The up-sides of 40...

So, I woke up this morning another year older.  No big deal.  Just another day, right?  Yeah, sure...until you say it out loud..."I'm 40!"  Wow!  That kind of stings a little.  However, I am determined to make my 40th year a banner year and to do and see things that I have never done before.  Pretty easy considering that I live in Russia, but none the less...

Now by nature I am a pretty optimistic guy, so I thought I would try to take an optimistic view as I enter my fourth decade.  One of the best things about turning 40 is that I am the last one in the club.  Among our friends I have always been the youngest.  I am younger than Kellye, Cathy, Kay, Mike, Teressa, Neil, Robert, and Larry (ok, only by a couple of weeks, but it still counts).  So, while this worked to my disadvantage (and I took quite a bit of teasing about it) 20 years ago, I can spend the rest of my life knowing they reach the great landmarks of time before me!  

It is tradition for Russian men not to celebrate their 40th birthdays.  When I asked why, I got a vague explanation about something about Moses and him being 40 but they were not really sure of the reason.  I have chosen to embrace the day, but I also decided this morning that I would do a Biblical search for the phrase 40 years.  I mean, 40 is one of "God's numbers", right?  That would imply that there was some pretty good stuff happening when you turn 40.  Here is what I found:

- Isaac married Rebekah at the age of 40 (Gen 25:20) and Esau married Judith when he was 40 (Gen 26:34)  Those are both pretty good.  I am glad that I found my wonderful bride 20 years earlier and didn't have to wait until I was 40.  But getting a good wife is certainly worth waiting 40 years.

- The books of Exodus and Numbers provide no comfort.  They are filled with references to the Children of Israel suffering for 40 years.  I think I will pass on that one if God doesn't mind.

- Deuteronmy 2:7 is a good one.  It says, "These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."  That is certainly true.  My family is a living testament that God has been with me and has blessed me.  Of course, this verse refers to the 40 years of suffering in the desert, but it is good to know that even in the midst of suffering that God is with us and provides for our needs.  In other verses the Old Testament talks about the children of Israel not even needing new clothes or shoes.  Considering I have already gone through one pair of shoes since we moved here that would not be too bad either.

- Joshua was 40 years old when Moses sent him out to explore the promised land.  (Joshua 14:7) Like Joshua  I feel like the important part of my life is just beginning.  Everything I have done before now has just been training for the mission God has given me in Russia.  Sure, I get homesick and there are days I would rather do anything but speak Russian.  However, I can tell you that most days I feel more comfortable here and with what God has called us to do than anything I ever did in the States.  He has gifted me with a wonderful and Godly wife who stands by my side and encourages me every step along the way.  It is exciting to look back over the past 40 years and see how God has used my different experiences (both good and bad) to shape me into the man I am today and to prepare me for what lies ahead.  I am sure that Joshua felt excited as he crossed that first ridge into the promised land.  I can relate to that and am glad that he did not send me when I was younger.

- Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth, was 40 when he became king of Israel.  (2 Samuel 2:10) Now that is a pretty good gig.  He only reigned two years though and kings usually lost their thrones by winding up dead, so there might be a few drawbacks there.

- In Acts 4:22 we read of a man who was 40 years old when he was healed by Peter and John.  Not a bad birthday present.

- It was at age 40 when Moses left the palace of Pharaoh to visit his fellow Israelites and witnessed their suffering.  (Acts 7)  Just before I left for training I found that part of my family immigrated to America from Ufa, Russia.  While I would certainly not presume to compare myself with Moses, I think I understand a little bit how he felt when he left his place of privilege at age 40 to see his kinsmen.  I am inexplicably drawn to Russia and her people.  Even on the worst of days I love them.  Perhaps because in some way their history is my history.  Regardless of the reason, I am always a little awed that God would wait until Moses was 40 to start using him for His purposes.  I hope that in God's timeline I am coming to an age where I can be used by him more and more.

So, on my 40th birthday I choose to celebrate.  I choose to celebrate that God has redeemed a worthless life and allowed me to live this long.  I choose to celebrate the wife with whom He as gifted me.  I choose to celebrate the family He has surrounded me with.  And I choose to celebrate that no matter how old I am, I am still younger than my friends!!

