West Texas Missioner

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Midland Group Reports Websites Restored, One Still in Recovery

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Midland Group Reports Websites Restored, One Still in Recovery

Released by ChinaAid, December, 2010 ...

"MIDLAND, TEXAS – As of December 3, MonitorChina.org and FreeAlim.com have been recovered from the malicious DDOS attacks that began [last week]."
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 12/08/10

Benin
• Please pray for the estimated 1.5-million children and people who have been affected by devastating floods in Benin and across West Africa. Two-thirds of Benin was affected by the flooding caused by heavy rains. Pray for those whose homes were destroyed by the floods and who are now crowded into tent camps.
• Pray for children who are sick from water borne diseases. Pray that hygiene kits, water tanks, safe drinking water, water purification tablets, soap, mosquito nets, and tents will reach all of those in need, particularly vulnerable children.
A report from the New York Times

Dominican Republic, Haiti
• Pray for vulnerable Haitian girls who are in the Dominican Republic trying to earn money for their relatives back home in earthquake ravaged areas of Haiti.
• Pray for those who turn to prostitution because they have no other way to earn a living. Pray for girls who were orphaned in the earthquake and now prostitute themselves in the Dominican Republic. Pray that God will provide dignified work for these girls and young women and protect them from the dangers of selling their bodies in the tourist areas of the Dominican Republic.
• Pray for the men who take advantage of these girls … that they might understand the pain and abuse they inflict on these children. Pray that local law enforcement will uphold the laws and punish the traffickers who bring the girls over from Haiti.
A report from heraldnet.com

Haiti
• Continue to keep the children of Haiti held close in prayer as the worst of the cholera epidemic may still be on the horizon. UN health officials estimate that 270,000 people may be sickened in the coming years. Pray for the quick and thorough distribution of hygiene supplies and clean water. Pray for sufficient medical facilities around the country to deal with the large number of children and people who have contracted the water borne disease.
A report from the New York Times

Mexico
• Please pray for the children and people of Mexico who are affected by drug wars that have killed thousands of people. Pray for Mexico’s children who have been and continue to be exposed to unimaginable violence on a daily basis. Pray for peace and justice for the children and people of this struggling country.
• Pray for the children of Juarez, one of the largest communities on the Texas-Mexico border, who have endured almost three years of drug cartel warfare: killings, extortions, kidnappings, car bombings, decapitations, and carjackings. More than 6,000 people have been killed in Juarez alone since 2008—those numbers include families and children. Pray for children who live in fear every single moment of the day and night because of this violence.
• Please pray for the poor in Juarez who often lack the resources to escape the violence there. Pray for those who have lost employment because businesses have closed or been burned out. Pray for young people of Juarez who don’t attend school and work for the drug cartels. Pray for hope and a future of peace for these youth.
A report from the Washington Post

United States
• Give thanks to God that 4-month-old Jillian has recovered so well from the first of many surgeries to repair holes in her heart and a neural tube defect. Please continue to keep this baby girl in prayer as she struggles to gain weight. Pray that God will strengthen her little body and that she will grow and thrive. And continue to keep Jillian’s parents in prayer as they make decisions regarding her health.

Faces of Children
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.

In the News ... "Catholic Church gets cooking"

Catholic Church gets cooking
Lyxan Toldanes
Staff Writer
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - For many families, recipes may be a tradition handed down from generation to generation and kept a closely guarded secret. Members at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church are divulging their most cherished family recipes into the church’s newly published cookbook, “Heavenly Creations.”
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story.

Advent Devotional for December 8

"This Advent Season, start — or end — your day with these meditations provided by faculty, students, and alumni/ae of the Austin Seminary community. We believe our 2010 Advent Devotional reflects the richness and depth of the theological education offered at Austin Seminary."
CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of this season's devotionals.
CLICK HERE to learn how you can support the mission of Austin Seminary

Advent Devotional for Wednesday, December 8

2 Peter 3:1-18

It seems to me that anyone with a modicum of sensitivity to the nightly news would have to self-identify as a scoffer. Although we might not share the scoffers’ indulgence, we keep company with the scoffers’ futility: “For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!” (3:3) And we’re just being realistic: Blood cries out from the soil, powers collude to oppress the needy, humankind acts as absentee landowner rather than steward of the earth and its waters. Not much seems to have changed from the genesis of creation.

But the writer takes this into account. Read the prophets again, we are told. Remember to tell time according to God’s time, a measurement of a thousand days equaling one day. And, just in case, here are familiar images of the second-coming: There will be judgment, the Lord will come like a thief in the night, there will be noise and fire, and a new heaven and a new earth will be wrought out of these things. We are told these things take time because the Lord wishes everyone the chance to repent.

