waiting is active and patient

This Advent I continue to reflect on waiting. A couple years ago Henri Nouwen's words on active waiting stuck with me, as seen in my Advent reflection below. Today I came across these words on patient waiting from Henri Nouwen….

“But there is none of this passivity in Scripture. Those who are waiting are waiting very actively. They know that what they are waiting for is growing from the ground on which they are standing. That’s the secret. The secret of waiting is the faith that the seed has been planted, that something has begun. Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening. A waiting person is a patient person. The word “patience” means the willingness to stay where we are and life the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us. Impatient people are always expecting the real thing to happen somewhere else and therefore want to go elsewhere. The moment is empty. But patient people dare to stay where they are. Patient living means to live actively in the present and wait there.”

what are we waiting for...first week posts

The first week of Advent has come to a close. Here is a link to the first week reflections on the GodSpace series, "What Are We Waiting for this Advent?" Click here.

What Are We Waiting For This Advent?

This Advent Christine Sine is hosting a blog series, "What are we waiting for this Advent?" on her blog GodSpace. Today my contribution is posted on the blog. Click here or read below.

Advent in the Southern Hemisphere:

Actively Waiting in Newness of Life

This Advent and Christmas season will be my first in the Southern Hemisphere. Since moving to Buenos Aires, Argentina, I have often grumbled about how most church calendar reflections, liturgies, and meditations center around Northern Hemisphere seasons. The themes of Advent usually involve waiting in darkness as nature retreats to survive the cold. On the other hand, Easter themes most often reflect and celebrate the Resurrection alongside the new life of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Having now lived and shared life in Buenos Aires for almost two years, I am now more aware of the opposite rhythms of life and seasons here.

Since I went to visit family and friends in the United States last December, this year will be my first opportunity to observe, reflect, and participate in a spring and summer Advent season. I have already begun to notice some differences. We are quickly approaching the end of the school year and summertime, so there is much activity and anticipation with all that comes with summer breaks and vacations. Near the Christmas decorations at the stores are the summer outdoor supplies with pool and beach toys, patio furniture, and lots of plants and flowers. More and more people are outdoors enjoying the warmer temperatures and the new life in nature. People are anxious to soak in the fullness of green grass and trees in the plazas and parks in the city, engaging in the new life that comes with the season and enjoying it. All this stands in contrast to the Advent meditations of winter and parallels my desire to live my Christian life and faith to the fullest this Advent season.

This Advent, as I consider what I am waiting for, I think of new life! Jesus, the Good Shepherd, tells his disciples in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Advent is an active waiting! Both Isaiah and John the Baptist proclaim the Advent of the Messiah by teaching the people to prepare the way, make straight paths, and produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Isaiah 40:3-5, Luke 3:4-8). This active waiting implies engaging in the new life that Jesus brings. Yes, we wait in hopeful anticipation for Jesus’ Second Advent, but we also live into and experience the fullness of new life offered today.

So, the new life of spring and summertime in Buenos Aires will be the lenses through which I observe, reflect, and engage in Advent this year. Our community in Buenos Aires serves among children, youth, and families living in poverty, including those who live and/or work on the streets. How will I give testimony to this newness of life, as I seek be an instrument of the advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love in the lives of my community and our friends this Advent and Christmas? My Advent desire is to seek and live this newness of life in Jesus that stands in contrast to the things that steal, kill, and destroy. Actively waiting in newness of life!

First Sunday of Advent

Today begins Advent. I thought I would share a few more resources that have come my way since my post below (click here). Perhaps one of these resources, readings, or reflections will connect with you this Advent season. I begin with a quote from Henri Nouwen that was in my inbox from the Henri Nouwen Society this morning. A good reminder to make the Word central to our Advent waiting, reflection, meditation, and prayer.

Waiting with the Word. Our waiting is always shaped by alertness to the Word. It is waiting in the knowledge that someone wants to address us. The question is, are we home? Are we at our address, ready to respond to the doorbell? We need to wait together, to keep each other at home spiritually, so that when the Word comes it can become flesh in us. That is why the Book of God is always in the midst of those who gather. We read the Word so that the Word can become flesh and have a whole new life in us.


~ An excerpt from Finding My Way Home, Henri J.M. Nouwen

One Prayer a Day for Advent -
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/Daily-prayers.html

GodSpace: Daily Bible Readings for Advent -

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/daily-bible-readings-for-advent/

GodSpace: The First Sunday of Advent -

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/the-first-sunday-of-advent/

Advent Meditation & Prayer Exercise from Arthur Stewart

For the First Sunday or Week of Advent:

http://www.stewart5.net/2009/11/advent-week-1-november-29

Prayer for Welcoming Advent

On Prayers & Creeds.....Click here.

gestures of gratitude

Today our WMF community will enjoy an American Thanksgiving here in Buenos Aires with turkey and all the traditional fixins'. We will throw in some good 'ol Argentina beef, so we don't forget where we are! (And because turkeys are too expensive to buy two.) The Forcattos will host a full house later today, nine adults and five kids. Off to play some Norteamericano futbol at the park in a little bit to get the day started.

