September, 2010 Sketchings

“’JOURNEY 2 RENEWAL’: A SUMMARY!!”

I thought it appropriate to provide a summary of my part of our “Journey 2 Renewal.” While you are getting bits and pieces of this wonderful time, it seems helpful to share with the whole of Morning Star some of ways in which I believe this time has made an impact for my life and ministry.

First of all, however, Teresa joins me in saying a great big “Thank You” for this time away, this time to renew, this time to journey to places we really never dreamed of seeing. What began as a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip actually opened up our dreams to a lifetime that will include more travels into this wonderful, engaging and interesting world.

My activities included reading, personal travel and reflection, attention to my spiritual, emotional and physical self, relationships with my God and my family and a three-week tour “In the Footsteps of Paul.” I also was able to worship with area and regional congregations and connect with my mentor and accountability partners.

My major “goal” was to enter into a new season of “being” – “well being”, being present and being claimed by God’s grace. In the reading of Paul, my travels and the slower pace of these weeks, I believe my spirit has been calmed and buoyed at the same time. I find myself able to find the quiet depths of my inner self and to enjoy ministry with a different pace and focus. An active and tangible result of this season of being has been the formation of some new relationships with a “spiritual guide” and a new set of ministry / mentor partners. I believe these new relationships will help me continue to grow the seeds planted during “Journey 2 Renewal.”

These “popcorn” observations also help share a perspective on Journey 2 Renewal:

“GOD” PROMPTING:
My reading of Paul and his ministry, along with the ease with which tour participants “testified” to their faith, challenged me to ponder the whole idea of “testimony”, both my testimony to my faith and my testimony to Jesus as the Christ. (I blogged about this theme earlier.)

LEARNING “NUGGETS:
Most of the Apostle Paul’s work was not in Greece (Philippi, Athens and Corinth). Rather it was in Turkey, mostly in the parts of Turkey that we did not visit.

Turkey and the areas of Biblical History have a long been the center of political conquest with at least 9 different conquering empires over human history.

SURPRISE OPPORTUNITY:
A visit to the Science Museum of MN’s interesting and informative exhibit of the “Dead Sea Scrolls” and the “St. John’s Bible”. I saw the St. John’s Bible exhibit in Omaha, but it was meaningful to see it linked to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Please know that from time to time I will be sharing more of my learning and observations. I hope you’ll be open to sharing yours as well.

T. O. M.