Advent waiting is about the birth of Jesus Christ and our being brought again to fresh confrontation with that birth’s meaning for the life of the world. But Advent waiting is also about the promised second coming of Christ. God is a God of righteousness. Live in trust, then, as we wait for the promised new heaven and new earth.

You, who created the expanse of the heavens, care for our souls. You, who sustain all time, became earth-bound for our sake. You, who hold the seasons’ turnings, show patience with us. In your righteousness, Holy God, renew the face of the earth and make us your righteousness for one another. In the name of Christ and by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Jennifer L. Lord
Associate Professor of Homiletics

For the glory of God and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary is a seminary in the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition whose mission is to educate and equip individuals for the ordained Christian ministry and other forms of Christian service and leadership; to employ its resources in the service of the church; to promote and engage in critical theological thought and research; and to be a winsome and exemplary community of God's people.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Teichert Prayer Letter for November, Pt. 1

Karl and Jenny Teichert are serving the Lord as missionaries with OC Africa, in South Africa. They moved to Johannesburg in November, 1997 with their four children; Ann, Scott, Stephen and John. Karl serves as the Southern Africa Director of the Southern Africa Regional Team. Their vision is to see a healthy, Bible-based church established in every un-reached village and community in South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia and beyond. Their strategy is to partner with key African church leaders to research, train, and mobilize the body of Christ to complete the Great Commission. They are striving to equip local leaders in Southern Africa to reach their nations for Christ and send missionaries into other countries as well. Karl’s ministry focuses on research, church planting, and leadership development training. In addition to caring for their four children, Jenny enjoys ministering through hospitality and equipping Sunday school teachers

November Prayer Letter, Pt. 1 ...

Dear Family and Friends,

From Jenny: The past two months I have had the opportunity to walk the dusty streets of Finetown with 15 home-based community care workers. They are part of the Tsaoranang (“Joining Hands”) Project which began in 2004.

I have loved spending time with these caregivers who dedicate every day to caring for the sick in their community. They go in pairs, walking long distances out into homes/shacks in the community. I have been acting as a “shadow” to these dear servants, watching how they care for patients with TB and HIV/AIDS.

They don’t get paid to do this job; some have been given small grants and are mothers of children whose husbands and other family members have died. I asked them what motivates them to work so hard and yet get nothing in return, and they told me that having experienced the loss of loved ones through TB and AIDS, they understand the sick and dying and what their families are experiencing; now they have a deep desire to “give back” to their community! I have been amazed by the amount of compassion and dedication they have for the people. As we walk together they share stories of their families and the suffering that they and so many around them have seen and are experiencing. At the same time, they laugh and joke with me and with each another. Their smiles are contagious!

After living here 14 years, I had not understood the degree of suffering in South Africa until I was exposed to the sick and dying in Finetown. One morning the caregivers and I happened to come across a 37-year-old man named Elias. He was living alone and had no water, food, or electricity. He was suffering from TB, but had stopped taking his treatment because he had no food. He hadn’t eaten in at least three days and was sheer skin and bones. Before we entered his tiny shack, the care workers told me to cover my nose and mouth with a mask; inside it as dark and filthy and flies were everywhere; the only food we found in his kitchen was one onion. The workers shared with him how they would be there daily to care for him and we gathered around to pray for him. As we left, the man spoke a few words to the workers in an African language. I asked them what he had said, and they told me that he was saying, “Where are you going?” He didn’t want us to leave him; he simply needed conversation and love.

That is what these caregivers are doing; they bring hope and love to the people, in a daily visit, through their\ presence and care. I am grateful to be able to come alongside these ladies and learn from them. I hope to encourage them and help meet some of their needs along the way.

In God's grace,
The Teicherts

OC Africa is an interdenominational ministry committed to developing, equipping, and mobilizing church leaders to multiply healthy, Bible-based churches in every community in Southern Africa and the world. OC is a faith-based mission who depends on the Lord to provide committed, financial supporters and partners. The contributions from these individuals help generate ministry opportunities around the world, impact missionaries and their global work, and provide a means for the International Mobilization Center to function. CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can be a part of mobilizing church leaders around the world by donating to OC.

In the News ... "Midland-based ChinaAid's Chinese-language website hacked"

Midland-based ChinaAid's Chinese-language website hacked
By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - ChinaAid Association officials still were working Thursday to restore service to their Chinese language site after it crashed following attacks that started late Tuesday.