Pulled out some of my favorite quotes on gratitude to get the day started. Happy Thanksgiving all!

“God is the giver. We are the thanks-givers…As gestures of gratitude unite us on a human level, they also unite us with the divine Giver. God offers gracious gifts, covenantal blessings, summarized in ‘You Belong.’ In response we say, ‘Thanks! I am grateful!’ We embrace God’s acceptance of us and in turn are embraced…Our social gestures of thanks, like a handshake or a letter, correspond to our religious gestures, like sacrifice, worship, obedience. Religious gestures are our way of saying to God, ‘Thank you for all the good things that come from you, the Source of all life.’”

“Gratitude as recognition, receptivity, and response is a basic attitude and action of the Christian life. We not only recognize and are aware of God’s gifts to us, but we also continually find ways of saying thanks to God in worship, prayer, and ‘whatever we say or do.’ Our aim is to live our whole life as a sacred gesture of thanksgiving, a deep bow of gratitude, solidifying our relationship with God.”

(Taken from Space for God by Don Postema)

the new year begins this sunday....

The church calendar year, that is.

Advent begins this Sunday, November 29. The beginning of Advent also begins a new year in the seasons and liturgies of the church calendar. This week I was introduced to the Story-Formed Calendar, which follows the rhythms of the church calendar seasons and provides themes and focus for each season. The calendar recognizes a cycle of listening, celebration, and work twice in the entire year. I look forward to keeping up with this Story-Formed blog this new church year. I have added it to my sidebar. I, particularly, like the focus identified for each season.

Advent…a season of expectation

Christmas...a season of celebration

Epiphany….a season of illumination

Lent….a season of listening

Holy Week…a time to remember

Easter…a season of “Halleluiahs”

and Ordinary Time becomes a time of Intentional Living

~in our churches

~in our families

~in love

~in justice and mercy

~in praise and gratitude

To learn more about the Story-Formed calendar, click here:
http://storyformed.wordpress.com/about-the-story-formed-calendar/

Thanksgiving Prayer

I still post a prayer every Friday on Prayers and Creeds. Thought I would share this Thanksgiving Prayer on my blog. The link to the entire liturgy is below.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Gracious and generous God we give you thanks
For the gift of life for we are made in your image,
We think of all those in whom your divine image is still distorted
We pray for your mercy and love to rest upon them
God in your mercy be with them
Caring and providing God we give you thanks
For our homes that shelter and protect us,
We think of those without shelter and water and protection today
We pray for your provision to be poured out upon them
God in your mercy be with them
Abundant and giving God we give you thanks
For our food that nourishes and strengthens us,
We thing of those without food and nourishment today
We pray that you will feed them with the bread of life
God in your mercy be with them
Loving and compassionate God we give you thanks
For our friends and family who love and comfort us in times of need
We think of those who are alone and feel abandoned
God comfort and surround them that they may sense your presence
God in your mercy be with them

Gracious and generous God
We remember all the gifts you have given us,
We remember how lavishly you have provided,
We remember how lovingly you have cared,
We remember especially that greatest gift of all,
Jesus Christ our Saviour,
And we give you thanks.
Amen

Written by Christine Sine on GodSpace.
For entire Thanksgiving liturgy:
http://godspace.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/a-thanksgiving-prayer/

creating open space for advent....

I recently read the following description of a spiritual practice or discipline from Henri Nouwen, "the human effort to create open space to listen to the voice of the one who calls us the beloved." Very appropriate and timely as we enter the Advent season in just a week and a half.

Advent begins Sunday, November 29 (the Sunday after Thanksgiving). Sometimes I feel like I am rushing things reflecting on and discussing Advent before Thanksgiving. But, for me, I am finding it more and more necessary to consider how I will create open space sooner then later….before my December calendar completely fills up!

This will be my first Advent season and Christmas in Buenos Aires. I am thinking I will skip a tree this year….and just stick with my Advent wreath and the new nativity crèche I plan to buy here next week. I thought December outside the U.S. might prove more low-key and tranquilo! Opps! I am already finding it just as busy and full. Add the end of the school year and beginning of summer into the mix, and you get a U.S. June and December all rolled into one in the Southern Hemisphere. Making it even more essential to create that open space for Advent!

Below are some Advent links and resources I have discovered over the past few years. I’d love to hear any additional ways you are observing Advent this 2009!

