I Witnessed Jesus This Week

I witnessed Jesus this week!  Jesus was here, with me, through the people Jesus placed in my path.

I witnessed Jesus....
listening to the stories of my classmates
participating in worship with our seminary community
seeing the diversity of Friday's chapel service
eating dinner with friends and lifting up our blessing in Hungarian, Swahili, Spanish, and English
being served the "Erin Special" omelet at breakfast every morning by Darlene
hearing the words of the invitation to the Communion Table spoken by Paul Kariuki
in the words of Ellen through our discussion about health care
in the laying on of hands at the end of our class Tuesday
through the presence of my daddy
through Eric's and James' smile every day at the refectory
seeing our visitors on campus
at Liam's & Rob's bday party, through everyone's smile
in the conversation with my 3 yr-old-pre-K teacher, Carol Bartlett
in countless other ways....thank you, Lord, for speaking to me each and every day.  Thank you for stopping me from the business long enough to see Jesus.  Thank you, Jesus.

Health Insurance Woes

AHHHH!!! I've just gotten off the phone with the health insurance company yet again....and I'm frustrated!! What's new when dealing with health insurance, right?

Due to a knee injury about 6 weeks ago, I am having to deal with health insurance and doctors and specialists visits and x-rays and MRIs and prescriptions (and the list goes on and on) a lot these days.  This whole process has been such an ordeal that I figured what better topic to blog about than something I'm forced to deal with currently and that hundreds of thousands...probably even millions of other Americans...are dealing with today, also.

Being a poor seminary student, I am honestly blessed to even have health insurance seeing that I do not currently have a full-time job with benefits (those were the days!).  However, I am going to complain about this blessing of health insurance that I do have (bear with me, Lord-it's not about your blessing but about the health insurance system in the U.S).  To put it bluntly & cut to the chase, the health system (including my health insurance) sucks! 

Because I'm a poor seminary student, I do not have money to cover co-pays, prescriptions, the high deductible amount I'm responsible for, etc.  I also do not have a lot of extra time being in school full-time and working a part-time babysitting gig to call and be the go-between with my insurance company and the specialists' offices.  While most of the insurance people and assistants at the specialists' offices are extremely nice and helpful, I usually get off of the phone frustrated and overwhelmed because of my fear of not being able to afford all of this.  I have a major injury that will most likely need surgery and honestly, I'm scared to death...I'm scared to death of what will happen if I do get the surgery (the cost, recovery, etc), and I'm scared to death of what will happen if I health insurance that I have don't get the surgery (the pain will continue, the injury will get worse, etc).

This whole experience has really opened my eyes to what it's like to be a poor, struggling student with minimal health insurance, who is facing a big, complicated injury. It has given me a lot of empathy for people in this country who have no insurance at all...for recent immigrants who are working day in & day out to provide for their immediate families with them in the U.S. & also for their extended families back in their home country...for impoverished men, women, and children who have no health insurance and have a health need that may go unmet because they can't afford it....for the elderly people in our country who have piles and piles of health related bills....for those who suffer with chronic pain day in & day out & cannot do a thing about it because they cannot afford to.

All of this has definitely opened my eyes and made me more aware of the current reality of many Americans today.  And it's also made me wonder...what is my role as a future clergy-woman in all of this?  How will I help those who have grave health concerns and feel trapped, frustrated, run-down, and over-looked by our health system? 

Youth Sunday

Today I attended church at Oakhurst Pres. and was blessed to witness their Youth Sunday Service.  Today being Earth Day, the youth chose to focus the worship service on Earth Day, with the title of the sermon being, "Reflections of the Youth on Earth Day."  For the proclamation of the word, the youth used a combination of video interviews (of the congregation) and two youth reflections delivered from the pulpit.

I'm sure Dr. Watkins would have enjoyed the video portion in which the youth interviewed congregants the previous Sunday on several questions concerning how their faith relates to environmental consciousness and how they try to be good stewards of earthly resources. 

The use of technology in the sermon was great, but the part that impressed me the most was when 2 young teenage girls shared from the pulpit their own personal reflections on how we as children of God should care about the earth and be good stewards of it.  I was especially struck by the first teenage girl who was so well spoken and PREACHED a word from God to us as listeners.  Honestly, I felt like I was sitting in my "Intro. to Preaching Class," listening to one of my colleagues here at CTS. 

The Holy Spirit was most certainly guiding this young lady in her preparation and delivery as she dug deep into the text of Genesis 2:4-18 and challenged the congregation.  She highlighted Genesis 2:8, where "God created a garden"...she described God as a Gardner who then created Adam (and all human beings) to care for the earth and tend to it also as gardners.  She reminded us that it is so easy to be disconnected from the earth & the food that we eat daily (how it was produced, what chemicals were used, the wages the workers who helped process the food receive, etc)...then she challenged us to "Put on our gardening gloves and get back to work!"

