Road Trip: Conclusion

Saturday night had a "white" pizza, basically cheese and bread, with my host family. Sunday we went to their worship service. Just about everyone was my age or older. They were nice people but one wonders what the future of the group is. Had a "Sunday School" talk on faith, and the message was based on Ephesians 1:13-17. Both were well done, clear, accurate and helpful. Afterwards departed on the final leg of my journey. Connected with I-84 and headed east. The Hudson River had ice floes but was not frozen solid as before. To cross the bridge I paid $1.50, the only toll of my journey. The Hudson seems wider than the Mississippi at this point, which seems odd because the latter was in flood, and drains everything from the Appalachians to the Rockies. Entered New England, and immediately the traffic intensified. The western states are larger in area and the vehicles more spread out. In New England one is always surrounded by cars. Worked through Hartford, and finally north into Massachusetts. I had been away twenty-four days, traveled through fifteen states, some more than once, attended five church services, driven 3,805 miles (6,137 kilometers), gotten sick, and returned to the same frigid conditions that I had left. Most of the country was experiencing the arrival of spring but the death grip of winter prevailed at home. When i arose at 7AM on Monday it was 14F, and 16F at the same time Tuesday. Some snow had melted but there was still a thick covering in the woods around the house. While it had rained about half the days of my journey, I had experienced several days in the low 70's. Does anyone in their right mind live here? Pondering the sad decline of the meaning of words in our society. Increasingly people are more concerned about the way in which things are said as opposed to the actual words. ( tone). Yet Jesus identifies Himself as the "Word" of God ( John 1:1). The reason Peter gives not to leave Jesus is that He has the "words" of eternal life. ( John 6:68)We are more concerned with feelings, and non verbal communication. Paul charges Timothy to "preach the Word." "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn aside from the truth and wander off into myths." ( 2 Timothy 4:2a, 3,4 ESV)

Road Trip: Part 8

Wednesday evening participated in a Bible study on Matthew 6:25 thru 7:5. About a dozen were there. The Matthew 6 passage is yet another support for the simple life. If we will seek the kingdom of God first, then we will discover that many of the materials things that we thought we needed are unnecessary. The second passage rests on the premise that we are typically far more sensitive to things that we think have been done to us than on things that we have done to other people. We need to clean our own mess before we can clean anyone else's. Thursday was a long day of driving, made worse by the reality of illness. Drove approximately 575 miles ( 927 kilometers) from northeast Arkansas to Columbus, Ohio. As with at least half of the other days of this trip, it rained. The Mississippi River was in brownish flood and all the fields in that area were underwater. I crossed into Tennessee, Kentucky, and later Ohio. About ten or twelve miles south of Cincinati, while still in Kentucky I stopped at a sit down restaurant and tried to order a "hot brown", a type of sandwich native to the city. Of five waitresses, only one had heard of it. I guess it is only within city limits. As with most of my driving the few cities are like densely populated islands in vast seas of farm and grazing land. For example there is virtually nothing but hamlets between the major cities of Cincinatti and Columbus. Friday continued my trek into northern Ohio and east into western Pennsylvania. It began to snow. After three weeks of spring like weather I was returning to the iron grip of winter. Traveled all day through Pennsylvania, finally reached Scranton, and my penultimate destination. My friends Rob and Shalom and their two energetic children greeted me. Several years had passed and i was meeting their youngest child, a daughter two and a half, for the first time. She made me some Filipino food. I was exhausted, still sick, and went to bed early. We had a little Bible study that night with several neighbors. Rob has recently become the pastor of a small church in the area.

