Wrapping Up

I know, I know . . . what in the world has been going on the Bronx! Sorry for the lack of posts! It has gotten to the point where there is so much to talk about that the task seems too daunting to begin, but here is a little bit to chew on.

I have a friend that I met in the Edgar Allen Poe Park (right next to his old house in the Bronx) named Yasser. He is about my age and started skating in that park about 6 or 7 years ago. Back then he was the only one who skated there. Since then an entire array of people have begun to skate there most of them from slightly to extremely younger than Yasser. I could tell right off the bat that Yasser was a vital part of this community. All of the other skaters would always say, "Yasser, watch this trick!" They would also ask him about tons of different questions for advice and these questions were not simply surface level questions. I started calling him the "Godfather" and enjoyed watching that community function together and love each other (sometimes by making fun of each other). I wondered to myself if this community could easily become a church.

Another day, I was walking to Popeye's and on the street corner I heard hootin' and hollarin' and naturally I had to check it out. It seemed as if there was some sort of street preacher doing his thing and doing it loud and proud. Much to my dismay is it seemed to be working! However, when I begin to listen more closely to the vast crowd around him it sounded like these people knew each other and they were agreeing with everything he said. I finally decided that this much be a church, a congregation who's service takes place on the corner of 174th street by the 2/5 train. I thought this was an interesting and noble concept. What if all of the churches in the world met outside on street corners, or inside business establishments, or in malls or other populated areas. Everyone around that street corner was listening, what are these crazy people saying and doing and listening to! We definitely thought they were crazy, but we listened to what was being said. Of course, we stayed a safe distance so we could stray from the saliva of the screaming preacher, but we were still listening.

I had an experience at New Life (my home church back in Abilene) where we took tons of chairs outside to an adjacent lot and had our service outside. A good amount of people drove or walked by and their curiosity was raised as they listened to what was going on. We then, as always, ate with each other (also outside) and if I remember correctly invited a random person walking by for some free food.

. . . we talked about two sorts of ministry the other day with the missionaries. One sort is called the push model where we are pushing people to get involved (which I think can be positive when leaders need to be pushed into stepping up to the plate and given responsibility), but our focus was on the fact that there usually is not much of a pull factor of ministry. While this idea isn't completely associated with the previous experiences, they kind of connect and like I said there is many thoughts going through my head and those are some of them.

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This is our last week here so we will be bringing closure to relationships (or at least in terms of getting ready to leave and use electronic communication) and reflecting on what we have done here and what has been done to us.

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Who is excited about the Olympics!!!!! I sure am, especially hearing all the news about our basketball team . . . I love it all!

Also I have become a huge fan of podcasts this summer so if anyone has a must subscribe to podcast they know of, send it my way! I'm sure I can write at some point at what in the world this word "podcast" means in a later post for those of y'all who are wondering if it a fishing trick or an artsy portrayal of peas.

I have also discovered the joys of public transportation again, and this time I have taken advantage of the time by reading A LOT!

I have read:

1. Christianity Rediscovered by Vincent Donovan
   
2. Salvation by Joel Green
3. The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission by Lesslie Newbigin
4. Simply Christian by N.T. Wright (who Reid Humble has met and if I remember correctly enjoyed tea and crumpets with! Ok slight exaggeration)
5. Prophetic Imagination by Walter Bruggemann (thank you Spence and Ben!!)
6. Way of the Heart (I think that's the title) by Henri Nowen (a book on silence, solitude and prayer)
   
7. The Shack by William Young (I recommend this to everyone and everyone was simultaneously reading this it seemed)
8. Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community by Wendell Berry (here is the shout out to Mr. Brad East (you knew it was coming))!
9. Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth by Walter Bruggemann (still working slowly through the poetry/prayer)
10. Sex God by Rob Bell (on audiobook another great discovery this summer - books you listen to . . . astounding!)
11. Tepper Isn't Going Out by Calvin Trillin (thank you Tommy Johnson!)
12. Secret Message by Brian McLaren (audiobook)
    
13. A Timbered Choir by Wendell Berry (also still working through it, it is also poetry)
14. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
15. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (also audiobook)
16. And along with Katie I'm currently reading Passionate Marriage by David Snarchschech (It's a crazy last name that I can't remember how to spell)
17. And I am about to begin the graphic novel WATCHMEN! by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

It is appropriate to envy public transportation at this time!