Arbor Heights Community Church » Pastor’s Blog

Relying on Another in India

Pastor Ken — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:55:54 +0000

9/24/11
I am so glad to be able to post today. Doing so has become much more difficult than I anticipated. Quite simply, things are more complicated here. First, there is the schedule. Prayer begins for the men of the college at 5:00 AM with breakfast at 7:00. Then at 8:00 AM is morning chapel with classes beginning at 9:30 AM. Wisdom Literature goes from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Then there is a 1 hour lunch with General Epistles from 2:30-4:30 PM (yes, 6 hours of teaching). That makes the dinner hour around 5:30 PM and then almost every night an event to attend (weddings, anniversaries, dinners with visiting pastors, etc.). It has all been wonderful to do, but takes most of my time leaving little for blogging. Add to that power shut offs throughout the day for 1-2 hours at a time and it all gets very complicated. Today, Saturday, we have had only 2 power shutoffs so I hope to get this written and posted before another one occurs.

In my last post, I wrote about the “unfamiliar” aspect of faith. In this post I would like to touch upon the significant place of reliance we need to have in faith. I have found myself relying a lot on other folk for the things I was easily capable of doing in Seattle. Just getting around in Coimbatore requires the engagement of several people to get me from one place to another. And… I have to trust these people to get me there and back safely. I am being fed a steady diet of curry infused food by a cook that serves as a plumber (a coconut fell from a palm tree and broke a water pipe that shut down the water for a few hours—that in itself was interesting to hear; but I was also told the cook would repair it). No one feels comfortable letting me go out and roam around in part for my safety, and the possibility of getting lost. Personally, I don’t think a 6’2” white guy with silver hair sticks out all that much in India!

All of this to say, I am learning to trust others in this foreign land. How quick we are to trust in ourselves and how much we want to stay in that place. Let’s face it, it is easier to trust ourselves than it is another. Our journey with Jesus takes us to unfamiliar places; places we have never been before. It requires that we not only embrace these new places, but rely on Jesus to help us “live” there. I am being challenged in India, to rely upon the Lord in new areas. This is faith; going to a new unfamiliar place, relying on Jesus in the new place for the season he has us living there. I am convinced that is where he wants us to live as a congregation.
Blessings,
Pastor Ken

Arrival in India

Pastor Ken — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:04:40 +0000

This is my first post from India. The journey to get here was like many journeys, sometimes boring, sometimes exciting and sometimes dangerous. The first two legs of the flight were about 9 hours each. On the trip from Seattle to Amsterdam, I sat next to an architectural professor from Montana State University. Initially she came to America from Poland to do her undergraduate work at a university in New York. Eventually she completed her doctorate, and accepted a teaching position in Montana. Sitting next to someone for 9 hours affords the opportunity for lots of discussion especially when the on-flight movies failed continually. As a result, I spent hours talking with a European transplant to America that had little knowledge about God. It was interesting to see the Lord weave into our conversation perfect moments to plant divine seeds. In our discussion about the cutting edge in architecture (post modern representation—the attempt to create an environment for living that reflects nature) there was an opportunity to touch on the spiritual environment. In sharing each other’s journey to our present professions, there was the chance to share my testimony to pastoral ministry—how at its core was my desire to please God with my life, not myself.
The trip from Amsterdam to Mumbai was the most boring. Because we were headed to India, most in the plane were Indians and few spoke English. By this time I had already flown 9 hours and I was beginning to weary of it all. Fortunately, there were 3 empty seats across the aisle and I was able to change seats to those and stretch out my legs and get an hour or two of sleep.
At Mumbai there was someone waiting to pick me up at the airport. He was standing just outside the airport holding up a sign with my name on it. He drove me from the airport to the hotel (about a 40 min. drive) in what can only be considered the greatest vehicular chaos in the world. I hope to post a couple of pictures that I took that might capture in part what I saw. Imagine 3-4 lane roads where everyone is driving on any one of the lanes literally inches away from each other.
This was for me a profound moment. I was sitting in the back of taxi, driven by a total stranger that barely spoke English, taking me to a hotel in the midst of chaos in a city I had never been to before and it hit me, I am totally in unfamiliar territory here. I am trusting a stranger to take me to a place I had no idea how to get to… etc. In reality, I was trusting God in totally new circumstance in my life; one wrought with risk.
We have been considering what it means to be people of faith for the last year in our study of Hebrews 11. In that moment, I realized a new aspect of faith. It is the unfamiliar. When Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, he followed up the invitation with these words; “…and I will make you fishers of men”. The journey with Jesus was a journey into the unfamiliar. They were quite familiar with fishing for fish. But fishing for men… that was very unfamiliar. We tend to love the familiar. How we do church, live in our communities, do marriage, family, etc. The disciples were continually taken to unfamiliar places every day. I think this is indicative of a life of faith.
I am very much out of my element in India. It is all very unfamiliar. The side of the road they drive on, how they drive, the languages they speak, idols everywhere, sacred cows walking freely on roads and highways, food that is too spicy, the list goes on and on. I believe the Lord is speaking to me about stepping out in new areas of faith; into the unfamiliar. I have got to comfortable—my life has become too familiar. I feel much like the disciples, in that I am not sure what will happen next and I have no control over it. I’m beginning to see that this is the life of faith; a life of the unpredictable, a life in the unfamiliar; not knowing what Jesus will get us into next! May the Lord help us as a church, find that place to live with Him.
Blessings,
Pastor Ken

Mission India

Pastor Ken — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:45:52 +0000

Late this morning I found a Fed Ex envelope on the front porch with an approved Visa for India inside. We needed a miracle and got one. It was processed by the Indian Consulate in less than 24 hours, and from what I have heard thus far about consulate processing times, this is in fact a miracle! So, our mission trip to India is a go for next Tuesday.

