Follow-up on Teri

​I don't know if Teri or I have ever experienced something quite like the avalanche of love, encouragement, and support​ like we have over the last few days - it brought us to tears, to our knees, and to an ever greater awe of our Great God Who knows all, and holds all in His hands.

Teri and I are home now, after a 17 hour day, much of which was spent at the hospital, in three different stages.  All went extremely well, and the doctors tell us that they think they got all the cancer.  They have taken 5 lymph nodes to biopsy, just to make sure they are clear.  We will know in a week.

Please pray for this if you have a moment, that not only the lymph nodes would be 100% clear, but that 100% of the cancer is gone.  Thank you.

As a result of this, of course we have been thrust into another people group, many of whom are facing a much worse prognosis.  I lost my mother to breast cancer when I was 15, and it has permanently marked my life.  We know that many of you who read this are facing enormous challenges of your own, and we would be privileged to pray for you, much the same way you have leaned in for us.

Please let me add this - I believe that my mother's death has not scarred me forever - like Joseph toward the end of his life, I can say with full confidence that whatever evil was allowed to touch my life, God has turned it around for good.  Just watching Teri navigate this with such beauty, such grace, and such faith has demonstrated to me once again the enduring and persevering power of the Holy Spirit in a life completely surrendered to God AND what He will allow, knowing that He will most certainly use it in His divine time and efficiency.  "For these momentary light afflictions are producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison".  

Thank you Lord.

Beauty is the Reflection in the Eye of God

The subject of beauty has held men and women spell-bound, exasperated, and in constant pursuit for millennia.  It is at once elusive and subjective. Artists have tried to capture it with paint, rock, and canvas; poets and novelists in scroll, book and ink, only to then unleash it upon our imaginations, where it splashes its glory into a million facets on the sea of human consciousness.  

Brokenness has a beauty as well: that of the real, the honest, and the authentic.  In a fallen world, beauty is enhanced by the brokenness, especially when it relates to the process of redemption.  For example, in so many ways, the Cross is the most inhumane, grotesque of things, yet demonstrates/represents the most beautiful of portraits: the redemption of mankind.

Obviously, to see the Beauty in brokenness, one has to look beyond the surface, beyond the "now", and include the dimension of time - for therein is the culmination of beauty, to which brokenness serves as a guide.  It leads you to that for which it is longing: its healer, its validator, its culmination.

And that is why there is a picture of my beautiful wife at the top of this post.  I love Teri, and believe she is truly beautiful.  And all the more because we have just found out that there is something very ugly growing slowly inside of her:  cancer.  It is to be removed on September 23rd.  

But what I have found to be beautiful beyond the obvious refraction from the camera lens is the reflection from the Spirit of God inside of her.  She has not gone into fear or despair.  Instead, she is in rapt anticipation of how God might further glorify Himself through this particular journey we have been asked to embark on.  So many others have been on this one as well, including my own dear mother.

Pray for us.   May God extract the maximum amount of Glory for himself from this situation, and us His servants.  And may we allow Him to converge all the facets of our lives into the mosaic that He is currently assembling, in order to complete the artwork that He is making of our lives.  

Tale of Two Lads

I find that many times in my travels, that I am confronted with people and circumstances that leave me with huge questions, not the least of which is, "How did I get here, and why is this happening?!"  A close follow-up would be, "And what do I now do with this information?!"

Such was the case on Sunday, August 24th.  On the morning, I had the privilege to share in a partner Church in one of the more beautiful towns in San Bernardino County, California.  Their Missions Pastor has taken teams with me all over Hungary and northern Serbia the last six years, and because of them, I now have an awesome Son-in-Law!

One of the members of that team was an extremely talented young man named Joe, who could play the guitar, sing, and love Jesus all at the same time (!), seemingly without any ego, and with a heart the size of the state he lives in.  A finer young man you'll never meet, which is why it seemed so utterly tragic and useless when we discovered he was diagnosed with a ton of brain cancer in his head.  His subsequent courage, unfading devotion to Jesus, and consistent message and demeanor of grace, trust, and strength, has been an inspiration to so many of us, and I praise God for Joe, because the observance of his ordeal is causing all of us to draw closer to the Lord.

