06.19.08

A New Picture of Church

Posted in church, ministry at 4:57 am

Yesterday, Jason suckered me into attending a meeting for all pastors and priests in the Marche region. Normally, I’m horrible at these things - meeting people and describing our “denomination” and mingling aren’t my strong points. But the theme of this meeting piqued my interest: the problems of youth.

For most of the meeting we were divided up into four groups discussing various aspects of youth like The relationship between youth and spirituality and Youth and secularization. There were pastors there from all kinds churches: Greek Orthodox, Catholic, The Apostolic Church, Seventh Day Adventist, and little ol’ me. At one point a young priest said that young people need “una nuova immagine di chiesa” - a new picture of church. He talked about how it’s time to stop asking the young people to fit into old models of what our relationship with God looks like. Church needs to be about community, and allowing people to “work out their salvation” and not be perfect before walking in the door.

Did you catch that this was coming from a Catholic priest?

The conversation went on and I described how we have begun to change our view of church as well. Instead of asking people to behave and believe a certain way before they can belong (be a part of the community), we switch the order. They can be a part of the community, which causes them to change their beliefs, which causes them to change their behavior.

And then another lady started criticizing the Catholic church, and the conversation stopped there while the priest dodged the arrows that were being launched at him. It was too bad, because there was a good thing going.

I’m never sure what to do with these ecumenical meetings. On one hand, I think it’s silly to think that any of us, with our various theological backgrounds, would ever be on the same page (though that’s probably not even the goal). On the other, conversations like this where we learn from each other can only benefit the capital “C” Church.

05.16.08

Massimiliano Ripanti

Posted in Ancona, church, friends, ministry at 2:51 pm

My heart is heavy and my eyes full of tears. Yesterday, around 9:50 AM, our dear friend Massi went Home.

He had been battling myelofibrosis for nearly a year, and infection finally overcame his weakened immune system. His absence will be a tangible thing in our church for a long time.

As the pastor, it’s my job and my priviledge to stay strong for the family and to be a source of strength in a difficult time. Yesterday I was reminded how thin the facade is. As I was walking Rosa back to the waiting room after one last goodbye with her already-cold fiancée, the facade cracked. I found myself in the hallway with Jason. The door to the waiting room clicked closed, and the tears came. We tried to save ourselves the embarassment of emotion (masculinity is a funny thing) by hiding in separate corners. And just as quickly as it started, the crying stopped and we went back in the room.

I miss him already. His funny Senigalliesi accent that took me months to get used to. His weekly phone call at the exact time Life Group was supposed to start, telling me he had just left and was on his way. His suspicious looks when we served something American, and then watching him take a second and third helping. Our awkward conversations in the hospital towards the end, when we both talked about everything but the obvious. But more than anything, his faithfulness until the very end. He loved God with all his heart, soul, and mind.

A dopo, amico…

05.01.08

Echoes

Posted in family, ministry at 3:34 am

Yesterday I had the privilege of performing my first funeral service. A family of english-speakers needed someone to do a funeral in their own language, and a friend of a friend called Marcus and got the ball rolling.

I was (surprisingly) not nervous for the service. I surprised even myself at the confidence God helped me show even though I wasn’t 100% sure of what I was doing. And I was amazed at how many of the same things I was feeling that I felt at my dad’s funeral. It was comforting to me to take care of a hurting family, and to ask (and help them answer) the hard questions. Standing before their large family at the service, I saw their son losing the battle to hold back the tears and was reminded of my own battle at my dad’s service.

But somehow God has wired me to get through it. I found relief in my own sadness (which is often just below the surface even today) by guiding others through grief. The pastor in me soars in situations like this, and it makes me shake my head in wonder at the powerful God we serve who makes the impossible possible.

04.12.08

Missionaries tell the best stories

Posted in church, friends, ministry at 3:21 am

We just had the pleasure of hosting two missionary friends of our who have been serving in Germany for over 30 years. As we talked over coffee and meal times, I was struck with the number of amazing stories that they had to tell us. Crazy things like almost getting arrested in Naples. And great things like finally seeing fruit after many years of labor.