I want to thank everyone, who with prayer and personal resources, have supported this mission. I ask that you continue to pray with me over the next 3 weeks for God to accomplish a good work in the future pastors that are attending Bethel Bible College (www.bethelbiblecollege.in) and the churches where I will preach. Pray as well for John Lindow, Dave Skaar and Matt Alvis as they lead the church in my absence. And as always, I will continue to pray for you all. It is an honor to be a part of a congregation that loves those within and without its walls. I take with me your love of Jesus and India.

I hope to post a blog each of the 14 days I am in India. I hope you will visit it (www.arborheights.org) and post a response when you can. It is a wonderful way to keep in touch from the other side of the planet. As well, I hope to Skype with you for a few minutes on the first two Sunday mornings and bring you live updates from India.
Blessings,
Pastor Ken

Who Are We?

Pastor Ken — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:08:28 +0000

I write my second blog with an apology for not keeping to my original commitment to post once a week. Actually, I’m bit surprised for apologizing for this, as I thought my first apology would be for theological or philosophical reasons rather than tardiness. To my defense, the “Comment” option was somehow disabled and it took a bit of time to get it enabled again (theologian not technician). I did not want to post, without giving you the opportunity to comment. But it is up and running again and so here I am. Now that it is, I think it is time to talk “church”.

AHCC, like most churches, is a church in transition. We are still discovering who we are as the church. In a way, discovering this is like discovering who we are as individuals. How we view ourselves can either keep us from achieving our potential or launch us toward it. I have known too many people who could not fully see how God made them and subsequently they allowed themselves be less. So it can be with churches.

Jesus did not hesitate telling us what He thought about the church and He employed multiple metaphors to illuminate His view. The Flock, the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ is but a sampling. When considered together, Jesus clearly had a grand perspective of His church. He expected it to reflect the divine DNA from which it came into being. Like Him, He anticipated the church would be world and history changing. ..I’m not sure that is what we are seeing today….at least in America.

I suppose we could get into a really heated discussion as to what is wrong with the American church. But I would rather focus on its potential greatness. Just a cursory reading of the Book of Acts, reveals not just a dynamic ecclesial leadership, but a powerful ministering church. As such, the world of the early church was not so much changed by its leaders as it was by the community of Christ followers. These believers rocked the Roman world. They lived lives that Christ modeled before them and they continued the ministry to others He started. In a sense, looking at Christ ought to give us a glimpse of who we are. In the word of the ancient Antioch church we are “Christians”, “Christ-like”.

I guess I am freshly challenged to consider who I am in the light of Jesus. I am too quick to define myself “by” myself. But that should not be the case. I am in fact “in Christ” (Ephesians 1) and now He is, in great part, what defines me. This of course is even more applicable to His church. If we want a clear view of who we are, we need only look once more to our Lord. This perspective can launch us to our potential as the church, the Flock, the Body and Bride of Christ.

What do you think?

Welcome to Ken’s Blog

Pastor Ken — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:49:47 +0000

This is my first blog. What I mean to say is this is the first time I have ever blogged. Oh, I have read some, and quite frankly wanted to add my comment a time or two, but until now, I have resisted. Actually, I have wanted to do this sort of thing for quite some time. Before I became the pastor of Arbor Heights Community Church, I attended a mega church. One of my frustrations was not having a venue to ask questions or give my opinion or for that matter challenge the conventional wisdom. It’s not that I wanted to cause trouble, but what I did want, was to have a conversation. I wanted a place for my voice. The pastor had a platform from which his voice could resonate, but I had nothing. There was no place where I could contribute, challenge or share my musings regarding the church and my journey with Christ.

Therein is the ultimate purpose of this blog. In that context I said to myself, if I ever have the opportunity to be a senior pastor again, I will create a place where other believers can have their voice heard. It will be a place where a conversation can take place between fellow believers; a place where their thoughts, ideas, or frustrations can be shared and a place where “we” can wrestle through together the amazing journey of a life with Christ and His church.

As with all blogs, you have the opportunity to keep your identity anonymous. This will allow you to speak freely and I encourage you to so. However, I also encourage you to be constructive. I have never been impressed by someone’s ability to see the “wrong” in something. Most folk can do that. What impresses me, are those that can see not only the wrong, but the way to “right” that “wrong”. What impresses me even more is the one that can see the “wrong”, discover the resolution and implement it without grandstanding about the “wrong”. So, though we must consider the “wrong”, it is the “right” that brings resolution that is the primal goal of this blog. I do have final approval as to what comments are posted. Given this is a church blog; I will use discretion in posting comments that keep this a constructive experience.

My personal goal is to post once a week. I will make every attempt to keep to that commitment. My posts will reflect my thoughts on my journey with Christ and His church and of course reflections on any of your thoughts and comments. I invite you to start a conversation on another topic. My hope is that every conversation will benefit our own life with Christ and the life we share with each other in Christ.

Ken