Day Two

Today was another day of international team-building. After an evening of getting to know our lovely host families on Saturday, this morning we woke up (some of us with a bit of difficulty) and headed to Kilkeel Presbyterian to prepare for church. After we had spent some time practicing a song we were to sing, the congregation began to arrive and we worshiped our King Jesus with brothers and sisters not just from Northern Ireland but also with a few visitors from Uganda--the former Anglican archbishop and his wife, no less! Archbishop Henry shared an encouragement with the body, reminding us that the world is bold in marketing its message; we, who have the news of Christ's total kingship, ought to be bolder. Reverend Stephen of Kilkeel Presbyterian preached on different aspects of the Kingdom of God--the kingdom which has come in Jesus Christ, is coming in God's work now, and will come in fullness--this morning and this evening at the evening service, encouraging us to remember the solidity of our hope and the already/not-yet aspects of the Kingdom. At the latter service, Matt, part of our American team, shared his testimony with the congregation, which was a powerful pointer to the utter potency of our Lord's grace.
         In between these two soul-feeding meetings (morning and evening church), there was some excellent stomach-feeding as we all enjoyed the bounty of our host homes' Sunday dinners, and then an excursion to Silent Valley--a beautiful area of woods, grassy open space, mountains, and a sparkling blue reservoir. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and lots of people were about, particularly on account of a sort of fair that was going on, with live music (which sounded funny to the Americans... because it was so familiar. Stevie Wonder, among others, was played.) We enjoyed some football (the real kind), and Ultimate Frisbee. After the evening church service we gathered in the Church of Ireland hall for a few words from Reverend Stephen to get us readier for the ministry we'll begin, Lord willing, tomorrow.
          Bit by bit, our ears are beginning to adapt to the local jargon, our stomachs to the narrow and quickly-traversed roads, and our circadian rhythms to the shift in global position. Baby steps.

          Thank you for your prayers. We appreciate them as we hope for good rest tonight before we jump into our project tomorrow. As has been a theme thus far on the trip, with 2 Corinthians 4 being our theme passage, I for one am feeling my weakness in pretty much every area, and would ask that you pray with me for Jesus Christ to be made much of in our jars-of-clay frailty.

        I'll close with a passage that Matt referenced in his testimony that particularly resonated with me:

"The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day... Stop regarding man, in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?"        Isaiah 2:11, 22

When we recognize that we all will kneel before the King, we're freed to love as he did by laying down his life. Pray that we'll find our sufficiency in the dying, rising Lamb, and then truly love.

Grace and peace.