interesting...

I've thought this idea before... it is interesting that they actually have a fancy word for it!

the journey...

John 21:21-22

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!"

It has been an amazing journey these last 8 years... much like a trail on a hillside that you can't quite see around. Oh, you move forward in confidence because of the God you serve but in your heart you know that anything is possible just around the corner. I guess that is the challenge of James - continually living a life of faith filled movement WHILE living and speaking humble statements of, "if God wills". It feels like the consistent lesson of these last couple of years has been, "you follow Me!" Wherever I say to go, whatever I call you to do... "you follow Me!" Don't worry about what others will say or what others are doing... "you follow Me!" Don't worry about how I will care for your needs (because I will!)... "you follow Me!"

And that's what we are going to do.

As most of you know, the past couple of years have been bumpy for us. After a tough season and de-commissioning of the Glasgow site, Britany and I have been in an extended season of processing the past, present and future (all the while carrying on with missionary life). This has included MANY conversations with mentors, family, co-workers, counselors and LOTS of prayer. In the midst of all this God has clearly confirmed that He led us from Scotland to San Diego for a season of learning and listening AND to walk alongside Rob & Laurie and help them shape this new site. Though we always knew San Diego was not a permanent move for us, this fall God began doing something in our hearts that seemed confusing yet powerfully true... He was remaking our calling.

So a couple weeks ago we sat down with Rob and Laurie again and shared what we feel is the beginning of a new vision for us and our family. It is a vision that includes moving this summer to a new destination (Portland, OR) and a change to our ministry focus (The Berean Way). But we are hopeful that this new focus will involve a strong relationship with NieuCommunities and CRM. It has been a difficult process/decision because we love this ministry and the people. Honestly, if God had told us in Glasgow, "Move your family of six to San Diego for one year then I'll be moving you on," we probably would have never done it. But we're so thankful that God didn't reveal it then because we know that this is right where we are supposed to be and with the right people to work through this next step in our journey. In many ways it feels like we have been experiencing what NieuCommunities seeks to do with all those we apprentice.

So what are the pieces to this new calling? Well, there are a number of them but the two most closely tied to our mission are:

1. Teaching, encouraging, feeding and praying with indigenous church leaders in hard to reach places (like the barefoot pastors in India). As many of you know, I have been working alongside my brother-in-law's ministry called The Berean Way for the last couple years. This ministry has significantly impacted who I am... and in the process, what I wish to do.

2. One of the great features of The Berean Way is that it takes "short-termers" into these difficult settings as well and gives them a taste of God's power "in the field"... forcing people to wrestle with themselves. We believe that we can leverage these experiences with the leaders who go on these trips and help them craft their own discipling communities and expressions amongst their neighbors. It is this piece that I hope will have strong ties to what we have been doing with NieuCommunities and CRM.

Rob Yackley (my boss) has written a brief note on our behalf:

Tim and Britany are great friends and trusted colleagues. They have been around from the beginning and have given so much to NieuCommunities. I'll always be grateful for that. We will miss them dearly here in San Diego, but we also want to see them serving from a place of strength. We will certainly feel their loss, but we also have a sense of release that feels healthy and right too.

We're looking forward to seeing what God will assemble up in Portland and we're hopeful that the community they form there will be part of the NieuCommunities family.

Peace
Rob

We are SO excited to see what God is going to do but we are also a little afraid and a little unsure - and that's OK. We are feeling that sensation of faith (being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see) filling our hearts... and that feels good. Would you pray for us as we begin this new journey? In the next days I will post some more specific prayers requests BUT, for now, pray for courage to follow Him as He calls.

Thank you all for your support and prayers!
grace and peace,
The McDonald clan

in Mexico

This weekend our community spent a few days "south of the boarder" at a home in a small village called Porvenir. It was a beautiful area with rocky mountains and long valleys. The village was simple... filled with dusty roads and shacks... and awesome taco stands! It was a time for us as a community to hear each others stories and share symbol time-lines.

For those of you who are wondering, a symbol time-line is a pictorial version of your life... your great moments and your hardest moments... your successes and your failures. It helps you identify God's hand in your life experiences and gain a clearer picture of where God is leading you. It is a great tool for hearing others stories BUT it is also a great tool for remembering who you are. If you have never sat down and thought through your story AND put it to paper... I strongly encourage you to do it!

dead... and dying

Colossians 3:3

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:5

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you...

