Jim
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At the Zoo with the Poulettes
 At La Ciudadela |
So here’s the story. Waaaay back in 2006, before we moved to Mexico, we saw a video of the Mexico City zoo (Chapultepec Zoo) on the blog of a family (the Poulette family) who lived in Mexico City. I attempted my own video when we went to the Calgary Zoo. Ever since we saw the Poulette’s video, we started talking about the zoo in Mexico City, and how we should go there someday.
This year the kids got some gift money from their Uncle Jeff, Aunt Tracy, and cousins Jevon and Ashlyn. So we decided to use it for a trip there (the zoo is actually free, but there’s gas, parking, and paying for some exhibits) (thanks guys!). So, we started making plans.
I thought it would be appropriate if we could actually go with the Poulette family. They’re about our age, and have a boy named Nathan about a year younger than Nathanael. We had never met them, only read their blog, but there’s always a first time!
So, Dennis Poulette and I arranged it via email.
We went to Mexico City on Friday, and hung around downtown. We went to a market (La Ciudadela) for some Christmas shopping, visited a park, and ate at Pizza Hut. 🙂
 Nathan, Nathanael and Hannah |
The next day we headed over to the Chapultepec Zoo, which is also downtown. We met up with Dennis, Janell and Nathan, and had a great time.
The zoo is definitly world-class, boasting over 2000 animals and beautiful exhibits. It’s famous for its pandas, but there’s lots more to see.
I put some photos in our Photo Gallery, so check them out (right now they’re in our Recent shots… album). I have some video too, but haven’t gotten it online.
Anyway, thanks to the Poulette family for hanging out with us! It was great to get to know them in the "real world", though, as you can imagine, it’s hard to talk too much when you’re chasing kids the whole time. But maybe we can do it again sometime!
Dennis and Janell work with Youth Ministry International in Mexico City. They have a passion to train trainers – who can train youth workers in Mexico! Check out their blog – The Poulette Family, and their video blog, Mexico Movies. Here’s their post about the event.
David Brainerd – free audio book
Do you know the name David Brainerd? Some of you who have taken my 2000 Years of Missions Seminar might have heard his name, although he wasn’t one of the main characters we discussed.
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David Brainerd was a missionary in what is now New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, USA. He served native peoples in the 1740s, at a time when they were looked down on, used and even slaughtered. He died at the age of 29 of tuberculosis, and didn’t live to see a lot of lives changed. The work was continued by his brother John, and his ministry did have a lasting impact.
But his journals probably had an even greater impact than his actual ministry. He wrote a very personal diary, never intending it to be published. It’s brutally honest, as Brainerd dealt with loneliness, depression, and his ongoing illness. And yet his passion to serve the Lord and find strength in Him shone through.
His journals were published by American theologian (and later himself a missionary to native Americans) Jonathan Edwards, who knew Brainerd personally. Those journals were read years later by English pastor and schoolmaster William Carey, who became convinced that believers should share the truth of God’s Word with people around the world.
Carey attacked the prevailing belief that people should do nothing to reach others with the Gospel, and launched the modern age of missions.
Since then, countless Christians have found they can relate to Brainerd’s struggles, and have been inspired and motivated by his journals. This young missionary continues to impact the world, 260 years after his death (he died on this day in 1747).
Oh, but you came here looking for something FREE, didn’t you? Well, christianaudio.com is giving away the audio book The Life of David Brainerd, unabridged. This is the book by Jonathan Edwards that includes Brainerd’s journals. This is ordinarily a $25.98 download. It’s a total of 9 hours and 15 minutes.
* To get the book for free, enter the code OCT2007. This giveaway is only available until the end of October 2007.
If you prefer something you can hold in your hand, for a few dollars you can get the paperback version – The Life And Diary of David Brainerd.
Christians are religious. No they’re not. Or…
Are Christians religious?
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I have a feeling that question brings out some passionate responses in a lot of people. For some, it’s an emotionally loaded issue.
It could be argued that it’s really a question of semantics. Both the words "Christian" and "religious" are widely open to interpretation. Christian probably started out as a derogatory term (in what is now Antakya, Turkey), and is now often used in a pretty general way based on heritage. Religious – well, we’re getting to that.
But if you’re a follower of Jesus, are you religious? If your answer is yes, should you admit it?
I’m going to offend just about everyone by saying that, no, Christians are not religious. AND… yes, they are.
It’s been fairly fashionable for most of my lifetime to say that Christians are not religious. I know, people are pulling this out now like it’s a new idea, but really it’s not.
