GlocalNet

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

President Bill Clinton from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Untitled from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

Wednesday night I had the privilege of being invited to the 15 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.  It was a great event.  Ambassador Le Cong Phung, Senator McCain, Senator Kerry, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, and President Bill Clinton were all there and spoke.  It blew me away that it was in 1995 that we began going to Vietnam on a regular basis - the same year we began diplomatic relations with them.  I had never realized that.  I held my flip cam and thought NorthWood - you’d really like hearing this.  Forgive the quality, etc.  The speeches were incredible - and I’ve got to tell you President Clinton gave a fantastic speech.  You can listen to them, NorthWood - I was there because of you and all you do.  There were diplomats, politicians, military, news, businessmen - and one pastor from Texas.  It was really funny as I was asked by many I didn’t know, who I was, and what I did.  Upon telling them - everyone was intrigued.  “A pastor from Texas, My, what is that about?” one lady asked.  Too long a story to tell her.  God has used Vietnam to shape us as a church unlike anything else.  We have preaching, worship, discipleship, ministries - but what we have done in Vietnam is what sets us apart and has made our church what it is.  Some people in their ignorance view it as “social work.”  It is …

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Many of you read my blog, but don’t attend NorthWood.  Some of you live in other countries and come from other beliefs.  I just wanted to show you a bit of our worship at NorthWood.  A few weeks ago we had several pastors from around the world come and we “team-preached”!  Here is a link to the video of the sermon.  Below is a video from one of the worship songs we did that same Sunday.

Revelation Song from Northwood Church on Vimeo.

All last week I was with a small group of global pastors whom I’ve been meeting with for the past 3 years. It was so much fun.  There are 12 of us with a combined total of 18,750 churches, representing 1,750,000 followers working in 82 countries!  We are collaborating together and learning to speed each other up! 

Last weekend Nikki and I chilled as much as we could. I did jury duty yesterday. 

Eddy Leo was with us and led a small group as if it were one of the 2,500 cells they have in Jakarta - it was incredible.  We went to a baseball game and Eddy got his picture taken with a highway patrolman.  Friday, Rusty and Jane Mayeax hosted a reception for all the tutors working at the Academy of West Birdville, an inner-city school.  Then, Nikki and I hung out downtown Fort Worth where they were shooting a TV show for the Food Channel.  Some guy named Tyler Florence, I think, was there and I had my picture taken with him. 

I will have a normal week - kind of - then Jill graduates from Baylor!!!!!  Only to start her masters in July!!! 

Last week Vicky Porterfield, who is the prayer intercessor for our group, showed me this and Wow! was it powerful!!  It’s from John Wesley’s journal:

Sunday a.m., May 5-Preached in St. Ann’s.  Was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday p.m. - Preached at St. John’s.  Deacons said “Get out and stay out!”

Sunday a.m., May 12 - Preached at St. Jude’s.  Can’t go back there either.
Sunday p.m. - Preached at St. George’s.  Kicked out again.

Sunday a.m., May 19 - Preached at St. somebody else’s.  Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday p.m. - Preached on the street.  Kicked off the street.

Sunday a.m., May 26 - Preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during the service.

Sunday a.m., June 2 - Preached out at edge of town, kicked off the highway.
Sunday p.m. - Preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me in afternoon.

We can’t give up - no matter how hard it is, no matter …

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In my book Real-Time Connections – I deal with people using their jobs – but also their passions and whatever they have.  We were acting in “real-time” as a family when we brought home an exchange student that lived with us for a couple of years and then became a part of our family through the holidays, etc., for many years.  We went to his wedding last Christmas in Hanoi.  Nikki was cleaning out a desk when she found these two emails from dated August 1, 2001.  One is from Mr. Tu, Ti’s father, speaking of Ti, the other was from me – I had been on a trip in which I was in 3 countries and I was writing it from one of them and our emails came at the same time . . . There was apprehension on all our part.  A Christian pastor’s family opening itself up to an animist, Buddhist, atheist – whatever – teenager to live in our home.  The living arrangements were all in flux – it would be a wild but phenomenal ride that would help us grow in understanding God, our world, and our family even more.  Nikki had emailed me a little stressed – I’d been gone, and they would be picking up Ti a few days before I arrived home. I’m trying to give Nikki moral support and the kids paternal encouragement . . .

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8/1/2001 – 3:48:55 am

Nikki,
When I woke up this morning – you were on my mind. . . . I’ll be home soon so you can relax . . . . give this to the kids . . . .

Ben and Jill, how I wish you were here with me.  I’ll be home soon.  I got you both surprises.  I know our lives are going to change some and I know you’re probably somewhat nervous about opening up our home to someone new and from a different country and religion.  I am too – but I know we are doing the right thing.  Over and over again the Bible, Jesus and Paul tell us to practice hospitality – that means more than being polite and inviting people over – it means opening our homes and lives to those in need.  This may be the biggest thing we’ve …

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Guest Blogger: Dennis Jeffares, International Director of Glocal Ventures, Inc.

