This is Joel's Old Blog

beijing to new york: thoughts on education and economy

just took a long voyage over the north pole from beijing to new york.  only 12 1/2 hours. the two contrasts were interesting to think about between the two cities - the rising industries/economy within china vs New york - We took off in a new booming economic center of the world and landed looking ou the window of the economic center of manhattan.  i was reading about the following.. get this:  China will produce 3.3 million college graduates this year, India 3.1 million (all english speakers) and only about 70,000 in USA -  The future of outsourcing is not merely in manufacturing in China and call centers in India but many other services:  Morgan Stanley already hires bond analyst in India; computer programers; accounting jobs, and medical research.  The education system within the USA needs major renewal and reform. Bill Gates says, "Our children far way behind in global grading/tests scores and this is not an accident or a flaw in the system, it is the system."   (USA is 28th in 15 year old rankings in math scores)  #1 is Finland followed by South Korea, Canada, Hong Kong. In China it is common for middle schoolers to attend school from 7 to noon; 2-5 pm; 7-8:30 -   USA is ranked #12 in broadband connections (south korea is #1) Personally, I favor the economic growth within Asia that impacts many and gives more disposable income to cultures who have not had the opportunity to provide for their families and futures. Of course, these issues do have their problems (fair trade)  I do see China being a major economic center in the world in the next 30-50 years and equal to the USA (if current growth rates continue) which some say may not.  Indeed, these issues impact many and create opportunity/doors for many of us

training leaders in nepal / india

2 interested facts I recently learned:

Nepal: 57 training schools in kathmandu 90% of them are 1-5 months long

India: 22,000 training / Bible schools in India (most of them very small) 10,000 of these are 3 year programs

few photos from thailand

   

Below: Building dedication of new Tsunami Relief Center in southern Thailand - 85 scholarships were given to children survivors of Tsunami - Many in the community came to the program and connected with the local church in the community -

from thailand

the last few days have been too hectic to let you know that Ray Rice and I left on Thursday for 10 days in Asia - We are currently in Phuket, Thailand - Had a wonderful 2 days  - Dedicated the new building (ServLife Hope Center & new church) and preached twice today.  It was great to see old friends.  Today, God really spoke to me as I was speaking from Nehemiah, "Neh 6:3.. so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer..."   Nehemiah was not distracted nor detoured from what God called him and lead him to do when others wanted to meet with him- Neither should we. Billions live without Christ and live hopeless lives.   MORE TO SHARE HERE SOON!. many more photos, too.   Value your prayers

Most Muslims do not know a Christian

Got an interesting email from Todd Johnson (Gordon Conwell): 

Muslims in the World
1,316,000,000

Muslims Who Know A Christian (well enough to have been evangelised)
152,000,000 (12%)

Muslims Who Don't Know A Christian
1,164,000,000 (88%)

Todd writes, "I was recently at Yale Divinity School where I gave a presentation on the Changing Face of Christianity. One of my reflections related to Christian missions was that the 20th century was one in which Christians contacted each other and animists. The 21st century of Christian missions should be contact between Christians and Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. This preliminary estimate of 88% of the Muslim global community beyond the reach of Christian friendship illustrates how we still appear to be stuck back in the 20th century!"

brokeness

we are in the middle of kentucky at a hotel coming back from our weekend in atlanta.  i have been really meditating on the whole issue of brokeness: A broken world that we see all around us at times leaves me overwhelmed and hopeless.  Different friends and family members that are broken and seem to gloss over or hide their brokeness with a "smile" -  many who are fearful of embracing their brokeness and seeing transformation happen.   what does it mean to really embrace one's brokeness without scarring everyone in the process.  Most of us are frightened by open wounds and comforted by bandaged wounds.  Henri Nouwen writes "Jesus was broken on the cross.  He lived his suffering and death not as an evil to avoid at all costs, but as a mission to embrace.   We too are broken.  We live with  broken bodies, broken hearts, broken minds or broken spirits.  We suffer from broken relationships. How can we live our brokenness?  Jesus invites us to embrace our brokenness as he embraced the cross and live it as part of our mission.  He asks us not to reject our brokenness as a curse from God that reminds us of our sinfulness but to accept it and put it under God's blessing for our purification and sanctification.  Thus our brokenness can become a gateway to new life"