"It seems that it's a very methodical attack to try to take down our website," ChinaAid Association president Bob Fu said. "We are very confident we are able to overcome. We need prayer."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Advent Devotional for December 7

Psalm 29

God is in the loud, in the thunderbolt and in consuming lava.

God is in the soft, in the flapping of monarch’s wings as they fly from Texas to Ontario.

God is in the hot, in the still damp of summer in Louisiana and in the Santa Ana wind.

God is in the cold, in the first snow that delights our children and in Antarctica’s ice.

For God is not trapped in the small spaces of our ideas, nor waiting for our votes to let God be.

“My murmurings surround you like shadowy wings,” the poet Rilke heard God say. “Can’t you see me standing before you cloaked in stillness?” Sometimes we see. The glory of the spider’s web is God’s glory. The dancing of the stars that the Hubble telescope shows us is also God’s creative dance. Do not our hearts ache at the beauty of it all? For God creates the vastations of heaven and comes to us before our feeble tongues can speak.

And if this were not enough, God comes to our Decembers and cries like a baby. O come, let us adore him.

O God, because of you the sun shines and our hearts beat. Everything that is raises its hands in prayer to you, for you love what you have made. Come to us again and accept our praise, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Timothy Lincoln
Associate Dean for Seminary Effectiveness and Director of the Stitt Library

Monday, December 6, 2010

Midland Group's Websites Collapse Under "Repeated Malicious Cyber Attacks"

The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.

Midland Group's Websites Collapse Under "Repeated Malicious Cyber Attacks"

Released by ChinaAid, December, 2010 ...

"MIDLAND, TEXAS – The Chinese-language website of ChinaAid Association, which monitors and reports on religious persecution and other human rights abuses in China, and a bilingual companion website have both collapsed under cyber attacks that began Tuesday evening, the group said on Wednesday."
Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid

In the News ... "Former Midlander reached others through pulpit, counseling center"

Former Midlander reached others through pulpit, counseling center
By Megan Lea Buck
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Floyd Miller, an elder at First Christian Church, remembers the Rev. Thomas Ray Bristol as "a good man" who sought to help people through their struggles.

"He was really an excellent person dealing with people who had problems," Miller said of the late pastor who was instrumental in founding what is now Samaritan Counseling Center of West Texas.

Bristol, who served as minister at First Christian Church from 1968 to 1973 and again from 1987 until his retirement in 1992, died Nov. 16 at his home in the Dallas area.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Advent Devotional for December 6

Ephesians 2:11-22

Christmas cards. About the time Advent begins, they start to arrive. Every year, like clockwork, they come delivering Christmas wishes. We wish you joy. We wish you love. We wish you hope. We wish you peace — peace to you who are far off and peace to you who are near.

The cards represent beautiful snapshots of our Christmas wishes. Yet, when we pull back the lens from these captured moments, we can see the lives beyond the edges of the photos. Children growing up and leaving home. Families falling apart and joining together. Jobs lost and found. Loved ones dying and being born. We can see people both near and far situated in a world of division, discord, and disease. And still, in the midst of the messiness, a message is proclaimed—peace to you who are far off and peace to you who are near.

If a Christmas card had been sent from that holy night in Bethlehem, it would be much the same: a beautiful, newborn baby, swaddled in cloths, lying in a manger, Mary and Joseph at his side, stars shining and angels singing. But just beyond that scene, the reality of life is visible. A wider shot shows us a dirty, crowded stall; scared parents who at the worst possible moment had to leave those closest to them; two young individuals, rejected and turned away, doubting, hungry, and hurting through a long, tiring night.

This is the scene into which Christ is born. In the midst of the messiness of this world, divided into haves and havenots, overflowing with hostility and hatred, Christ, who IS peace, comes. Emmanuel, God-with-us, comes to reconcile and unify. Christ comes proclaiming peace — peace to you who are far off and peace to you who are near. May it be so.

God, who is nearer than we can imagine, in the midst of the messiness of it all, we pray for joy; we pray for love; we pray for hope; we pray for peace — peace to those who are far off and peace to those who are near. Amen.

Laura Walters
Senior MDiv student from Austin, Texas

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Advent Devotional for December 5

Isaiah 11:1-9

In that day.” So much to look forward to, but “that day” seems so far away, a misty dream, the stuff of fantasy and fiction. What of that day works in this day?

