there were any homeless shelters here and Norway and she said no. Apparently, nobody is homeless. She said there are a few homeless, but they tend to be homeless by choice or drug addicts. Either the real poverty is well hidden here in Norway, or there really isn't any. Norway is the richest country in the world, so I guess it would make sense. It's just so weird for me. I know it's a good thing that there is no poverty, but at the same time it just makes me feel like there is something missing. Christ came to preach the good news to the poor, and we find him amongst those in need. When there is no poor, people's perspective of wealth and money gets distorted, I feel. I dunno. But it will be good to go to Mexico later. For some it might be the first real poverty they see. Weird.
Anyways! There was also a few guests this week, one from India and one from.....FLORIDA! Apparently he lives in Sweden now. but still. =D well i think he does. it all kinda confused me. ANYWAYS! The man from the US is named...um...andrew?...and he is a worship leader type. So for the worship time we have on Monday and on Wednesday he played, and it was super powerful and really really great. I loved it. And the man from India spoke about the untouchables, and how God is moving in that part of India, and how it is super important to pray. Both of them spoke in English, so that was nice for me. Whenever someone is giving a sermon or a devotional, I feel like getting translation would be inappropriate, since we would be talking. So whenever someone is doing one in english it is sooo nice. I found out that there is a church on sundays that has english translation! i am so excited for that! I will for sure go there!
I suppose that is news enough for the week. I always write too much, sorry folks!
Thanks for your prayers and support! Much love!
FIN
Anyways, this week I have been sick (as the title suggests). This has kinda made the whole week a blur of coughs and headaches. But it has still been a good week none-the-less!
In class we have been working on turning a story into a play. It's the story of the old shoemaker, and the Lord says he will visit him, and the next day he takes care of 3 people in need and it's the whole "whatever you have done for the least of these, you do for me" thing. So that's been going good. I get to play a starving street kid who steals food from an apple lady. It's pretty fun. I get to be a little boy! Yay for playing different genders! ^_^ I think next week we will be done with that for a while and pick it up again when we are closer to the day that we perform it. It's for some celebration...I don't quiet know when.
The play did lead to a very interesting realization for me. We were talking about the goal of the play and what we wanted the audience to see, and someone said that we were basically trying to give them a guilty conscience about caring for those less fortunate. And I was thinking, well that would be hypocritical if we said they needed to take care of others, and then we didn't do that same thing. So I asked May Brit if there were any homeless shelters here and Norway and she said no. Apparently, nobody is homeless. She said there are a few homeless, but they tend to be homeless by choice or drug addicts. Either the real poverty is well hidden here in Norway, or there really isn't any. Norway is the richest country in the world, so I guess it would make sense. It's just so weird for me. I know it's a good thing that there is no poverty, but at the same time it just makes me feel like there is something missing. Christ came to preach the good news to the poor, and we find him amongst those in need. When there is no poor, people's perspective of wealth and money gets distorted, I feel. I dunno. But it will be good to go to Mexico later. For some it might be the first real poverty they see. Weird.
Anyways! There was also a few guests this week, one from India and one from.....FLORIDA! Apparently he lives in Sweden now. but still. =D well i think he does. it all kinda confused me. ANYWAYS! The man from the US is named...um...andrew?...and he is a worship leader type. So for the worship time we have on Monday and on Wednesday he played, and it was super powerful and really really great. I loved it. And the man from India spoke about the untouchables, and how God is moving in that part of India, and how it is super important to pray. Both of them spoke in English, so that was nice for me. Whenever someone is giving a sermon or a devotional, I feel like getting translation would be inappropriate, since we would be talking. So whenever someone is doing one in english it is sooo nice. I found out that there is a church on sundays that has english translation! i am so excited for that! I will for sure go there!
I suppose that is news enough for the week. I always write too much, sorry folks!
Thanks for your prayers and support! Much love!
FIN
October 3, 2010 at 1:14 PM
Hey, Boo!
This was an interesting post. You are expressing a really important question! Monetary wealth really can cause spiritual poverty, can't it?
We had a similar discussion yesterday with the Eagle Brook worship team regarding Jesus' words in John 7:37-38:
"37On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as[c] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
We talked about how GOOD food is when we are really hungry, and how AMAZING a drink of cool water is when we are really thirsty (with a few Boundary Waters experiences throw in to relate), and then discussed the question: What can we do to be thirsty or hungry for God in our culture?
It was difficult. We had the same sort of experience you are describing - feeling as though something is missing, and struggling to find ways to be obedient to Scripture in the face of such wealth.
I think it will take focused intentionality for us to long for God, and to find other types of poverty where we can minister in the face of monetary wealth. I suppose people can be poor in:
faith
community
meaning and purpose
hope
freedom in Christ
prayer
to name a few.
Here's to praying we find our poverty and our thirst for God. You go girl!
Oh, and feel better soon!