Thursday, March 30, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Glad to be Back
I'm back, and don't have a lot of time to post today, but suffice to say, the trip was amazing, wonderful, and blessed.
Highlights: someone being so set free from their passivity that during their prayer time both my prayer partner and I started crying, washing a gal's feet during another prayer time, getting people's original design and seeing them so blessed that they started crying. For my own personal self, in addition to the 8-10 hours of praying for people for five days, I got to see the city for a few days prior to heading to Harpenden. My favorite things in London: attending an Evensong service at Westminister Abbey (where Princess Diana got married), mastering the tube/bus service, and Portabella Road Market (watch Notting Hill and you'll know why). Such fun! I'll have an update with more detail later and some pictures too.
Erin
Highlights: someone being so set free from their passivity that during their prayer time both my prayer partner and I started crying, washing a gal's feet during another prayer time, getting people's original design and seeing them so blessed that they started crying. For my own personal self, in addition to the 8-10 hours of praying for people for five days, I got to see the city for a few days prior to heading to Harpenden. My favorite things in London: attending an Evensong service at Westminister Abbey (where Princess Diana got married), mastering the tube/bus service, and Portabella Road Market (watch Notting Hill and you'll know why). Such fun! I'll have an update with more detail later and some pictures too.
Erin
Monday, March 13, 2006
Leavin' on a Jet Plane....
But surely I know when I'll be back again!
So, tomorrow evening is the big day to head back over to Europe for a second time in a year. I am not nearly as nervous as I was the first time I flew over last August. I am perhaps MORE excited, but in a different kind of way. THIS time I am excited because I know what to expect in a lot of ways, and I am filled with absolute JOY to be able to experience those things again! It is a different kind of trip than the last time, in that I will be working with adults rather than kids, and I will be doing a LOT more praying and a LOT less outreach, but it will still be fun!
Church last night was great. Brian talked about renewing our passion, and for some, finding our passion. I was struck again by how much our church emphasizes being passionate about a specific group of people (ie the "homeless" the "single moms" the "high-schoolers" etc.). I would say for myself, as I have said before, I am not sure I feel called to a specific group of people. I feel called to teach and restore people, all people. Every time we talk about callings or passions I just feel this tug of condemnation, as though I am somehow missing out on mine, or being blocked from fully knowing my passion. It always causes me to question what I am doing and where I am going. That confusion is almost always exacerbated by the fact that inevitably someone will say something to me like "I see you working with the junior highers" or "Have you ever thought about working with our homeless outreach." See, the confusion steps in because OF COURSE I would love to work with those ministries, OF COURSE I would do a great job with them. But, when I find myself feeling the most on fire, is when I am teaching. Whether that be with my small group of gals, or at work, THAT is when I feel like "YES, this is what I was created for." And so, I just start to wonder, should I just pick a ministry and go for it? How many expectations do I have out of ministry that are just wrong? Do I believe that ministry is passionate and firey all the time and forget that a lot of ministry is just plain hard work? How much of that confusion is really my own rebellion and selfishness? I just don't know. Anyone out there have any thoughts?
However, in the midst of all of that confusion, I did get asked last night to teach three Sunday School lessons for an adult Sunday School class in Tacoma. The church we rent from meets on Sunday mornings, and their education director asked me if I would come for three Sunday mornings in May and teach their class. That was a scary and exciting thought all at the same time. There are a few topics that they are wanting someone to talk about: Christianity and the Environment. So, of course, I am the logical choice! Should be refining and fun! The church is pretty liberal in their views and beliefs, so it is not that much of a surprise that they have asked about this specific topic, but I am looking forward to the opportunity to connect with them and create bridges between their congregation and ours.
Not sure if I'll have time to post before I leave, or while I am gone, though I will have access to the internet. I'll post again for sure when I return.
Erin
So, tomorrow evening is the big day to head back over to Europe for a second time in a year. I am not nearly as nervous as I was the first time I flew over last August. I am perhaps MORE excited, but in a different kind of way. THIS time I am excited because I know what to expect in a lot of ways, and I am filled with absolute JOY to be able to experience those things again! It is a different kind of trip than the last time, in that I will be working with adults rather than kids, and I will be doing a LOT more praying and a LOT less outreach, but it will still be fun!
