In my last entry, I asked for prayer for Dawn. So, what happened?
Well, first of all, we received several emails from ministry partners. They said that they would pray and some would pray and fast for Dawn. I tell you, that was a big encouragement to me!
We had less than 24 hours before the scheduled Bible Study, if it was going to happen. We tried to reach Dawn at school, but she didn't go to school that day. We tried her home phone, no answer. We stopped by her house. She wasn't home. We called her cell number. No answer. We basically tried all day to reach her, and failed. We finally resigned ourselves to the probability that she would not be coming to the Bible Study, again.
An hour before the scheduled start time, Dawn called! Yes, she would be coming over for supper and the study time!!
During the Bible Study, Dawn mentioned that several Jehovah's Witness friends had tried to discourage her from meeting with us. She told them that they have their beliefs and she has hers, and she would go ahead with the planned meeting.
I've said it before, but it is worth saying again. It is the prayers of God's people that get the work done. Though prayer warriors are thousands of miles away and in different time zones, we are partners in this evangelistic outreach. An illustration may present a mental picture of what I see happening.
The Inuit People in the Arctic, have an activity called the blanket toss. A big walrus skin is spread out and men go shoulder to shoulder around the skin, picking up the skin and stretching it tight. A smaller member of the group would climb up onto the skin and begin to jump. The people at the edges felt the rhythm and in unison pulled the skin harder, launching the jumper very high into the air. As the jumper was high in the air, he would look far out over the ice flow, looking for wild game. I feel like am the jumper, and the prayers of ministry partners are launching me up to be able to report what God is doing.
Our next scheduled meeting with Dawn is Wednesday evening. Thanks to everybody "pulling the blanket" in prayer. Looking forward to reporting what God is doing. ~Tsi7
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Update on our new Bible Study
Three weeks ago, I wrote: With a victory comes an attack. Now that the enemy of our souls knows what God is doing, there will be opposition. I ask that you stand in the gap and pray for not only this friend, but for others which God is surely calling to Himself.
Jannie had one good meeting with Dawn, and to no surprise, the enemy of our souls responded with an attack. Dawn was spiritually hungry, but she was also divorced, with no man in her life. Right after that good meeting with Jannie, a boyfriend suddenly enters Dawn's life. She is distracted and busy with him, and hasn't had time to meet again. Two weeks have passed without a followup Bible Study.
I frown a bit and shake my head, like a farmer plowing the field because he discovered there are a lot of big rocks to remove before planting can begin. God has wired me to be patient and to turn rocky fields over to prayer. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tell me that the weapons God has given us to use are mighty, capable of reducing a strong bunker to rubble!
Please keep praying for Dawn. (I wonder if some might be willing to fast and pray for her salvation; not only hers, but also for her boyfriend, and family?) We are looking to God for a break-through. If we are faithful, I believe we will see it someday. :) ~Tsi7
Jannie had one good meeting with Dawn, and to no surprise, the enemy of our souls responded with an attack. Dawn was spiritually hungry, but she was also divorced, with no man in her life. Right after that good meeting with Jannie, a boyfriend suddenly enters Dawn's life. She is distracted and busy with him, and hasn't had time to meet again. Two weeks have passed without a followup Bible Study.
I frown a bit and shake my head, like a farmer plowing the field because he discovered there are a lot of big rocks to remove before planting can begin. God has wired me to be patient and to turn rocky fields over to prayer. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 tell me that the weapons God has given us to use are mighty, capable of reducing a strong bunker to rubble!
Please keep praying for Dawn. (I wonder if some might be willing to fast and pray for her salvation; not only hers, but also for her boyfriend, and family?) We are looking to God for a break-through. If we are faithful, I believe we will see it someday. :) ~Tsi7
Monday, February 05, 2007
A Different Sunday
A friend of mine pastors a small church in a community some 40 minutes away. I had never been to his church, and decided to visit it on Sunday. I called him on Saturday to confirm the time for the morning service, and told him we would see him the next day.
We were getting ready to go, and a Native lady we know wanted to join us to the church, so we said we would pick her up on the way. Five minutes before we left, a guest of a neighbor, visiting from South Africa, called and said that he wanted to go to church. Would we be willing to take him with us? Of course, we said, "Sure."
We picked up our new friend from South Africa, and then picked up our other ride and were on our way to church. Usually, small talk occupies such initial meetings; but the lady asked about the meaning of the Communion Service. I went into a 20 minute rambling teaching session off the cuff about the meaning of the Communion Service, and soon, we were at the church.
