Getting Ready to Go

Well, I've already had my first blogging problem! I tried to run spell check and I just lost what I wrote, and I really liked it! I'll try to rewrite it here! I think from now on I won't run any spell checks, so if you see a spelling mistake, it's because I don't want to lose anything! =)

I'm getting ready today to leave to go to Colombia. Tomorrow early in the morning my daughter and I leave to fly to Bogota and then I leave over the weekend from there to fly to Barranquilla. If you want more info about the work that the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship is doing you can head over to their website at: http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org

One of the things I have covenanted to do with myself is to read scripture every morning and I am going to use the Peacemaking Lectionary while travelling. Today's reading is from Acts: "Everyone around was in awe--all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal was a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved." Acts 2:43-47, The Message.

I think this is such an interesting piece of scripture because it is so counter-intuitive to how we operate today. Our world is about hoarding goods and resources, each of us is out for ourselves and each of us is working to take care of our own little community, or family. But the biblical witness is different...we're all part of the larger body, the body of Christ, as members, we have a responsiblity as part of that body. They were living that out in Acts--and their numbers were growing! In the North American church we struggle with declining numbers a lot of the time, some of our churches don't and they tend to be the ones, surprise, surprise who radically practice community. The answer is right here in Acts!

I know that as I travel to Colombia this time I will see community in practice. Sometimes I think that in North America we don't get as close to each other as our churches in other countries do because we have more material wealth and so the perception is that we don't need each other as much. Of course, our spiritual and emotional needs are still great, and we still need the care of each other just as much.

It is my prayer that as I'm in Colombia I can think about these things and about the larger Body that we are all a part of, and that even though we find ourselves separated by place, culture, or language, that we are still part of a community that encompasses all...