Christine Sine’s Annual Advent meditation for 2009:

http://godspace.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/the-coming-of-the-lord-is-near-advent-meditation-video-2009/

GodSpace Blog:

This Advent Christine Sine will host a blog series, “What are we waiting for this Advent?” It will include blog posts and reflections from a variety of people. I plan to also contribute to this series. Stay tuned!

http://godspace.wordpress.com/

Songs for Advent:

My friend Ben Miller recently pointed me out to this digital download for Advent.

http://www.sojournmusic.com/2007/12/05/advent-songs-2007/

CRI/Voice - The Season of Advent: Anticipation and Hope:

www.crivoice.org/cyadvent.html

CRI/Voice - Daily Scripture Readings for Advent

(Book of Common Prayer – Year Two):

http://www.crivoice.org/advent2.html

Sacred Space Advent

(Includes Advent Retreat & Other Links):

http://www.sacredspace.ie/advent/

¡che!

The more I learn Spanish, the more I am picking up on distinct Argentine phrases and slang. One word I noticed immediately was ‘che.’ My trusty gringo guide to understanding the Argentines, titled ¡Che Boludo!, defines ‘che’ as ‘hey!’ or ‘hey you!’ Basically, it’s like a combination of ‘dude/bro!’ & ‘hey!’ The guide also defines it as a meaningless interjection in whatever context.

Okay….so, I am slowly figuring out the appropriate and natural contexts to use ‘che’ as ‘hey' or 'bro’! But, I still use it sparely, so I don’t seem too much like a poser. For sure, the ‘meaningless interjection’ part will take awhile without looking like I am trying way too hard to speak Argentine.

Oh, and in case you were wondering….It is also understood that the word was not adopted from Argentine Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, but in fact, the opposite. He received his nickname because Argentine’s frequent use of ‘che’ often distinguishes them from other Latin Americans.

amig@s en buenos aires

This one's from June...friends surprised me for my birthday!

Good times!

inCOMMON

My good friends, Christian & Sonya Gray, are Mission Directors for inCOMMON Community Development in Omaha, Nebraska (formally known as Mosaic Community Development). This past weekend the ministry introduced their new name and reaffirmed their vision.

"inCommon Community Development exists to affront poverty through the cultivation of supportive community networks that participate in the holistic development of vulnerable populations and neighborhoods."

I love what inCOMMON is all about!

To read more check out their website: http://incommoncd.org/

"Hace frio"

“Hace frio” is a daily greeting these days…."it is cold!" These past couple of weeks have been the coldest this winter so far. The days of shorts and flip flops are a distant memory lately. Many nights have dropped to freezing and below with the wind chill. These cold temps make life even more difficult and draining for our friends who live on the streets or in inadequate housing with dirt or cement floors and no heat. Our times with the youth inside the train station are extra chilly these days, as well. We share and drink a lot of warm “mate” as we sit together.

When I return home from being out in the cold, the first thing I do is flip on the space heater and warm up. I also crawl into a warm bed at night with multiple blankets to stay warm. I often think of my friends who can not escape the cold as easily. Next week we will start back up Encuentros gathering at the church after a month break due to the H1N1 virus. The youth have been anxiously awaiting these times, especially in this winter cold. One friend in particular asks every time we see him, when we will start back up our times at the church. For weeks he has been looking forward to it!

Please pray for our friends these remaining weeks of winter cold. Pray that our Encuentros gathering would be a time of rest and encouragement to them next Tuesday and Wednesday.

A friend in South Africa recently posted something on the difference in cold there. He reminds us to pray for those who can not choose to be warm. Click here.

H1N1 (Swine Flu) in Buenos Aires

The H1N1 Virus (Swine Flu) has hit Argentina pretty hard in recent weeks. This week the government announced closing schools for the month of July (the last two weeks of the month are already winter vacation for kids here). They are also discouraging any public gatherings to curtail the spread of the virus. See my prayer requests below for more specifics.

However, since sharing our prayer needs yesterday, we have now decided to cancel Encuentros for the month of July. Encuentros is our twice a month overnight gathering with the youth from the train station. As a precautionary measure, our church has canceled all gatherings for children, youth, and adults for the month, with the exception of an hour worship service on Sundays. This is happening throughout the city in churches and social/civic organizations.

My last prayer letter and prayer requests indicated how meaningful our Encuentros gatherings with the youth have been in recent months. We shared the news with them yesterday. They were disappointed, but understanding of the situation and need to cancel. It is extra disappointing to cancel during the winter season, since Encuentros provides our friends a safe, warm place to sleep a couple nights a month.

Please pray for God’s best this month. Pray that the spread of the virus would be limited in the weeks ahead. Pray that we can find special ways to connect with our friends and encourage them during this time. And pray that God would protect their health.

Buenos Aires News

Just added a new link on my sidebar ("Life in Argentina") for the latest news and headlines from Buenos Aires in English -
Buenos Aires Herald

July Prayer Requests

Here are some prayer needs for July from Buenos Aires. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer!

1) The winter chill has settled in for a few months. Please pray for our friends who live on the streets who spend their days and nights in the cold. Our friends who live in poor communities outside the city also lack heat in their homes made of plywood and tin. Pray that they would find places to stay warm and have adequate clothes and blankets for the season. The cold only intensives the stress on our friends, which in some can lead to more alcohol and drugs to numb the cold and reality of life. Pray that we can be sensitive and attentive to these realities and provide encouragement when needed.

