Emergency and Prayer

In this photo are Jim and Karen Allen. They go to church at Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown. For several years they have led an international student Bible study in Morgantown.

Yesterday they were on a hike with one of their three children, Jacob. Jacob was hiking with his parents yesterday and got separated from them. Search and rescue teams (including dogs) are scouring the woods looking for any sign of Jacob. The Associated Press issued this release.

I am writing this to ask you to pray for Jacob and his family. Pray that God would allow the rescue teams to find favor and Jacob would be found. Pray that God would comfort the family in this time of crisis.

The Gospel According to Moses: Torah

This week we started a new series at h2o, The Gospel According to Moses. I saw a book with that title (and read it) a few years back, and this fall I was just thinking about trying to convey to folks to show what we can learn from the Jewish roots of Christianity. Although the series has little direct connection with the book itself, it was still an interesting title and read.

So it's going to be a five week series examining different ways that ancient Israel was distinct from the nations around them, and how Jesus redefines those distinctions. For instance, ancient Jewish people had been given the Torah from God. So, Torah helped define and give identity to Israel. Torah is the word used to describe the first five books of the Bible, but in a sense, all of scripture is Torah. According to Eugene Peterson, "The noun torah comes from a verb, yarah, that means to throw someting, a javelin, say, so that it hits its mark. The word that hits its mark is torah. . . God's word has this aimed, intentional, personal nature. When we are spoken to in this way, piercingly and penetratingly, we are not the same. These words get inside us, and work their meaning in us. . . all of God's words have this chaacteristic: they are torah and we are the target.

Jewish children during the time of Jesus had the Torah memorized by age 10. Have you ever memorized a book of the Bible? I came close to memorizing Ephesians once, and me and my buddy Brett tried to memorize Romans last fall (didn't work out so well.). By the age of 14, the entire old testament was memorized by ancient hebrew children, and the most talented among them would go on to become rabbi's. Memorizing large quanties of scripture was the norm--man I feel like a slug when I think about that. And of course, if you read the gospels you can see Jesus quoting old testament scripture (including the Torah very often.

Jesus even goes a step further though. In the gospels we find out that He is the "Word made flesh." Beyond this, there was an ancient jewish proverb about Torah that went like this. "Torah is the way, the truth, and the life." Sound familiar? Jesus told the disciples" I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." Jesus shows the value of scripture in this, and also shows that He Himself is the essential point of our identity and our life.

Lest we think that scripture is not important, He also tells folks that "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." in the gospel of John.

So Torah has this value for us that it is God's piercing word that hits its mark in us and changes us. It is living and active--not just a reference book. Letter after letter, and word after word, it points us to Jesus and reveals Him to us.

With all of that in mind--here's a thought. Will you take time today to begin a habit of daily letting the scriptures shape your life and pierce you that you might know Jesus better? Take the time to soak in the sacred text. All scripture makes Jesus known to us; let them bring you to greater depth in your love for God and for others.

View From the Mountain Top

View From the Mountain Top, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past weekend my dad and I enjoyed another festival. We drove down to our cabin Friday evening, and attended the West Virginia State Forest Festival in Elkins, WV. There were funnel cakes, corn dogs, crafts, quilts, locally grown foods, and plenty of parades to be enjoyed by all. But interestingly, that wasn't the highlight of our time.

It was really hot Saturday afternoon (I think it may have been a record high for the area), so instead of standing in the hot sun for the whole afternoon, we decided to walk along the parade route when it started. The grand feature parade of the festival lasts up to 2.5 hours. So we walked along and probably saw 1/3-1/2 of it, and then headed back to our cabin.

You see the owner of the property had told us about a couple of cool places to see, so we made it a point to go check em out. Our cabin is just inside the Monongahela National Forest, and there is a road near our cabin that takes a person to the top of Bickle Knob. You drive on a narrow gravel road for several miles along the edge of a steep hillside, and it is simply a beautiful area. I think we passed 3 or 4 other cars on the road. (that part wasn't so fun).

But we were able to look out at any moment and see the valley spread out below us. And then, we finally made it to Bickle Knob. The knob is the site of an old fire tower, so folks could see and respond to fires breaking out in the forest. Bickle Knob's elevation is 4020 ft, and the firetower probably takes a person another 75 ft in the air. It's really cool because not only is the line of site clear all the way around you, you can see really far away too.

There's something about big views that leaves us in awe. Sunday night, at h2o, I couldn't help but think about this as we talked about the tower of babel. Those folks were attempting to build a tower into the heavens, but the intention of their heart was a little different than the folks who built the bickle knob fire tower.