The church was located in a ranching area of British Columbia. We were met by friendly handshakes, and warm smiles. We were 25 minutes early, and as I looked around, I noticed the absence of my friend, the pastor.
I asked where he was and frowns of concern appeared on the foreheads of the people before me. "He isn't here," they said, "he went to the hospital this morning." My friend either had a minor stroke, or some nasty virus that could cause numbness to half his face. Whatever the problem, he wasn't there, and the church was filling up with the faithful.
I joined the church leadership for prayer for the pastor and God's blessing for the worship service. After the prayer, I stepped out on a limb and offered to preach, if they didn't have any other plans for the message. The elder asked, "Do you have a word from the Lord?" I said, "Yes." The elder responded, "Then we would be glad to have you fill the pulpit for our pastor. It would seem to us that you have been directed here today for such a time as this."
The singing was what I would expect for a "Cowboy Church". There were gospel songs 50 years old, and Gaither songs. The people loved to sing and the church was rich with voices praising God.
When it came time to preach, I stepped up to the pulpit and asked, "Who here can recite from memory 2 Corinthians 5:7 ?" The faces of aged saints with white hair tightened as they gripped the challenge and searched their memory.
"I know you know it, you live it every day...let me start it for you, 'for we walk by faith not by sight.'," I said. I had only gotten four words into the verse when you could hear voices joining in, quoting the verse aloud.
I then declared that the following sermon was going to be "walking by faith", too. I didn't have any notes nor any outline. We prayed and asked God for help, and got started.
The sermon went well, actually. Not because I thought so, especially, but because my dear wife, who can be trusted to speak the truth, said so, too. Oh, and guess what? There was a Communion Service that morning, too. Since our Native friend had had a teaching about it prior to the service, she was ready and prepared to participate. (talk about God leading and directing our steps...!)
In the evening, we had sixteen people show up for the Bible Study held in our home. The house never had so many voices lifted up in praise and worship. (I don't know what we are going to do if this group continues to grow.)
So, yesterday was a different Sunday than most. I thought it was kind of funny to note that at the end, I wasn't exhausted, really. Oh, and some of you are still wondering about the ill pastor. He called and said the doctors didn't think it was a stroke, but some virus. He has medication to take and was sent home. Praise the Lord.
We were getting ready to go, and a Native lady we know wanted to join us to the church, so we said we would pick her up on the way. Five minutes before we left, a guest of a neighbor, visiting from South Africa, called and said that he wanted to go to church. Would we be willing to take him with us? Of course, we said, "Sure."
We picked up our new friend from South Africa, and then picked up our other ride and were on our way to church. Usually, small talk occupies such initial meetings; but the lady asked about the meaning of the Communion Service. I went into a 20 minute rambling teaching session off the cuff about the meaning of the Communion Service, and soon, we were at the church.
The church was located in a ranching area of British Columbia. We were met by friendly handshakes, and warm smiles. We were 25 minutes early, and as I looked around, I noticed the absence of my friend, the pastor.
I asked where he was and frowns of concern appeared on the foreheads of the people before me. "He isn't here," they said, "he went to the hospital this morning." My friend either had a minor stroke, or some nasty virus that could cause numbness to half his face. Whatever the problem, he wasn't there, and the church was filling up with the faithful.
I joined the church leadership for prayer for the pastor and God's blessing for the worship service. After the prayer, I stepped out on a limb and offered to preach, if they didn't have any other plans for the message. The elder asked, "Do you have a word from the Lord?" I said, "Yes." The elder responded, "Then we would be glad to have you fill the pulpit for our pastor. It would seem to us that you have been directed here today for such a time as this."
The singing was what I would expect for a "Cowboy Church". There were gospel songs 50 years old, and Gaither songs. The people loved to sing and the church was rich with voices praising God.
When it came time to preach, I stepped up to the pulpit and asked, "Who here can recite from memory 2 Corinthians 5:7 ?" The faces of aged saints with white hair tightened as they gripped the challenge and searched their memory.
"I know you know it, you live it every day...let me start it for you, 'for we walk by faith not by sight.'," I said. I had only gotten four words into the verse when you could hear voices joining in, quoting the verse aloud.
I then declared that the following sermon was going to be "walking by faith", too. I didn't have any notes nor any outline. We prayed and asked God for help, and got started.
