Try try again

Well, after creating the new blog on our website, I realized it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. Click on the new gray to go to my new, fully functional site.

MOVING

I need to start over and be more faithful if I'm gonna make this blog worthwhile.
Since we put up a new .mac site, my blog has moved there.

You can now see it at: the new gray

sorry for the long address, I'll straighten it out soon.

Peace,
Mike

Fuzz

Last Saturday ended up being a pretty cool day for me.  Not only were my two girls finally home again, but I got to spend the afternoon with Fuzz Kitto.  He's an emergent thinker from Down Under that took time out of his trip to talk with me. It was a blessing to think through what ministry can look like in a variety of contexts, especially youth minsitry. Fuzz is a long time youth worker and served the church in Korea for 12 years so he had a lot of experience dealing with the questions I'm asking right now. I hear Dave Livermore is in Singapore and am hoping to pick his brain a little too. It's amazing how small the world can become when we're on the journey together.


As I reflect on our conversation, I realize just how much I really need to step out of my skin and into life here. Ministry is different, and I must be sensitive to those differences, and similarities. I've unintentionally tried to force my perceptions of how youth ministry should work on our students here. And it's not working. My relationships with kids have been stagnant and surface level no matter how hard I try. Here's what I'm thinkinga about after talking with Fuzz.

Americans, esp. those in ministry seem to firmly believe that the language of relationships is TIME. Yet, time becomes a more valuable, less discretionary asset everyday. Here in Asia's World City, the perception (note, not reality) is that free time is rare or non-existent and "church" only fits in this box labeled "free time". This is not true of everyone, but seems to be the prevalent attitude of the church going culture. As Fuzz and I talked through this, it brought up some big questions.

1. How do we build relationships with a currency other than what coulde be considered personal, or quality time? Are there ways to creatively invest in others that are too busy to "hang out"? What are they?

2. If we can't build a community based on the ideal of quality time, what does community then, look like?

3. Obviously, it's not good to push church or really, God into the box labeled free time, but in a culture based on economic thinking, how do we communicate that a relationship with God is of the utmost value? How is this demonstrated differently in a white collar, asian culture than in a blue collar, Midwestern American culture?

I don't believe that time spent together with students is ever wasted but do think that in a time when they don't have much time to give that I have to be willing to be creative in loving them. Fuzz shared that while in Korea he faced the same issue and his church became reliant upon email, sms and chats. And it was a beautiful community. While losing personal contact with students scares me, maybe I have to begin looking beyond to other ways of building contacts that are meaningful. As many have reflected, some will share more online than they will ever share in person.

I don't know what the language of community is for our student ministry here yet. I do know that I'm not going to figure it out overnight. I also know that I have to step out of my old wineskins and start thinking about life, community and teenagers with a different colored lens. If you're reading this and have any ideas, feedback, etc, please share it. I have more questions than answers which is right where I should be, I think.

Gutsy

The governor of South Dakota just signed a bill making abortions illegal in his state except in the case where the mother's life is at stake. The ramifications of a law like this are huge and it's impressive that a state has stepped forward to lead the charge for the lives of the least of these. click on the title to read what the NY times has to say...

Blessed

Spending a day with two of my favorite people in Hong Kong is great. Doing it while planning what could be the best retreat I've been to and enjoying the view to boot...priceless.

Spending a day with trusted friend golfing is great. Doing it at the most beautiful course I've ever played...priceless.

It's been hard being without Melissa and Isabella. Friends have made the heartache a little softer.
The gift of shared experiences with friendsis a privilege I hope to never take for granted. Those of you that have fed, hung out, listened to, empathized with, and just plain loved me, I thank you. Hong Kong: home.

Home

It's been two weeks since I was back in Minnesota. In just under three years' time, it became home. It became the answer to the most common of questions in Hong Kong, "where are you from?" It's asked so often because no one considers Hong Kong home. Hong Kong is merely just another stop on the road to something better, at least that's the perception given.

That's gotten me thinking about my 6 days spent back "home" in Minnesota. Why would I call that place home? Especially now when so much is changing. Sparky's is now Backroads. My church is going through some of the traumas that can be attributed to new leadership and growth together. Someone else lives in the house we brought our first-born home to. Friendships have changed. Relationships now have a different dynamic. And I can honestly say that I think I am more popular now that I am gone than I ever was while there. Life is very different.

The other side of the coin is this. God has very clearly led us to serve in Hong Kong. My family is now here (honestly, they'll be back on Friday). We are building relationships that hope will be lasting while keenly aware of the nature of Hong Kong. People leave faster than anywhere else in the world. Life is dynamic, just like relationships. Change is the stabilizing factor here. And I have a peace in that.

My time in Minnesota was overwhelming. There were lots of great conversations, and some truly hard things to examine together. In all that, I learned that people are resilient. I felt the tension that I had heard about. I felt the changes in perception of life since we had been gone. Yet I sensed beyond a doubt what makes Minnesota the place we've called home. That little town of Nowthen is full of people that truly want to walk through their journey with God together with others. And they are excited to invite others to join the journey. It's a community. It's going through some growing pains right now, but they are growing and learning together.

Hong Kong is much the same. It is most definitely our home now. I don't want to fall into the trap of always considering somewhere else my home. We're here, and the old saying says home is where you hang your hat. We love the people here. We are learning much from them and have much to learn from them. And most of all, we see a community that is eagerly wanting to grow together in their journey. What an exciting time to be home in Hong Kong.

I think I'm saying all this more for my own good than anything. I'm trying desperately to flesh out feelings of fear and self-sufficiency and reimgaine what ministry could look like in a place I don't really understand. I want to understand how to make Hong Kong home. I want to understand what could allow people to feel safe enough to lay down roots. I want to understand how to serve this culture, these wonderful people, in love. I want to understand how live and teach the way of Christ (thanks Rob Bell). I want to understand.

Request part two

My physio therapy appointment came, and two hours later, went. Those that joined in prayer, thanks, I needed it. There was good news, and there was bad news; in the end, I think it's all a matter of perspective, so I'm looking at the positives.
My PT told me that I am about 50% recovered. To me, that's bad news. I had hoped to be much further along by this point. It's also good news because it means that day where I thought I re-injured myself catching Isabella didn't hurt anything!
The better news was that I can now finally start doing the things necessary to strengthen the leg. Nothing exciting, but I can ride a bike (isn't that what got me into this mess in the first place?), do leg presses at a whole 20 pounds and some time on the stair climbers. That all screams that my recovery is moving ahead quickly and I'm stoked.
By the time Melissa and Izzy get home next Friday, I will be almost as good as new!

A request

i don't know if anyone still reads my blog. Since I update it so infrequently, i forget to read it at times.
If, however, you are reading this and have the time to say a quick prayer, I would ask you to do that on two fronts.
First, take some time with God to reflect on the significance of the journey of Lent. It's a big deal that many of us in the conservative Christian world have lost sight of. Today is ash Wednesday. Ask what that means, ask God to guide your thoughts.
Second, on a much less significant note, I'm asking for prayer for me. I go back to my physio-therapist today and am praying that she will be able to see light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not getting any worse, nor have I gotten much better. That's all I'll say about that.
My prayer is that God will open our eyes in 2006 to His power, mercy, compassion, justice and strength and we will live accordingly.
Grace.