Recovering from RamCorps

We have had a great week ministering with the students from the University of Mobile. Their group, RamCorps, spent last week in Moscow playing one or two concerts each day in various locations around the city. While the concerts were certainly great, the students quickly came to understand that their purpose was less about the music and more about making connections with the Russian people they got to meet along the way. As a result, we already have seen three new people join our English club this week and have deepened relationships with people who were already familiar with our cultural exchange work.

As you can imagine, we are exhausted. So today our schedule is clear and although there are many things to be done, not the least of which is housework, we have dedicated the day to resting and getting our bodies back on schedule. I plan to write more about the RamCorps visit in the days to come, but in the meantime here is a brief video from their week in Moscow.

Blessings,
Marc

PHOTO ESSAY - Victory Day 2008

On Friday, May 9, Russians celebrated their victory over Hitler (or Gitler, as they pronounce it) and the Nazis in World War II. That afternoon I went to Парк Победа (Victory Park) where millions gathered for concerts and to celebrate and honor veterans of WWII. Here are some images...

This is a victory gate located just outside of the park. It commemorates the Russia's victory over Napoleon.

The park entrance. The sign says "Victory!"

This emblem was at the top of a long column near the entrance to the park. Notice the letters CCCP (or USSR). Russians continue to use these initials on Victory Day because it was the Soviet Army that defeated the Germans, and not just soldiers from Russia.


One of the many veterans that donned their old uniforms and medals so that they could be honored.


Notice the flowers in this soldier's hand. It is customary to present the veterans with a long-stemmed carnation.


Their were flags everywhere. The wind was blowing this one backwards, but if you put it up to a mirror it spells "Russia"


To me, this is what a Russian WWII veteran should look like.

Many of the millions of people were carrying Russian and Soviet flags.



I was surprised at how many female WWII veterans were at the park proudly displaying their medals.


Veterans and babies...could you stage better photo-ops?


I love this monument. It is to memorialize the cooperation Russia received from other countries in fighting the Nazis. The two soldiers on the left are Soviet, the right-center soldier is an American and the soldier on the right is British. On Monday in Red Square we met a Veteran Soviet General who told us we should remind our folks back home that "Americans and Russians fought shoulder-to-shoulder to save the world."

And finally, this is me with my Russian Federation flag (that is now in my bedroom) in front of one of the monuments.

I almost ran away from home this morning...

After struggling with, and then giving up on, my homework this morning I wanted to run away from home.  After all, how easy would it be to go to out to the store and then disappear into the sea of millions that inhabit Moscow.  But then I remembered that I hadn't brought my Russian Language notebooks to the store with me and without them I would not be able to tell people to put things down, to lie things down, or to hang things up.  And, to make matters worse, I haven't yet learned how to pick things up.

So...

I came home.

Not seeing what is in front of our eyes...

Today is Easter in Russia. Due to the fact that the Eastern Orthodox churches use a different calendar to calculate their holidays, most often we do not celebrate religious holidays at the same time as most of the rest of the world. This does have its advantages though. For one, we get to celebrate twice...once with our traditions and once with theirs. But I think even more importantly it usually brings me back to familiar scripture passages more than one time a year. And each time I read them I gain new insight.

Since our first trip to Russia more than a year ago I have been struck with a singular thought and lingering question...how can a people be surrounded with the truth and not see what is before their eyes? This morning I re-read the Easter accounts in all four Gospels - a practice I have held on Easter morning since I was a teenager. So, you would expect that it would be difficult to see anything new. However, it seems that each time I read these passages I see something that I have never really seen before.

Russia is not what we would classify as a "heathen" nation. In fact, Christianity has been a part of Russia for centuries. Almost everywhere you look you can see at least one brightly-colored onion-shaped dome capped with a cross marking a Russian Orthodox church or cathedral. There are even several within the Kremlin walls. And, much like in America, Russians are surrounded by the symbolism of Christianity. Religious holidays are celebrated by nearly everyone in the country - believers and non-believers alike. And most know the religious stories tied with the holiday. How is it then that a nation who knows the stories of Christ can not see the the truth locked in the stories and traditions? This question has bothered me for the better part of a year...not just for Russia, but for my home country as well.