There's something else that amazes me about this area. This view was convienently hidden out a road my family has driven by dozens of times. Again, it seems like there are treasures all around us if we only take the time to look. Maybe the best thing we folks could do is to take a little break from our regimen of productivity from time to time, and blaze a trail somewhere. When I look back on my fairly short life, the moments that have been most defining have been the ones that have put me out of my routine.

So what can you do today to shake up your routine a bit and explore? Maybe you need to drive out a country road, but maybe it starts for you by a conversation with a stranger. Or maybe, it starts by stepping out of the routine to spend some time with the Creator of the universe. Will you call time out from the rat race for just a little while? It may give you the perspective you crave.

"Why?" An Open Forum with Ravi Zacharias

A few months ago, my good friend Dave Williams, whose blog is listed on the left hand side of my site, invited me to attend an event being hosted on the campus of Virginia Tech where he works in ministry.

After the tragic shootings of this past April, many in Blacksburg, and abroad are searching for answers. They want to know why things like this could happen. How there could be suffering in the world? How could God allow an event like this to happen? We ask similar questions to this every day. We wonder how people could starve or how people could fly planes into a building. How could God allow evil? How do we deal with disappointment?

I would love to attend the event tonight, but the trip is long, and my week (as I am sure your's is also) is extremely busy. Plus, it looks like the place will be completely packed out. Can you imagine it any other way?

Tonight, a noted theologian and apologist will come to blacksburg for an open forum question and answer session. In a short period of time, he will attempt to offer answers to some of the tough questions we often hear, or may have ourselves. That Theologian is Ravi Zacharias, and in my estimation is one of the leading religious thinkers in the world.

In a recent note on his website, he looks at how God shapes us through events in our lives. The article is a little long, but if you have the time, I highly recommend taking it to read it. He also wrote an article dealing specifically with the shootings that took place last spring, and this is also a worthwhile read, especially if the event left you with questions, Ravi candidly and honestly shares the questions that grip our minds when we are confronted with events like that.

Here's a "brief" quote from the first mentioned article.

"I was asked to speak at the United Nations for their prayer breakfast for a second time, and they gave me a tougher subject than the first one. I was to speak on “Navigating with Absolutes in a Relativistic World”—at 6:30 in the morning! I was asked to do this in twenty-five minutes and given one other requirement: don’t talk much about religion because people from all faiths will be there. I said, “I’ll do it, but on one condition. Eighteen minutes, your talk; seven minutes, why my belief in God answers these questions.” I spoke on the search for absolutes in four areas: evil, justice, love, and forgiveness.

“We all want to define what evil is,” I said. “We have people here calling other nations evil. We all want to know what evil is. You’re a society that’s supposedly looking for justice. You’ve left your families, and you miss them because you love them. And some of you are going to blow it big time with ethics; you hope the rest of your peers are willing to forgive you, and you want to know on what basis. Evil, justice, love and forgiveness.”

They’re all nodding. I said, “I want you to think for a moment. Is there any event in history where these four converged in one place? It happened on a hill called Calvary, where evil, justice, love, and forgiveness converged.”

There was pin drop silence. With five minutes left, I spoke on the cross of Christ and how the cross shows the heart of man, how the cross came because of the justice of God, how the cross demonstrates to us the very love of God, and how we find at the end of the day that without his forgiveness we would never make it. At the end one ambassador confessed, “My country’s atheistic. I don’t even know why I came here. Today I have my answer. I came here to find God.” That is the power of the cross. "-Ravi Zacharias

Like I said, the guy is brilliant. If you have the opportunity, definitely take the time to hear him in Blacksburg. Also, you may want to check out this guy's podcasts too. While this blog was meant to mainly share a little bit about the great event happening in Blacksburg tonight, it may have provoked or stirred questions in you. If it can be any comfort in the middle of wrestling with these tough questions, I want to encourage you to take advantage of the resources that are at our disposal to get those questions answered. Many great books, podcasts, websites, etc. have been dedicated to dealing with many challenges we face in a world in which we see may experience suffering and disappointment. In the end, God truly is good, and the amazing thing is that He has been there--the cross of Calvary says it all.

Broken: Language

This past sunday ended our series called Broken at h2o.

This week, we talked about how man's relationship with language was broken as a result of the Fall. You see, in Genesis Chapter 11, God intervened as human beings went to work building the Tower of Babel. It wasn't that towers in and of themselves are bad, it was what this tower represented. It was an attempt on the part of humanity to construct a world in which they would dictate a relationship with God. The desire was to build a tower to ascend into the heavens--to make our own way to God.

The irony is that in the story, it says that God "came down to have a look". As a result of the Fall, our relationship with language became broken. People had their language confused so that they would better understand their need for each other, and more importantly their need for God.

