This morning at church, the pastor used a familiar illustration for being made in God's image. In the States, it just doesn't work, but here in Thailand, the illustration made a dramatic point. The pastor held up a blank sheet of printing paper, pointing out that they are sold by the 500 and are, alone, essentially worthless. He crumpled up the sheet of paper and threw it disinterestedly at the projection screen. Next, he held up a sheet of the same paper, this one with a black and white printout of a picture of the King of Thailand. My mind immediately rewound ten seconds and I imagined the pastor crumpling up the image of the King. In Thailand, in the right place, that can get you imprisoned. In that room, someone might have jumped up and punched him in the nose, at the very least. This, he said, is why murder is such a grave offence and is forbidden in the Law. If it is a severe offence in Thailand to crumple up the image of its king, how much more to destroy a person on whom is imprinted the very image of the Living God. I think the message accords with our work here. We aim to impress upon the poor that, as images of God, they have more value than even the venerated image of Thailand's King.
The week went as usual. Other than Thai study, teaching English Wednesday and Saturday, and shared devotions, the days were essentially mine to spend reading, talking, or totally wasting. Only Wednesday was spent on outreach. It rained that evening and I felt a little bit mixed up. The evening, its pace, our work, also seemed mixed up. Thay may have been projection or it may actually have been that jumbled.
A few days later, Bethany asked me if there was anyone I felt I was connecting with on our street outreach. I found the question strange given I've only been out twice and also a little frustrating, because there wasn't. I said, "Not really. Maybe L___." L___ is a boy who sells gum on Nana Street. He is always alone. Later, while eating alone in a food stall watching it rain quietly, I realized I actually meant what I said. L___ needs the same covenant love of the family of God I'd been blessed with. And I wanted it for him. And I took an awestruck joy in how love works, suddenly and simply, like afternoon rain.
After some discussion, we decided it would be best if everybody went out on both street ministry nights: Monday and Wednesday.
Prayer Requests:
--For L___, for his safety and that he might be in the same comfort, safety, and love that we crave for all the children in our famly.
--For the strength of our community here. There's a lot to derive from living in Christian community and, consequently, a lot to be neglected. Pray we wouldn't neglect this grace and that, by receiving it, others may come to know our Lord Christ.
--Thank God for leading me to the church I attend on the Lord's Day. It has proven to be the very means of grace he promises.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Week 5 - Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
Early last week, Jeff led devotions in the morning and asked us to read from James, chapters 3 and 4. In the midst of what Luther called the "Epistle of Straw," I found firm, gospel ground. I decided to take 3:56 to 4:10 and make a poem. I'm interested to know what someone else might come up with, so if you like, make your own and post it as comment. This was mine:
How great the fire
set by my tongue;
the world of iniquity untamable.
bitter jealousy, selfish ambition
arrogant liar: earthly, natural, demonic.
Disorder and evil; violence for pleasure.
lusting without having
envy without obtaining
Enemy of God
But...
Greater the grace.
Submitting to God.
Resisting the Devil.
Drawing near.
Clean your hands.
Purify your hearts.
Humble yourself.
He will exalt you.
Luther, that brilliant theologian, was also sometimes a blind, uninspired oaf. We are equiped by God's mercies, by His Grace. What I like about the passage is that everything flips after "but." "But," here, is the Cross, that great hinge of history on which everything depends.
This last week, we began our ministry on the street and inside/outside the bars. The organizer of the MST project, which is aimed among visiting, foreign men, has not yet returned to Bangkok, and so the men stayed behind Tuesday night to pray for the women on our team who ministered to the women in the bars. None of the girls would give me a very full account, but I do believe they felt somewhat overwhelmed by the darkness of the place.
On Wednesday, I joined Melanie and Tim--Emily was really sick--on the street to minister to speak with those begging. I directed only one conversation myself. Though I used only the most elementary of phrases, I was surprised at how well my Thai flowed. Tim met a man later on and we all sat down to dinner. The man added so many chili flakes to his noodle soup that the broth turned blood red. I took this as a personal challenge and attempted to keep pace with him, drastically reducing my ability to taste things later.
The greater part of our walk is down a dark, lonely section of Sukhumvit Rd. The beggars are often isolated and we only rarely encounter loud American women or a Thai man enthusiastically trying to sell me a suit--they believe the quickest route to this goal is by calling me something familiar in my own tongue, like "homie." When we reached the downtown district of Nana, however, the scene changed. It glowed with pink neon and was crowded with white men. Nana is where the party is. It's where the prostitution and slavery is. And it's where Anne is.
I call her Anne because I don't think it appropriate to use her real name. Anne is one of four or five children. The Hupes first noticed her mother begging on the street a few months ago and have since established a good relationship with the family. Good enough that Tim and Amy visited them at their Bangkok home just a couple of weeks ago. The problem with last Wednesday, when I first met Anne, is that her mom was not around. This was a new situation, Anne and her sisters being on Nana alone, and not a welcome one. When we arrived, a tall, foreign man was twirling her and lifting her into the air. I now had a front row seat to the Hupe's vision for ministry. Anne is maybe ten. Her sisters about fifteen and seventeen. They are in the Nana district every night, selling goods, literally feet away from a ceaseless industry of sexual exploitation. It doesn't get more "at risk" than that. We talked to Anne and her sisters for a bit, bought her some durian, watched her for about fifteen minutes. Then we left, helpless, knowing Anne would be there until dawn.
