I had a "back to school" trip of sorts the other week. I am privileged to serve on the Martin Luther College Alumni Association Board and we had our annual meeting the Friday of Homecoming Week. It is a rather easy and fun way for me to serve and I get a free plane ticket to New Ulm, where my parents live (the same house in which I grew up). Since I was going to New Ulm anyway, I went a day early and offered to make a cross-cultural presentation to any class that Thursday. I was thankful to present to Prof. Lawrence Olson's "Biblical History and Literature III" and Prof. Ting Ting Zhang's "Introduction to Minority Cultures." It was a good opportunity to fulfill my two purposes in doing this: 1) to give God the glory for what he is doing among the Vietnamese culture in the experiences I could share and 2) encourage the kids who have been behind desks for so long: real life is not too far away—hang in there! And also encourage the kids in their interaction with cultures different that the one into which they were born.
The MLCAA board meeting went fine—one of my jobs is to provide the "bumper music" during break—playing guitar of various Vietnamese spiritual songs (closing with "All the Way Home" by Spinal Tap, a clear favorite of Pastoral Advisor Dan Balge. For more on this song, view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcc6XqrXcys)
At the request of our chairman, I also brought board members back into focus last year following breaks with my haikus. A few examples of what I billed as "a rather new art form for me:"
MLC-kus
(please keep in mind that these are a completely new art form for me)
#1
Brothers and sisters
You taught me what this can mean
But you're not too mean.
#2
Alumni Meeting!
Sometimes I get distracted . . .
"Hey, Eggs Benedict!"
#3
MLCAA!
We get to serve together,
Martin Luther Col . . .
(again, just noting that this is a rather new art form for me)
Ah, 5-7-5, baby!
This year, I explained (much to the chagrin of the other board members) that I would not be sharing haikus because: a) I did not want to be a "one-hit-wonder" like Norman Greenbaum (a made up rock-n-roll name if ever I heard one) More on his hit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aZsF7v0pNw and b) one of the benefits of working in the Asian world is that I was able to have my haikus evaluated and found out that the quality of my hiakus was not… very… high. So I classed the meeting up with high culture sharing, including various Vietnamese proverbs, some classic William Blake poetry from 1794 entitled "The Tyger," http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172943, and a re-enactment of this cinematic gem from one of the finest films made by humankind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=it_JuaiJ0WM.
Overall, these went over pretty well. But the real work of our events committee included activities surrounding Homecoming. These events included the presentation of a check for student scholarships during halftime of the football game, fun activities for young kids, an alumni mixer, and the "Fun Run" (patent pending). Record attendance this year, but the "Fun Run" (surprisingly, there was no traction on my suggested alternate name for the event: "Jocularity Jog" (patent not pending) is why I wanted to write to you. A picture of the Fun Run is also attached to this email.*
The MLC Fun Run is just a casual one-mile jaunt through the lovely MLC campus but it makes me think of the track we all pace together. Sure, we all run step by step into our future. Yet take a moment and envision how your life-course is laid out in a special way—as if you are in the middle of a massive sports arena like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_1190973919&feature=iv&src_vid=tIXYJRdm4MY&v=fxvfikZvwp0 . Imagine all the fans filling the stadium all around you, every step of the way! How awesome; and how very real! The book 9th from the end of your Bible sets the stage in this way: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."(Hebrews 12:1-3)
I don't know what specific obstacles litter your course, or how high the hurdles reach in your lane…all I know is that they are there. We all have them. It's part of the human race—the tied shoelaces of sinful flesh which trips us all up. Careless words, selfish attitudes, times we have given in to worldly influences—each like a brand new Nike running shoe plopping into a muddy puddle. Yet this is why Jesus came to run the human race without a single misstep; credit for running the perfect race given to you through faith in him. He himself the starting gun and checkered flag of faith, even as his footfalls took him from grain-trough manger to Galilee; Gethsemane to Golgotha. There, even as his last commentary regarding his human race rang out from the cross: "it is finished," he went on ahead of his disciples to Galilee and then blazing a trail all the way to the right hand of his Father's throne. In fact, he is the Way; the only way.
The verse right before the bold portion above is really cool, because it talks about who's filling the stands: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."
His point was that they were living by faith when they stopped breathing. They are enjoying now what they only longed for down here. In addition, the perfection of Jesus' life is credited to you and me as it was to those believers now filling Paradise Stadium. Even now, God looks at you running your race—and he sees a perfect person, through Jesus. You are God's dear child loved and treasured by him, even as he is marking out your race for you and giving you the perseverance you require; drawing us to himself when we get tired and world-weary.
God also here describes a grand reunion—family reunion. Because some of our dads and moms are in Heaven Stadium already. I was really thinking of Pastor Harry Hagedorn this week because one year ago was the final time your he graciously agreed to cover the pulpit at Peace In Jesus for our English service. I just went over the worship notes from last year. It made me miss him.