I find the scriptures amazing.

Like its Author, it defies our human boxes and limitations while presenting truth and light for our (very human) path. It figures out ways of saying that things ARE in fact right/wrong while opening doors that help us find freedom, perspective and rescue in an ever changing landscape. It shows us which life is REAL... while at the same time helping us see what real LIFE is.

It is a breathtaking collection of God's words.

As we have progressed through Colossians we have seen many incredible examples of God's powerful Voice... but one in particular struck me this week as we talked. It is found in verses 3 & 5 of chapter 3. Paul tells us that we are dead men/women walking... that we have a new life hidden in Christ. It is connected to the imagery used earlier with baptism - we have died WITH Christ and are now something different... a new creation, a new man, a child of light.

YET

Two verses later Paul tells us that we must put to death that which is earthly... which feels very real to my very human heart.

But wait... which is it Paul. Are we dead and hidden in Christ OR are we wrestling with ourselves and trying to put to death that which is earthly.

The answer of course is, "yes."

But knowing that we need more than to just "know" that we have to fight everyday for this life in Christ... God gives us in His scriptures through His servant Paul the most powerful tool He can - He gives us hope. Hope of who we REALLY are. Hope of who we CAN become. Hope in WHO really holds us in Himself.

And hope does not disappoint... Romans 5:5!

The "Hand of God"

1 Peter 5:5-7

...Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

It is amazing how often I find myself surprised by what God does.

I know, I know... it seems like a subtle (or not so subtle) form of arrogance but so often I think to myself, "huh, I didn't see that coming". Why it should surprise me that I don't understand the plan that God has OR why He chooses to do what He does is beyond me... obviously. Recently a friend of mine (thank you Sophia) shared a picture she had drawn about how God moves in her life. It was actually two pictures that communicate a very powerful idea about God.

The first picture showed her with a mighty hand behind her gentle nudging her forward as she lived her life. I imagine this hand as being half motivator and half comforter... like my hand on my daughters back as she was learning to ride her bike. Firm yet gentle. Guiding yet unleashing. You sense that at any moment it is OK for you to simple allow yourself to rest in it's guidance BUT it is equally OK to simply move forward passionately allowing each nudge to keep you focused.

The next picture is a little different.

In the next picture the mighty hand has a firm grasp on her and is moving as IT chooses. At first I imagine this hand as powerfully controlling my destiny and making me move towards things that I don't necessarily want... like when I make my son eat his broccoli. It feels powerful and, ironically, a bit removed from my reality. At times it might even feel unloving. But as I reflected on this picture further this week in light of current events in my life another picture began to unfold. Maybe this second picture is more like the time I saved my son off the bottom of the pool. My grasp was NOT gentle. My movements were NOT graceful. My response was forceful (almost uncaring)... and yet, in that moment, my heart could not have been filled with more love.

This week, due to circumstances that were WAY beyond my control, my trip to India was pulled out from under me. A trip I have been looking forward to for a year. As much as I want to blame governments, policies and even the enemy... I know the "Hand of God" is more powerful than all of them. I know the "Hand of God" moves as He (in goodness) wills. I know what His hand feels like on my back as He moves me forward and I know what it feels like to be rescued from circumstance or self. I guess the thing I don't understand is why I'm repeatedly surprised when it happens...

Lord, I surrender to Your hand. I surrender to Your plan. Lead as You will... and will as You lead. Our lives are Yours to do with as You will... any time, any place and at any cost. Amen.

hearing from God

Inside out

Colossians 2:6-8

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

I was sharing yesterdays story (on my blog) about Chase at our community time because it related to a passage that we are studying as we read through the book of Colossians together.

It is amazing how we look to, even rely upon, these external philosophies, traditions and principles to guide us as we live our lives. Like a crutch - or maybe a leash - to keep our hearts under control and give our lives direction. I suppose there are many reasons... a fear of sin, failure, success. But us humans migrate to them religiously, politically and socially all the time. It seems a lot like the difference between having a dog on a leash versus having a dog that is attentive to (even "in love with") it's owner... ready to move, ready to turn... looking for that change in stride or turn of head.

