September 19, 2011
The Sound of Crickets...
Regular readers may have noticed a lack of posts here for several days. There are two reasons for this:
1. My home internet connection is down, and will not be up until the 23rd.
2. I am temporarily abandoning all other writing projects in order to finish the next Missionary Max manuscript by the October deadline. Tomorrow--if all goes according to plan--I will be accompanying Pastor Francisco to an island off the coast of São Luís, where I will be able to spend a completely uninterrupted day finishing this job.
In other Missionary Max related news, the first section (there will be three) of the first book is almost ready for final publication. As soon as it is available there will be a major announcement here.
Posted by Andrew at 6:31 PM
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September 13, 2011
Meet Me in São Luís: September Seventh Celebration
This post is part of an ongoing series which seeks to introduce the readership of this blog to the many fascinating aspects of one of Brazil's best-kept secrets--the city of São Luís.
Since 1994 it has been my privilege to watch the Independence Day parades (September 7th, here in Brazil) in many different locations. It's always nice to see Brazilians expressing pride in my adoptive home.
But the parade here in São Luís blew me away. São Luís has a musical and military culture that is much more developed than other places I have been. Add to this the fact that there are two very good military schools here, and you come up with the ingredients for a killer parade.
Just look...
Not quite 76 trombones...but they had a big sound, nonetheless.
Armed to the teeth...
The "corpo de bombeiros" (firefighters) military school
Ready for battle!
Eat your heart out, C.H.I.P.S.
Standing at attention
The business end...
Marching gear
You can see more pictures of this year's parade here.
Posted by Andrew at 12:00 AM
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September 12, 2011
Linking Log
This is a special edition of our "Linking Log" feature, highlighting some of the more inspiring and interesting articles around the internet having to do with the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
All the Wrong Lessons The ever astute Michelle Malkin evaluates teaching about the attacks, and gives it a failing grade.
Meus Pésames Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff sends official condolences to President Barak Obama and the US.
Looking Into the Past An interesting photo set on Flickr interposing scenes from 9-11 on the locations as they appear today.
Late entry
The Gospel at Ground Zero A very interesting article from Christianity Today. I especially liked the "dueling banjos" line.
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Scout Camp
Several factors motivated us to get Mikey into scouting while we were on furlough in the US earlier this year. Not the least of these was that he thrived with the adventures that the scout program provides. Upon our arrival in São Luís we were delighted to find a thriving Boy Scout (Escoteiro) program here. Mikey fit right in, and last week (on his birthday) he went on his first camping trip with his Brazilian "pack".
Mikey and his Brazilian Cub Scout pack
Mud, glorious mud!
Indian ceremony
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September 11, 2011
Ten Years Ago Today
My son Michael had just been born, eight days earlier. He was home, and I was back to work. The previous evening I worked an overnight shift, and was sleeping when my wife came in and mentioned something about towers falling in NY. In a groggy stupor I acknowledged that she had spoken, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
An hour or so later I padded into the kitchen, hoping to find some brunch. My Mom (in Florida to help with the baby) said to me "You remember when you went up to the top of the twin towers?"
"Yes," I responded, not making the connection.
"Well, you'll never do that again." She indicated the TV.
All thoughts of food were gone as I watched the videos replay, over and over again, of airplanes crashing into buildings, of people falling to their deaths, of people screaming as the tallest skyscrapers in NY plunged to the ground like sand-castles in the tide.
The conversation I am seeing in the media--both here in Brazil and in the US--involves the question "how did the events of September 11th change you?".
I'm not sure it changed me all that much. It did confirm some things I already knew, such as...
1) Men are sinners.
2) Religious men are just as sinful as non-religious men.
3) God is sovereign.
4) God's sovereignty is most evident in the midst of great tragedy.
5) Americans have a tremendous capacity for unity.
6) American's tremendous capacity for unity is exceeded only by it's tremendous capacity for political demagoguery.
7) Islam's version of a hero is one who flies a plane into a building to kill thousands of people.
8) America's version of a hero is one who flies a plane into the ground to save thousands of people.
9) I rather prefer America's version of a hero.
10) The world's greatest Hero allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross to save Americans and Arabs alike.
And those are my thoughts on the tenth anniversary of September 11th.
Posted by Andrew at 12:00 AM
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September 10, 2011
Church Construction
The Kerigma congregation has been engaged in a small construction project of late, finishing off the brick wall that faces the road. Eventually the plan is to paint a mural on this side, that will call people's attention to the church.