2) The H1N1 virus (a.k.a. swine flu) has hit Argentina this winter flu season. The government recently announced that schools will close a couple weeks early for winter vacation in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. Other precautions are being taken during the month of July, as well. People living in poor communities are at risk of having the virus and going untreated. Please pray for our friends who live in these communities or on the streets. Pray that they would be protected from catching this virus, especially the younger children and young women who are pregnant. Pray for adequate access and treatment for those who are sick and need medical attention.

Here is the latest update on H1N1 from 7/2/09 in English from Buenos Aires Herald.
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/5268

3) Thank you for praying for our afternoons at the train station (Retiro) with the children and youth. We have shared some special interaction and time together with our friends recently. Through these times at the train station we have established some new friendships with a few youth who we have invited to join our Encuentros overnight gathering at the church twice a month. Please pray for opportunities to visit their homes outside the city.

4) Encuentros continues to be a significant part of our ministry among the children and youth. Last week we had 8 youth and several children attend this overnight gathering at the church. In addition to providing a safe warm place to sleep, we enjoy meals together around the table, activities, and a Bible reflection lead by our pastor here. Pray that God would continue to use these times together in significant and meaningful ways.

5) The Dean family returns to Buenos Aires on July 9 after almost two months of maternity/paternity leave. Please pray for their final days with family and friends in Alaska, where Jeremiah is from. Pray that they would come back rested and refreshed. We look forward to their return to our Buenos Aires community and have planned a few extended times together to catch-up later this month.

more growing into vocation...

I made it to Colonia, Uruguay for my visa run and a few days of personal retreat. While away, I plan to revisit the theme of vocation these next couple of days. Back in 2007 I shared some thoughts and reflections on vocation that still provide a foundation for what I hope to develop further (click here). As I attempt to pull together what I have learned about vocation so far, I think it is important to keep the below quote in mind…

“The very different vocational prospects for the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in our world offer a good starting point for the process of critical reflection on our social position. We should consider, for example, the question of whether the intricacies of vocational discernment are just a luxury for the privileged classes who are economically secure enough to be able to worry about things like ‘authenticity’ or ‘following their bliss.’ While a small minority of the world’s population is blessed with a range of interesting career options to choose from, the poor are cursed with severely limited options. For most of the world’s people, extreme poverty closes off vocational possibilities for meaningful work. The poor are consequently less concerned with whether a job is ‘right’ for them and more with whether there is any kind of job for them at all.” (A Sacred Voice Is Calling, John Neafsey)

As I seek to deepen my understanding of vocation, I need to keep this in mind. I need to frame my listening and vocational discernment with my friends in mind … my friends who struggle to make enough spare change to live day to day. I also need to remember that vocation is about more then my “work” or “occupation.” Ultimately, my vocation is follower of Jesus Christ, reflecting Him in all areas of life.

Just some initial thoughts as I begin this retreat.

in case anyone is still out there...

I’m still here! Once again I have lost my blogging groove…missing in action for a couple months! Here is my attempt to get in at least one blog post this month of June! I’m not even sure where to start. One highlight since I last posted was a visit from my mom and sister in May! It was so fun to share my life here with them and play tourist, taking in all the sights of Buenos Aires. We had a great time together, including spending Mother’s Day with mom. It has been a long time since both Donja and I have been together with our mom on Mother’s Day….little did we know it would happen in Buenos Aires. Thanks for visiting, mom and Donja!

The highlight of June was celebrating a big decade birthday….you all know the one. Let’s just say “quarenta” sounds older in Spanish, too! For my b-day weekend I got away to Mar del Plata, a beach city about 5-hours away from Buenos Aires. Even though it was winter and chilly, the sights, sounds, and smells of the ocean were refreshing! The following weekend the Forcattos surprised me with a party with Argentine friends and an album of meaningful notes, memories, and pictures. It was a great way to ring in a new decade of life! Thanks everyone for your emails, FB wall posts, and notes from across the miles!

Tomorrow (Sunday) I am headed to Uruguay for a “visa run.” Every six-months I need to renew my Argentina visa by leaving the country and reentering. Uruguay is just an hour boat ride across the Rio del Plata. I will combine the visa run and with some retreat time for a few days. Colonia is a quiet, sleepy little town on the river…A nice change of pace from big city life in Buenos Aires.

Well, this barely scratches the surface of news from here. But, it’s a start. I’ll try and be back soon! Nos vemos!

Eastertide Prayer of Praise & Easter Virtues

Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In His great mercy
He has given us a new birth
to a living hope through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead
and to an inheritance
that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
It is reserved in heaven for you,
who because of your faith in God
are being protected by His power
until the salvation
that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.
(Adapted from 1 Peter 1:3-5)

Lord,the resurrection of Your Son
has given us new life and renewed hope.
Help us to live as new people
in pursuit of the Christian ideal.
Grant us wisdom to know what we must do,
the will to want to do it,
the courage to undertake it,
the perseverance to continue to do it,
and the strength to complete it.