Prayer requests:
--that the women on our team would find a new boldness and joy in the midst of a dark place. Christ is the one true light and I want the women to have a courage that comes from knowing this, a courage that evil will find truly frightening.
--that Anne and her sisters would be able to leave the streets immediately. Pray for an opportunity to speak the gospel into their lives that would lead to this. In the meantime, be in prayer any time during the day. Know that at any hour in your work day - 9 to 5 - Anne and her sisters are spending their night in Nana. Pray the deeds of evil men would be frustrated.
How great the fire
set by my tongue;
the world of iniquity untamable.
bitter jealousy, selfish ambition
arrogant liar: earthly, natural, demonic.
Disorder and evil; violence for pleasure.
lusting without having
envy without obtaining
Enemy of God
But...
Greater the grace.
Submitting to God.
Resisting the Devil.
Drawing near.
Clean your hands.
Purify your hearts.
Humble yourself.
He will exalt you.
Luther, that brilliant theologian, was also sometimes a blind, uninspired oaf. We are equiped by God's mercies, by His Grace. What I like about the passage is that everything flips after "but." "But," here, is the Cross, that great hinge of history on which everything depends.
This last week, we began our ministry on the street and inside/outside the bars. The organizer of the MST project, which is aimed among visiting, foreign men, has not yet returned to Bangkok, and so the men stayed behind Tuesday night to pray for the women on our team who ministered to the women in the bars. None of the girls would give me a very full account, but I do believe they felt somewhat overwhelmed by the darkness of the place.
On Wednesday, I joined Melanie and Tim--Emily was really sick--on the street to minister to speak with those begging. I directed only one conversation myself. Though I used only the most elementary of phrases, I was surprised at how well my Thai flowed. Tim met a man later on and we all sat down to dinner. The man added so many chili flakes to his noodle soup that the broth turned blood red. I took this as a personal challenge and attempted to keep pace with him, drastically reducing my ability to taste things later.
The greater part of our walk is down a dark, lonely section of Sukhumvit Rd. The beggars are often isolated and we only rarely encounter loud American women or a Thai man enthusiastically trying to sell me a suit--they believe the quickest route to this goal is by calling me something familiar in my own tongue, like "homie." When we reached the downtown district of Nana, however, the scene changed. It glowed with pink neon and was crowded with white men. Nana is where the party is. It's where the prostitution and slavery is. And it's where Anne is.
I call her Anne because I don't think it appropriate to use her real name. Anne is one of four or five children. The Hupes first noticed her mother begging on the street a few months ago and have since established a good relationship with the family. Good enough that Tim and Amy visited them at their Bangkok home just a couple of weeks ago. The problem with last Wednesday, when I first met Anne, is that her mom was not around. This was a new situation, Anne and her sisters being on Nana alone, and not a welcome one. When we arrived, a tall, foreign man was twirling her and lifting her into the air. I now had a front row seat to the Hupe's vision for ministry. Anne is maybe ten. Her sisters about fifteen and seventeen. They are in the Nana district every night, selling goods, literally feet away from a ceaseless industry of sexual exploitation. It doesn't get more "at risk" than that. We talked to Anne and her sisters for a bit, bought her some durian, watched her for about fifteen minutes. Then we left, helpless, knowing Anne would be there until dawn.
Prayer requests:
--that the women on our team would find a new boldness and joy in the midst of a dark place. Christ is the one true light and I want the women to have a courage that comes from knowing this, a courage that evil will find truly frightening.
--that Anne and her sisters would be able to leave the streets immediately. Pray for an opportunity to speak the gospel into their lives that would lead to this. In the meantime, be in prayer any time during the day. Know that at any hour in your work day - 9 to 5 - Anne and her sisters are spending their night in Nana. Pray the deeds of evil men would be frustrated.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Week 4 - Birthdays and Bannanagrams
My birthday was this past week. I always feel a little awkward about having things done for me on my birthday. The Thais even have a word for it: "kreungjeu" is a rough transliteration. Despite that, my new friends did a lot to celebrate my birthday and I'm grateful that people I've known for less than a month would go to the lengths they did to make me feel loved. At my request, we played basketball in Klong Toey with Boo, our Thai teacher on Fridays, and her husband. Later that night, we had a potluck dinner with our neighbors. I ate deep-fried grasshoppers. Jeff fashioned a birthday hat out of a large plastic water bottle and a candle. Exotic food, basketball, and silly hats. One would have to be pretty sour not have a good time given those elements.
When we played basketball, we met another Australian couple who live there in the slums. We do not live in the slums and there is a very good reason for that--a reason that is probably best left revealed by Tim and Amy--but I am amazed at how many Christians have taken up the call to live here in Thailand among the poor. I have been keeping my eyes open for the fruit of this wide Christian presence. Conversion? Economic healing? A decrease in violence or drugs? At times like these, I'm reminded that I see through a glass darkly, that the Holy Trinity is actively working here and elsewhere. I'm reminded that his kingdom comes like a seemingly innocuous mustard seed and fluorishes in its own time. The presence of these sons and daughters of God may not bring immediate relief, but we need only look at the promises of Scripture for a description of what a sweeping victory it will one day be.