Yet this morning as I was reading it hit me. The Jews of Jesus day were not really any different than we are today. The answer to my question is this...it is because most people are not seeking answers from what is placed clearly before them.

Let's take a quick look at the scriptures to see what I am talking about. First, the women who came to the tomb were not looking for the resurrected Jesus. They were coming to mourn. They were not looking for an empty tomb. When Peter and John went back to the tomb, were they looking for a risen Jesus? No. The men on the road to Emmaus were not expecting to be walking down the road or sharing a meal with a man they had watched be crucified just days before. Even after he explained the scriptures about himself to them they did not really understand what was plainly in front of them until he allowed himself to be revealed to them. And when Jesus appeared before all the disciples in the upper room he proceeded to give them a lesson in the scriptures so they could understand how the teachings of Moses, all the prophets pointed to Him.

You see, the Jews of Jesus' time were surrounded by a religious culture. One with religious holidays and festivals and customs. And, just like us, they were blind to the real meaning and significance of those holidays. This is not a new phenomenon. I imagine that the priests of Jesus day had to remind the people that their was deep, significant meaning behind the ceremonies and customs that surrounded the High Holy Days. (Who knows, maybe they even had bumper stickers made for the back of their ox carts that read "Moses is the reason for the season.")

So what can we take from this blindness to things that seem so obvious to us as believers? First, I think it is important that we not assume that just because we are surrounded by the truth that everyone understands that significance. Secondly, I think we must remember that it is not their fault that they do not recognize that truth. And thirdly, and most importantly, I think that we need to remember that none of the people in the Biblical accounts of Easter came to the realization of Jesus' resurrection on their own. In every account, Jesus had to open their eyes. And, in many cases, he used the scriptures, holidays, and customs to teach them that all of these things that they were familiar with all pointed to Him.

I think it also important to remember the response to His teaching. The men on the road to Emmaus returned to Jerusalem saying, "It's really happened! The Master has been raised up!" Mary Magdalene called him "Rabboni" and clung to him and wept. And Thomas fell to his knees and proclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" You see, revelation of the scriptures and the true nature of Jesus as the Christ comes only after He opens our eyes.

Our responsibility, no matter where in the world you are when you read this, is to help those around us understand how the holidays, traditions, and most importantly the scriptures point to Jesus. To explain to them how and why God came to earth to live a sinless life among us and how he chose to sacrifice Himself to save us from our sins. And, to remind our family, friends and neighbors that the tomb of the man know as Jesus remains empty to this day. We are to tell them that having a relationship with the living God is more than ritual and religion. It is our responsibility to share that true Christianity comes from asking Jesus to forgive us of our sins and inviting Him to live in our hearts.

We cannot open the eyes of those around us. Only God can do that. But we have the responsibility to tell others what we know to be true. All of creation and history points to Him...Jesus, who is the Christ and who is risen!

христос воскрес! (Christos Vos-kress! He is Risen!)
воистину воскрес! (Va-east-a-new Vos-kress! Truly He is Risen!)

Blessings on this Easter morning,
Marc

Photo Essay - Messanic Passover Seder

These are some of my favorite photos from last night's Passover Seder.

During dessert we were entertained by the musical group, Patmos.

There are just some faces that beg to have their picture taken. His was one of those.

What would a Jewish celebration be without singing Hava Nagila, a Hebrew folk song meaning "Let us rejoice."
I loved the smiles on the faces as they sang.

The benediction.


Another great face.

Remembering the ten plagues of Egypt. In the ceremony wine is poured out of the cup in remberance of each of the ten plagues.


One of the four cups of the Seder.

The breaking of the bread. The Passover service requires the use of unleavened bread known as "matza."
The bread and bitter herbs. "To remind us of the bitterness of slavery." This woman was also reminded us of the bitterness of her sin. At the end of the service she was one of two people who gave her heart to Jesus.

Prior to the service these two women studied the scriptures together.