Even today, as we have made massive inroads in the world of language, we still continue to hurt and abuse one another with words. It's like we don't fully understand what we use words for--so we use them as weapons to cut and to hurt one another.

When Jesus came on the earth, he brought healing where there was once brokenness. In fact, in the Bible, one of the first stories of people sharing the gospel involved a change in the dynamic of language. People from every nation heard the gospel proclaimed in their own language.

Today, we play a part in reversing the tower of Babel, when we stop using words as weapons. We play a part in reversing the tower of Babel when we take the time, and the initiative to share the truth of the gospel and redemption through Jesus with other people. We play a part in reversing the tower of Babel when we use language to point people back to the God of all creation whose relationship with us has been severed by us.

Language that was once broken nowbecomes the great tool in the hands of humanity for sharing healing and restoration with the world. In fact, the Bible tells us that one day people from all of the nations will be gathered together in a worshipful community with God (instead of a tower) in its center.

Take time today, and share the powerful, healing message of the gospel with someone. Help them to become part of an inclusive community that will one day be composed of people from every tribe and tongue and nation united in worship in the eternal presence of God.

Life of David Brainerd

One of my dear friends sent me a link earlier this week with information about a free audio book available from Christianaudio.com. Every month, I guess this website makes a free download available. This month, The Life of David Brainerd is the free audio book available. If you don't get the free version, it costs nearly $26 dollars for this book.

If you have an mp3 player, an audio book (especially a free one) is a great way to enjoy a book while going for a walk, or driving in your car. If you don't have an mp3 player, perhaps you could listen to a book like this on itunes while you did your routine work on the computer.

I don't know a whole lot about Brainerd. Not too many people do. He died at age 29, and worked zealously to preach the gospel to Indian people (especially Delaware) in eastern Pennsylvania during a period of history known as the The Great Awakening. This was a period of religious revival in the 1700s when Jonathan Edwards preached his famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon--perhaps the most famous sermon in American history.

Anyway, while I do not know much about brainerd, I am looking forward to listening to this audiobook in the near future. As an American Indian Christian, it is of particular interest to me how the gospel was proclaimed to my ancestors. As a missionally-minded American Indian Christian, I find it interesting to see how people in the past worked to make the good news of the gospel available to a hurting world.

John Piper gave a sermon on the life of David Brainerd that is available on his Desiring God website.

If you choose to download the book, stop back by and let me know what you think. I am hoping to listen to the book in the next few weeks. Still waiting for it to download . . .

Riding on the Clouds

Riding on the Clouds, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last Friday, I was driving into town and the sky was amazing. So I had to take a picture.

It's pretty amazing that a day later, there wasn't a cloud to be seen in the sky. Every cloud is lined brightly, and they were so low and so clear in the sky it almost seemed like you could reach out and touch them, or even climb up and ride along on them. (I'm not so much thinking about angels and harps but that's probably the common visual).

It reminds me of the day when we will see the son of man coming on the clodus of heaven with great power and glory.

Although photos often don't do the real thing justice, there is a sense of majesty and awe I experienced when I looked up into the sky and just saw clouds that the Creator of the universe had sovereignly placed there.

As we look at the world around us that God has blessed us to live in, may we be cognizant of His invisible attributes and divine nature that He has made evident in the world where we live.

Take time to enjoy and savor the moments.

Fresh Water

Fresh Water, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past Sunday, I went with a group of friends out to an obscure trail on the far side of cooper's rock, and hiked. It was refreshing because many Sunday afternoons I am spending time making last minute additions to a message or performing some administrative function. I am trying to change the flow of my week a bit though.

As I walked along this trail (one of my favorite places in the whole park), I noticed the water was extremely low. There was just a trickle of water in many places. In fact, I am accustomed to seeing the rocks in the photo above completely submersed in water.

Sometimes I think that our spiritual life can look like this. We can hit a drought, and then all of our energy and efficiency is reduced to a trickle. The problem is that many of us try to perform the same tasks at the same rate (and sometimes even more) when something like this happens.

I've been noticing this tendency in myself lately. It's not a recent pheonomenon for me, but a little bit of time with my dad last week made me realize how unrealistic my expectations of what I can get done on a given day truly are.

I think in our culture, we place such a premium on pragmatism and efficiency that we try to squeeze as much out of any given day as possible. I'm all for living life to its fullest, but sometimes I think that when we center our energy on effiency we lose our balance. We try to run on full power with only a trickle of water to propel us.

We can learn a lot from studying the created world. The rest of the world takes regular breaks. Animals in the woods travel a bit, and then rest, and then they travel again. I feel like my life has been a continuous relearning of balance and harmony.

As you go through your day today, may you have some time of slowing down, and of being restored and rejuvenated.