And another dad just recently went to heaven. The father-in-law of our former Staff Minister, Dave Malnes, just passed away—Norb Meier. I am unsure if you had a connection with Norb and Margret Meier. He was one-of-a-kind, a man I respected and appreciated. He was a missionary in Japan, Alaska and Cameroon. I asked for and received Norb's daily prayer, which is directly below. As you read the last paragraph, take note of how God so recently answered his prayer:
My Personal Daily Prayer
Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, I come to You again with my personal prayer. You know that by repeating this prayer day after day I want to solidify within me a right attitude toward You and consciously, deliberately make You, not myself, the Center of my universe. If there is something not right in this prayer, or in any part of my life for that matter, use whatever means necessary, harsh and severe if necessary to correct me.
To begin with I want to acknowledge that You are the only God, great and majestic beyond telling. Your creation shows that You are a genius beyond all human understanding. And the love expressed in Your salvation no one, not even the angels can fathom. With my whole being I want to praise and glorify You.
Thank You for saving me at the incomprehensible cost of Your suffering and death; my sins, no matter how many or how great have been washed away-they are gone. And thank You for bringing me to believe and now to know that You are the Lord of all, and that means also my own Lord, the One in
complete charge of my life.
Your love for me is an everlasting love. You have had mercy on me and adopted me to be Your very own child. You have granted me the grace of serving you as a pastor and missionary as my vocation in this life.
Although it seems almost unbelievable, it is Your wish to touch others through me. Some of those whom You bring for that touch may reject it; help me to realize that.
My Lord and God, You know far better than I my weaknesses and failings. But in spite of the fact that I am completely unworthy You called me by name, You justified me, You sanctified me, You even glorified me. And You chose me to bear fruit that would bring You pleasure. I stand in awe of that. The fact that it is You who have chosen me means that my rearing as Your child is in Your hands.
The experiences that I walk through in this life are filtered through Your will, and You know that I want Your will, not mine, in all my life. Because my mind is so apt to be absorbed only with myself and my circumstances, may it please You to grant me a strong sense of Your constant presence with and within me. Help me to repeat this solemn vow day after day that I will seek to honor You in all my life, dying to myself, living for you, whether circumstances be good or bad. And then help me to keep that vow unbroken as long as I am on this earth for I cannot keep that vow by relying on myself.
Your enemy and mine is seeking whom he might devour. Give me spiritual discernment to detect his presence in any matter and also give me understanding to know the right thing to do or say and the courage to do or say it no matter what others might think or say, that my words and actions might be Yours.
Lord Jesus, strengthen my ability to believe and to share Your life and love with others. Help me to remember that I am here to serve others, but also that I am a servant indwelt by You. Continue to lay Your hand upon my life. Daily fill me with the Spirit. Save me from becoming a hireling or a religious professional. Let me never become a slave to my flesh. Teach me self-discipline in all I do - Heal my soul of carnal ambitions and deliver me from the desire for popularity - Save me from bondage to material things. Let me not waste my days just frittering away my time. Place a proper fear of You in my heart, O God, and in grace grant me the gift of prayer, of speaking to You in a manner that pleases You.
Grant me also an attitude that accepts the tasks You lay out before me from moment to moment without expecting thanks. If there is opposition help me to follow Your example and endure it quietly. Or if I should have times of happiness and abundance, stay even closer to me then and save me from the erosion of commitment that could follow. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such a manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish Your working in me. And if some honor should come to me, let me not forget at that time that I am unworthy of the least of Your mercies, and that any honor is simply channeled through me to You.
Though You have chosen me and honored me with a high and holy calling, let me never forget that I am only human created out of dust, a man crippled by the sin that dwells within me, and like all humans possessing a nature that is capable of unthinkable evil. I pray therefore, my Savior and Redeemer, save me from myself and from all the injuries I might do to myself or to others. Keep me from gross sins that would cause others to stumble in their relationship to You. Grant me an even greater measure of the Holy Spirit who enables, that while my normal abilities endure I may live in Your strength and somehow express Your love in Jesus.
And now, my Lord and God, I consecrate my remaining days to You; let them be many or few, as You will. My times are in Your hands. Let me serve whomever You desire me to serve in Your behalf. I exist to do Your will which is what I want to do more than anything else. And then finally, Lord, when I am old and weary and too tired to go on, have a place ready for me above according to Your promise, and include me among Your saints in glory. Then with all saints and angels I shall praise and magnify Your name eternally. Amen and amen.
Peace In Jesus hosted our Idaho Circuit Meeting the other morning; it was a special day. Our breakfast was prepared by Vinh and Mau Tran, new members of our church. They prepared traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup called "phở." A picture of our phở breakfast this morning is attached to this email. Vinh, Mau and their three daughters were baptized on the first Sunday of September. I loved seeing the pictures of the baptism, including some good pictures of smiles on the faces of the family, full of peace and joy.
The circuit meeting was also a special today because Dave Malnes was there, my first face-to-face with him since Norb's funeral. I used Norb's prayer to begin and end the circuit meeting this morning, thinking of Norb, Harry, and all the other fans in the stands. Think of them and others you know are there when you get weary. Think of them when you begin to lose heart. "Eyes up!"* As you lace up for another day, above all, let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
Remember, you aren't running alone. We're in this human race together.
Peace,
--Pastor Dan
* My job for the Fun Run was to direct the runners down the correct path at a rather tricky corner of the race. From my position, I could also hear the MLC Cross Country team encouraging the runners on the last leg of the race by shouting "Eyes up!" This was the source of inspiration (not in a biblical sense) of this devotion.
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