A difficulty here is the sheer vastness of the image, a canvas that runs well outside our field of view. This is the messiah that we are reading about, not we ourselves. And yet. Are we not also participants in the messianic project? Does this spirit, perhaps in diminutive form, not also rest upon our shoulders? If so, then our assignment is to exercise a wee bit of judgment and a teaspoon of power, and then that same Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, clothes us if we are paying attention.

One phrase, “the fear of the Lord,” is a characteristic both of the Spirit and of our delight. It is what is given to us and what we give. Perhaps we do not so much judge and decide, be wise and knowledgeable, as simply live in the fear of the Lord, and whatever comes forth from that rhythm of living is judgment and wisdom enough. How could it be anything else?

So the trick is the fear of the Lord, something that cannot be reduced to righteousness or even faithfulness, both of which are our own. The fear of the Lord can never be owned. Its grandeur forbids any possession. It is, as Heschel writes, our “blush in the presence of God.”

O God, beyond all imagination, before whom our minds and hearts falter and stutter, guide us into the silence of minutes and spaces between, in which we can remember that which we do not know, some enormity of goodness that reminds us that these times in which we live, though of great import to us in this moment, are passing and small in your moments. May we never forget to be undone in your presence. Amen.

Whit Bodman
Associate Professor of Comparative Religion

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Advent Devotional for December 4

Isaiah 43:8-21

Here it comes again. The story of God, our Creator and King, meddling with history. Parting the sea, delivering children from bondage. Born of a woman, offering light to the world. Isaiah calls for witnesses, wanting us to remember how God has been at work.

But then he tells us to forget: “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.” Why does Isaiah tell us to forget what he just brought to memory?

Isaiah wants us to “forget” so we don’t miss the new things God is up to. The story of the sea is so glorious it could easily fill our minds and memories to the brim. How, then, could we ever perceive and enjoy the fresh water God supplies in the desert? Our lovingly crafted and beloved stories of the shepherds, angels, and star frame the space of Christmas. But what happens when they grow so large they threaten to block the view of Christ’s coming again?

Isaiah thinks we have something to learn about forgetting from the jackals and ostriches. Living in the desert, these animals are expert in finding enough water to survive. They know how to store, how to conserve. They know what plants offer the most hydration. And they would gladly set aside their knowing to drink from the bounty of a river. They would honor God by drinking from it, and in doing so would gain another path to life.

A central (though disconcerting!) lesson in Isaiah’s teaching is this: Our most heart-felt appreciation of God’s greatest works can stand in the way of our perception. To know God afresh is to set aside even the best of what we’ve witnessed, opening ourselves ever again to the new thing God is up to. Do we have the courage to drink with jackal and ostrich, offering up our praise?

Incarnate God, in our recollections of the Season, protect us from idolatry. Give us the grace to remember what you have done in ways that help us see what you are doing. Show us the new thing you have for us, and help us receive it with praise. Amen.

Cynthia Rigby
The W. C. Brown Professor of Theology

Friday, December 3, 2010

Advent Conspiracy, Pt. 2

There's a conspiracy afoot in the Tall City, and across the country ... though it's not the kind of conspiracy you'd find in a Dan Brown novel. Advent Conspiracy is an international movement working to restore the spirit of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption - a movement of Christ-followers who want to ...
● Worship Fully,
● Give More,
● Spend Less, and
● Love All.
It's a conspiracy without a hidden agenda ... speaking openly, conspirators remind us that the story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? ... Welcome to the Advent Conspiracy.

[Spend Less]
Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? How many times have you received a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one. Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: They have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season.

Looking for ways to give gifts that don't cost a lot of money? Have a few ideas of your own that you'd like to share with others? Head to rethinkingchristmas.com today.

In the News ... "Church mentors teens on sex, religious education"

Church mentors teens on sex, religious education
Lyxan Toldanes
Staff Writer
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Adolescence can be a stressful time for any teen. Throw in issues with religion, dating and sex and being a teenager gets even more complicated.

At the Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church, youth pastors and teachers are helping teenagers get through the difficult and confusing times through a five-month mentor program at the church. The program, which began in October, was started by the Rev. Donald Flinn as a way to discuss sex education, dating and relationships within a religious context.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story.

Advent Devotional for December 3

Revelation 20:11–21:8

In real estate the mantra is “Location, location, location.” In scripture reading, it is “Context, context, context.” The context in which “Pastor John” wrote Revelation was one in which Christians suffered extreme persecutions. The temptations they faced were to renounce their Lord and Savior (to escape the persecution) and to succumb to the debauchery of their society. John’s message to them was two-fold: Live righteous lives because there will be an accounting, and trust in the God who will make all things new.