The before shot.
Almost finished.
The newly finished wall, showing the front of the church with the sign.
We have several more such projects in line. Please pray for God's provision in these endeavors.
Posted by Andrew at 12:00 AM
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September 9, 2011
Quote Unquote
"Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about."
G.K. Chesterton, in Orthodoxy
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September 8, 2011
Linking Log
Been a while since I have done one of these, and there are several interesting links to share, so here goes.
Brazilian Equivalents My bro Joe sent me this article which compares the GDP of the Brazilian states to various countries. In case your wondering, in terms of GDP per person, I live in Tonga.
Pocket Survival Kit Something that could come in very handy for missionaries.
China's Growing Influence in Brazil Perhaps I should start to learn Chinese.
If At First You Don't Succeed... This cartoon, which has ecclesiastical implications, comes to us via Twenty Two Words.
And In Time for Labor Day Ed Stetzer, who usually writes about missions and church planting, has an interesting perspective on organized labor.
9/11 Ten Years Later Free download from TableTalk Magazine.
Have an interesting link you think would make a nice addition to this feature? Shoot me an e-mail with the details.
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September 7, 2011
Feliz Sete de Setembro!
One of the color guards that passed by during this morning's September Seventh parade here in São Luís
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Musical Interlude: Odeon
Back in 1989, when I visited Brazil for the first time, I got to know an extremely talented musician and painter named George Souza. We have had sporadic contact over the years--made more frequent recently thanks to Facebook.
Recently he posted this video of his brother João, playing the choro piece "Odeon", by Ernesto Nazareth. Always looking for any excuse to showcase some great Brazilian music, I share it with you.
Posted by Andrew at 12:00 AM
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September 6, 2011
Meet Me in São Luís: Ana Jansen
This post is part of an ongoing series which seeks to introduce the readership of this blog to the many fascinating aspects of one of Brazil's best-kept secrets--the city of São Luís.
If you want to provoke a reaction in any Ludovicense (natives of São Luís), drop the name Ana Jansen somewhere in casual conversation. If you have time, you will be regaled with stories of a woman so evil that even today she inspires fear and dread.
They will tell you of how Ana Jansen (1793 - 1869) rose to power through marriages and trysts with powerful men--who conveniently died, leaving her vast sums of money.
In hushed whispers they speak of her cruelty to slaves. She tortured them mercilessly, she made them lie down on muddy roads so she could walk on their backs, she yanked out the teeth of a pretty young slave who dared to smile at her, she threw miscreant slaves into a pit with spikes protruding from the bottom...the stories go on and on and get progressively more gruesome.
Solemnly they will tell how she maintained her control over the water supply by putting dead cats in the city wells--thus forcing the people to buy water from her own wells--distributed by "water wagons" that went from house to house.
Shaking their heads, they will recount the story of a local merchant, who--in an attempt to tweak this powerful woman--had special pinicos (porcelain bowls used for taking care of one's physical necessities) made in England with her face imprinted in the bottom. Ana Jansen quietly had her slaves buy them all. The unwise merchant awoke one morning to find all the bowls, filled with human feces, piled in front of his door.
They might even tell how the city lived in fear of her, how she had a personal army of four hundred slaves that would do her bidding, and how even Dom Pedro II--emperor of Brazil--called her "The Queen of Maranhão".
And with equal conviction they will inform you that Ana Jansen still roams the streets of old São Luís, every Friday night at midnight. She rides in a fiery coach, driven by a headless slave and pulled by two headless horses. She will approach the hapless citizen who by chance is walking the cobblestone streets at that late hour and ask them to pray for her soul. Some say the sounds of screaming slaves can be heard in the background.
Today historians are noncommittal about how many of the above anecdotes are actually true. In fact, there seems to be a serious effort afoot to rehabilitate her image as a woman who "made it big" during a time when women were little more than property.
One man, very knowledgeable on all things São Luís, suggested to me that the "ghost carriage" legend was the deliberate invention of old-time smugglers, who wanted the streets vacant every Friday night so they could move their wares with impunity.
If that's the case, they did a very good job of it. Just a couple weeks ago I strolled through the SEBRAMA--an ancient hemp factory turned cultural center. There I noticed several antique carriages dating back to Ana Jansen's time. I asked one of the vendors if any of these had belonged to than infamous woman. At the mention of Ana's name the woman's eyes went wide. She shook her head vigorously. "I should hope not!"
"There's one way to tell," I joked. "Come here Friday at midnight. If one of them is missing--that's the one."