Some of the arguments went like this:
- Christianity is not a set of outward rituals, but a heart-change
- Christianity is not things you must do, but a relationship with God
- Christianity is not about organs, pews and dressing up on Sunday, it’s an inward change
- Christianity is not "just another religion" but something different
- Religion is man’s effort to reach God, Christianity is God reaching out to man (who came up with this one? Just curious.)
There’s a lot of truth here (if a tad simplistic!). I appreciate the effort to distance Christianity from …. well, trying to find salvation in a bunch of rules and rituals. It is all about inward change, and a relationship. This theme is repeated over and over in the Bible – following laws won’t save or transform you, it takes a work of God on the inside (see Gal 3:23-25 and Rom 3:10-27).
What does the Bible say about religion? Religion isn’t a word commonly used of Christianity. In Col 2:16-3:17 Paul contrasts human religion with the reality in Christ. Human religion is a bunch of self imposed rules and false humility. Christianity is a new life in Christ, in which we obey His commands.
James talks about religion as well, in a rather ironic way. While assuming Christianity is a "religion", he actually talks about it as a kind of anti-religion. Not so much concerned with ritual, pure religion to James is controlling your tongue, visiting orphans and widows, and keeping unstained from the world (Jam 1:26-27). The Bible, it would seem, is rather suspicious of the term religion.
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On the other hand, look at it from the perspective of Joe I-don’t-believe-anything, or Sam I-ain’t-a-Christian. Should you, a "Christian", say you’re not religious?
On the pro side, you’re distancing yourself from organs and pews, not eating ice cream on Sunday and whatever other rules you can think of. You’re distancing yourself from "organized religion", which many people have had a bad experience with. You’re focusing on something more relational, vital, real.
But then, lo and behold – you’re a member of a group with a common set of beliefs (Rom 6:17). You get together with this group and perform rituals – like baptisms (Mat 28:19) and communion (1Cor 11:23-26). You have a life focused around God and what you believe He wants you to do (Rom 12:1-2).
Boy, that sure sounds like a religion to me! And … er … doesn’t following a religion make you religious?
If I were Joe I-don’t-believe-anything or Sam I-ain’t-a-Christian, I think I’d feel a little condescended upon, or, worse, manipulated, if I were told someone like this wasn’t religious.
- Wikipedia: A religion is a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people, often codified as prayer, ritual, and religious law.
- Mirrian-Webster: religious – relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity
- Oxford: religious – of, concerned with, or believing in a religion.
- Oxford: religion – a particular system of faith and worship. or the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
Sounds like Christians are religious to me.
By almost any normal definition of the word, Christians are religious, and Christianity is a religion. But we have to admit Christianity is different. It is focused on God reaching us, not us reaching for God. We aren’t Christians because we follow rules and rituals – it’s all about God’s grace toward us. Pews and organs and abstaining from this or that – these aren’t defining factors of our faith, and people need to realize that.
So in the end, how would you answer? Would it depend on who was asking? In what context? If you’re not a Christian, do you consider yourself religious? Why or why not?
Are you religious?
FAMEX Conference
One week from today the FAMEX missions conference begins in Querétero, Mexico. FAMEX is the Mexican branch of the Latin American mission agency, FAM International (Fraternidad de Apoyo Misionero). Involved in the conference is Envoy International, which is based out of Costa Rica.
It’s thrilling to see the growing passion among believers in Mexico to share the Gospel! We won’t be able to personally attend this conference, but thought it would be a reminder to you of how God is working in the growing church in Mexico.
Thanksgiving!
I’m just stopping by to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving (which is today in Canada)!
We are especially thankful for the news we got from La Villa Castilla today. You can read more at their blog here, but the short story is that he didn’t need bypass surgery, but just had minor surgery and will be released tomorrow. The doctors are still concerned – wondering why these blockages keep happening. So, there are questions to be answered, but so far so good.
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We didn’t do a lot to celebrate Thanksgiving today, except eat leftovers. We did have friends over for Thanksgiving, David and Lety and their one year old daughter Giselle. We’re thankful for them too!
Here’s Giselle with some silly clown hair from our kids’ dressups. Hannah came out dressed as a clown earlier, and Giselle was just captivated. 😉 Hannah never had such a good audience!
Anyway, we have a lot to be thankful for. Sometimes I think God drops Thanksgiving right down into more difficult times in our lives, to remind us that there’s still so much good.
Good from a good God!