Our context is certainly different from that of the early Christians, but there are similarities. We know the temptation to succumb: to a consumer culture; to a highly divided and often unproductive political environment; to dog-eat-dog, winner-takes-all competitive dynamics in the workplace and economy. (“American Idol” is indeed a telling name for what at heart is a talent show.)

In our “sophistication” as modern Christians, with strong emphasis on God’s love and grace, we find John’s images of judgment difficult. But surely we can believe that an accounting is due. At the very least, we can see this Christ-mass, for which we prepare, as God’s judgment on the earth; we need a Savior because we are incapable of saving ourselves.

Our context is also one that tempts us to lose hope. Or we place our hope in the political process, technology, education — any human construct. We are tempted to trust in ourselves (even ourselves as members of a Christian institution).

John’s loud voice suggests that our hope is in God who has defeated death and the grave—God who will make all things new, when there is indeed an end to our grief or crying or pain. In this Advent season of preparation, our challenge is to trust this Incarnating God. This trust is our victory in our context.

God our Creator, our Alpha and Omega, prepare us to celebrate your Incarnation. Give us awareness and courage to resist the idols of our culture. Give us, above all, the gift of trust in you that is the source of hope and confidence in our daily lives. In Emmanuel’s name. Amen.

C. Ellis Nelson (MDiv’40)
Research Professor of Christian Education
Michael F. Murray (MDiv’61)
President, Creative Interchange Consultants

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Word from Uganda: "Where does time go??"

Missionary teacher Natalie Rolfe writes, "'When He calls me, I will answer ... I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.' My call was Mbale, Uganda and that is where I have returned to serve for another year. Specifically, I am teaching phonics at Lulwanda Children's Home, an orphanage and school for 90 kids." Natalie also keeps an online journal of her service at the weblog, When He calls me, I will answer ...

Where does time go??

"I have to apologize for not being more faithful at updating. It is unbelievable sometimes how fast time goes," Natalie writes. "I feel like I have had write blog on my to-do list for the past month, but as I am there at work, other things come up. Life happens. Relationships are there. Trouble-shooting is needed. Or simple drumming parties break forth with the nursery children in the office. So, I am living in the moment and trying to be spontaneous in the Spirit when I feel his leading. That is a good thing and so I know you will accept my apologies and understand.”

CLICK HERE to read the rest of Natalie's post

If you are interested in supporting LCH by sponsoring one of the 90 children, go to www.ugandaorphans.org If you are interested in financially supporting Natalie in her mission, you can send checks (with "Natalie Rolfe" in memo) to: Midland Bible Church, 2800 North A Street, Midland, TX 79705

In the News ... "Nimitz Jr. High FCA moves to church"

Nimitz Jr. High FCA moves to church
Lyxan Toldanes
Staff Writer
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a fixture at many secondary school campuses. At one junior high, however, a principal’s misunderstanding on the district’s policy regarding noncurricular clubs caused a formerly large on-campus FCA to meet off campus.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story.

Advent Devotional for December 2

Ezekiel 12:1-14

“... I dug through the wall with my own hands.”

Prophecy predicts the unexpected. Most often, what you see from a distance is not what comes into focus up close. By December 2 a lot of us probably are already pretty tired of Christmas marketing; but up close and personal, some of you might be seeing things in catalogs or online that look like pretty good gifts, especially if you have children or grandchildren.

This far away from God’s activity in a stable in Bethlehem, it is almost unthinkable that God dug out of the wall of a sepulcher in Jerusalem. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as gripped by Christmas as any Jill or Jack. I love pecan sandies and wassail, and I think the Dallas Cowboys might do better, at least with their marketing, if they changed their uniform colors to red and green.

The thing is, I can’t get my mind’s eye off the image of that gnarly, Old Testament prophet digging his way through the dark rubble of his vision of God’s wrath. It is much like contemporary images of people sifting through the rubble of their lives after earthquake, tsunami, forest fire, and flood. Not God’s wrath, but certainly human hell.

I was intrigued recently when I read about Michelangelo Buonarroti’s Pieta. At first glance, it looks like Jesus lies dead in Mary’s lap. But a closer look and one sees life pulsing in the Travertine veins of his arms and hands; the hands of the artist having dug, chiseled, and polished away marble to reveal the miracle inside.

What’s unexpected is that people survive unthinkable tragedy. We dig out, or through. When we think we are too blind to see, scales fall from our eyes; some people escape from captivity; light shines in darkness.

My prayer is that if you feel buried in this holy season you will be able to dig through the walls of your despair with your bare hands. With God’s help may it be so. Amen.