Her face went white and she crossed herself. "God forbid!" she exclaimed.
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September 5, 2011
The Top Ten Posts for August, 2011
According to you, the reader, these were the most popular posts for the month of August, 2011. In descending order:
Health Care Reform: A View from Below the Equator
Where's Captain American When You Need Him?
Meet Me in São Luís: The Music Conservatory
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September 3, 2011
Pray for the Agencies
We were recently saddened by the sudden (to us) closing of a sister mission agency. The agency in question has been used of God to enhance the work of missionaries all over the globe. We have many personal friends who worked with this group. This agency was one of the ones Itacyara and I considered joining back when we were contemplating our own future in missions.
Now, as of yesterday, it is no more.
I don't pretend to know all the back-story behind the closing. There will be plenty of people who will second-guess, and present what they consider to be the inside scoop. What grabbed me was that literally hundreds of missionaries around the world were left with no infrastructure whatsoever. They had two weeks to figure out what they were going to do with their finances, health insurance, donor relations, etc.
All of this leads me to this conclusion: if you value the work of missionaries, pray for their agencies.
I understand that fulfillment of the Great Commission is not predicated on the existence of mission boards. And yet, for decades these boards have provided an infra-structure that has greatly advanced the cause of Christ around the world. It's as if the missionary has a magic carpet under his feet that allows him to move and operate with relative ease in a foreign environment.
And when the carpet gets yanked out from under him, some sort of free-fall is inevitable.
When you pray for the agencies (and we serve with an outstanding agency that, as far as we know, is in no imminent danger of closing its doors), here are some specific requests:
Integrity of leadership: Any organization rises and falls on the quality of leadership. Pray that God will raise up wise, godly men to continue to hold up the work of missions.
Focus on missionaries: It may seem obvious, but it bears noting that mission agencies, like any other organization, can lose sight of why they exist. Pray that the focus of the agency will always be on the individual missionary and his/her well-being.
Financial solvency: No organization is guaranteed success. Think of the many businesses that were household names when you were growing up, which--because of bad financial decisions or lack of capital--no longer exist. The same thing can happen to mission agencies.
We are grateful for the agency with which we serve. In light of recent events, our own prayers for its continued success have taken on a new urgency. I recommend that all believers with a heart for missions (which should indeed be all believers) redouble their prayers for and involvement in the work of the agencies.
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September 2, 2011
Tools for the Modern Missionary: Evernote
At it's premise, the job of the missionary is simple: spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Piece of cake, right? Those who are involved in missionary work will be quick to point out, however, that obedience to this simple command results in a very busy life. There are a lot of people who need the Gospel, and a lot of venues for sharing it.
Because our own ministry involves many such venues (church, camp, writing, blogging, teaching, etc), I am always on the lookout for ways to synthesize the information coming my way in order to allow more time for actual ministry.
Enter Evernote.
Evernote was first introduced to me through Michael Hyatt's outstanding blog. A sucker for new software (especially free new software) I downloaded Evernote and promptly forgot about it. Several months later I came across it again as I was going through the tedious process of organizing my files. I installed it and began to play around with its features. I quickly discovered that I was looking at one of the most powerful organizational tools I had ever seen. Today, I use Evernote in one way or another for most aspects of my life and ministry. Here is how:
Family
All financial receipts, medial records, tax forms, contracts, and other important documents get scanned into Evernote. These are readily available to me through Evernotes powerful search function. For example, if I need to see how much I spent last month on groceries, a simple search will pull up the receipt from the supermarket. The Evernote search function will find words within images and bring them up. It can even find words from handwritten notes that I have scanned into the program.
Not only this, but all these documents are automatically synched online. So, if my laptop dies (which has happened to me on occasion), all the information is still accessible via my secure online account.
Ministry
A big part of my ministry involves study for the proclamation of God's word. In the easy-to-use Evernote filing system (consisting of stacks made up of individual notebooks, which in turn are compilations of individual notes) I have a stack labeled "Theology", and notebooks under that stack consisting of all the major areas of theology. There are several blogs online that are "daily reads" for me in these areas. When a blogger posts something interesting via a certain subject, I use Evernote's handy web-clipping feature to save the blog under the appropriate category. It is then available for me whenever I need it. Thus, as I prepare for an upcoming devotional on "Sola Gratia", do a search for the word "grace" within my Theology stack, and every article having to do with that subject pops up.
I have also started scanning interesting sections of books I am reading so they will be available for future reference in messages and articles.