Spicebush Swallowtail

Nature's Beauty, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past weekend, my dad and I drove down to Elkins, WV to experience the beginning of the forest festival, and also to get away to our recently acquired family cabin.

Saturday afternoon, we were walking along the highway coming back from Bowden Fish Hatchery, when I saw this little fella on a stick on the side of the road. As you can see, he doesn't exactly blend in with the greenery (but I bet he would be difficult to see once leaves start falling down).

He's a Spicebush Swallowtail larvae, and i just think the color and detail of this creature is amazing. The dot on it's head looks like a huge eye, but it is just part of a very unique design, and this remarkable creature was just crawling along the road waiting for someone to view and appreciate.

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by the author Annie Dillard, in her pulitzer prize winning narrative, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.
Here is the quote . . .

"The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But—and this is the point—who gets excited by a mere penny?...It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won’t stoop to pick up a penny. But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get."

Often I find myself looking for the next "great thing." There is a strong temptation to see faraway and exotic places, and to "experience the world." Now don't get me wrong, it's fun to travel and to make discoveries as one travels. But there is also something to be said for appreciating the simple treasures that are along the side of the road. Or in your back yard. Or in the park just a few blocks from your house.

Treasures like this also make me think about our superficial nature; we tend to skim through life and zoom from event to event. But, do we take time to fully appreciate and savor our days? The Bible tells us to "make the most of our time because the days are evil." At one time I thought it was talking entirely about being efficient, but now I also think it is reminding us to savor every moment. So take time today. Go for a walk. Look around you. And if you feel like it, leave a comment on here and tell me what you saw.

Broken Creation

Broken Creation, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My brother took this specatular sunset picture back in August when he and my nephew visited WV. I think it is the Willow Island Lock and Dam, but maybe it's the Belleville one?

Regardless, we have been continuing our series at h2o looking at the fall of humanity. By the way, if you have itunes software on your computer, you can listen to messages for free by opening itunes, clicking podcast, and typing "H2O Morgantown Live" into the search box.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, not only did they pollute all humanity with the stain of sin, but now all of God's good creation exists under a curse. And our relationship to the created world is also broken.

According to Genesis one, the first commandment we human beings have is to "have dominion over the created world." This word, dominion, means something different than domination. You see, parents have dominion over their children. Teachers have dominion over their students. If we saw one of these authorities abusing the responsibility they had been given we would quickly intervene.

In Genesis Chapter 2, Adam is placed in the garden to "cultivate and keep" the garden. The words in Hebrew here mean "to protect and bring out the potential of." So we are told that we need to care for creation and act as wise stewards over the resources God has entrusted to us.

So how are we to go about this? How can we be better stewards. I may blog more about all of this in the future because it is such an important and overlooked topic, but for now, here are a few suggestions.

Switch out your light bulbs for "Compact Fluorescent Bulbs" Personally, I have seen a significant drop in my electric bills. After you switch, you can join my group Friends of Chanchanchepon on One Billion Bulbs and see how much money and energy we are saving each year.

Another thing you can do is start walking, riding a bike or carpooling (or even taking a bus). In our little town of Morgantown, the bus system is free for WVU students. And as Morgantown grows, our streets will become more congested with traffic. When you walk, you feel better, save energy, and save gas $$$. When you carpool, you can potentially reduce the environmental impact of your travel by up to 80%.

Buy locally, and eat in. Locally grown food tastes better, and doesn't have to travel as far for you to enjoy it. Plus you get the joy of supporting a local farmer, and supporting your community. Eating in also saves money, and cooking can be quite relaxing. Morgantown's Farmer's Market runs until the end of October.

There are many other ways you can minimize your environmental impact and begin to be a better steward of the resources God has given you. What are some things you are doing to more faithfully care for God's world?

Buckwheat Festival

Buckwheat Festival, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last night some members of my "canvas group" went to the Preston County Buckwheat Festival as a bit of a "faith venture". My dad also joined us for the the fun. I asked the folks at the fire hall if I could take a picture, and they put this together for me--after I had already eaten more than my fair share of food. But regardless, these little beauties made for a great photo.

Now I could talk about what faith ventures and canvas groups are in this entry, but I think I will save that for another occasion--and perhaps another location. But if you want to learn about buckwheat--and by this I mean something beyond the character from The Little Rascals then click here.

For now, I want to talk about the event itself. Because of the rain and overcast nature of the evening, attendance wasn't all that high last night, but there were a decent number of people out for this auspicious event.

This year is the 66th annual Preston County Buckwheat Festival, and last night was the night of the big fireman's parade. The parade celebrates and honors the fire departments of the region, and features dozens of firemen and fire trucks. Of course there is also the crowning of King Buckwheat and Queen Ceres as preliminaries to the festival.