Sam Riccobene
John Knox Ranch Camp Director and Associate Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

In the News ... "Local pastor to lead tour of Holy Land"

Local pastor to lead tour of Holy Land
By Megan Lea Buck
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - This spring, the Rev. Tim Walker will visit his favorite place in Israel for the 18th time.

"For me it's like going back to a spiritual home," said the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church-Midland. "It's a spiritual experience for me to be around Lake Galilee."

Walker first made the trip to the Holy Land when he was in seminary. He has tried to return every two years.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Advent Devotional for December 1

Jeremiah 2:20-32

We are so inundated in images of buff, sexy, desirable — photogenic — people that it is hard to imagine being jolted by an ancient Jewish prophet’s imagery of animals in estrus. Yet Jeremiah’s camel interlacing her tracks, and the wild she-ass in heat, are disturbing images that capture hot-blooded, underlying lust, driving out any thought other than the obsession at hand. With that awareness of unmanageable compulsion, Jeremiah confronts our attempts to take charge—to depend on gods of our own making.

And we do seek our security in institutions, nations, and corporations we have constructed so elaborately that they seem to take on a life of their own. The ongoing global economic trauma from collapsed financial institutions; ecological catastrophes of climate change and runaway oil wells; and the crescendo of escalating warfare linked to terrorists, drug cartels, and marginalized states—all stem from a dance of competing desires, gone unmanageable.

“But where are your gods that you made for yourself?” Jeremiah challenges. “Let them come, if they can save you, in your time of trouble.”

Jesus knew us well. His twofold instruction was to love God “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” And “like it,” to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

That concise expression of how we may move toward God’s dream for creation asks a lot more than obedience. It demands that we live in a present awareness of hope outweighing our compulsion to go to any lengths to ensure that our desires are met, and to accept that outcomes besides those of our own intent can be good.

Loving God, help me to live in hope of possibilities beyond my imagining, so that my compulsions do not lead me to gods of my own design. Amen.

Doug Fritzsche
Senior MDiv student from Albuquerque, New Mexico

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Teichert Prayer Letter for October

Dear Family and Friends,

From Jenny: Last month we had a short-term team here from Enumclaw, Washington. It was exciting to see once again how coming to a different culture can really affect a person. Each team member put their hearts and their ALL into serving the people in the Finetown community. By the end of their time here, they had built strong relationships with the South African people. They served through hospice care and work projects, going into the community with health care workers, teaching first aid, and coming alongside the preschool teachers that Heather and I have had the opportunity to work with.

I was privileged to go out and walk the dusty streets of Finetown with two community care workers. I was shocked to find out that these workers volunteered their time and had very little in terms of resources or food, but they would offer what they had to the patients they cared for. We would go from house to house visiting patients with TB, AIDS, and diabetes, monitoring their health and ensuring that they had been taking their prescribed medicine or antiviral medications. It was encouraging to hear stories of how many patients’ health had been improving.

However, in one case we visited with a young man named Joseph who had TB. He had been taking his medication and getting better, but because of family influences, he chose to see a witch doctor (traditional healer). He showed us the cuts on his aching feet where the witch doctor had “treated” him by cutting them with a knife, rubbing various herbs into the wounds. After four days, we returned to visit Joseph again and his condition had worsened. He was in his bed, unable to walk, and could barely sit up. The community care workers told us how discouraging it was when patients stop taking their medications and resort to witch doctors for help; they try to give good care, only to see the patients become debilitated or in some cases die.

Like the team from Enumclaw, I was touched once again by the great needs in this country. I was struck by the love and compassion these community care workers had for the people. I asked them why they did it, and they told me because they had parents and family members who had died because they had no one to care for them or ensure that they took their medication; they want to make a difference in their community. They had such joy as they walked through the streets. They told me they can go through 10 pair of shoes each year! The short-term team has already helped meet needs by providing uniforms and new shoes for the community workers!

We were blessed to have them here! Thank you for praying for South Africa and the Finetown community.

With love and much thanks,
The Teicherts

OC Africa is an interdenominational ministry committed to developing, equipping, and mobilizing church leaders to multiply healthy, Bible-based churches in every community in Southern Africa and the world. OC is a faith-based mission who depends on the Lord to provide committed, financial supporters and partners. The contributions from these individuals help generate ministry opportunities around the world, impact missionaries and their global work, and provide a means for the International Mobilization Center to function. CLICK HERE to learn how YOU can be a part of mobilizing church leaders around the world by donating to OC.