"And you shall tell it to your son on that day, saying, 'Because of this God did for me when He took me out of Egypt'" (Exodus 13:8). The words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from parent to child, and from one generation to the next. Messianic Jews take this opportunity each year to share about how Jesus' death on the cross became the ultimate Passover sacrifice using His blood to cleanse us from sin and save us from eternal separation from God.

If this woman had red hair she could have been my Nana. She was sweet and precious. And, at the end of the evening prayed to have Jesus forgive her of her sin and to live in her heart.

Creating "Missional Space" is much more fun than it sounds.

As most of you know, our team is focused primarily on reaching the artists of Moscow. And, much like in America this segment of the population is not usually prone to go to church or church-related functions, so we have to find other ways of connecting with them and forming relationships. On paper it is a little more involved than this, but in a nutshell this is what we call creating "missional space" -- a place where we can find common ground and interest that will allow spiritual conversations to flow naturally out of a developing relationship with each other.

About a month ago our team hosted a conversational English class that was advertised at many of the music schools around town. We had about 45 people attend the week-long class, mostly students in their 20s and early 30s. Since then, Kellye and I have been hosting an English Club in our home every Thursday night and have been averaging around 10-13 people every week.

A couple of weeks ago after class we were drinking tea and snacking and talking about the different kinds of music that we enjoy. Of course, I mentioned that I enjoyed American country music. One of the guys in our club, Alexey, a former MIG pilot and now a music student, asked me if I would be interested in going with him to watch one of his friends play country music. "Sure," I said. "That sounds like fun."

Well, this week Alexey called and his friend's band was playing on Friday night and wanted me to go. Now, as a quick aside here you have to know that it has been a rather horrible week around our house. The weather changed back to cold, rainy and depressing. Everybody was at each other's throats. And, to make matters worse, we found that a Russian man that I have been trying to develop a relationship with has been stealing expensive electronic equipment from us. So, to say that I have been in a good mood and wanted to go out on Friday would be the far from the truth. But, since invitations and opportunities like this do not come along often, I jumped at the chance even though I really didn't feel like going out.

I met Alexey and his two friends at the metro station and then walked to the bar/restaurant called Кантри Бар or "Country Bar." No kidding. The Russians have a real flair for naming things! The atmosphere actually reminded me a lot of Longhorn Steaks and included photos of John Wayne along one wall. At this point I should say that Alexey reads and writes English very well, but speaks very little. As a matter of a fact, I speak much more Russian than he does English (and that is not saying too much.) So, between his little English and my little Russian we were able to converse most of the night. His friends are intermediate English speakers and gave us some extra help in translating for each other, but we did fairly well without them.

Alexey introduced me to his friend Vladimir, who (and I am not making this up) told me to call him "Bob." Bob plays guitar for the band and is quite talented. He also plays in a jazz/fusion band with Alexey and some more of his friends. The music started shortly after and they played a lot of my favorites, including Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, Hank Williams and Jimmy Buffett, not to mention some BB King and Chuck Berry just for fun. As a general rule I haven't really gotten homesick since I have been here, but sitting there in an American-styled place and listening to country music really did it for me.

I got home this morning around 12:30 am and was pretty exhausted, but felt good about the time I had made to expand some "Missional Space." I have been invited to several more concerts featuring Alexey and/or his friends - including the chance to hear Bob play country music at an Independence Day concert at the American Embassy. So I am looking forward to these opportunities to spend time with my new friend Alexey and his friends.

I would love to tell you that while sitting in the bar and listing to music I had the chance to lead one of these folks to Christ. I would love to tell you that I had the opportunity to share the Gospel or even my testimony. But I didn't. However, what I did have was the chance to start some friendships with a few people based on our mutual love of various kinds of music. And, as those friendships deepen and our conversations broaden, those opportunities will come. Until then, I am enjoying the chance to meet some new people, use my conversational Russian in a practical setting and listen to some good music.

One last thought before I close. Creating "missional space" is not something that is exclusive to missionary work around the world. It is something that we should be doing as often as possible whereever in the world we are. So as you go about your week, look for chances to develop relationships with people and see if you can't create a little missional space of your own.

Blessings,
Marc