http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/ Greenleaf Reflections Fri, 26 Aug 2005 09:55:04 PDT http://www.blogdrive.com Copyright 2005. http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/27.html Fri, 26 Aug 2005 17:53:36 GMT It's been a long, strange trip, getting home from Africa, but I made it and I've finally gotten around to posting some reflections. I've got a few things to post, so this is the first in a line of new stuff. I'll post them every couple days. There's the following reflection, the two sermons I preached while I was there, then a reflection on what it's been like coming home. Thanks for being patient. In the last election, John Edwards spoke of the fact that there are two Americas, one rich and one poor, and though he came under much fire for it, it is difficult to argue that the... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=27 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/26.html Thu, 23 Jun 2005 08:28:16 GMT Note the date--this is a reflection from last Wednesday, the day after the experience on which my last reflection was based. June 15, 2005 Luke 19:1-10 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=26 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/25.html Mon, 20 Jun 2005 11:49:29 GMT The first of two reflections on experiences I had last week. I do apologize for the gap between updates, and promise to get more things up to read. Thanks so much for those who continue to read this and send me notes of support. They mean a great deal to me, and I am strengthened each day by the knowledge that there are people at home who are thinking and praying over me as I spend my summer here. Please know that things are well, and that I am having a great time. Christmas in June June 14, 2005 Pinetown Methodist Church has what one might call a church “campus.” It really... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=25 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/24.html Tue, 07 Jun 2005 10:31:42 GMT June 5, 2005 Luke 24: 13-51 “Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=24 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/23.html Mon, 30 May 2005 15:31:26 GMT For now, I'm just going to be posting some daily reflections, maybe a week's worth at the time. Once I'm engaged more in the ministries here at PMC, I'm sure this will become more focused. Things are going very well, and the people here are great. It promises to be a very exciting summer. May 22-23, 2005 I met up with the three other students from Duke traveling with me at the airport in Atlanta, and we took the 10:30 flight to Johannesburg. I was surprised at how full the plane was; it was occupied mostly by a group of undergraduates from Hope College in Michigan. I’m not sure... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=23 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/22.html Thu, 26 May 2005 07:43:52 GMT Hello from South Africa! As I write this I'm sitting in the airport in Johannesburg waiting on my flight to Durban to join the people from Pinetown Methodist Church. The past few days at John Wesley Seminary in Pretoria have been amazing. I loved getting to meet the students there and the Dean, who was our host, is an incredible guy. We've been very fortunate to have such loving brothers who were so happy to have us. I'll be posting my reflections from the first week or so in the next few days. South Africa is a beatiful country--the landscape, the cities, and especially the people. ... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=22 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/21.html Tue, 26 Apr 2005 17:53:43 GMT It's been quite awhile since I've updated this, mainly because of a busy spring semester. The blogging is about to pick up again though--I found out in early March that I'll be spending this summer serving a church in South Africa, Durban to be specific. The church is Pinetown Methodist Church (www.ptnmeth.org.za), and is located just outside the city of Durban. Durban is a city of roughly 2.3 million people, and is located in the Kwazulu-Natal province along the Indian Ocean coastline. As many of you know, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in many African nations is reaching tragic proportions... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=21 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/20.html Tue, 01 Feb 2005 21:44:19 GMT As some of you may know, Greenleaf and First Christian held a second joint service on January 23. You can read my reflection on the first service below on this blog, and I plan on posting some more personal reflections on this particular service when I get the chance (and some pictures too, if I can figure out how). For now, I'll post my part of the sermon (the middle section of a 3 part sermon given by Rev. Barber, myself, and Rev. Lance Perry, entitled "Going Home with the Gospel") and the article that appeared on the front page of the Today section in the Wilmington Star News on... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=20 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/19.html Sat, 25 Dec 2004 02:06:08 GMT I haven't posted here for awhile, but I figured now would be as good a time as any, as I wait to attend my second Christmas Eve service of the night at 11pm. I appreciate the many, varied responses to my post election entry. It seems that whether or not you agreed, it at least evoked some response, which I guess is good. I haven't sunk into the post election depression that many who were disappointed by the result have, but I find it hard on this evening to view the footage of the bombs exploding around the world, even as we celebrate the birth of our Savior and echo statements like... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=19 http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/archive/18.html Tue, 09 Nov 2004 02:29:14 GMT It seemed like it was darker than usual, but then I guess it should've seemed that way. We drove past the gate, where a man who was probably younger than myself was dressed in camoflauge and armed. He inspected the sticker on the windshield, saluted, and waved us through. We drove through the night into what seemed like another world; the strangeness of being on a military base in the middle of the night made it seem like the kid at the gate marked passage into another kingdom under the reign of some other power, some other place where the rules are different and life's possibilities... (more) http://chrisatgreenleaf.blogdrive.com/comments?id=18