The sermon went well, actually. Not because I thought so, especially, but because my dear wife, who can be trusted to speak the truth, said so, too. Oh, and guess what? There was a Communion Service that morning, too. Since our Native friend had had a teaching about it prior to the service, she was ready and prepared to participate. (talk about God leading and directing our steps...!)
In the evening, we had sixteen people show up for the Bible Study held in our home. The house never had so many voices lifted up in praise and worship. (I don't know what we are going to do if this group continues to grow.)
So, yesterday was a different Sunday than most. I thought it was kind of funny to note that at the end, I wasn't exhausted, really. Oh, and some of you are still wondering about the ill pastor. He called and said the doctors didn't think it was a stroke, but some virus. He has medication to take and was sent home. Praise the Lord.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Follow-up on the Bible Study
I just got back from the men's staff retreat. While I was away, Jannie kept busy doing some exciting things.
Jannie met with our friend on Wednesday night. We will call her "Dawn". Jannie was prepared with several pages of Scripture dealing with topics like: What is Heaven Like; and, God's Plan of Salvation.
Native culture is responsive to ritual. So, it would be easy for a Native person to go through a ritual of saying a "sinners prayer", if going through those motions earned salvation. The problem is that the person is saying the words as in a ritual, and in a ritual, the ceremony is the effectual thing. The persons faith is in the ritual, not in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This explains some of the reasons why some people "fall away" who were thought to have gotten "Saved", because they said some prayer. It sounds good for the evangelist to write home and state with rejoicing that a certain number of "decisions for Christ" were made, and sinners got saved; but three months later, where are they?
Salvation is not earned, so we have to avoid pushing the easy believism fostered by a quick offer of a "sinners prayer." Jannie started where the Bible does, in Genesis, with a perfect world, and then how sin entered and wrecked our relationship with Creator God. She unfolded God's plan for reconciliation through the Lord Jesus.
After every step, Jannie checked to see how Dawn was taking it in.
Dawn was grateful for all she heard, but she said she needed to read it over again and think about it. She got a lesson on how to find passages in the Bible, and received a loaner Bible to use, and she was as happy as she could be! She went home with the Scripture, the plan for salvation, and a desire to meet again soon.
Please keep on praying for the salvation of Dawn. The Holy Spirit is truly touching her heart. ~HJ
Jannie met with our friend on Wednesday night. We will call her "Dawn". Jannie was prepared with several pages of Scripture dealing with topics like: What is Heaven Like; and, God's Plan of Salvation.
Native culture is responsive to ritual. So, it would be easy for a Native person to go through a ritual of saying a "sinners prayer", if going through those motions earned salvation. The problem is that the person is saying the words as in a ritual, and in a ritual, the ceremony is the effectual thing. The persons faith is in the ritual, not in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This explains some of the reasons why some people "fall away" who were thought to have gotten "Saved", because they said some prayer. It sounds good for the evangelist to write home and state with rejoicing that a certain number of "decisions for Christ" were made, and sinners got saved; but three months later, where are they?
Salvation is not earned, so we have to avoid pushing the easy believism fostered by a quick offer of a "sinners prayer." Jannie started where the Bible does, in Genesis, with a perfect world, and then how sin entered and wrecked our relationship with Creator God. She unfolded God's plan for reconciliation through the Lord Jesus.
After every step, Jannie checked to see how Dawn was taking it in.
Dawn was grateful for all she heard, but she said she needed to read it over again and think about it. She got a lesson on how to find passages in the Bible, and received a loaner Bible to use, and she was as happy as she could be! She went home with the Scripture, the plan for salvation, and a desire to meet again soon.
Please keep on praying for the salvation of Dawn. The Holy Spirit is truly touching her heart. ~HJ
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Answer to prayer
Yesterday, Friday, a friend of ours from a local Reserve asked a question. It was a question which all of us have been waiting for. She said, "I want to come to your Bible Study." This has been five years in the making.
May I ask you to keep praying?! With a victory comes an attack.
Now that the enemy of our souls knows what God is doing, there will be opposition. I ask that you stand in the gap and pray for not only this friend, but for others which God is surely calling to Himself.
Rejoice, and pray this matter to victory.
With a Grateful heart,
Howard
May I ask you to keep praying?! With a victory comes an attack.
Now that the enemy of our souls knows what God is doing, there will be opposition. I ask that you stand in the gap and pray for not only this friend, but for others which God is surely calling to Himself.
Rejoice, and pray this matter to victory.