We can feel the battle that is taking place between walking with/in Christ and allowing ourselves to be controlled or guided by external devices but it can be tough to see the differences. In Colossians 2 we see some examples of what these two types of lives can look like:

External = philosophies/empty deceit, human tradition, elemental spirits/principles, false asceticism and worship, puffed up sensual mind/ideas, not holding fast to Christ, etc.

Internal = rooted and built up in Christ, established in faith, taught, thankful, being filled, changed/circumcised heart, made alive... and debt free, holding fast to the head which is Christ, etc.

At the heart of this passage is this simple, powerful truth:
Jesus is more interested in remaking us from the inside out than he is with us adhering to a list of rules.

He desires a heart that walks with Him.

We left our time together with two questions:
Where am I relying on a leash/rule to govern my soul instead of nurturing this profound relationship with Christ?
Where do I see a flicker of this walk inside my heart that needs to be fanned into a passionate flame?

roller coaster

It's been an interesting few weeks. Here our latest update...

To our supporters, friends and family,

What a roller coaster this last week has been. In the midst of the financial "meltdown" on Wall Street we have been in a emotional and financial tug-of-war with the sellers of the home and the company giving the loan (the two companies are connected). Depending on what hour of which day we either had the house and were moving forward or were never going to be able to get it... Thursday night we were called by the mortgage guy saying that he might be able to lend us the mortgage after all because the foundation was not as bad as we had originally thought. He was going to go to his boss and give it a try and let us know today whether they would take us. Well, in the midst of this, we began processing what the bottom line had become for us financially over these last days. With the Canadian dollar now so low we have lost 15% of our monthly support in 9 days and then lost thousands of dollars bringing our deposit across to the US from Canada. What this meant was that we were no longer in the financial condition we had started the process AND as we processed that we came to the realization that God wanted us to pull out of the house! We have asked God to lead us through this whole deal and I think that is the hardest part about it. At times it has felt like the doors were closing and then all of a sudden the door would open in amazing ways.

I (Britany) think we are dealing with a whole lot more than just losing a house offer. When I was writing in my journal this morning I realized that it had become TOO important to me that I settle me and this family ~ I think God has wanted me to surrender settling to Him. I think that it is all mixed with culture shock, moving back to the US, Tim learning a new job role, relearning how to do community and trying to find a home. We have come through the last 2 years and realized we are different people. We have grown, matured and also have to relearn who we are. God has been faithful and to be really honest I know that He has spared us from something.

I (Tim) have realized just how focused I had become on getting into a house. Partially I think I was looking for some of those settling pieces like Brit but also I think I was hoping it would solve some of our financial situation. I had begun to look to this house (or any house) as an answer to the big question of "what do we do now?" I believe God provides... I have said it before AND I believe it BUT it is always tricky to find that balance between doing all we can to make up for lost support AND waiting on His provision.

So this is where we are...

listening...

(pic by Jon Hall)

As I reflected on the Wesley quote I posted a few days ago I found myself thinking about where we are "at" as a community...

It’s been 32 days since we moved into Golden Hill, San Diego… a couple weeks less for the Yackleys and 1 week more till the Hall family gets here. It is still a little surreal walking the streets and praying for our new neighbors and the Spirit’s work here. Our little inner city neighborhood is home to so many new things for us as a family AND as a team – new sounds, new sights, new challenges, new adventures and new rhythms. This week we began to meet and pray (and walk, and share, and eat and speak) together as a small community AND thus begin the process of listening. We are eager to move into the lives of our neighbors but aware of how much we NEED God’s leading and directing. We are eager to “do”, eager to go, eager to move, just as Wesley calls… but first, we choose to listen. Everything is, after all, new.

God grant us Your ears to hear. Grant us Your eyes to see. Father, place inside of us Your heart for these people. We recognize that You love the people of Golden Hill more than we ever will AND that Your vision for nieucommunities in San Diego is the perfect vision… and that IS the vision we desire. Lead us Lord as we listen to this city, as we listen to our own hearts AND, most importantly, as we listen to You. Help us precious Savior to do all the good we can. By all the means we can. In all the ways we can. In all the places we can. At all the times we can. To all the people we can. As long as You give us breath.

Amen.