Gary's Corner

Leadership Training Conference - Rural Kenya, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Gary) — Sat, 30 May 2009 01:51:00 +0000

We sang the same line, "He's a mighty God," over and over for fifteen minutes. Sound boring? Nothing could be further from the truth. The first minute you are enjoying the rhythm of the music and the tribal dance of the people, soon other worship leaders have made their way up to the front, each adding his own presence to the occasion. Within a few minutes, you find yourself penetrated by the truth of what you are singing... as the sweat begins to run, you begin to believe, and joy fills your heart. Gathered circularly you sense connection with people experiencing the same thing. As the energy rises the jumps get higher, and you feel as if the place is lifting off! What an amazing truth... "He is a mighty God!"

On my second trip to Kenya I began to understand their worship. Life is hard there in many ways, so the people gather in worship to transcend life. They are lifted above their hardship to experience the transcending joy of their relationship with God. Having experienced this a couple trips now, I won't be surprised when we first get to heaven that Jesus calls up an African to lead us all in worship!

Having been invited to be part of his teaching team, I first watched Pastor David Mills speak to the Kenyan people, with translation into Swahili. I turned to the other Pastor on the team and said, "He makes it look easy." It's really not easy. Speaking with a translator requires you to find a rhythm with your message. Of course, you also have the challenge of understanding an entirely different culture. "Know your Audience" is rule number one with communication. You have to become a keen observer of them, and gather pre-message info through asking lots of questions. For example, I pulled an illustration from Nelson Mandela, but had no idea what the Kenyan people thought of him. I found out he is revered by all Africans. Ok I had myself a good illustration. An interesting note is that they know the Bible far more than most Americans. Much of this knowledge is through oral communication - they really listen. What an amazing experience to have an opportunity to train Kenyan Pastors and leaders!

A Ladybug Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Gary) — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Running through the grass field I noticed ladybugs by the hundreds. Did you see them? I stopped and put my hand down and had one climb up for a ride, and I found myself marveling at the simple beauty of life. It transported me back to being a kid and noticing life with all its wonder. A pastor shared the story of his neighborhood burning down in Philadelphia. In the midst of this terrible loss, a neighbor grabbed him and said, "Did you see the moon tonight?" I am not the best at being "in the moment" and that means I am not always tuned into the present. When this happens we miss out on seeing important things in life. After my son's baseball game he was recalling all the plays he made or was a part of. I had watched each one and commented on them. Days later he would bring them up again. It made me reflect on how at forty-six, I still remember distinct plays I made in baseball as a boy. I can actually see the ball bouncing toward me. Those memories have the power to transport me back into my childhood. How precious are those thoughts! It made me think of how glad I am to be there with him in those moments of his life, knowing they have that kind of power. I am trying to learn how to be "present" with my kids. I regret the times my mind is elsewhere. May God help us to live in the moment, and to savor life's assorted gifts.

Digging For Real Change

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Gary) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 05:18:00 +0000

I spent the morning digging out the roots of several plants at my mother in laws place. Whew! I am out of shape! After about a dozen lunges with the pick and shovel I had to sit down to catch my breath and regain my strength. Uprooting is hard work! But if we didn't do it those plants would re-grow from those stumps. We'd be right back where we started before cutting them down. I found myself reflecting on the value of uprooting. If we cut a weed or plant down but leave its roots it will grow back. It does no good to cut off the top of a weed. My parents used to say, "If you want to get rid of the spider web, you have to kill the spider." Nature should inform life here. If you want to remove an unwanted habit, we should think about what needs to be uprooted. What needs to stop so the habit doesn't keep coming back? This is not theoretical for me. I didn't get victory over an area of struggle, until I did the work of rooting out what was giving it life. There is a time to uproot... Ecclesiastes 3:2