With a Grateful heart,
Howard
Friday, January 05, 2007
More on culture
As a Christian, and a missionary, I (and many other Believers) are naturally ethnocentric. We really do believe, at our heart of hearts, that we are right. That is the problem with culture! It is learned and perpetuated. We don't naturally think to assume that we are lacking, and need to look from different angles.
I have learned something that has become a huge blessing for my life. It is an attitude that I approach each day, and it is: God wants to use me to be a blessing to others, and, God wants to use others to be a blessing to me.
As a missionary, with a heart burning to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I can easily approach each day with, "How can I be a blessing today?" Not a bad thought, but lacking, I think. It starts with a presumption that I am in a position to be a blessing. It assumes that I am a tool, properly shaped and sharpened to God's work.
It begins with me, and it begins with pride.
I believe that God will use me, but also that He is still shaping me. At 54 years of age, I have just become a student, and one who can be shaped and sharpened. God sent me to the Shuswap People to be a blessing, but He also loves me so much, that He wants to conform me to the image of His Son, and He uses the Native people, my friends, and circumstances to do that. :)
The Scripture tells me that when I am conscious of my weakness, then I am strong. I am in a position to be a blessing, as long as I am humble. I need to die to self and my cultural values and beliefs, in order that I might be shaped by His Hand. This realization hurt when I first owned it. I thought, "Oh, if only I could have been called to be a pastor of a white church! There, the church actually sends you to Willowcreek to learn how to be more in touch with your culture." In cross-cultural ministry, I have to kill my cultural preferences. For five years, I chose not to listen to my favorite music. That music is based on a European cultural value for time and belief of what good music is composed of. Native music has different values about time and beliefs of what music is. In order to have a heart understanding for Native culture, I had to "put on" their values, and that meant to die to self in a more profound way than I ever imagined. I have to put on their language, study their way of speaking and story telling.
Do you want to know a shocking truth? The Native philosophy of the Medicine Wheel has been teaching this for ages. The Medicine Wheel is symbolized by a circle with a line going down and a line going from side to side. It resembles a wheel with four spokes. There are four different colours in each section, and each color has a different meaning. I discovered a complex philosophy in the Medicine Wheel. Simply put, the goal of a real human being, is to move from what ever starting point you have, on the outside rim of the wheel, and move towards the center. So, a person that is inclined to be a thinker and love wisdom must move towards innocence. A person who is inclined to be introspective must move from that comfortable presumption towards illumination (outward).
I apologize for bringing up something as complex as the Medicine Wheel and trying to deal with it here, in such a limited time frame, but it actually correlates with Scripture. 2 Peter 1:5-9 tells us to do this, in our cultural manner. Some Believers are incline to do good deeds. Such people need to move towards knowledge. Those who are inclined to love knowledge must move towards good works. Then we must move towards self control, then to perseverance, and so on.
I have to sit down and work it all out on paper sometime, but I believe I have found a wonderful way to link the revealed truth of Scripture to Native ears, by showing how the Medicine Wheel agrees with the Bible. The goal is to validate that God has revealed truth to the native culture in the past, and lead them to embrace the Bible and the Lord Jesus as the fulfillment of His revealed truth.
I have learned something that has become a huge blessing for my life. It is an attitude that I approach each day, and it is: God wants to use me to be a blessing to others, and, God wants to use others to be a blessing to me.
As a missionary, with a heart burning to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I can easily approach each day with, "How can I be a blessing today?" Not a bad thought, but lacking, I think. It starts with a presumption that I am in a position to be a blessing. It assumes that I am a tool, properly shaped and sharpened to God's work.
It begins with me, and it begins with pride.
I believe that God will use me, but also that He is still shaping me. At 54 years of age, I have just become a student, and one who can be shaped and sharpened. God sent me to the Shuswap People to be a blessing, but He also loves me so much, that He wants to conform me to the image of His Son, and He uses the Native people, my friends, and circumstances to do that. :)
The Scripture tells me that when I am conscious of my weakness, then I am strong. I am in a position to be a blessing, as long as I am humble. I need to die to self and my cultural values and beliefs, in order that I might be shaped by His Hand. This realization hurt when I first owned it. I thought, "Oh, if only I could have been called to be a pastor of a white church! There, the church actually sends you to Willowcreek to learn how to be more in touch with your culture." In cross-cultural ministry, I have to kill my cultural preferences. For five years, I chose not to listen to my favorite music. That music is based on a European cultural value for time and belief of what good music is composed of. Native music has different values about time and beliefs of what music is. In order to have a heart understanding for Native culture, I had to "put on" their values, and that meant to die to self in a more profound way than I ever imagined. I have to put on their language, study their way of speaking and story telling.