Taken from New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book

A Good Friday Prayer

A Litany for Good Friday

Jesus Christ, Savior of our world,
Redeemer of all creation,
The bringer of health and wholeness,
We bless and praise your name.
You died for us and hung upon a cross,
Your blood was shed and your body broken,
So that we might be set free,
We bless and praise your name.

Have mercy on us,
Son of the living God,
Healer of lepers, feeder of the hungry,
Releaser of the oppressed, bringer of wholeness,
Christ crucified, Eternal God
Have mercy on us.

Help us to lay down our own lives daily,
And consciously take on Christ’s life,
May we consider the needs of others as more important than our own,
Teach us, Lord, to live the life of the cross.
Enable us to live a life of service and not of selfish ambition,
Empower us to reach out with compassion and care,
May we identify with the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable,
Teach us, Lord, to live the life of the cross.
Encourage us to extend ourselves in serving and loving,
Being willing to walk the extra mile,
May we reach out to all those who suffer and are in pain.
Teach us, Lord, to live the life of the cross.
Forgive us for when we discard Christ’s life,
And so quickly reach for our own ways again,
For it is in dying to ourselves that we find life and enter the ways of your kingdom.
Teach us, Lord, to live the life of the cross.

Excerpt from “Litany for Good Friday”
Taken from A Journey Into Wholeness (Lenten Guide 2009)
By Christine Sine
http://msainfo.org/articles/a-journey-into-wholeness-lenten-reflection-guide

Prayer for Palm Sunday

Assist me mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that I may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle. For Divine Hour liturgies this Holy Week, click here.

I am also following the Passion Week via Twitter. While I usually avoid Twitter because it it just too much real time information, this week I will follow the events of Jesus' final week via the @passionweek account created by John Chandler. The Twitter account will give brief real time glimpes of what Jesus experienced at the estimated time he would of experienced it. You can read more about it by clicking here.

You can check out the Passion Week Twitter here @passionweek.

Witness to Remembrance

Last year our community in Buenos Aires participated in a photo project with communities in Seal Beach, California and Freetown, Sierra Leone. We were given disposable cameras to take photos of places and things that reminded us of a loved one who passed away. It served as witness to the individual’s remembrance. The project was first displayed at Grace Community Church of Seal Beach late last year. Now the exhibit is posted in an “Online Gallery.”

I participated in the project and remembered my Uncle Don who passed away unexpectedly in 2007.

Click here to see the entire Witness to Remembrance "Online Gallery":
http://www.greenlyartspace.com/Current%20Projects.html

Autumn & Lent

While I was away on my retreat a week ago, I went on a boat ride through the local rivers near the city. Being the last weekend of summer, life along the river banks was still green and plush. However, I observed this one lone tree that jumped the gun a bit in showing off its autumn colors. There in the mist of all the other green trees, this one colorful tree reminded me that autumn was around the corner. Last Friday, while most of you welcomed spring up north, we welcomed autumn down south here in Argentina.

Living in the Southern Hemisphere I have often gripped about the lack of materials and reflections that connect the seasons of the church calendar with the annual seasons of the Southern Hemisphere. For example, most reflections connect Advent with winter and Lent and Easter with spring. Well, here in Argentina it is now autumn as we observe Lent. This past weekend I was searching for and reflecting on any parallels between Lent and autumn.

In his book Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer reflects on the seasons of life. On autumn he writes, “In my own experience of autumn, I am rarely aware of the seeds being planted. Instead, my mind is on the face that the green growth of summer is browning and beginning to die. My delight in the autumn colors is always tinged with melancholy, a sense of impending loss that is only heightened by the beauty all around. I am drawn down by the prospect of death more than I am lifted up by the hope of new life”

Palmer goes on to conclude, “Autumn constantly reminds me that my daily dyings are necessary precursors to new life. If I try to ‘make’ a life that defies the diminishments of autumn, the life I end up with will be artificial, at best, and utterly colorless as well. But when I yield to the endless interplay of living and dying, dying and living, the life I am given will be real and colorful, fruitful and whole.”

I am learning that Lent is a season to die to the self that does not reflect the characteristics true to God’s image and Kingdom. It is a time to confront our false self. It is a time to put to death identity, value, meaning, and purpose that are inconsistent with being created in the image of God for His purposes. As I shared in a previous post, I am learning that the purpose of the disciplines of Lent is to put to death those parts of our lives that prevent us from living more fully into God’s resurrection Kingdom.

This first week of autumn I have now noticed other trees beginning to turn yellow and gold. These remaining weeks of Lent, I pray that these increasing fall colors will serve as a daily reminder of the areas of my life that I need to die to, so that I can more fully live the resurrection. As Palmer reminds us, these daily dyings are necessary precursors to new life, more fruitful and whole.

