You may be wondering what we are working on as we prepare to serve, encourage, and mentor missionaries and national workers overseas. Here are some of the things we’re up to!
Writing
As we have discussed our ministry plans with various ones over the past year, several have told me, “Terry, whatever you do, don’t stop writing!” You can be sure that I won’t. Though I am not very good at finding publishers, I find the process of writing to be cathartic, in itself. And I believe that I have a responsibility to continue developing and using what is clearly a gift.
And I continue to get positive feedback from some who read what I write. Several who read “Fifth Birthday,” attached to our Christmas letter, have asked to see the three stories that preceded that one. If you missed any of those and would like to read them, you can click on The Christmas Story Series on the right side of the blog screen.
Your Story, His Glory
In preparation for our overseas ministry, Nancy and I are developing a curriculum for a workshop we are calling “Your Story, His Glory.” We will present it in a weekend format to missionaries and national workers in various parts of the world as a way of encouraging them to reflect on how God has moved in their lives and is shaping their stories for His higher purposes. If we were to script our own lives, we would put in way more fun and easy days and avoid most things that are hard or unpleasant. But in doing so, we would not end up with a story. Stories have antagonists as well as protagonists. The heroes face obstacles that are almost impossible to overcome. And those are necessary plot elements if you want a realistic, interesting story.
Thornton Wilder (as cited in Sittser [2004] A Grace Disguised ) suggests that we should understand our lives as a great landscape that extends far beyond what the eye of our experience can see. Who knows how one experience, so singularly horrible, can set in motion a chain of events that will bless future generations? Loss may appear to be random, but that does not mean it is. It may fit into a scheme that surpasses even what our imaginations dare to think.
As believers, we know that God is the one who orchestrates the events of our lives to fit into His larger story. We place our individual life stories and all their losses, fulfillments, tragedies and joys in His hands and trust that they will bring glory to Him.
Editing
Besides these projects, I (Terry) have been editing articles collected by a Barnabas colleague of mine. His focus is encouraging mission leaders. Here is an excerpt from a case study that I’ve just completed editing. It is from an interview with a young mission leader after ten years in Asia.
My leadership learning curve out here is straight up and I often feel alone. My organization brings workshops and seminars to us, but what I need most is someone to coach me over the next three years. My organization does not seem to have a high value on personally helping us in that. I want not only to be a competent, gifted leader, I want to be a competent spiritual leader to those I lead. But I do not know what that kind of person would look like.
You can read these interesting articles at http://www.impactleader.org/articles/
Also, several years ago I (Terry) chanced across a worm-eaten, leather bound volume of meditations by James Meikle at a used book sale. I didn’t know who he was or whether they were wonderful or heretical, but the book itself called out to me.
Meikle was the son of a surgeon in Scotland, and he desperately wanted to study to become a Christian minister. Due to his family’s poverty and numerous debts, he was not able to study theology and instead joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon. The meditations he wrote were his musings on the scriptures as he spent many a lonely hour at sea in the 1750s and ‘60s with little in the way of Christian fellowship.
I have found his meditations to be quite sound in theology and timeless in their applicability. Because the language, however, has moved on in the intervening 250 years, I have set myself the task of editing the meditations with the prayer that they will be an encouragement to modern missionaries and national workers. Perhaps, you will find encouragement, as well! See James Meikle Devotions on the right side of the blog page.
Call for Your Story
We are sending out a call to our colleagues and other missionaries to contribute stories of “living by faith” for a book of stories that we are beginning to compile. We want stories that will encourage those for whom trusting God is sometimes a struggle. We know a few stories firsthand of how God has shown himself faithful, and we know there are many more out there that should be published for God’s glory.
Perhaps you, yourself, have a story to submit for our consideration. If so, write it up and send it to us, by all means!