++God, give me courage to embrace and not avoid my own brokeness and open gateways to life in you.  Can you use me to help heal the brokeness in others I encounter.  You alone are the author of hope and the one to make us whole.++

thoughts on brokeness

we are in the middle of kentucky at a hotel coming back from our weekend in atlanta.  i have been really meditating on the whole issue of brokeness: A broken world that we see all around us at times leaves me overwhelmed and hopeless.  Different friends and family members that are broken and seem to gloss over or hide their brokeness with a "smile" -  many who are fearful of embracing their brokeness and seeing transformation happen.  what does it mean to really embrace one's brokeness without scarring everyone in the process.  Most of us are frightened by open wounds and comforted by bandaged wounds.  Henri Nouwen writes "Jesus was broken on the cross.  He lived his suffering and death not as an evil to avoid at all costs, but as a mission to embrace.   We too are broken.  We live with  broken bodies, broken hearts, broken minds or broken spirits.  We suffer from broken relationships. How can we live our brokenness?  Jesus invites us to embrace our brokenness as he embraced the cross and live it as part of our mission.  He asks us not to reject our brokenness as a curse from God that reminds us of our sinfulness but to accept it and put it under God's blessing for our purification and sanctification.  Thus our brokenness can become a gateway to new life"

++God, give me courage to embrace and not avoid my own brokeness and open gateways to life in you.  Can you use me to help heal the brokeness in others I encounter.  You alone are the author of hope and the one to make us whole.++

my sister gets married today

My little sister, Anne, gets married tonight!  We are in Atlanta and excited for her and Jordan! They have known each other for 10 years and dated for 5!   We all thought this day would never come!  Last night at the rehearsal dinner they showed a video of my little sister when she was a baby and little girl. Tears filled my eyes.  She is all grown up and I am so happy and proud for them.  It is wonderful to be here with family!    Tomorrow I speak at a church in west Atlanta Church at Chapel Hill! 

Zayd the preacher

Preached yesterday in Indianapolis at Midtown Vineyard church. Elise stayed at home and was under the weather a little.bit.  As we drove up to the church Zayd asked me, "What we doin here dadda?" I told him daddy was going to "preach" and he said  "i peach too" - Start them early!   He sat with me during the entire worship time!   I am in Dallas today and met with Fred Smith from The Gathering - A unique annual conference for Christian philanthropist to convene. Their web site has some good artilces. He asked me to be on a panel at their annual conferene in San Antonio this fall!  Should be fun and a unique experience.  You should attend if you give atleast $200K per year away to Christian ministry/missions!

A loss of Idealism

A new friend who pastors here in Indiana, Bill Bean, passed on a book to me recently that I am just now reading and finding it very intriguing.   The author writes, "If we could agree that for 6 months we would not ask HOW?, something in our lives, our institutions, and our culture might shift for the better. It would force us to engage in conversations about why we do what we do, as individuals and as institutions. It would create the space for longer discussions about purpose, about what is worth doing. It would refocus our attention on deciding what is the right questions rather than what is the right answers."     A search for inquiry and moving away from the pragmatic outlook and dealings of life is something I always hunger for more.  This book is reminding me that we must not seek the HOW but be reminded me to never loose the ideal, intimacy, and debt of meaning.  Block comments on idealism and how we are quick to loose it when we leave childhood into adulthood, "The push towards early adulthood undermines the possibility of prolonged idealism. And why not? Idealism is hard to defend, for data and history seem to be on the side of realism and practicality, almost by definition. How can you defend idealism...by measuring its value? Idealism dissolves in a world where measurements and instant results are the most acceptable answers.  The result is a socially acceptable cynicism.  Cynicism is a defense against idealism, and cynicism is so powerful b/c it has experience on its side. We each have our wounds. We each have our story of idealism unrewarded.  Cynicism is the safe ground, for it is the ultimate defense against disappointment.  The effect is that the idealist is discounted, even considered a fool."   We have lost our sense of idealism as Kingdom citizens and workers.  We bend to cynical opinion. It is everywhere in the church and it drives me mad. Yes, I am guilty and many things about we as the church have done and said do birth a cynicism within us all. But we have to move past this. For calling people to life in the Kingdom of God we must see with eyes that others do not see and call people to living and habits that perhaps are not seen as realistic by many.   I think of my early childhood years and the innocent idealism that pervaded my imagination and thougths.  We must dream big dreams!