Part of the tradition of the Buckwheat Festival is to go to the Kingwood FIre Hall, and enjoy some buckwheat cakes. For $7, you receive two sausages, endless buckwheat cakes, a carton of milk, applesauce, and bottomless cups of coffee and water. Eating at the fire hall is a real treat because you literally see people from every walk of life, and from all over the world enjoying a meal together. To me, it's a little picture of what heaven will be like.

It's also a reminder of a different way of life. In the events leading up to our arrival, I noticed myself running through my day in a hurry. From the point I work up, I was moving at high speed. I was also spending the day with my dad, and he wasn't geared to the same frenzy. While at first this was frustrating for me, it began to be liberating and eye opening. I found myself getting incredibly impatient as time ticked away. I found myself becoming easily angered.

And then, I realized that I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. While I seem to be moving through life at a relaxed pace to others, I am often frenzied in my efforts. Can you relate to the frenzy?

By the time the buckwheat festival rolled around, I had changed demeanor entirely. While tired, because it was toward the end of the day, I found myself able to simply enjoy the time I had with my dad and my friends. I also found myself able to enjoy buckwheat cakes and a parade and even a craft/livestock show.

Sometimes we can get so busy, that we fail to appreciate there is a whole world going on around us, and that is really sad. While we are trying to make a difference in the world in a "big way", every day, there are people making a difference in the world in subtle ways. Have you ever given consideration to the fact that there are people who make their living through a craft, or through the raising and sale of livestock? The idea seems a bit foreign to me, but then I remember my mom. She raised birds and dogs during most of my childhood, and she constantly made and sold crafts of various types.

Her pace of life was always very relaxed, and she didn't get bothered easily. And through the contributions she made with her skills she touched many people.

As I started writing this blog, I intended for it to be a simple celebration of buckwheat cakes and sausage with friends and family. As I close it, I realize there is so much to be said for making a unique contribution in the place where God has positioned you, and to relax and enjoy the world around you.

Of course, we live in a world with big problems that need solutions, and these just can't be ignored, but we also live in a world in which we benefit greatly from slowing down, and easing up our pace.

So, as I am asking myself this morning, I will ask you the same thing? What's your hurry? What is it that you are trying to achieve by living at frenzied pace? Are you being an instument of God's grace as you interact with others? And are you enjoying and savoring the moments before they slip away?

Yom Kippur

Alone with himself, originally uploaded by ido1.

This picture was taken a year ago on the evening before yom kippur. While I didn't take the photo, I thought you might appreciate it's composition.

Last Saturday was Yom Kippur--the Day of Atonement. It is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year, and it serves as a reminder to all of the final judgement of the world.

Literally it means the "day of covering, canceling, pardon, reconciling." Today Jewish people take it as a day of fasting and repentance, but during the days before Jesus came on the earth, it was an even greater ceremony. You see, it was the only time when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and call upon the name of God to offer blood sacrifice for the sins of the people.

Literally, a goat was slain and it's blood was the ransom for the sins of the people. This blood atoned for the sins of the people, for that year. The life blood of the goat was given as a substitution for the life blood of the person. It was a symbolic expression of an innocent life being given for a guilty life. But then it gets even more interesting, because before killing or sending out a scapegoat (I should blog about this term sometime--pretty interesting), the sins of the people are confessed over the animal and imputed to the animal. The animal "becomes" the sin.

Yom Kippur is also believed to be the day that Moses came down from Sinai with the second set of tablets with the ten commandments.

To me this day is really special because our savior Jesus has become an even greater sacrifice than a goat. He has become sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. The innocent took the iniquity and paid the price for the guilty, you and I. Jesus also served the role of the high priest, and He made the sacrifice of Himself so that we no longer have to make a sacrifice to be reconciled with God.

I could write about this festival for a long time, but instead, I want to offer a suggestion. Jesus the High Priest has offered Himself as a payment for our transgressions against God. We can have right relationship with God on the final day of judgement based on trusting Jesus.

But each year, on the day of atonement, there is a reminder for us. There is a reminder for us that the innocent paid the price for the guilty. As such, Yom Kippur provides each of us a great opportunity to examine our lives, and to practice the tradition that has taken place for thousands of years on this day. We can confess our sins and come before our righteous king in humility and repentance.

This is a little different blog for me than the usual, but I've been reading and thinking about our Jewish roots a lot lately, so I thought I would share just a bit with you.

I hope you can take time to treasure the reconciliation to God that Jesus offers you today, and to examine your life so that you better understand the extent of His payment.