Road Trip: Part 7

For the first several days of my time in Arkansas, the "Natural" state, as their license plates attest, it seemed like Arkansas, the naturally flooded state. Continual rain and flooded areas were everywhere. Friday night slept on a borrowed air mattress: itinerant ministry requires flexibility. Saturday morning went to a men's breakfast at a local Baptist church. About a dozen brothers came. They are just beginning a study of Richard Wurmbrandt's classic on persecution. Good food, fellowship and i left with the distinct impression that these guys were serious about their walk with Christ. Their Sunday morning service was held in a senior center, a rather large building. My friend Asaph had spoken to their pastor Jeff and their other leaders about me preaching, which i had not anticipated happening, especially as the congregation had not known Asaph very long and me not at all. Jeff and i had a phone conversation prior to my arrival. He suggested that i speak on discipleship, which i was happy to do. This group has been in existence for seventeen years, gone through several pastors and ups and downs in their history. God is faithful. His words through me impacted the people. We met again that evening for a more interactive time. I showed the "throne" diagram, which illustrates the importance of surrender to Christ. Monday evening I went to the home of Jeff and Tammy. These seasoned saints were warmly hospitable, receptive, and will be key to the future of the congregation. Afterwards indulged in a little bowling with other members of the church, bringing up the rear with a score of 70. Tuesday went to the home of Aaron and Suzanne. Again had good food, fellowship, hospitality, and spent the night. God is doing good things in Aaron's heart. Unfortunately in the middle of all this i became ill, with flu symptoms. Much of my days have been spent resting. Tonight i go to a Bible study. I am encouraged that the people who have spoken with me believe that the Lord's call to discipleship is what their group needs to do.

Road Trip: Part 6

Arrived in western MO late afternoon Tuesday. My sister picked me up from the hotel and we went to her new home, called the "Corn House" because it is surrounded by corn fields. Had a robust salad and "sliders" which are smallish, baked with ham, cheese in a roll. The following day finally had an opportunity to take a walk. Went to the post office and then had a milkshake served by a woman with purple dyed hair. That evening went to a Mexican restaurant with my sister and her family. Different owners and not as good as i remembered. The following day she and i had lunch together and i had an opportunity to share about personal relationship with God through discipleship. Afterwards I went to a small pond near the local college, which took ten minutes to circumnavigate. Made seven rounds. People are definitely more friendly in this part of the country. That evening returned to the Corn House for dinner. Had catfish for dinner along with an almond cake. Excellent. Friday got up early in order to be in eastern Arkansas by noon. Was quite dark when i left. The first part of the drive was on an interstate highway. Was still dark when i got onto a local highway. This has one lane each way with 18 wheelers coming at me every minute or so. Visibility was poor, a harrowing experience. Went through Springfield, MO with periodic rain and eventually into Arkansas past flooded fields. I understand that they grow rice there. Reached my destination in time and had lunch with my Brazilian friends Asaph and Karen.

Southern Road Trip: Part 5

Visited Tallula gorge in north Georgia. Spectacular scenery, and a walkway with hundreds of steps, and a suspension bridge over the actual gorge. Afterwards went to the town of Helen, a converted German village. All retail and eating establishments have a rural German motif like a little village. Many years ago I visited a similar place in washington state formerly named leavenworth. Returned home after eating boiled peanuts, apparently an acquired taste. Along with BBQ and catfish, boiled peanuts are one of the native specialities in this area. Friday took a walk in a park in Athens, home of the big University of Georgia campus. Very pleasant hike along a stream, which showed me how long it has been since i have had regular exercise. Sunday morning went to a traditional church service. Dave preached on John 6:22-40, the bread of life passage. This group has a fascinating situation. Two little struggling churches merged into one. The two pastors, of different generations, work together, alternate preaching, and other shepherding. Ed and i had lunch with them and found them humble and eager to do the work of the Lord. They are involved in outreach, both locally and internationally. Left early Monday morning, and nearly collided with a deer on a wet country road in the dark. Began to rain heavily as i ascended into the foothills of Georgia and crossed into North Carolina. Scenery was excellent although rain and murky conditions made it difficult to fully appreciate. Cut through a corner of NC through the mountains, a sliver of Georgia, and then into Tennessee. Took about four hours total to reach Chattanooga but avoided the traffic of Atlanta. Headed northwest to Nashville, and on into western Kentucky. Reached Paducah, and went off the interstate highway onto smaller roads. Crossed the Mississippi river on a high narrow bridge, traveled a very short distance, and crossed it again. I suppose it looped around. This brought me to Missouri. Headed south and stopped for the night in Sikeston. Rained heavily during the night and into the morning. As I continued on my journey passed many flooded fields. The geographical size of the states increases in the western half of the US, and the traffic diminishes. Traveled several hundred miles with few other vehicles through grazing land. Finally arrived in Nevada, MO mid afternoon after a journey of about a thousand miles. Along the way the weather both cleared and became warmer. What a welcome change from New England.