Speaking of tragedies, one doesn't have to go but less than an hour west down Interstate 105, and you will find desperation, degradation, despondency, and hope.  Watts is a district of Los Angeles, famous for it's avant-guard towers build by a "mad" Italian,  for its riots, gang violence, and one of the largest housing projects east of the Mississippi River.

And there, that afternoon, I got to see Jesus again.  He was in the hearts and hands of a family that couldn't be "whiter than white" when it comes to blond hair and blue eyes, but redder than red when it comes to the color of grace.  Running a bi-monthly service in Nickerson Gardens, the Taylors are laying it down and pouring it out, with arms and hearts open wide.  Jamming it out there on that hot basketball court in the middle of what some might call the center of gang-land, was an incredible experience.  Jessie even asked me to play some keyboards, share my testimony, and play an original song of mine that he really likes.  It seemed to be well-recieved.  

But going door to door with his three daughters in order to walk a young black girl home and visit those who couldn't make the service, well, I guess I need a new category - fearless, brimming with love, totally unintimidated, and unapologetically in the name of Jesus.  Wow.

And that's when Jadin "highjacked" me.  "Let me ride on your big shoulders, man" he exclaimed, coming out from under a tree he had just been trying to climb.  I told him that we could do a piggy-back ride, but shoulders?  Well, he had more faith than I did!!!

Carrying him around on my back was a joy I won't forget for a while - I haven't done that in way too long, as he told me to "giddy-up", "charge", and "get-'em!", every time we got near Jessie's girls.  My sunglasses went flying off, and another child grabbed them - only to be rescued by Rachel, who told me later we were about 5 seconds from never seeing them again!  No bother, it was just so FUN to play with the kids, and give them the blessing of "time".

I went to bed that night back in Chino Hills, thankful to God for what had been quite a stimulating, and incredibly varied Sunday - swinging from extremes.  Church in a building, church on a basketball court.  Meeting in one of the nicer places in Southern California, and meeting in one of the, well, you decide.  But at the end of the day it's not about geography nor even wealth or lack thereof.  It's about relationship.  And while one boy I hugged that day was white, and the other black, both are in the fight for their lives.

What difference could I make, in the few minutes I had with each?  Not sure, but I did leave a deposit for the Kingdom in each of them as best I could.  And prayer affords on-going investments into the lives of those we touch and lift up.

However, something else transactional happened that day.  They both made a deposit for the Kingdom into me - I got to meet Jesus twice that day, in the sick, and in the outcast, and it reminded me once again that the road to heaven many times is decorated by "the least of these", those that the world would find useless, or even excess.  

But I found in them Jesus, which is why they could bless me as much or more than I was able to bless them...  and it is still rocking my life...

Freedom

One of the last places you might expect to find freedom would be in a former communist prison used for housing the most treacherous of​ offenders (such as Christians, or political dissidents), now serving as maximum security penitentiary in the city of Vac, Hungary (pron. 'vats').  But "Freedom" we did find, as we had the privilege of joining a group of about 75 inmates in the worship of the living God.

My latest tour in Hungary/Serbia saw us doing 11 concerts in 14 days; a few of them being in some very unlikely places.  But we follow the footsteps of the Lord into the places He leads us, and this time that included a Girl's Reformatory, a Co-Ed Sanitarium, and this Maximum Security Prison.  Yes, we got to do some things that many would find more "standard", or even "exciting", like opening the European Youth Festival that was taking place in the Kecskemét city square, where the organizers say that as many as 2,000 people were within sound of our songs, testimonies and dances (go here to check it out: <http://vimeo.com/100087410>

As the tour unfolded, we realized that we had an opening on the very last Sunday, and asked Attila, our tour organizer if he would be OK with finding us a church, or another opportunity to ministry – after all, we were there, and all of us were up for it!  Needless to say, God came through when in one of the first concerts, we met Zsofia, a lawyer ​who told us she had a great opportunity for us in a prison if we were willing!