It got me to thinking. Why does any missionary go through these crazy things? We’ve only been here just under three years, so our supply of stories isn’t near what these veterans had to tell. But we’ve had our share of times when we look back and wonder what on earth just happened, and how God got us out of it!

A lot of missionaries have an adventurous spirit, and so they stay on the field just for the love of new experiences. I think some like to create things and see them grow. But I don’t know if those things are enough. Every missionary I know (that has made it for the long haul) feels a strong sense of calling. That God has asked them to be where they are. And it’s funny what you’ll endure when you know you’re where you’re supposed to be.

But calling isn’t reserved just for missionaries. I think He calls all of us to be somewhere or do something. There’s lots of contentment that can be found when you’ve wrestled with the call in your life and planted yourself where you’re supposed to be.

So where are you called to be?

04.10.08

Practice Hospitality

Posted in culture, ministry at 5:17 am

Something that I really wasn’t aware of until we moved to Ancona, was how important hospitality is when you’re a missionary. We constantly have people in our homes, whether it’s church members, friends, or someone just passing through.

Our life in the US wasn’t like this at all. We rarely had people in our home. Part of the difference is cultural. In the US, you go out to eat with guests rather than make a big meal as is common here. But I think part of the difference is that hospitality is sort of going out of style. Our homes have become a little bubble that we live in, and we’d really rather not have anyone else in the bubble with us.

Paul says in the book of Romans that we are to “practice hospitality.” Making guests feel comfortable is supposed to be a part of a Christian’s life. The thing is, I don’t think hospitality comes naturally to some. I’m fortunate to have a wife who excels at this. People have said to us before that our home feels like a second home to them (and that’s all Heidi’s fault!).

So what do you do when it doesn’t come naturally? Maybe I’m taking a liberty with what Paul was intending, but I think we need to practice. We can’t learn if we don’t try. Start small. Have someone over for coffee. Invite a neighbor for a casual dinner. Volunteer to have Christmas at your house this year. The more we do it, the more natural it becomes. By inviting people into our “bubbles” they get to see what makes Christians tick. Sharing a meal brings an intimacy that isn’t found in day-to-day life.

Practice makes perfect.

04.07.08

We never start church on time

Posted in church, culture, ministry at 4:21 am

Our Sunday morning service starts at 11 AM. Well, it’s supposed to start at 11 AM. Yesterday I looked at the clock and around 11:30 we were sort of starting to think about getting things started. I used to get kind of annoyed by this. Italians are definitely less punctual than Americans, but not excessively so. Why is it that every week it was such a struggle to start at 11 AM?

And yesterday, I got it. As people arrive and start kissing and hugging and greeting one another, the noise level in the room grows. There’s laughter. There’s catching up. Yesterday there was even some crying as though people couldn’t wait to get in the door to unload. This place, or more accurately, these people, are a refuge from the day to day grind. So in a way “church” does start at 11:00. The part of church where people take care of each other. The singing and the preaching …. well, we get around to it eventually. It doesn’t make us lazy or sloppy or mean we don’t know how to tell time. I think it means we know what is important and what people really need more of.

03.15.08

Umm … when do we start worrying?

Posted in Team, finances, ministry at 1:27 pm

The exchange rate is a cruel, cruel thing. It’s one of those things that I never thought about before I moved overseas. But now I watch it way too often.

Here in Italy, we use Euros, which happens to be a very strong currency right now. Our “paycheck” is in dollars, which happens to be a very weak currency right now. Put those two facts together, and my average, three-bedroom apartment which used to cost around $850 is now over $1,000. And that’s over the course of just a few months!

I think we’re hit doubly hard here in two areas: housing and groceries. Both of these are things that can be trimmed only so much. A family of nearly 6 can only cut out so much food and so many bedrooms!

Jason emailed us a link you may have seen which basically indicated there is no end in sight to the dollar’s drop.

So when do we start worrying? Does a point come where we all pack up and go home because it costs too much to live here? Do our supporters even understand how horrible it feels to raise all of this money and watch it disappear just because of some silly world currency market? The thing that really bothers me is not so much that things cost a lot of money, but that I feel like our supporter’s donations just go right down the drain because of something none of us have any control over.