It's About Education ... and Compassion

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics.

The same will be happening right here, in the Tall City.

The MC Student Government Association, Midland/Odessa Area AIDS Support (MAAS) and the Texas Department of State Health Services will host a ceremony honoring those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and those who are dealing with AIDS on Tuesday, November 30, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the F. Marie Hall Academic Building, Rooms 110/111. The ceremony will also include the reading of an official proclamation by Midland Mayor Wes Perry. The public is invited to attend.

On Wednesday, in observance of World AIDS Day, these same groups will offer FREE HIV/AIDS testing and 10-minute counseling sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the F. Marie Hall Academic Building, Room 110/111.

For more information, please contact Stephanie VanCuren at (432) 685-4543.

According to reports prepared by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. UNAIDS goes on to report that, despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children.

In the News ... "Stonegate to pass on spirit of giving through mall ministry"

Stonegate to pass on spirit of giving through mall ministry
By Kathleen Thurber
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - It may be just a bottle of water and some crackers, but for the volunteers from Stonegate Fellowship, the gift is meant to represent much more.

Volunteers will station themselves inside Midland Park Mall starting Friday and return each weekend through holiday shopping to pass out refreshments in hopes of showing the community that the church - and the Christmas season - is about giving.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Advent Devotional for November 30

John 1:43-51

Jesus is calling followers. He is seeking; he is being sought. Andrew and Peter follow; and then, we are told, Jesus “found Philip.” Philip, in turn, “found Nathanael.” Discipleship begins with Jesus seeking and people sharing.

Nathanael, who is not one of the twelve and who is otherwise unknown (John 21:2), is sitting under a fig tree. To him, Philip’s account of Jesus is unconvincing. How does he know Jesus is the one about whom Moses wrote? Nathanael ridicules this poor confession and along with it the hometown of Jesus himself. But then, remarkably, he stands up and follows. Apparently he does not really believe his disbelief.

Jesus, perhaps miraculously, recognizes the guileless heart of Nathanael and tells him about seeing him under the fig tree. Nathanael perceives the divine in Jesus and his vision. He confesses a good confession: “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Like all confessions, it may be true, but it is not enough. Jesus now ridicules Nathanael’s confession. You believe because of that? “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Encounters with Jesus, with God, resist the telling. No miracle fully portrays Jesus; no confession fully names him. The data of our relationship with God does not give adequate account of either us or God or the relationship. We cannot satisfactorily explain why or even what we believe. Nevertheless, in the presence of Jesus we think that the borders between heaven and earth are opened, that angels are running loose in the world, that fig trees can be sacred sites, that we can be disciples, and that we with our poor words can speak good confessions. And so, we tell our stories.

Eternal God, who calls us into service, who leads us into new paths, give us today guileless hearts with which to follow and honest words with which to speak. Amen.

Lewis Donelson
The Ruth A. Campbell Professor of New Testament Studies

Monday, November 29, 2010

In the News ... "Holiday season doesn't slow down charities"

Holiday season doesn't slow down charities
Nathaniel Miller
Reporter
Odessa American

ODESSA, TEXAS - Even as most people are getting over the Thanksgiving feast, some Odessans don’t have enough food to get through the day.

Local charities are gearing up to help those who are less fortunate.

“I’m being worried about having enough food for people asking for help right now,” Catholic Charities Executive Director Faye Rodriguez said.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story.

Advent Devotional for November 29

Jonah 3:10-4:11

They sat in company with the others, their eyes straining
against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His.” Thus wrote Zora Neale Hurston of Janie and Tea Cake and the others who had perilously underestimated the deadly force of an imminent hurricane. “They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God.” Hurston’s phrase pinpoints the most surprising twist, of many, in the Book of Jonah. The eyes of the hated Ninevites were watching God, while Jonah’s eyes were cast down in anger and bitterness. The Book of Jonah knows that God is the God of sovereign freedom, forgiving and loving whom God will, even if it is our enemy.

There is a message of hope for all of us here, hope for the in-breaking of God’s undeserved mercy. But there is something deeply disturbing here, as well. There is the offense of God’s mercy toward the Other who violates the moral order of the world as we understand it. During Advent, the Book of Jonah demands that we acknowledge the “untamed dissonance,” in the words of Phyllis Trible, of the freedom of God in the world. The season of Advent offers us an invitation to steep in this ambiguity of a new way of seeing the world, a new ordering of the magnitude of Christ’s judgment and compassion for the world, even as we resist it.