Southern Road Trip: Part 4

Wednesday morning had breakfast at Waffle House with Steve, Denton, and Leif. Discussed God's work through history among other topics. One of my favorite verses on this theme is Acts 17:26 in Paul the apostle's address to the Athenians. "And he ( God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." God is in control of all human history. Drove from Atlanta, visited a family in the suburbs, and then traveled onto Athens. Saw a Trader Joe's and then went out into the country. This is red clay country, almost impossible to clean off boots and pants. Thursday had lunch with two pastors, David and Ryan, who co-lead a church in the area. Dave is involved with a discipleship organization, which has him going overseas to minister, and Ryan is a church replanter. We discussed theology, discipleship, and other topics. Actually refreshing to have time with humble church leaders. The following day visited a senior center (a first for me), which was closed for some reason although the employees were working. Also ate at a real country restaurant with good old boys and gals. Ate catfish, potato salad, and rank sweet ice tea. Even saw a table full of people pray publicly before their meal. Don't see that in the Northeast. Saw the movie "Gods and Generals," from the book of the same name, an unfortunate title for a suprisingly good movie. The characters actually spoke Scripture, prayed, and acknowledged God. today we go to a scenic gorge in northern Georgia. Reading through 1 & 2 Kings in Portuguese.

Southern Road Trip: Part 3

Monday i had the opportunity to spend time with two couples. Greg and Stephanie invited me to their home for lunch, and we remained talking until 3:30. They were hospitable, gracious, shared powerful, moving testimonies of how God has worked in their lives through painful situations, and were responsive to things that i had to offer. We made an initial exploration on the subject of eldership, something that their group is starting to examine. Both suffer from Lyme disease and have made radical changes in their diets. I received significant encouragement from them and hope to have more fellowship in the future. At 4 i went to Stephen and Trisha's home. Their little daughter was sleeping.They also were hospitable, gracious and receptive. The topic of elders came up again and we looked at that a little. Also saw a desire to be more intentional and purposeful in their walk with God. The zillion options of american culture are always tempting us to drift away as Hebrews 2:1 warns us against. "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not drift away." Today I had lunch with Steve and Rusty. I had met Rusty on my previous visit five years before. He is working for a Christian ministry called "Teach Every Nation," which is developing online resources to assist in training of pastors in the southern hemisphere where two thirds of all Christians live. Reviewed my memory verses again today. Have several different methods for doing this. One is with a Word Doc, which has all of the verses listed in Biblical order. The 2nd is to review in Biblical order not using the aid of the list. This can be done almost anywhere, driving, for example. The third is to review the most recent fifty verses memorized, which i do about half of the days. My newest verse is Psalm 46:10. "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.

Southern Road Trip: Part 2

After arriving and settling in Saturday evening with Stephen and Sandra, went to look at a former funeral home, which they are hoping to convert into a facility for the church. Once again, there is no such thing as private property anymore in the US. Various government entities must give permission to do anything down to how chairs will be arranged. The founding Fathers would not recognize their country today. Was very blessed to attend the gathering of the congregation here. About forty adults were present, along with at least twenty children,a welcome change from the average of nine adults per group that i once counted among twenty New England house churches. Nine or ten may be socially comfortable but simply does not have the diversity of giftings and critical mass to accomplish very much. This group is somewhat hybrid in nature, blending traditional and house church elements. While purists may be dissatisfied, the combination of interactive teaching, Lord's Supper as a full meal, and elder led, consensus church government with a dedicated teaching time by a skilled and gifted teacher, and meeting in a conducive facility worked well. Had opportunity to interact with a number of the brothers and was impressed by their maturity, strength of purpose and vision, and willingness to integrate a new guy into their midst. I had visited the same group five years ago but most of the people had joined since then. There was a good mix of ages, and of races. Truly the Kingdom of God is open to all who will surrender to Christ. After a brief respite went to a second group, an offshoot some years ago of the first. I was told that they began at 4PM, and to my astonishment, they actually did. This is unprecedented in my experience with home based groups. This church was a little smaller with five families attending. Each of the men had something to share, and i was given an opportunity to speak a little on the Simple Life. Afterwards we enjoyed the Lord's Supper together, and i had the opportunity to speak with several people and receive several invitations for meals and fellowship. Returning to my hosts' home we spoke about various subjects, finding a strong commonality in our perspectives. This morning i read that New England is receiving yet more snow. Thank God i am here.