Paul and Silas not-with-standing, my experience doing ministry in prisons has been quite encouraging, and have been in them in​ the USA, Mexico, Cayman Islands, the UK, South Africa, ​and now Hungary – and everytime, I am overwhelmed with how the inmates respond – genuinely, to authenticity, brokenness, and invitations to join in.  And this experience in Vac was no different.

The inmate carried the equipment up a couple of flights of hard stone stairs, filed into the room when it was time to start, and serious "rocked out" as soon as we hit the first downbeat!  We were opened by one of the prisoners, an extremely talented man who was a musician, songwriter, worship leader, and professional potter, making pots to sell to produce income to help improve prisoners lives.  He met Jesus, and his life was totally transformed.  He played the keyboard brilliantly, and led the men in worship – and we just soaked it in.  When it was our turn to take the stage, obviously the ground had already been plowed, and we just entered into the flow, bringing the Word of God through song and testimony.

James, our guitarist from England, shared with the men how he had been a drug addict and homeless – and how God rescued him through the ministry of Teen Challenge.  I shared of divorce, abuse, death of parents, and being suicidal, and offered to them the same choice Teri's College Pastor had offered me – kill self, or die to self.  It is such a wonderful experience to share with people who know exactly what you are talking about, have been through it, and are looking for answers.  Obviously nothing short of unconditional surrender to Jesus will ever bring the freedom that comes from shedding the grave clothes the enemy fashioned with us, and putting on the wedding garments that the Groom of Heaven has prepared for those who come to Him.

I arrive back in the "land of the free, and the home of the brave", wondering if we still know what we as a nation mean by that.  But that last concert in Vac serves to remind me that the physical constraints of body and bars in no way dictates where true​ freedom lives or thrives.

You Can Play this for us, Si?

I have had some amazing moments as a christian musician traveling around the world.  Like the time in South Africa when I was presented with a home stereo system to plug my keyboard and vocal mic into (didn't happen!), or putting my keyboard on saw-horses to hold it up (Eastern Europe), playing off the back of a semi-truck's trailer as a stage (Azerbaijan), or using an old-out-of tune stage piano when the 220V in Nottingham, England fried my American keyboard and modules…!

I thought I had seen it all, but no - I was wrong once again!  This gem came from Torre Pelice, Italy, in an old Salvation Army Hall.  It was the going away party for the local Captain and his family, and we had just showed up as our first visiting Sunday - one third of us from our Incarnate School having been assigned to this church as "our local fellowship" for the next three months.  When they found out that I played the piano, they were on me like ants on a picnic - "Brother, we need you.  You can play for us, yes?"  Actually, I had been forewarned by a lovely Dutch Omer serving here who attends the Salvation Army with her family - and I had agreed, as long as I didn't have to "read" music, and only if there were "Chord Charts".  I was told there would be.

What I wasn't expecting, was all lyrics in Italian (honestly, I should have known that part), but the kicker was the chord charts - they were all done in "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do"  (you might recognize that from a famous movie made in the 1960's!)

Anyway, it was the most amazing moment - it was the exact parallel to what a translator must do with language on the spot - train my mind instantly to read Do = "C", La = "A",  Fa#m = "F#m".  Oh, and try to keep up the the obligatory Salvation Army Brass Band that was "bringing it" with amazing gusto and enthusiasm!  Man did we make joyful noise!  And the people sang!

What an experience!  Overall it did go well, even though I did hit a few wrong notes, was humbled once again, and will never forget my first cross-cultural musical experience in Italy!   

Tutto lode a Dio!

Religious Freedom or Freedom of Worship?