I think Jason had some great advice for us in his email, “Read it. Be aware. Don’t worry. God is big. Keep praying and cinching your belt. Let’s be more generous.”

02.24.08

A slump

Posted in Team, family, ministry at 4:50 pm

Life has it’s natural ebbs and flows, doesn’t it? It seems like for while I’ve been in a bit of a slump. Just a kind of malaise that I can’t quite put my finger on and I can’t quite ignore. I’m tired. It’s hard to stay motivated. I’m a little grouchy and impatient. And no matter what I do, I can’t seem to shake it.

My teammates are incredible, and each has privately asked if there’s anything they could do to help. I would have loved to have taken them up on the offer, but honestly couldn’t think of anything. Then Jason nailed it last week when he asked, “How long has it been since you’ve taken a vacation?”

The line between work and home has always been very blurry here. Lots of ministry things happen in the evenings when people are available, which also tends to cut into family time. The computer is always on, beeping when there’s a new email to respond to. And we tend to be a pretty mobile team, so I can work just as easily from home as from our office. I think the result of this is that I tend to always be working. Since we had two teammates gone from the field for about four months, the workload increased and I now find myself without any energy.

So my wife started cooking up a little four day trip to Florence. And I can’t help but smile at the prospect of getting away from it all. She knows me too well.

Wait … didn’t God take a break once, too? It almost sounds Biblical…

02.10.08

Is there space for both of us?

Posted in Team, church, ministry at 3:41 am

Our team just finished its twice-annual planning retreat. I look forward to these times together, and always love to see how God is going to direct His church here in Ancona.

I have a teammate who is pretty much opposite from me. He’s a thinker, a philosopher, loves reading books with unpronounceable authors, and is more liberal that I am in almost every area. And I honestly wondered before this retreat if I we could ever get on the same page. I like reading, sort of. I really don’t like the philosophical ping-pong of ideas. And I’m pretty conservative in my thinking. So is there space for both of us on this team? Are we doomed to frustration and irritation? Will he constantly see me as this stuffy, boring, uptight guy who needs to be free? Will I always roll my eyes at him, thinking he needs to grow up a little and be a little more disciplined - and for heaven’s sake tuck in your shirt?

I have to confess that the answer really surprised me. We never did come to blows. We never argued, in the negative sense of the word. There were times where I had to stop and pinpoint where he was coming from. And there were times when he wanted to explore the outcome of my way of thinking. We may have scratched our heads a couple of times at each other, but at least I was able to learn something in the process. And I think our team (and the church) is better off for it.

It’s the beauty of this crazy kingdom that God is setting up here.

01.24.08

Ecumenicalism

Posted in church, culture, ministry at 10:18 am

So we’re in the middle of Ecumenical Week here in Ancona. The Catholic churches are hosting protestant pastors from all over so that the Catholics can get to know us crazy Protestants.

Tuesday night our church was invited to head to Numana, about twenty minutes away. It was a normal prayer service, with a question and answer period in the middle. The people were generally nice, and asked basic questions like, “Do you submit to the pope?” and “Can your priests get married?” But I couldn’t help but notice the slight edge on the questions. They were more like, “I heard you don’t submit to the pope, and if not, who do you submit to?” or possibly “Well I heard, that your priests get married!”

Jason & Josh politely answered their questions. Some people even agreed with our stance on things and publicly stated that the Catholic church needs to change and do what we’re doing. But the thing that struck me, and that I hadn’t noticed before so strongly, is how ignorant people are here about Protestantism. There was a level of suspicion because it is such an unknown. In America that’s not an issue. Most people have some level of understanding of Protestant beliefs, and even a flawed view of the Church is something to go on. But here, we’re completely outside day to day living. And unfortunately, when we don’t understand something, we tend to make it scarier than it is.

I haven’t been terribly excited about these meetings. I sincerely hope they are more than surface-level “Christian unity.” But I do appreciate that they help average people to put a smiling face on Protestantism, which makes it a little less scary. As I told a friend after the meeting, “I hope that we were able to put a face on the enemy.”