Blog Archives
All the world Upside Down: A Maundy Thursday Reflection
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14) When one serves a King, one must follow the rule of that King. When one follows Jesus, one gets an added bonus: in the incarnation, Jesus rules as King and provides examples to all of His followers of what it looks … Continue reading
To go or not to go
The news feeds I read from Nigeria everyday have been filled with conflict. Our Christian brothers and sisters in the northern and middle belt areas of Nigeria have endured attacks by suicide bombers on churches, drive by shootings, churches burned and warnings to leave. Sadly, retaliation killings by “Christian” youth have also occurred. I have been to Nigeria more than … Continue reading
Discipleship means showing up
Monday mornings generally mark the start of a new work week, and for me, that means a very early morning at the gym. We meet, we pray, and we hit it hard. Our small group builds accountability, discipline, and strength. We set goals to increase a healthy dose of spiritual, emotional, and physical strength, and in order to enjoy it all, … Continue reading
Modern parable?
Many T4 Global content developers around the world see the three “lost” parables Jesus told in Luke chapter 15 – lost sheep, lost coin and lost son – as key Scripture passages to translate so they can tell them in their own language as stories, songs, dramas and proverbs. Today I’m wondering if American “sports” culture has a modern parable … Continue reading
Will you help God answer someone’s prayer today?
Yesterday I was reminded how we help God answer prayers. Traveling back to Tucson from India last month I had a pleasant surprise. A young pastor friend “just happened” to be on the same flights with me from Delhi to Chicago to Tucson. It was Abhi’s first trip to the US. He was coming to meet one of his partners … Continue reading
To be or not to be
Being goal and task oriented is great for accomplishing projects and completing assignments. I am heading out for a 2 week trip to Africa to continue work on several projects and begin 2 new ones. The list of things to accomplish is long and I anticipate the days will be too long and the nights too short on the trip. … Continue reading
Sheep and goats
Last night I was invited to speak here in Purnia, India. Scripture text was Matt. Chapter 25 — three stories Jesus told. The third story tells us that one day the righteous and the unrighteous will be divided much as a shepherd sorts out sheep from goats. This spring I was traveling in Himachal Pradesh state. We were driving up … Continue reading
Making the Devil Tremble
As I was reading the news about Jos today I thought back to my visits and the beauty I have seen there. Jos has been known as a place of peace and tourism – but not today. Two bombs were detonated near central Jos on Sunday night. No one was killed in the attack, but more than 100 have lost … Continue reading
Posted in JR Whitby, Nigeria, Uncategorized, West Africa
Tagged J.R. Whitby, Nigeria, Prayer, Violence
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Jos on Knife’s Edge
The bombing of the UN headquarters in Abuja on August 26, 2011 struck close to home for me. A good friend who works for UNICEF was in the building when the suicide bomber drove his car through 2 security barricades and into the first floor of the building before detonating the bomb. She escaped unharmed in what she described to … Continue reading
Posted in JR Whitby, Listening Groups, Nigeria, Uncategorized, West Africa
Tagged J.R. Whitby, Nigeria, oral cultures, Violence
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A dog is a dog is a dog
DOG. What comes to mind when you hear that word? My wife and I love big dogs. The first 3 we had were Great Danes. And yes, they were inside dogs. Then we had a giant schnauzer – all 105 pounds of her. Most recently we adopted an American Bulldog named Zeus from a dog rescue organization. He is the … Continue reading
Posted in JR Whitby, Nigeria, Orality, Uncategorized, West Africa
Tagged indigenous pastor, J.R. Whitby, oral cultures
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