Our church is currently in the 3rd week of the James Experiment – a guided Bible study to explore faith more deeply.  As we reflect on the book of James we are reminded of many lessons learned over the last 14 years of service to the people of Vietnam. 

1. The value of family and community
In our work in Vietnam, we have encountered many people who have endured trials far beyond anything we have encountered, but working together in tight nit families and communities, they have found ways to persevere.  The exposure that NorthWood families have had with our Vietnamese friends has strengthened our view of family and community.  Through our interaction with their communities, God has reminded us that he has created us to function as families and communities, not as mere individuals.  Practicing this life principle of valuing family and community in the context of a deep love of God equips us for all of life’s challenges. 

2. The Value of humility
There is so much that God can teach us when we approach other cultures in humility.  Humility enables us to access the understanding that we need to successfully engage other cultures.  The more we engage, the more we appreciate the differences between our cultures, and in many cases, what we learn from other cultures actually strengthens our own communities. 

3. True Religion
This year will be the 11th year NorthWood has been involved in orphan work in Vietnam.  We will send 8 teams to Vietnam this year, but our orphan trip is the one that draws the greatest number of volunteers.  There is something about this ministry that touches the lives of our people in a very special way.  James 1:27 tells us that looking after orphans and widows is the kind of religion that God accepts as pure and faultless. 

4. Action and Faith work together
When NorthWood began working in Vietnam in 1996, our desire was to see communities transformed.  But as we lived out our faith through serving the people of Vietnam we discovered that our own community at NorthWood was being transformed.  James 1:22 tells us “Don’t merely listen to the word, do what it says”. When we follow Christ’s example of unconditional love, we …

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John Esposito from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

I’m really excited that John Esposito of Georgetown University in D.C. will be joining our Global Faith Forum November 11-14.  He has written best seller books like Who Speaks for Islam and more recently The Future of Islam.  He is the hands down global expert on Islam and it’s geopolitical place in the world - as well as how muslims and others relate to each other.  This is what his books are about, this is what he lectures about . . . . BUT . . . . do you know what he is most passionate about?  I do.  How do you know a persons passion?  You know it by what they talk about at the breaks, what naturally spills out when they are speaking, by what their eyes brighten about.  He is passionate about . . . . . . . his WIFE!!!! 

He really is!  I’ve been around him, that’s what he always talks about.  I’ve never met her - but I know her name.  Jean.  They have been married for 45 years.  I love my wife as well.  We sat in the airport at Istanbul and I began to ask him how they met, what their life was together, how they made it so long, and why he is so passionately in love today nearly 70 years of age.  Here are my observations . . . . and good lessons for all of us . . . .

1.  They work out together.  John is an avid runner and so is his wife.  He was a lazy slob in Istanbul and didn’t run - he also ate like a horse - but, it was because of traveling light so I’ll cut him some slack.  Intense exercise deals with the endorphins and keeps your mind fresh.

2.  They do fun stuff together.  They go on dates, travel, they’re regular party animals.

3.  They have a wide range of interest - they are always reading, learning, talking about stuff.

4.  They both have had careers - and though at times that could be challenging they would celebrate one anothers success and took turns helping each other. 

5.  They’re loyalty is primarily to one another more than anything or anyone or …

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Prince Turqi of Saudi Arabia from Glocalnetblog on Vimeo.

One of the people that I’ve come to know the past couple of years and thoroughly enjoy being around Is Prince Turqi of Saudi Arabia.  He is a very engaging man to talk to - he is incredibly sharp and quick.  We have had some fascinating conversations.  The first time we met - he asked me why some Christians viewed him and his family as the anti-Christ.  We wound up spending that first meeting with him asking me questions about what evangelicals believe about the second coming of Christ.  He is living proof of someone who has been wounded by speculative theology on the second coming.  To personalize aberrant views by putting modern names to metaphorical figures does massive damage to the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR - NOVEBMER 11-14—he, and a host of other high ranking global leaders that are Muslim, Atheist, Communist, representing domains of government, business, media, and other domains along with religious leaders will all be converging at NorthWood.  I’ve been asked by many people to do this for years - it will be a conference on globalization and faith.  In a sense a “missions conference” for Christians with non-Christian speakers that get the world.  It will be for Christians to be able to get a picture of the world and visit with many of the gatekeepers.  Don’t know what we’ll call it yet - keep your calendar open and watch glocal.net for more info.

Concluding this group blogging project, Bob gives his thoughts on what Real Time Connections is about, his thoughts on the book, and his insights into why he wrote it when he did.  You can go HERE to read Bob’s closing remarks.

Today Mike Kress writes his thoughts on Chapter 10 “Stop Subverting the Message” of Bob’s Book Real Time Connections.

Today, we take a look at Chapter 9 “Making Space for Everyone” where Laura Boggess says,

“Bob Roberts, Jr. was thinking these concepts too, just from a slightly different angle. I was thinking of accepting differences inside the church–or at least showing love to people with differences. Roberts had a bigger picture in mind. Well, duh. The title of the book we are reading is Real-Time Connections: Linking Your Job with God’s Global Work. So small-minded me gets a lesson in Big Picture thinking, and I’m all the better for it.”

Take a look.

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