Walking away from this service, I was reminded not only of how important it is to care for the earth that God has blessed us with; I was also touched by how vital it is to have youth involvement in the body of the church.  Maybe Youth Sunday should not be just 1 or 2 special worship services each year, but maybe youth should be involved in the leadership of the congregation weekly...today's youth are the next generation of leaders in the church body.  Let's make youth a priority by engaging them in both worship services and also the daily life of the church body of Christ!

What is the Church?

A few weeks ago while in Miami, I interviewed some people and asked them a simple question, "What is the church?"  The people I happened to interview were mostly men, men whose lives have been so challenging that they are currently homeless.  When I interviewed them they were at a Methodist Church, partaking in food & fellowship at this church's weekly dinner.  Free of cost, it brings in many people in need who live near the metro-rail right beside the church.  

When I was pretty much done with the interviewing, one of the guys who I had spoken to earlier came up to me and asked me what the church meant to me.  I hadn't expected anyone to ask me my own question, but ever since he asked that question it's gotten me thinking...

What is the church to me? As a child of a minister, I have spent many, many hours at the church (sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly I'll admit).  Over the years, the church has always been a second home.  It is a safe place, a place where I feel comfortable and can kick off my shoes and relax, just like I do at my house.  It's also a place where I can be challenged to grow and think differently than I have before.  The church is the place where I go to see my family...my church family.  The many hours I've spent there have been with people who care for me and love me and have been mentors for me as I grow in my faith.  

The church is a home of fellowship, growth, encouragement, and renewal.  It's a place where believers can come together to give all praise and glory to the Lord of heaven and earth; where new life begins through the baptismal waters and one's dedication to a relationship with Christ; where children are nurtured and grow into women and men of faith; where needs are met and relationships formed; where cries of pain and sorrow are heard; where tears are wiped from the eyes of the brokenhearted; where service to 'the least of these' takes place; where gifts are discovered and nurtured.

The church is the house of God.  What is the church to you?

"Beautiful Feet"

I was just enjoying some time in Miami by the pool the other day, relaxing, reading a good book, and listening to some music.  This song, "Beautiful Feet" came on & it really got me thinking...Lecrae always seems to do that!  The song isn't that long, but I've just included & highlighted in bold the parts that struck me the most...

"Carlos was born in killa cali was walking down an alley
and caught a bullet in his head that left him bleeding badly.
He lost everything at that moment except his life
he lost his hearing lost his movement and he lost his sight
he laid there in a coma but man nobody cared
the Gospel preached in his neighborhood? Nobody dared
But los got up out the coma got and was able to hear
a missionary shared the gospel to his open ears
He got saved got trained got discipled
back to hood you could find em preaching the bible
He led a homie to Christ from his same hood
part of Church plant come on now aint his name good
This is blessing but Im stressing that this is not the norm
we need leaders and belivers to help carry it on
but who would minister in a sinister part of town
I pray if Jesus is calling you that you would be found
 ...
the feet are beautiful if only they'd go
if aint nobody in hood preaching how will they know?
somebody please plant a church in [the] projects. 
...

I pray that more would be burdened to have beautiful feet
you never knew the streets but truth is what you preach
I pray to God you'd be burdened for beautiful feet
Go, go, go (run with those beautiful feet)
Go, go, go
You hold the truth that saves so run and shout it to the world
They can't believe in something they ain't never heard
Go, go, go and run with those beautiful feet." Beautiful Feet by Lecrae






I think this song especially speaks to me because more and more I am convicted that God has placed a special call upon my heart to work in the hood, in the streets, on the block.  Although I may not have the story that Carlos does & I didn't grow up in the hood, somehow God will give me credibility  in the streets...maybe people listen to me  because I'm crazy & they're thinking, 'Who is this crazy girl & what is she doin' up in here on the block?'  For whatever reason, I pray that God will empower me to use my "beautiful feet" to reach young kids, tweens, teens, and their families. 

What a powerful way to describe ministry & evangelism...the imagery of "beautiful feet."  I love it!  Christ calls us to go & make disciples of all nations.  In order to go, we have to use the "beautiful feet" God gave us to make the journey....and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the journey will be beautiful...the journey will not be easy (as this song portrays), but it will be beautiful.  Indeed it will be beautiful.   



lyrics taken from -  http://www.lyricsbay.com/beautiful_feet_lyrics-lecrae_f_dawntoya.html