Writing
As we have discussed our ministry plans with various ones over the past year, several have told me, “Terry, whatever you do, don’t stop writing!” You can be sure that I won’t. Though I am not very good at finding publishers, I find the process of writing to be cathartic, in itself. And I believe that I have a responsibility to continue developing and using what is clearly a gift.
And I continue to get positive feedback from some who read what I write. Several who read “Fifth Birthday,” attached to our Christmas letter, have asked to see the three stories that preceded that one. If you missed any of those and would like to read them, you can click on The Christmas Story Series on the right side of the blog screen.
Your Story, His Glory
In preparation for our overseas ministry, Nancy and I are developing a curriculum for a workshop we are calling “Your Story, His Glory.” We will present it in a weekend format to missionaries and national workers in various parts of the world as a way of encouraging them to reflect on how God has moved in their lives and is shaping their stories for His higher purposes. If we were to script our own lives, we would put in way more fun and easy days and avoid most things that are hard or unpleasant. But in doing so, we would not end up with a story. Stories have antagonists as well as protagonists. The heroes face obstacles that are almost impossible to overcome. And those are necessary plot elements if you want a realistic, interesting story.
Thornton Wilder (as cited in Sittser [2004] A Grace Disguised ) suggests that we should understand our lives as a great landscape that extends far beyond what the eye of our experience can see. Who knows how one experience, so singularly horrible, can set in motion a chain of events that will bless future generations? Loss may appear to be random, but that does not mean it is. It may fit into a scheme that surpasses even what our imaginations dare to think.
As believers, we know that God is the one who orchestrates the events of our lives to fit into His larger story. We place our individual life stories and all their losses, fulfillments, tragedies and joys in His hands and trust that they will bring glory to Him.
Editing
Besides these projects, I (Terry) have been editing articles collected by a Barnabas colleague of mine. His focus is encouraging mission leaders. Here is an excerpt from a case study that I’ve just completed editing. It is from an interview with a young mission leader after ten years in Asia.
My leadership learning curve out here is straight up and I often feel alone. My organization brings workshops and seminars to us, but what I need most is someone to coach me over the next three years. My organization does not seem to have a high value on personally helping us in that. I want not only to be a competent, gifted leader, I want to be a competent spiritual leader to those I lead. But I do not know what that kind of person would look like.
You can read these interesting articles at http://www.impactleader.org/articles/
Also, several years ago I (Terry) chanced across a worm-eaten, leather bound volume of meditations by James Meikle at a used book sale. I didn’t know who he was or whether they were wonderful or heretical, but the book itself called out to me.
Meikle was the son of a surgeon in Scotland, and he desperately wanted to study to become a Christian minister. Due to his family’s poverty and numerous debts, he was not able to study theology and instead joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon. The meditations he wrote were his musings on the scriptures as he spent many a lonely hour at sea in the 1750s and ‘60s with little in the way of Christian fellowship.
I have found his meditations to be quite sound in theology and timeless in their applicability. Because the language, however, has moved on in the intervening 250 years, I have set myself the task of editing the meditations with the prayer that they will be an encouragement to modern missionaries and national workers. Perhaps, you will find encouragement, as well! See James Meikle Devotions on the right side of the blog page.
Call for Your Story
We are sending out a call to our colleagues and other missionaries to contribute stories of “living by faith” for a book of stories that we are beginning to compile. We want stories that will encourage those for whom trusting God is sometimes a struggle. We know a few stories firsthand of how God has shown himself faithful, and we know there are many more out there that should be published for God’s glory.
Perhaps you, yourself, have a story to submit for our consideration. If so, write it up and send it to us, by all means!
1 comment:
Terry, good job here. I enjoy all the new stuff, as well as your reflections about the bigger picture of story. I will slowly look at the Christmas articles and the leadership series. There's so much more we can grow in with respect to leadership, so that's a great series. And, yes, absolutely keep writing. There's a higher purpose to Christian art that we don't see while we're creating. All He asks us to do is worship Him through our abilities.
Post a Comment