Should we start right in here and complain? I’ll complain for Jaimie and I both…no dishwasher, no washing machine, no bank account, no turkey sandwich, slow internet, lemon and salt flavored toothpaste…which could actually go under the success category if you think about it….
Successes in India
Yeah, the success section. Let’s do that… Margarita flavored toothpaste, the cooler temperature outside, found a video rental store, bought Monopoly, and…. wait for it… our two-year anniversary is one week from today!
Day to day, it’s easy to lose focus on the big picture. Things are actually going super smoothly here! We are having meals every day, no sickness, plenty of alone time, and we’re meeting new people all the time. For instance, my buddy Philadelphia (Thats what I call him…or he calls me, we’re not sure), knows how I like my chicken butchered now…and I do too!
I met someone the other day; he said I could call him Paul. (I think word is getting around that I’m bad at pronouncing names). Regardless, there is a certain type of sincerity in the Nagpur people. Jaimie and I are feeling more and more comfortable, and much of that is because of our hosts, new friends, and honest dealings we are having with people.
The Pictures of Nagpur
Now, on to what you have all been really wanting to see – some more photos. You’ll see a festival dance, a lake walk Jaimie and I took a week or so ago, and us shopping at the grocery store; and by the grocery store, I mean roadside vegetable stand. (It’s really nice).
Some Spiritual Stuff
If you’ve made it this far, you won’t be sorry you’ve wasted 5 minutes of your life reading everything above…mostly because this will make up for the loss. However, you’ll never get those 5 minutes back, so I do apologize.
I’ve been studying the life of Jesus in an organized fashion. So, let me bring you all up to speed on where I’ve been last week.
I have just completed studying through Jesus’ early Judean Ministry (probably about 8-9 months after he was baptized). During this time, I’ve read about the first Passover (John 2), Jesus’ Interview with Nicodemus (John 3), and the woman at the well (John 4).
This week, I have continued to move forward between then and one year and 3-4 months (Galilean Ministry). I’ll keep you updated on what I figure out. But what I did catch this go-round is this:
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-24
The woman wants to know where to worship, and it seems to me that worship isn’t about the place, the sacrifices, whether standing or sitting; it’s about Spirit and truth. So, one has to ask oneself, what is spirit and truth? The examples we see in the Bible of worship in the church are about training and edifying…but today, worship in the church is more about serving ourselves. Today, it looks like what’s important is the method, knowledge, music, denomination, etc. But this woman was the best example of an evangelist we have in the Gospels… as an individual, she drew more of a crowd to Jesus than anyone else… and she had none of these things we try so hard to get right.
Bear with me for a second. We see from v.24 that God is Spirit. What if the truth is Jesus? What if true worship is our relationship with Jesus? It’s not what we do but who we are. Having that mentality might change our “what can the church do for me” attitude. You know the one… “What children’s program would work best for me?” or “Is the youth group fun?” or perhaps “Do they have good music?” and “Is the pastor funny?”
And I know you might be thinking…”oh sure, Ben over there in luxurious India on his high horse shouting at us Americans from his perfect church…” and before you continue you that thought, I would encourage you to come and visit to see how perfect and easy our church experience is!