Standing at the Bonfire with the Valdensians the other night was kinda surreal.  I can only imagine what it was to gain the freedom to express one's beliefs without fear of retribution, and yet here they sang, celebrated, and lit bonfires all up and down the valleys of the Piedmont, signifying that day when the political powers that be in Italy decided that enough was enough - the Valdensians would be recognized, could worship freely, have their own schools, not be prohibited from jobs, not be imprisoned or hassled, simply because they did not adhere to the teachings and services of the prevailing religious powers…

My thoughts naturally went to the prevailing winds in my own nation, where Christians are just beginning to face a persecution of a different kind.  No one as far as I know has gone to jail yet, but some have been ordered by courts to either provide services they find utterly reprehensible, or close down.  When marriage laws were changed in Massachusetts for example, the largest provider of adoption services by far in the State had to change their policies (based on 2,000 years of faith and belief), or shut their doors.  Rather than violate their beliefs, they shut their doors.  Photographers and cake makers have been vilified, and court ordered as well.  Interesting.

So what happens when the State starts to dictate how a people should behave when their religious convictions run headlong up against what the States says such convictions ought to be?  We need to look no further than Nazi Germany, or the Roman Empire.  While both examples may appear at first to be extreme, it is important to realize that both persecuted Christians without guilt or quarter if they in any way spoke out against, not to mention acted out against State policy if it differed from Christ's commands.  The result at first is a lot of people got killed, and the result at the end is that God brought those powers down in ruin.

Watching the bonfire burn, the people sing, and the children running around gave me once again a glimmer of hope:  the motto of the Valdensian Church:  Lux Lucet In Tenebris, or, "The Light Shines in the Darkness".  What amongst many other things that bless me about these people, is not only their tenacity and perseverance against being slaughtered, but also their grace - as far as I can tell, they are not bitter.  So how do you not move toward anger and retribution when your rights are taken away, your woman and children killed, and your churches burned down?  I think the answer was in the bonfire that night.  You concentrate on being the light, staying connected to its source, focusing on delivering what you have been given, and not on what is being taken away.

To be continued...

The Artists Are Back!

The word went out by mouth, flyer, newspaper, internet, and phone call:  the Artists were back in town!  OM Arts School of Mission: Incarnate 2014 was about to begin, but first: an open house/reception.  We invited the community to come and meet the new students, view original art from the previous school, and enjoy some Italian musicians.  Some of the new students and teachers shared their visual and musical art as well.  The result?  A packed house, a happy crowd, reunions with some connections from the previous school, and a wonderful launch of Incarnate 2014.

Like other cultural universals, the Arts have an intrinsic drawing power; unlike almost anything else (other than a crisis or a family celebration), the arts tug on the heart strings of the imagination.  For all that enhances life (at best), or satisfies curiosity (at the least)—by what might be seen, heard, or experienced—the arts are compelling.  We experienced the gamut late last Saturday afternoon, as the facility here in OM Italy filled with local people meeting, greeting, and sharing life and art with us.  In a tiny snapshot of community, twelve nationalities shared food, ideas, and hearts, around artwork intended to stir the soul.

Dario, a local horn player, had enlisted Dan Mullis, our new Music Mentor, Dileep Ratnaike, our School Administrator, and Satu from Finland, one of our sax students, to help him deliver a fine arrangement of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”  This hymn inspired the name of our facility here in Bobbio Pellice:  Forterocca.  Kirsty, a vocalist from New Zealand, brought a Gospel piece from CC Wynans.  Geinene Carson, founder of Artslink, presented a mixed-media piece that she had created 2 years ago.  Made from walnuts garnered from the local valley, the piece recalled Geinene’s process upon receiving news that her infant daughter had been born with brain abnormalities.  A number of us had tears in our eyes as Geinene's artwork spoke directly into the broken arenas that invade so many of our lives.  Bill Drake brought "Sovereign Lord", an original piece from his latest album Broken & Complete.  Its lyrics take up a number of themes that speak volumes from the history of persecution, martyrdom, perseverance, and mission that are part of the legacy of the Waldensians who live in these valleys.

Our time finished in typical Italian fashion as any good time in Italy should:  with the culinary arts!  People lingered well past the posted closing time, in fellowship and interaction as rich as the program had been.