Southern Road Trip Part: 1

Friday morning arose at 4:30, left the house by 5 in about 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Reached Hartford by 6 and continued west on I-81. Felt like a refugee fleeing from record snow ( 100 inches/ 250 centimeters) and frigid cold. Crossed into New York State and over the Hudson River on the Hamilton Fish bridge. The Hudson is quite wide at this point but frozen solid with snow sitting on top of the ice. A sign indicated that West Point, the US Army Military Academy, was nearby. New York has rest stops along the highway as do the other states but New York is unique. Five miles ( Eight kilometers) before the rest stop one sees a large sign with the message "It can wait." This refers to texting, which is illegal for the driver of a vehicle. The rest stop is referred to as a "Text stop." None of the other states that i drove through had this name nor did any offer nearly as much warning that a rest area was approaching. ( Typically 2 miles or less) Rest stops usually have names. One was called the "Promised Land" rest area, and I knew I had left intensely secular New England. Crossed into Pennsylvania and saw such sights as the "Paws and Claws" Animal Park, and signs for Allentown ( I-78) and Hershey where the makers of Hershey candy bars are located. Still significant amounts of snow everywhere as I made the turn onto I-81 South at Scranton. Hours later crossed into Maryland and stopped at a big mall complex in Hagerstown to purchase a Chick Fil A chicken sandwich. I know of only one in the Boston area but i prefer to patronize Christian owned companies if possible. Traffic was intense with many lights, one way streets, and the restaurant was mobbed. The highway goes through a thin sliver of Maryland (12 miles) and West Virginia (25 miles) before entering Virginia. Was gratified to see that my gas mileage was higher than I anticipated. The first tank was 35 MPG, and the 2nd, all highway, was 37. I brought about fifteen CD's of Portuguese language worship music so I had immersion all the way.About 4:30 I came to Roanoke, VA, and decided to call it a day. I had driven over 600 miles ( 1,000 kilometers)Went to a Cracker Barrel restaurant and knew I had reached the South by the friendliness and accents of the waitstaff. Particularly striking also was the sharp contrast between the waitstaff, primarily young and trim, and the clientele, primarily old and overweight. Spent the night at a nearby motel and was pleased that I was not awakened by drunk people coming in at 1 or 2 in the morning. Saturday I arose at a more civilized hour, read the Word, prayed, began reviewing my memory verses and ate a Continental breakfast before embarking. One of the blessings of reviewing Bible verses in Biblical order is that you can do this while driving or at any other task that does not require speaking or intense mental concentration. The temperature was 24 when I departed and still snow everywhere. This did not change until I reached Charlotte, NC. Ate lunch ( fish sandwich) at an Arby's where friendly employees called me "Sir," and inquired about how i enjoyed my meal. After 800 miles i was finally in above freezing temperature without snow. North Carolina gave way to South Carolina. Along the way I saw signs for King's Mountain and Cowpens, both Revolutionary War battlefields. The Tugaloo River marks the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia. Although traffic was heavy all the way, with very many trucks, I had not encountered truly bad drivers until I reached Atlanta. Perhaps this is a given with large cities but the contrast was sharp. About 4:45 reached the home of Steve and Sandra, my friends and hosts. of which more in the next post.