Our English teaching is hitting somewhat of a stride. This week, it seemed as if we were able to finally pinpoint the subject areas that need the most care in teaching. We played bannanagrams with the university students and they seemed to benefit from it. I was teamed with one of our regulars and had a hilarious time trying to explain the meaing of "awash." Give it a try some time.
This morning, I was not able to attend my new, "regular" church since Tim had arranged for us to speak at a small Thai church associated with Jaiseman. Really, it was just Bethany who was given the responsibility for drafting a sermon and delivering it. She had a pretty good case of nerves last night, but she did very well, preaching on Mark 2 and how we should use our faith to put our friends in front of Jesus.
As I have been mentioning, this week we will begin our street outreach. I don't have any specific expectations and I've been told this is good, but I anticipate having much more to report next week.
When we played basketball, we met another Australian couple who live there in the slums. We do not live in the slums and there is a very good reason for that--a reason that is probably best left revealed by Tim and Amy--but I am amazed at how many Christians have taken up the call to live here in Thailand among the poor. I have been keeping my eyes open for the fruit of this wide Christian presence. Conversion? Economic healing? A decrease in violence or drugs? At times like these, I'm reminded that I see through a glass darkly, that the Holy Trinity is actively working here and elsewhere. I'm reminded that his kingdom comes like a seemingly innocuous mustard seed and fluorishes in its own time. The presence of these sons and daughters of God may not bring immediate relief, but we need only look at the promises of Scripture for a description of what a sweeping victory it will one day be.
Our English teaching is hitting somewhat of a stride. This week, it seemed as if we were able to finally pinpoint the subject areas that need the most care in teaching. We played bannanagrams with the university students and they seemed to benefit from it. I was teamed with one of our regulars and had a hilarious time trying to explain the meaing of "awash." Give it a try some time.
This morning, I was not able to attend my new, "regular" church since Tim had arranged for us to speak at a small Thai church associated with Jaiseman. Really, it was just Bethany who was given the responsibility for drafting a sermon and delivering it. She had a pretty good case of nerves last night, but she did very well, preaching on Mark 2 and how we should use our faith to put our friends in front of Jesus.
As I have been mentioning, this week we will begin our street outreach. I don't have any specific expectations and I've been told this is good, but I anticipate having much more to report next week.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Week 3 - Routine
For the first time since I arrived, I experienced a week that can only be described as routine. Our team continued to have morning devotions and study Thai for three--nominally--hours a day. Teaching English at the University club and the Klong Toey center went off largely as they did the week before.
At the end of this month, we will be discussing Companion to the Poor by Viv Grigg. A missionary from New Zealand, Viv moved himself into a Manilla slum after he came to the conviction that he was not called to work among the middle class, but among the poor. To some extent, Grigg calls us all to work among the poor. Though we may not all move into the slums--Grigg himself doesn't believe that is required--he believes we are all called by the testimony of Scripture to witness to the poor in word and deed. There's a lot to unpack there and I do not have the time or mental capacity right now to do it justice. But I have been wrestling with that call. I have been wrestling with the awareness that my impulse is to first serve myself and my own needs, to elevate my own comforts to a point of luxury. It is the sort of deeply-rooted selfishness that can be up-ended with the power of Christ's resurrection.
I have, I believe, found a church to attend while here. It is called New City Fellowship, a Presbyterian church located just East of where I am staying. The service is in Thai, but they have an English service in the evening once a month. I plan to use those days to visit other churches in the morning in order to get a fuller view of the visible Church in Bangkok.
Prayer Requests are largely the same as before. As September 14th draws nearer, we are preparing ourselves more and more for taking God's message in word and deed to the streets.
At the end of this month, we will be discussing Companion to the Poor by Viv Grigg. A missionary from New Zealand, Viv moved himself into a Manilla slum after he came to the conviction that he was not called to work among the middle class, but among the poor. To some extent, Grigg calls us all to work among the poor. Though we may not all move into the slums--Grigg himself doesn't believe that is required--he believes we are all called by the testimony of Scripture to witness to the poor in word and deed. There's a lot to unpack there and I do not have the time or mental capacity right now to do it justice. But I have been wrestling with that call. I have been wrestling with the awareness that my impulse is to first serve myself and my own needs, to elevate my own comforts to a point of luxury. It is the sort of deeply-rooted selfishness that can be up-ended with the power of Christ's resurrection.
I have, I believe, found a church to attend while here. It is called New City Fellowship, a Presbyterian church located just East of where I am staying. The service is in Thai, but they have an English service in the evening once a month. I plan to use those days to visit other churches in the morning in order to get a fuller view of the visible Church in Bangkok.
Prayer Requests are largely the same as before. As September 14th draws nearer, we are preparing ourselves more and more for taking God's message in word and deed to the streets.
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