“It’s uh known fact, Phoeby, you got tuh go there tuh know there,” Janie summarized after a long season of loving and resisting how the world was ordered. “Two things everybody’s got to do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.” Maybe this Advent we will make some progress.

God of newness, fearing change, we dare not raise our eyes. Longing for your loving gaze, we see only ourselves. Blinded by our failures, we ask for courage to behold the suffering earth, the weeping alien, the struggling soldier, the demoralized neighbor, the hungry child. In your light, may we see light. Amen.

Carol A. Tate
Austin Seminary Coordinator of Chapel Music and DMin student

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Advent Devotional for November 28

Micah 4:1-5

Advent is about a defining hope—namely, the birth of our Lord Jesus. He was born into a world of conflict and struggle, a world in many ways quite like our own. Nations war, injustice flourishes, and the human family is torn to pieces. Nonetheless, Christian communities continue to remember the birth of Jesus each year in the season of Advent and, in the process, renew our commitment to our defining hope.

One of the biblical passages foundational for our defining hope is Micah 4:1-4. Appearing immediately after a passage announcing devastating destruction that will come upon Jerusalem and the land is this beautiful, powerful declaration of a time of peace and cooperation among the nations. While somewhat provincial in the imagery used (e.g., Zion as the highest of mountains and the center of the world), the vision is as wide as the love of God. All peoples will recognize the sovereignty of God and seek instruction concerning God’s ways. All nations will accept God’s adjudication of disputes. All peoples will turn their machinery of war into the tools of peace. Every individual will live with a sense of well-being and security.

These images are part of the defining hope that has guided Christians for centuries. These words describe the world as we expect it will one day become. We know that such a world has as yet not been realized. We believe that Jesus confirmed Micah’s vision. Thus, we seek to make concrete in every way possible, whenever and wherever, the peace and security envisioned by Micah between nations and for individuals. We have no illusion about establishing God’s reign by our own power, but we do seek to live in a manner that proclaims the defining hope that is our guide.

Generous and gracious God, in Jesus Christ you have entered our world and laid claim to our lives. Guide us as we strive to demonstrate the hope that Micah proclaimed and which you confirmed in and through your Son, our Lord. Amen.

W. Eugene March
Jean Brown Visiting Professor and Lecturer in Old Testament

Friday, November 26, 2010

Advent Conspiracy, Pt. 1

There's a conspiracy afoot in the Tall City, and across the country ... though it's not the kind of conspiracy you'd find in a Dan Brown novel. Advent Conspiracy is an international movement working to restore the spirit of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption - a movement of Christ-followers who want to ...● Worship Fully,
● Give More,
● Spend Less, and
● Love All.
It's a conspiracy without a hidden agenda ... speaking openly, conspirators remind us that the story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? ... Welcome to the Advent Conspiracy.

[Worship Fully]
It starts with Jesus. It ends with Jesus. This is the holistic approach God had in mind for Christmas. It’s a season where we are called to put down our burdens and lift a song up to our God. It’s a season where love wins, peace reigns, and a king is celebrated with each breath. It’s the party of the year. Entering the story of advent means entering this season with an overwhelming passion to worship Jesus to the fullest.

In the News ... "Volunteers thank God as they feed the needy"

Volunteers thank God as they feed the needy
By James Cannon
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Several churches, restaurants and charitable organizations banded together to feed the homeless and less fortunate on Thanksgiving Day.

All were in good spirits, as the helping spirit was in the air, and most said they were driven by God to help the community.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

In the News ... "TALKIN' TEXAS: Pastor commemorates 50 years of service"

TALKIN' TEXAS: Pastor commemorates 50 years of service
By Tumblewered Smith
Contributor/Columnist
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MARFA, TEXAS - Lloyd Conner was born in Miles in 1931, the seventh child of Virgil and Virdie Conner ... Conner pastored churches in Albany, San Angelo and Marfa, where he also served the Texas Baptist River Ministry and managed the Piasano Baptist Encampment between Alpine and Marfa. He currently is pastor of Marfa's First Baptist Church. In August the church held a celebration service for Lloyd's 50 years in the ministry.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the TALKIN' TEXAS column

Monday, November 1, 2010

In the News ... "Habitat is 'swamped' with volunteers for Apostles Build"

Habitat is 'swamped' with volunteers for Apostles Build
By Joan Huff
Reporter
Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS - Midland's Habitat for Humanity, partnering with 10 local churches in The Apostles Build, is almost two homes ahead of schedule. The project began October 1 and will continue until the second weekend in November. Administrators with Habitat said the turnout has been almost overwhelming.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story