Do you want to know a shocking truth? The Native philosophy of the Medicine Wheel has been teaching this for ages. The Medicine Wheel is symbolized by a circle with a line going down and a line going from side to side. It resembles a wheel with four spokes. There are four different colours in each section, and each color has a different meaning. I discovered a complex philosophy in the Medicine Wheel. Simply put, the goal of a real human being, is to move from what ever starting point you have, on the outside rim of the wheel, and move towards the center. So, a person that is inclined to be a thinker and love wisdom must move towards innocence. A person who is inclined to be introspective must move from that comfortable presumption towards illumination (outward).
I apologize for bringing up something as complex as the Medicine Wheel and trying to deal with it here, in such a limited time frame, but it actually correlates with Scripture. 2 Peter 1:5-9 tells us to do this, in our cultural manner. Some Believers are incline to do good deeds. Such people need to move towards knowledge. Those who are inclined to love knowledge must move towards good works. Then we must move towards self control, then to perseverance, and so on.
I have to sit down and work it all out on paper sometime, but I believe I have found a wonderful way to link the revealed truth of Scripture to Native ears, by showing how the Medicine Wheel agrees with the Bible. The goal is to validate that God has revealed truth to the native culture in the past, and lead them to embrace the Bible and the Lord Jesus as the fulfillment of His revealed truth.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Different Values
Dr. Robert Priest of Trinity International University has a definition of culture. It goes: Culture is composed of beliefs and values that are taught, learned and perpetuated.
Yesterday, we hosted a pancake breakfast on a reservation. Kids were still out of school, and we thought we could really serve the community by giving them a nice breakfast and a chance to gather on happy circumstances.
We did one about six months ago and it went very well. It did get off a little rough, since the person assigned to open the building didn't show up with the key. We got a late start, but managed to be ready enough by the time the people arrived.
We made sure that a key holder would be there on time for yesterday. We called ahead the day before to make sure the arrangements were in place. They were, we were told. So, we arrived at the building and it was locked. We waited,...and waited....and finally called our contact person on the cell phone. The contact person was also expected to be at the building at 0915 hours to make the coffee and the juice. We learned that they had just left to go to town to buy the juice. We were told to go to "so and so's house, they will have a key." So, Jannie went to the house and asked for the key. She was told that just the day before, someone had borrowed the key and hadn't returned it, but perhaps "so and so" down the road has a key, so try there. Jannie hiked to the next house. A young boy still in wearing underwear and his hair disheveled opened the door to greet the sight of a tall white woman looking down at him. "MOM!!...There is someone at the door!!!" His mother appeared around the corner and rescued the boy from the door job. No doubt a relief for him. She found a key and gave it to Jannie. We lost forty minutes of start up time just waiting to get into the building. We needed that time to get a head start on the pancakes and sausages.
The key we were given only opened up the front door. It didn't give access to the storage closet with the tables and chairs. That door was securely locked. (I could have popped the hinge pins and removed the door, but rejected the idea...). So, the eating area had only two tables, and three chairs. As ten o'clock arrived, so did the people. We had enough food prepared, and made the coffee, but the lady with the juice hadn't arrived yet, though it had been forty minutes since we talked with her and the distance from town was only four minutes.
Some of the people that came were known to us. We hadn't seen each other in months, so the breakfast seemed worth it in just reconnecting with those people. We also made a few more new friends, which was a blessing.
An hour and a half "late", the contact person arrived with the juice. She announced that there was a hockey game between the USA and Canada, and they HAD to see it. She opened up the closet and we set up the tables and chairs. Nothing more was said, as that declaration carried the weight of the culture.
So, even though we had an arrangement, and the success of the breakfast depended on opening up the building, setting up the tables and chairs, and getting the food and beverage ready "on time", somehow...that came secondary to seeing a hockey game on TV. In the eyes of the community, it was a success. They saw a hockey game and had a good breakfast.
Culture is made up of values and beliefs that are taught, learned and perpetuated. Our "white culture" puts a high value on the use of time. Starting on time is a value. I remember one time, a pastor telling me that I had four minutes to make a ministry presentation in church; if I went over that, a trap door would open and I would drop from behind the pulpit. Sometimes the "white culture" lives under a tyranny of the clock. It that right? Our culture says it is. Native culture does not live under the tyranny of the the clock. Artists, philosophers, and photographers understand this. You can't create an event, you have to show up and be there when it happens. Sounds a bit like the story Mary and Martha, doesn't it? (Luke 10:38-42) Martha is busy trying to create and event. She is filled with stress and distress as time ticks away. Mary is content to "show up and go with the flow."