Church last night was great. Brian talked about renewing our passion, and for some, finding our passion. I was struck again by how much our church emphasizes being passionate about a specific group of people (ie the "homeless" the "single moms" the "high-schoolers" etc.). I would say for myself, as I have said before, I am not sure I feel called to a specific group of people. I feel called to teach and restore people, all people. Every time we talk about callings or passions I just feel this tug of condemnation, as though I am somehow missing out on mine, or being blocked from fully knowing my passion. It always causes me to question what I am doing and where I am going. That confusion is almost always exacerbated by the fact that inevitably someone will say something to me like "I see you working with the junior highers" or "Have you ever thought about working with our homeless outreach." See, the confusion steps in because OF COURSE I would love to work with those ministries, OF COURSE I would do a great job with them. But, when I find myself feeling the most on fire, is when I am teaching. Whether that be with my small group of gals, or at work, THAT is when I feel like "YES, this is what I was created for." And so, I just start to wonder, should I just pick a ministry and go for it? How many expectations do I have out of ministry that are just wrong? Do I believe that ministry is passionate and firey all the time and forget that a lot of ministry is just plain hard work? How much of that confusion is really my own rebellion and selfishness? I just don't know. Anyone out there have any thoughts?
However, in the midst of all of that confusion, I did get asked last night to teach three Sunday School lessons for an adult Sunday School class in Tacoma. The church we rent from meets on Sunday mornings, and their education director asked me if I would come for three Sunday mornings in May and teach their class. That was a scary and exciting thought all at the same time. There are a few topics that they are wanting someone to talk about: Christianity and the Environment. So, of course, I am the logical choice! Should be refining and fun! The church is pretty liberal in their views and beliefs, so it is not that much of a surprise that they have asked about this specific topic, but I am looking forward to the opportunity to connect with them and create bridges between their congregation and ours.
Not sure if I'll have time to post before I leave, or while I am gone, though I will have access to the internet. I'll post again for sure when I return.
Erin
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
One Week to Go!
I don't have a ton to update from last week. It was a busy week and full of people. On Friday night we had a women's "conference." I put that in quotes because it was really just the one night. Several women spoke on the importance of friendships, and we studied the relationship between Naomi and Ruth. There is a lot to learn about their friendship both from Ruth's point of view and from Naomi's too! Then, about 25 women got baptised that night. It was incredible. After the conference my small group came over to my house for an overnighter. We ate a bunch of food and then watched Pride and Prejudice. Yes, my "movie of all movies" came out on DVD last week, and of course, I bought it. We stayed up until close to 2 AM. (for those of you who know me well, you know how much of an accomplishement that is for me). Then, got up the next day about 9:30, had breakfast and then went down to the waterfront to play. It was so sunny a beautiful, and we had such a good time.
Later that night, after my girls had left, a bunch of us went up to Seattle for Chantel's 30th birthday. It was nice to hang out with her, as I love her dearly. It was an interesting experience for me because when we were up there I was realizing that I was not having that much fun. I wondered if there was something going on with me, or if I was just tired from the night before. But, what I realized is that some of the girls that are Chantel's closest friends do not have the same sense of humor as I do! What they find funny/amusing/ or fun to do is just not the same as me. I think this is the first time I realized that! And, as I realized it, I also realized that it's OK! I don't have to be friends with everyone, nor vice versa. It does make hanging out with Chantel a little harder than other people, if those particular friends are there. It isn't that I dislike these girls, they just have a different sense of humor than I do, and there is nothing wrong with that. It just happens.
Anyway, I leave in less than a week for London/Harpenden again. I have done little to zero getting ready, and that is OK. I have some time this weekend to get it done.
Have a great week!
Erin
Later that night, after my girls had left, a bunch of us went up to Seattle for Chantel's 30th birthday. It was nice to hang out with her, as I love her dearly. It was an interesting experience for me because when we were up there I was realizing that I was not having that much fun. I wondered if there was something going on with me, or if I was just tired from the night before. But, what I realized is that some of the girls that are Chantel's closest friends do not have the same sense of humor as I do! What they find funny/amusing/ or fun to do is just not the same as me. I think this is the first time I realized that! And, as I realized it, I also realized that it's OK! I don't have to be friends with everyone, nor vice versa. It does make hanging out with Chantel a little harder than other people, if those particular friends are there. It isn't that I dislike these girls, they just have a different sense of humor than I do, and there is nothing wrong with that. It just happens.
Anyway, I leave in less than a week for London/Harpenden again. I have done little to zero getting ready, and that is OK. I have some time this weekend to get it done.
Have a great week!
Erin
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