I have another notebook entitled "Messages". Here is where every sermon begins. I develop the basic outline, bring in notes and illustrations, and when I am done I develop my digital presentation (for this I use Mac's Keynote program, the pleasures of which I will talk about in a future post).
Also, in a stack I have labeled "Ministry" I have separate notebooks for every aspect of ministry we are involved in. Any documents or notes pertaining to any of these ministries go automatically into these files, where they are available immediately upon request.
Writing
Early in our first term I decided that I would make writing a major focus of my life. My primary writing venue at this point is my blog. Predictably, I have a stack in Evernote called "writing", and a notebook within that stack called "Blog Articles" Here I write the articles that will become blog posts, both for this blog and my Portuguese-language blog. Whenever I think of a subject I want to write about, I immediately create a note with that subject in the title line. Many times I leave it at that, and come back to it several times to work on it. (for example, as I was writing the section above, I created a new note called "Keynote", where the article about my favorite digital presentation program will appear). Once the article is written, I copy and past it into my blog editor and schedule it to be posted (my goal is to have a week's worth of articles posted in advance on both blogs...I'm not there yet).
Also, any time I use a graphic or clip art, I store it in Evernote, and tag it with it's potential subjects. Thus, when I am writing a blog post, I can quickly search for the appropriate accompanying artwork (like the one above).
As for the "Missionary Max" series, because these have to be sent to the publisher in .doc files, I still use a normal word-processor for them. But once they are written I copy them into Evernote for backup purposes.
With all of these uses, I still haven't exhausted the potential of this powerful little program. And there are many features I use now that will be enhanced once I get my iPad (oh blessed, future hope!).
I would recommend that you check out this post by Michael Hyatt (link), where he gives links to all the posts he has written about Evernote. I am not being paid in any way to promote this program. I have simply found it to be an incredibly useful tool in pointing people to Jesus, and I hope you will too.
Amazon Store Link
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September 1, 2011
Book Review: The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse
There are some books you read, say "that's nice", put on your shelf and forget about. "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" (Bethany House Publishers) is not one of them. In fact, the reader should be forewarned: this book will mess with you.
And that's not at all a bad thing. In fact, as author's David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen winsomely walk the reader through the definition and symptoms of spiritual abuse it can be disturbing at first, then tremendously freeing.
The authors define spiritual abuse as "mistreatment of a person who is in need of help, support or greater spiritual empowerment, with the result of weakening, undermining, or decreasing that person's spiritual empowerment." This is accomplished through abuse of authority, guilt, rules of silence, preservation of image, and the trap of increasing levels of legalism. And the purpose of all this is to maintain a kind of spiritual dictatorship over the life of the victim.
Or, as a very wise man put it to me often, "The issue is seldom the issue. The issue is control."--in this case, men and ministries who seek to control the spiritual lives of others. And as one turns the pages of this book, the conclusion is inescapable: there are many such men and ministries. The authors are careful not to name names, but as they describe the methods and motives of the abusers it was hard to escape comparisons to groups both here in Brazil and in the United States.
As I read through this book (and indeed, I had a hard time putting it down) I was appalled by two things: 1) how easy it is for respectable men and ministries to succumb to the temptation to spiritually abuse those in their sphere of influence, and 2) how easy it is for me to fall to the same temptation. It is a lot easier to lead by guilt than by grace. The behavioral effects of "laying down the law" are much more immediate than those of meting out mercy.
And as a missionary, this passage, from page 164, made me squirm:
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the time has come for us all to examine ourselves and what we mean by "spreading the good news" about Jesus Christ. Are we evangelizing--that is, spreading the heavenly message that begins, "Peace on Earth, good will towards men"? Or are we recruiting?...Are we seeking to liberate the burdened and lost--or...are we still trying to validate ourselves?
Ouch.
The subject matter of this work is so important, I would highly recommend it for everybody in ministry, and only somewhat less strongly for everybody being ministered to. I do have one caution: on pages 69 and 70, in a section called "Identifying the Abusive System", the authors talk about "extreme objectivism". It soon becomes clear that they mean a cessationist view of divine revelation. They even resort to the tired coninuationist slogan about being left with "a Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Bible." While I'm sure there can be extremes in the cessationist position, when it comes to spiritual abuse I believe a far greater danger lies with leaders who claim to have direct communication from God. And to be fair, the next section of the chapter deals with just this problem.
With that one caveat, I highly recommend this book. Read it, and let its words sink in. The spiritual life you save could be your own.
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