I have to tell you the truth, because I know someone is wondering, "Doesn't the Native view of time bug you?"
I found myself like Martha, getting frustrated and edgy. This event was planned, confirmed, and once again, "they" couldn't even show up on time. So I prayed and turned it over to the Lord. It was like the Lord quieted my spirit and said, "Howard, your cultural values on time are driving you nuts. Don't worry about it! You showed up, and you are doing the best you can, so guard your heart and your attitude so you won't miss the opportunities when they happen." We did, and the "event" ended up as a blessing for the community and for us, too. :)
Yesterday, we hosted a pancake breakfast on a reservation. Kids were still out of school, and we thought we could really serve the community by giving them a nice breakfast and a chance to gather on happy circumstances.
We did one about six months ago and it went very well. It did get off a little rough, since the person assigned to open the building didn't show up with the key. We got a late start, but managed to be ready enough by the time the people arrived.
We made sure that a key holder would be there on time for yesterday. We called ahead the day before to make sure the arrangements were in place. They were, we were told. So, we arrived at the building and it was locked. We waited,...and waited....and finally called our contact person on the cell phone. The contact person was also expected to be at the building at 0915 hours to make the coffee and the juice. We learned that they had just left to go to town to buy the juice. We were told to go to "so and so's house, they will have a key." So, Jannie went to the house and asked for the key. She was told that just the day before, someone had borrowed the key and hadn't returned it, but perhaps "so and so" down the road has a key, so try there. Jannie hiked to the next house. A young boy still in wearing underwear and his hair disheveled opened the door to greet the sight of a tall white woman looking down at him. "MOM!!...There is someone at the door!!!" His mother appeared around the corner and rescued the boy from the door job. No doubt a relief for him. She found a key and gave it to Jannie. We lost forty minutes of start up time just waiting to get into the building. We needed that time to get a head start on the pancakes and sausages.
The key we were given only opened up the front door. It didn't give access to the storage closet with the tables and chairs. That door was securely locked. (I could have popped the hinge pins and removed the door, but rejected the idea...). So, the eating area had only two tables, and three chairs. As ten o'clock arrived, so did the people. We had enough food prepared, and made the coffee, but the lady with the juice hadn't arrived yet, though it had been forty minutes since we talked with her and the distance from town was only four minutes.
Some of the people that came were known to us. We hadn't seen each other in months, so the breakfast seemed worth it in just reconnecting with those people. We also made a few more new friends, which was a blessing.
An hour and a half "late", the contact person arrived with the juice. She announced that there was a hockey game between the USA and Canada, and they HAD to see it. She opened up the closet and we set up the tables and chairs. Nothing more was said, as that declaration carried the weight of the culture.
So, even though we had an arrangement, and the success of the breakfast depended on opening up the building, setting up the tables and chairs, and getting the food and beverage ready "on time", somehow...that came secondary to seeing a hockey game on TV. In the eyes of the community, it was a success. They saw a hockey game and had a good breakfast.
Culture is made up of values and beliefs that are taught, learned and perpetuated. Our "white culture" puts a high value on the use of time. Starting on time is a value. I remember one time, a pastor telling me that I had four minutes to make a ministry presentation in church; if I went over that, a trap door would open and I would drop from behind the pulpit. Sometimes the "white culture" lives under a tyranny of the clock. It that right? Our culture says it is. Native culture does not live under the tyranny of the the clock. Artists, philosophers, and photographers understand this. You can't create an event, you have to show up and be there when it happens. Sounds a bit like the story Mary and Martha, doesn't it? (Luke 10:38-42) Martha is busy trying to create and event. She is filled with stress and distress as time ticks away. Mary is content to "show up and go with the flow."
I have to tell you the truth, because I know someone is wondering, "Doesn't the Native view of time bug you?"
I found myself like Martha, getting frustrated and edgy. This event was planned, confirmed, and once again, "they" couldn't even show up on time. So I prayed and turned it over to the Lord. It was like the Lord quieted my spirit and said, "Howard, your cultural values on time are driving you nuts. Don't worry about it! You showed up, and you are doing the best you can, so guard your heart and your attitude so you won't miss the opportunities when they happen." We did, and the "event" ended up as a blessing for the community and for us, too. :)
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