Some days are better than others. If cars had minds and feelings, I'd feel mighty sorry for our blue Vauxhall Zafira yesterday. Juli had popped over to one of the local shopping centers to take care of some last minute details before we head back home to the States for a month. On her way back to our place, she paused at the entrance to a round-about and was nailed from behind by a car who decided to make a run after making a hit. I guess the offending party was in such a hurry that they couldn't be bothered to stop and do the right thing. Thankfully, Juli was fine, but we can't shut the back door of our minivan. And since we didn't have much of anything else to do before heading home, we can now spend the next couple of days sorting out insurance, accident reports, and getting the back end of our vehicle functional.
Well, I kind of already got it functional. Since we needed to transport some friends to Juli's and Jo's softball game last night, I came up with an ingenious idea - a shoestring! Our backdoor is literally being held down by one of my old shoestrings. And to think that I've always felt kind of useless in the mechanics and home improvement department!
We were able to get our friends out to the softball game, but our fun was just beginning. Around the second or third inning, a lady walked over to the field to let everyone know that some cars had been broken into in the carpark. I made my way over to see if our van had been victimized and at first I was relieved to see that though many of the cars in this small park had their windows shattered, our van seemed to be just fine. And then I looked a little closer and discovered all sorts of goodies flung around the inside. Thankfully the thieves were able to jimmy our van lock and spared us the added bonus of a shattered window. Unfortunately though, Jo had left her laptop in the back of our van and as you might imagine, it was nowhere to be found. Our friends had all taken their belongings with them to the field and so in addition to the laptop, the only other items stolen was our GPS and about 40 euros in cash. The good news is that the Dublin Bay Packers won their game! Just one of those days. America, here we come! - Shay
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Transitions of Time
I find the concept of time quite interesting. You can always look at it from a variety of different angles. For instance, these past two years have gone by really, really fast for me (and yet we all know that these two years have been neither longer nor shorter than any other two years in history). And yet, from another angle so many things have happened over these past twenty-four months, two years ago seems like a really, really long time ago.
I've told a lot of people recently that I think our work here in Dublin is transitioning from one phase into another. Most life transitions are slow processes not unlike the sky changing from orange, to pink, to purple, to black as the sun sets. And then of course that leads to the dark of the night gradually giving way to the rising sun of a new day dawning. I guess I'm not sure where we are in this phase. We might be transitioning to the night or we might be ready to awaken to a brand new day. Either way, I believe some very good things are coming to and end and some very new, but also very good things are ready to begin. - Shay
I've told a lot of people recently that I think our work here in Dublin is transitioning from one phase into another. Most life transitions are slow processes not unlike the sky changing from orange, to pink, to purple, to black as the sun sets. And then of course that leads to the dark of the night gradually giving way to the rising sun of a new day dawning. I guess I'm not sure where we are in this phase. We might be transitioning to the night or we might be ready to awaken to a brand new day. Either way, I believe some very good things are coming to and end and some very new, but also very good things are ready to begin. - Shay
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Not Even an Immigrant
It's been way too long since I've updated the blog. A lot has happened in the meantime, but sometimes it's better to live life than write about it (although it's ideal if you can do both provided you don't simply supply would be readers or followers with the banal minutia of life - twitter?).
Anyway, Juli, Ashlyn, and I will be back in the United States from June 2 - June 30. We are looking forward to seeing family, friends and to taking a break from this amazing life in Ireland. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then this trip should be good for us in both the coming and the going.
As it's been two years since I was last on the west side of the Atlantic, I recently jotted down a little poetry to reflect on our time thus far.
Not Even An Immigrant
I'm still a tourist in this dirty old town.
I look up in amazement and amusement as I stumble around.
The buildings and abodes, not quite ancient, but old.
Their walls hold secrets of stories told and untold.
The musty smells of damp antiquity on the inside; the smell of cigarettes on the out
Resurrect nostalgic feelings, though I can't quite decipher what they're about.
This city's as young as it is old; witnessed in the architecture and people's faces -
The noble Celt or Norman, or the darker and lighter shades from far-a-way places.
And I'm not even an immigrant - barely a blow-in - hardly a trickle, much less a stream.
But I joyfully slumber on, not yet awakened from the midst of this Dublin, Ireland dream.
- Shay
Anyway, Juli, Ashlyn, and I will be back in the United States from June 2 - June 30. We are looking forward to seeing family, friends and to taking a break from this amazing life in Ireland. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then this trip should be good for us in both the coming and the going.
As it's been two years since I was last on the west side of the Atlantic, I recently jotted down a little poetry to reflect on our time thus far.
Not Even An Immigrant
I'm still a tourist in this dirty old town.
I look up in amazement and amusement as I stumble around.
The buildings and abodes, not quite ancient, but old.
Their walls hold secrets of stories told and untold.
The musty smells of damp antiquity on the inside; the smell of cigarettes on the out
Resurrect nostalgic feelings, though I can't quite decipher what they're about.
This city's as young as it is old; witnessed in the architecture and people's faces -
The noble Celt or Norman, or the darker and lighter shades from far-a-way places.
And I'm not even an immigrant - barely a blow-in - hardly a trickle, much less a stream.
But I joyfully slumber on, not yet awakened from the midst of this Dublin, Ireland dream.