Broken: Connection

Yesterday, we continued our series at h2o called broken. We have been looking at how "The Fall" resulted in a series of broken relationships that we still suffer from today. Last night we talked about how our relationships with one another were broken as a result of sin entering the world.

You may be familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, and how Cain slew his brother because he was angry with him, and resentful of Abel's favor with God. How often do we carry a grudge? Is there a person in your life that you carry resentment toward.

Jesus said that when we are angry with our brother, we commit murder in our hearts. He also told us that if we know there is an issue we've got with someone, go and make amends quickly. Even if we are about to leave an offering, reconciliation with our brother/sister takes precedence over that offering.

I don't think we view reconciliation as such a high priority though. We allow bitterness to form toward others. The picture above was taken in a country called Rwanda which is in Africa. There are two tribes of people in Rwanda, the hutu and the tutsi tribes. There was a long history of bitterness and resentment of the hutu toward the tutsi. In April 1994, the Hutu let their anger and resentment take over. In a period of days, 800,000 Tutsi were killed. This skull represents a young person who was killed with a blunt farm instrument. Women and children were slaughtered in the streets, in homes, and even in churches. There was no safe place from the bitterness and resentment from their fellow citizens. Indeed, our connection with one another was severely devastated, and this shattering of our relationship with one another continues to be seen in our world.


And while most of us could read this blog and tell ourselves that we would never murder someone, perhaps we end up doing something nearly as devastating. We live in superficiality. Rather than pursuing rich relationships and friendships with those around us, we find ourselves holding grudges, and keeping our relationships with others on a superficial level We want to avoid conflict, and so we hide ourselves away from it. When someone hurts us or offends us, we keep quiet, and we keep that friendship superficial. We begin to build walls around us, and even separate ourselves from our neighbors with stockade fences and gated communities.

In the end we don't murder others, we leave ourselves isolated and alone. And yet Jesus tells us to be reconciled. To forgive as we have been forgiven. The Cross has put to death the enmity between us and God. It has restored us to a better understanding of our God given identity. And it has put to death the enmity that exists between us and others.

Maybe there is someone you need to be reconciled with. Jesus tells us to do it quickly. So maybe you need to talk to that friend or that neighbor or that relative or whoever it is, and work to make things right between you and them. You know, if you don't like someone, and you end up spending eternity with them, that might be pretty awkward.

Rob Bell, a pastor and author, said it this way, "When I respect the image of God in others, I protect the image of God in me." When we move toward reconciliation with others, we honor Jesus, and we become more like Him, and we treat others with the God given dignity they deserve. Go and be reconciled with that person you are holding a grudge over. Stop being superficial and stop committing murder in your heart!

Saturday Afternoon Campus

Saturday Afternoon Campus, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last Saturday afternoon, after working a bit downtown, I walked through the campus and snapped this picture. If you are from Morgantown there should be something that strikes you as odd in this photo.

Maybe it is the intense blue skies that strike you as odd, or maybe it is the lack of traffic. It was a beautiful cool late summer afternoon. What strikes me as odd is the lack of people.

It is a very rare occasion indeed that one sees this section of University Avenue completely devoid of people--especially during the semester. But WVU played football on a Thursday night, so people weren't traveling to see a game. No classes were in session, and it was a really quiet afternoon.

Anyone familiar with Morgantown knows that this section of campus is typically so full of pedestrians that cars get backed up as they crawl through campus. Yet there are no pedestrians (other than me), and there are no cars. It's a quiet Saturday afternoon.

It's almost as if the city was enjoying a sabbath. People were resting. Many students probably traveled home for the weekend. But it really struck me that there was no activity.

And what about us? Do we take time to "cease striving" in our weeks to know God? I've been feeling worn down a lot lately personally. When I see an image like this, it reminds me that we are to enjoy Christ in a Sabbath rest of sorts. My friend Jerry Haynes stopped by last night,and talked to one of our "canvas groups" here in morgantown about sabbath and the feast of tabernacles. Both festivals are reminders that we are not slaves to production but that we are beloved who are cared for by the living God. They remind us to take time to saturate ourselves in His life giving word, and in His goodness.

So, if a college campus can take time to be renewed on a saturday afternoon, can we? Are we willing to carve time out of our endless agendas to be refreshed, renewed, and restored?

Just a little something to think about as our most likely opportunity for refreshment approaches--the weekend. I hope you can experience renewal as you enter into both the Autumn and the weekend.

Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My brother forwarded me this picture along with several others in recent email.

I don't know if you have heard of Nick Vujicic, but he's got a pretty amazing story. You see, he was born with no arms or legs, and no one is sure why. No one, that is except for Nick and God.