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” Romans 6:8

One Year!

Just a quick post on this year anniversary of my arrival in Buenos Aires (March 14)! I am enjoying a weekend retreat getaway in a riverside town just outside the city, called Tigre (about two hours away by bus & train). I found a B & B right on the river and I am looking forward to a couple “tranquilo” days of rest, reflection, and retreat.

Today is the last Saturday of summer here. And it is giving us one last summer blast of heat. One news headline read, "La Ciudad es un Horno" (The City Is an Oven). Tomorrow the temps drop about 10 degrees celsius. Our clocks also "fall back" tonight. So, the time difference from California is now back to 4-hours.

I continue to seek ways posture my heart during this season of Lent. I recently found a very helpful reflection from Christine Sine, “What Lent Is preparing Us For? You can check out the entire reflection on her blog - click here. But, here is the essence of what she says...

“First I want to emphasize that Lent is not about preparation for the celebration of Stations of the Cross much as I enjoy participating in that experience. Nor is it even primarily a preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, even though this is the pivotal celebration of our faith.

“Lent is primarily about preparing us to live in the world that Christ’s resurrection brought into being - the kingdom of God world - what I like to call God’s resurrection created world. It is about preparing us to follow the one who “transfigured the world with the Spirit of life.”

This provides a helpful and important shift in understanding the purpose of Lent. Our intentional focus and disciplines during Lent are to clear away the clutter that keeps us from living more fully into God’s Kingdom in this world. Sine goes on to say, “The disciplines that we establish during this season are for that purpose. They are intended to break down the barriers that inhibit us from dwelling fully in this world. It is intended as a time to put to death those parts of our lives that are not centered on God and God’s purposes.”

spanish, lent, & one year in buenos aires

I am wrapping up my intensive Spanish course tomorrow with the oral exam. Friday was the written exam. Overall, this past month of daily Spanish class and study has been just what I needed. On some days I left class feeling encouraged and hopeful, while other days I left discouraged and frustrated. I will continue to press on and meet with a tutor three times a week.

Next weekend marks one year in Buenos Aires! I arrived March 14. I just made a reservation to get away for a couple days of personal retreat next weekend to a riverbank town outside the city called Tigre. Tigre lies on the river, Paraná Delta. I visited there three years ago when I visited the Forcattos during my around the world trip. It should be a tranquilo space to rest, reflect, and celebrate my first year here.

Every Friday our community is praying the Lenten liturgies created by Christine Sine in her Lenten Guide. I continue to contribute every Friday to the Prayers & Creeds blog (www.prayersandcreeds.wordpress.com) This week I posted an excerpt from this week’s liturgy (“A Litany for the Brokenness of Hunger”), but thought I would also share it here.

God, you have set us free
Not free to do what we please
But free to love you with our whole heart gladly
Free to love our neighbors as we do ourselves.
God, we need to know your freedom
Free us from our selfishness
Free us from our indifference to the plight of the poor
Free us to love and serve you with all our being.
God, we want to live in your freedom
Free us to show compassion to all who are cast by the wayside
Free us to share generously so that others will not hunger or lack provision
Free us to live in love and mutual care.
God, you call us to freedom
Freedom to love you with our hearts and souls and minds
Freedom to love our neighbors as ourselves
God, may we enter the freedom of your kingdom today.

Pause to offer up your own prayers for those who face hunger around the world

Let God’s compassion bloom in us
Let God’s righteousness bear fruit
Let God’s generosity be harvested
May God’s life be born afresh in us
May God’s light shine in hidden places
May God’s love take root and grow
Amen

Excerpt from “A Litany for the Brokenness of Hunger”
Taken from A Journey Into Wholeness (Lenten Guide 2009) by Christine Sine
http://msainfo.org/articles/a-journey-into-wholeness-lenten-reflection-guide

Ash Wednesday

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40-day period plus six-Sundays leading up to Easter. This year I am looking forward to using two resources to be my guide through Lent. I will be praying with the church using a The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle (Eastertide: Prayers for Lent through Easter from the Divine Hours). This prayer book includes both Morning and Evening Offices. Many of the scripture readings and prayers are taken from the Book of Common Prayer, as well as other ancient prayer books and hymns. Here is one church’s web site that posts The Divine Hours offices throughout the day: www.annarborvineyard.org/tdh/tdh.cfm

I will also be journeying through Christine Sine’s 2009 Lenten Guide, A Journey Into Wholeness. Our community here in Buenos Aires plans to make space each week to observe the liturgies that Sine has written and shared in the Guide for each week of Lent. The GodSpace blog is a great place to visit if you are looking for other resources for Lent this year. GodSpace will also include a “syncroblog” which will link many Lent reflections and meditations from other blog writers. In addition GodSpace includes some meaningful liturgy videos for Lent. Check it out: www.godspace.wordpress.com

I will close with the prayer for Ash Wednesday from The Divine Hours (taken from the BCP)…

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wickedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Happy Birthday, MOM!!!