You see Nick sees this as an opportunity. An opportunity to talk to people about the goodness of God. You see Nick wrestled during his youth with self esteem, loneliness, and being bullied. He even contemplated ending his life. Now Nick sees his life and experiences as a means to inspiring others to accomplish their hopes and dreams and to live to their fullest potential.

He had read a verse in the Bible that radically impacted his life, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

Now Nick has an accounting degree, and he shares his story with students, churches, and even major corporations.

If you want to read more about Nick and his story, click here.

But in the meantime, think about your life, and the opportunities that have been presented to you. Do you count it all joy when you suffer from a trial? Do you dream big, or are you satisfied with mediocrity? When I think about Nick and his story, I can't help but reflect upon my own self-absorption and that of most of the people I know.

As Ravi Zacharias once quipped, "To be handcuffed by a lie is the worst of all imprisonments."

I hope that today's blog helps you to reflect and to let go of any lie that might have crept into your head about the Creator. He is good, and we can trust Him with everything.

Nick says that John 9 had a tremendous impact on his life. It starts with this story. "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him,"Rabbi who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."

So maybe you are going through some tough times. Maybe things didn't work out in life according to your plans. But maybe, just maybe, God wants to display His grace to the world through your response to your circumstances.

Soup's On

Soup's On, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Well, most of my blogs in recent days have been a little more serious in tone. Amid the grieving and brokenness in our world we have little rays of sunshine that offer some respite.

For me, a little ray of sunshine happened to me last Thursday afternoon in DC. As I was walking around the city, I saw a sign for a farmer's market in downtown DC. I was a little shocked and amazed to see a farmer's market right in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world. Downtown DC isn't known for small grocers--it's known for being a world center for politics. It's also a space filled with huge government buildings and museums. So when a saw a sign saying that today was the day for the farmer's market, I had to check it out.

While the farmers market was cool, it made me really proud of the quality Morgantown farmer's market--if you live in Morgantown, you definitely should consider buying some of your groceries here. And wherever you are, you should consider supporting your local farmer's market. Here's a site that lists some reasons why you should buy locally grown food. Check it out!

So my original intent wasn't to tell you why you should buy locally, but to share a little ray of sunshine in the nation's capital. Of course, farmer's markets can be little rays of sunshine. But read the bottom of the Quail Creek Farms sign in the photo.

"WVU Rules!" Now that's definitely a ray of sunshine for a forlorn traveler from the West Virginia Hills wandering around the nation's capital.

Broken-Man

Broken-Man, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My best friend on the planet, Wilie, took this photo of me in June about a week after my mom's funeral. That's when he first shared the song he wrote in honor of my mom as well. If you haven't heard it/watched the video, I hope you are blessed by it as you watch.

I thought I would try to dedicate at least one blog each week to the messages we are giving at h2o, the campus faith community of our local church. We have been exploring a myriad of broken relationships that have occured as a result of the fall. You can actually listen to the podcast of the message on "H2O Morgantown Live" if you have itunes installed on your computer. Otherwise, you can just click this link and check out the most recent podcast on this site.

This week, we talked about the brokenness of humanity that has happened as a result of the Fall. You see, before the fall, human beings had an understanding that they were made in the image of God, and it is in Him, from Him, by Him, and through Him that we are meant to have our identity.

It's kind of like as a result of the Fall, we have been separated from who we really are. So because we are unsure of who we are, we walk through this brokenness clutching onto anything and everything to give us a sense of identity. It's like men and women all over are grabbing hold of area's of life not so much for a pure enjoyment, but to meet this longing to know ourselves and feel secure.

And so we go out into the world in which we live wrestling through our brokenness and trying to really discover our identity and purpose.

Often, we find our identity in the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the people we hang out with, how much alcohol we can consume, how many places we've visited, and even where we work or how hard we work.

We weren't meant to find our identity in these ways. In the end our identity comes from knowing that we were made for an intimate relationship with our Creator, and that as we honor Him with our lives, we discover healing for the brokenness that exists within each of us.

Remembering Mom

Remembering Mom, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Today is my mom's birthday. I started thinking about it a bit yesterday. I went to Washington DC to connect with a few old friends and to see WVU play Maryland.

It was kind of a weird experience for me. I took the metro into DC to meet up with a couple of friends, and I got there around 4PM. The last time I was in DC, I went to the Georgetown/WVU basketball game with some friends. As I got off the metro and emerged from the station, I started walking.

I realized as I walked that the last time I was in DC, it was around the same time of day, and in the same place. I remember calling my mom while I was there then. My dad was out walking, and she had ridden her exercise bike like 2 miles that day. We laughed and joked and celebrated her victory in the world of exercise. Times were a lot different.

Yesterday, I felt a sweeping sadness as I walked on the same sidewalks, and thought, "I really want to talk to my mom." There was a farmer's market in the city, and I thought, "I could get her some flowers for a birthday present, but . . ."

So today, I've been kind of sad, I just miss her. Yesterday, my brother and I talked briefly about Mom and he said something so beautiful I want to share it with you. He said that Mom was a little bigger than the average person, and we were often concerned about that being a potential health problem. But then he said that she probably had to have a bigger body because her heart was so HUGE, and that was the only way to contain it.

I think that's the thing I miss most of all. My mom's big heart. I miss the example of Christ she was in so many people's lives, including my own. As I write this, tears are streaming down my face.

When walked around DC, it seemed like there wasn't enough time available for me to thoroughly process all of the emotion I was feeling, but writing this blog has been a start.

In the end, I know she is much better off. She is eternally in the fullness of the presence of King Jesus. Cancer can no longer weaken her huge heart, and she is even more radiantly beautiful than she ever was as i knew her.

I'm thankful for the example she has given me, my friends, and family to follow in loving people. May our hearts, though in different bodies, imitate her Christlike love for people as a way of honoring her and our gracious loving God in whose presence she now lives.

Recapture the Wonder

Recapture the Wonder, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This past monday, I captured this beautiful cluster of butterflies dancing along the bank of the Shaver's Fork of the Cheat River, just outside where my family's cabin lies.

Seeing these butterflies in this picture reminded me of a story my old chief used to tell about how easy it is to lose wonder in our contemporary world. I would like to share a little bit of the story with you. It goes a little something like this . . .

Do you remember the first time you saw a butterfly? Maybe you were four or five years old. Maybe you uttered a word like "Wow!" more as a gasp or a whisper than an exclamation. Or maybe you just stood there with a big wide open look of awe at something so delicate and so beautiful. You didn't necessarily have a question to ask about what you saw, you were simply struck with amazement at it's simple beauty.

And then someone tells you, "That's a butterfly." When you hear it, you respond with "Wow! Butterfly!" You name it. And it still fills your heart with wonder.

And then, something changes as you get older. You lose the awe. You begin to discover that the butterfly is a monarch butterfly, or another type. (Like this one--I have no idea what it is? Maybe a Spicebush Swallowtail?) We get caught up in facts.

We learn that the butterfly is really just a phase in the metamorphic life of a caterpillar. Instead of being caught up in the awe of it all, we get bogged down in the facts. The irony is that these details should inspire us to greater awe, but often we get more caught up in the fact that we "know" what it is we are looking at.

After we go through all of this classification and learn the details, we end up at a place where we often say--that's just a butterfly. We lose the wonder of it all.

But what if we were to take time out and appreciate it? What if we could take a step back and enjoy the butterfly for its beaut? What if as adults, we took time to look at a butterfly with the eyes of a child? What if we allowed the physical world to bring us to a place of awe before our great Creator?

Do something today. Take a step outside. Look at a tree. Or a butterfly. Don't classify it. Just enjoy and appreciate the design and the beauty of what is before you. Take a moment and let yourself be awed. Let it bring you to a place not only in awe of what dances before your eyes, but let it take you to a place of greater wonder of our fantastically creative God.

Broken Trust

Broken-God, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I took this picture the last time I was in Amsterdam. This sculpture is inside one of the most beautiful churches I've ever entered. It's called Niewe Kerk I believe. (Any of my dutch friends can help me here!)

This past week we started a new series at h2o called broken. In the series, we are looking at the story of the fall, and how as a result of this event, we experience an abundance of broken relationships in the good earth that God has made.

This past week we talked about Adam and Eve and the eating of the fruit. Have you ever thought about the fact that it wasn't just about the original sin. I heard someone refer to this as the original intent to sin as well. Much of the time, when we choose to sin, it doesn't take us by surprise. We think on it. We reflect on it. Then we do it.

In the fall, it wasn't just about eating a particular fruit either. The act of eating the fruit, was the initiation of a broken relationship, a betrayed trust if you will. Adam and Eve had a relationship with God, and they betrayed that relationship in a clear act of rebellion. And now, it's like that predisposition to betray and to rebel is caught up in our DNA. All of it stemming from a deceptive belief that God in Himself isn't trustworthy or He doesn't have our best interest at heart.

When you think about the fall as a betrayal of trust. You see things differently. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Have you ever had someone cut you deeply by doing the very thing you asked them not to do? Have you ever had someone betray your relationship by intentionally going and performing an act of betrayal? According to statistics, 60% of marriages experience this kind of betrayal.

And in the middle of this world of broken trust, God has performed the ultimate act of reconciliation. He has given His son and allowed Him to be broken, so our broken lives and broken relationship with Him might be healed. That's amazing love.