2009 is a year of big decade birthdays in our family! Today my mom starts us off with celebrating 60 years of life! My grandma is next with 80. Then my bro-in law with 40. Then I turn the big 4-0 in June. Finally, my niece hits her first decade with 10 years. I will miss celebrating these milestone birthdays together!

Today I am sending lots of birthday love to California from Buenos Aires! Happy Birthday, Mom! Today I celebrate you and give thanks to God for all you are to me! Have fun at Disneyland!

not too early to prepare for lent...

The season of Lent begins in just about two weeks on Ash Wednesday, February 25. If you are considering ways to observe and journey through Lent this year, Christine Sine has written a super helpful Lenten Reflection Guide that is posted on Mustard Seed Associates website for download. It focuses on different themes of brokenness for each of the five weeks of Lent and includes reflections, litanies, and suggested activities for each week.

To check it out, click here....
A Journey Into Wholeness: Lenten Reflection Guide

She also plans to follow up the Lenten Guide with a similar guide for the celebration of Easter and the resurrection, leading up to Penetcost Sunday in May. Good stuff!

wha'sup with me?

I have been a little quiet on updates from life here in Buenos Aires since returning over a month ago. January was a great month getting back into the summer rhythm of life and ministry here. Summertime is a different pace around here. Lots of people are coming and going on vacation, while others staying in city take it a little slower, enjoying summertime sun and fun. Thankfully, the summer has not been too hot and humid (Yet! Summer isn’t over.). Here are just a few updates on the latest happenings.

• I begin my intensive four-week Spanish course on Monday. I took a placement test this past week and tested at an intermediate level (which seems a little generous, but I’ll take it). I am hopeful this course will be just what I need in language acquisition. I go 5 mornings a week for 3 hours and I plan to spend a few hours studying each day, as well. There are 14 students in each class from all over the world with different first languages. I’ll let you know the make-up of my class.
  

• Due to travel schedules, vacations, and other factors, I have been going to the train station (Retiro) to spend time with the youth by myself a lot these past several weeks. While this is not ideal and not something for the long-term, I think these times have solidified some of my relationships with our friends. At first they would always greet me and ask with some surprise, “solo?” And they still always ask, “Walter?” The groups have been a little smaller and low key, which has provided a more “tranquilo” environment to be with the kids and youth. One day a group of kids went through the list of about 7-8 of our staff and partners who regularly spend time with them, asking where they have been. I responded with explanations on who was where, etc.
  
  Please pray for the kids and youth, as our presence with them will be even less in February. Several staff and partners are still out of town, while Jeremiah and I will be focusing on more intensive language study. I plan to go to the station at least once a week to connect with the kids. In March we will start back up “Encuentros,” our twice a month overnight and full-day at the church with 4-6 of the youth.

• I’m excited! Visitors are coming, visitors are coming! Thanks to frequent flyer miles. My mom and sister will come in May for a visit. And some good friends from Omaha will visit in August. We also have some a few South American WMF friends coming to visit after Easter. It will be fun to share my life here with family and friends!
  

Well, that seems like enough for now. It is Saturday morning and the rest of the day is calling! Thanks for checking in! (If there is still anyone out there on my blogsphere?)

Collect of the day: Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

This week's prayer from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Praying with the Book of Common Prayer…Showcase for Scripture

One of my goals and desires this year is to spend time worshipping and praying with the various prayer books. I am using the book, Praying with the Church by Scot McKnight, as my introduction guide in exploring these prayer books (See post below). I am beginning with The Book of Common Prayer, which comes from the Anglican Church and dates back to 1549. The first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer wrote this prayer book to provide an orderly way of praying and reading Scripture. The Morning and Evening Prayers and other liturgies are deeply rooted in the rhythms and traditions of Jesus, which includes the Psalms, Scriptures, and the Lord’s Prayer.

At the time it was originally written in the 16th century most people did not own or read the Bible for themselves. So, one of the goals was to bring people to read scripture for themselves. Through the prayer book, Cranmer brought every church in England to the Bible daily through morning and evening prayers. As I have been praying with the BCP this past month, I have noticed that the prayers, collects, and canticles are written in the plural, using “us” and “we.” They are designed to be prayed together, in a community of faith. While I have been using Morning Prayers privately, I am reminded that I join with other saints, past and present, around the world who pray these same prayers. Hence, the “Common” in The Book of Common Prayer.

The BCP has gone through several revisions since the 16th century. There is an English Anglican version and a U.S. Episcopal version. The prayer book itself is a little complicated to navigate at first. It requires a lot of bookmarks to reference back and forth through the readings and prayers. Thankfully, for those of us new to the BCP there are some web sites that simplify it and pull it all together. I have especially found this Daily Office prayer site helpful….I have also added the link to my sidebar. http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

The Morning Prayers can take awhile, so I select to meditate and pray just some of the scriptures and prayers. I am now focusing on the Psalm and Gospel readings of the day. I am still exploring and familiarizing myself with the many prayers and collects. I am finding them more and more meaningful as they grow more familiar and instill in my mind and heart. I plan to continue in the BCP up until Ash Wednesday. Then I will continue my journey in exploring the prayer books with The Divine Hours during Lent and Eastertide.

N.T. Wright says of the BCP, “that of the Anglican Communion, the regular offices of Morning and Evening Prayer are, in all kinds of ways, ‘showcases for scripture.’ That is, they do with scripture (by use of prayer, music, and response) what a well-organized exhibition does with a great work of art: They prepare us for it, they enable us to appreciate it fully, and they give us and opportunity to meditate further on it.”

Showcase for Scripture! I love that illustration for the BCP and other liturgy!

Collect of the Day: Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Today’s Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer:
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Today’s Prayer from The Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

We are in now in the season of Epiphany until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (2/25).
For more on Epiphany click here –
http://www.crivoice.org/cyepiph.html

For a meaningful liturgy for Epiphany click here - http://godspace.wordpress.com/2009/01/06/liturgy-for-epiphany-2/

praying with the church in 2009

I started off the year with the book, Praying with the Church by Scot McKnight. It is always cool how God brings just the right book right when I need it! Some of you have followed my journey in exploring and learning more about the seasons and liturgy of the church calendar. For someone who did not grow up in a liturgical church tradition, I have found it refreshing and meaningful to my personal rhythm of spirituality and abiding with God these past few years. It has also been cool to share in some of these rhythms with my friends and communities in SoCal, Buenos Aires, and around the world via cyberspace. I am beginning to recognize how the church calendar and seasons have provided a routine and consistency in my inner life of worship, reflection, and meditation during a period of change and inconsistency in my external circumstances. It has provided a space of comfort and rest.

Praying with the church in 2009 seems to be the next step in this journey. In his book, Scot McKnight recognizes two types of prayer in Scripture. There are spontaneous individual prayers and communal prayers. McKnight says, “Prayer is both small and private and quiet and all alone, and prayer is public and verbal and with others and in the open. We may seek individual prayer, but the individual needs to be encompassed by the Church in prayer. We need both the personal and communal – both are good, both are spiritually formative.”

He goes on to say, “We are invited to let our personal prayers be engulfed and enlarged by our prayers of the Church. We are invited to pray both in the church and with the church…Praying with the Church involves allowing our prayer lives to be adjusted to the sacred rhythms of the Church’s tradition and invites us to use the words of the Bible and the Church.”

The book goes on to highlight the daily sacred rhythms of communal prayer found in the history of the Israelites, the Psalms, and in the life of Jesus. It then summarizes and describes a few of the primary historical prayer books of the Church, including A Manual of Eastern Orthodox Prayers, The Liturgy of the Hours, and The Book of Common Prayer. There is also a chapter on praying with the The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle, which is a newer prayer book. Scot McKnight’s blog, Jesus Creed, includes a Blogroll on the sidebar of Daily Prayers from various prayer books online if you want to check it out (http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/).

I plan to take my time in this book as a guide in exploring and experiencing these various prayer books over the coming year. I started with The Book of Common Prayer, which I will blog more about next time.

back in la boca hood!

I have now been back in Buenos Aires for almost two weeks. I still can’t get over how fast the weeks zoom by! Beside all my heavy bags, I also brought back a cold/flu bug from California that slowed me down for about a week. Thankfully, I stocked up on more Dayquil and Nyquil to take the edge off and get me through the days and nights. I am now feeling a lot better!

My first week back included a couple days away on retreat with our WMF community. There is a retreat center about an hour outside the city that rents out a large three bedroom apartment. It was a perfect spot for us all to be together, especially with the kids. Lots of open outdoor space to enjoy the summer sun (and big trees and gazebos to enjoy the summer shade!). It was good to be back with the Dean and Forcatto families and catch-up on life together! In addition to just hanging out and sharing meals together, our time included space for individual solitude with God one afternoon, as well as good conversations about the year ahead. It was a great way to kick-off the new year together!

This past week has included regrouping and reconnecting. It was great to reconnect with our friends at the train station (Retiro). Summertime is a slower pace here in Buenos Aires, so the vibe is a little more low key. I also had a good week catching up, reviewing Spanish, and making plans for the new year.

I will start back with my Spanish tutor this week ahead before the more intensive month-long class in February.

We recently posted our community prayer requests for January, if you would like to join us in prayer! Click here...January Prayer Requests

happy 2009!

Where did the time go?! Time with family and friends in California was sweet! Lots of fun and memories shared! Tomorrow I head back home to summertime in Buenos Aires. Looking forward to sweet reunions with community and friends there!

Hopefully, the new year will bring my blogging groove back!