- Shay
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Patrick's Day in the North
Juli, Ashlyn, and I spent St. Patrick's Day in the north of Ireland in counties Tyrone (Northern Ireland) and Donegal (part of the Republic of Ireland, but as far north as any counties in Northern Ireland). We dropped my mom (who had spent her week of spring break with us) off at the Belfast airport before heading west to Omagh and then eventually Letterkenny.
While in Omagh we visited the Ulster American Folk Park - a fantastic re-creation of the life emigrants (and immigrants) lived 200 and 300 years ago both in Ireland and in America. After that we caught the Paddie's Day Parade in Letterkenny. We stayed in Balleybofey, a village only a few miles from Raphoe where several of my ancestors lived before heading to the American colonies.
While at the hotel in Balleybofey, I read a ridiculous article in one of the British newspapers claiming that St. Patrick had not in fact been a slave in Ireland before returning to preach the gospel, but had instead been a slave trader. There's not a shred of historical evidence that even remotely points to this absurdity, but that doesn't seem to stop the revisionist historians from delving into their fantasies. Don't believe everything you read! - Shay
While in Omagh we visited the Ulster American Folk Park - a fantastic re-creation of the life emigrants (and immigrants) lived 200 and 300 years ago both in Ireland and in America. After that we caught the Paddie's Day Parade in Letterkenny. We stayed in Balleybofey, a village only a few miles from Raphoe where several of my ancestors lived before heading to the American colonies.
While at the hotel in Balleybofey, I read a ridiculous article in one of the British newspapers claiming that St. Patrick had not in fact been a slave in Ireland before returning to preach the gospel, but had instead been a slave trader. There's not a shred of historical evidence that even remotely points to this absurdity, but that doesn't seem to stop the revisionist historians from delving into their fantasies. Don't believe everything you read! - Shay
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Strength in Weakness
I think a lot of us who follow Christ worry about messing things up. We realize that we are called to be salt and light to a dark and dangerous world and so when we fall short - when we're not as strong as we ought to be - we think that not only have we disappointed our Lord, but we might have also caused the gospel to be seen in a poor light. This is certainly something we need to be aware of. But if we think about what the gospel really is - good news for a lost people, grace for sinners - then shouldn't these moments when we mess things up also point people to a power that's greater than ourselves, greater than themselves? The reality is, we will mess things up, we do mess things up. Rather than pretending that we have it all together (hypocrisy), isn't it better to admit it when we don't?
People tend to pride themselves in their strengths while doing the best they can to cover up their weaknesses. We do it at the macro level throughout society and we do it at the micro level in our individual lives. No one wants to admit that they are weak. And yet, we all know that every single one of us struggles. We endure trials, we mess things up, we fail, and we wrestle with these vulnerabilities. But, we tend to wrestle with them alone and society tells us that we have to overcome them through our own effort and strength.
Here recently, I've been reminded that the areas of my life where I'm in progress, still imperfect, still very messy, are the very areas of my life that can speak powerfully to people who are also on the road to redemption and yet realize that it's a long road indeed. In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul boldly declares that instead of covering up our weaknesses, we are better served to be open and honest about them so that Christ's power might clearly be demonstrated in our lives. He states that when he is weak, then he is strong. Like so much of the gospel, the idea of strength emerging out of our weakness is counterintuitive. We would rather go from strength to strength. But the gospel itself is an illustration of power and strength emerging out of weakness. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, "...we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God." I pray that we might all learn to allow God's strength and power to overcome our weaknesses. - Shay
People tend to pride themselves in their strengths while doing the best they can to cover up their weaknesses. We do it at the macro level throughout society and we do it at the micro level in our individual lives. No one wants to admit that they are weak. And yet, we all know that every single one of us struggles. We endure trials, we mess things up, we fail, and we wrestle with these vulnerabilities. But, we tend to wrestle with them alone and society tells us that we have to overcome them through our own effort and strength.
Here recently, I've been reminded that the areas of my life where I'm in progress, still imperfect, still very messy, are the very areas of my life that can speak powerfully to people who are also on the road to redemption and yet realize that it's a long road indeed. In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul boldly declares that instead of covering up our weaknesses, we are better served to be open and honest about them so that Christ's power might clearly be demonstrated in our lives. He states that when he is weak, then he is strong. Like so much of the gospel, the idea of strength emerging out of our weakness is counterintuitive. We would rather go from strength to strength. But the gospel itself is an illustration of power and strength emerging out of weakness. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, "...we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God." I pray that we might all learn to allow God's strength and power to overcome our weaknesses. - Shay
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Those We Meet in Coffee Shops
Yesterday morning I was enjoying a cup of coffee in one of our local shops when in walked a couple of gentlemen, one wearing a religious collar. I overheard their conversation regarding churches and the Christian faith, but continued to read the book I had brought with me, The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson. Noticing the title of the book and the author, the older gentleman, the one wearing the collar, approached me and began to chat. He lead in with something like, "It's great to see a young man, reading the Scriptures and reading a book by Eugene Peterson. Hello, fellow brother in the Lord, I'm Jim and this is my friend Sam."
Jim mentioned that he was the local Rector for the Raheny parish of the Church of Ireland and that Sam was a former parishioner who is now a part of another congregation. I mentioned that I loved the architecture of the All Saints church building and that I had always wanted to have a look inside and Jim responded, "Are you busy now? Let me pay for your coffee and we'll take you over and give you a tour. Besides, a BBC crew is going to swing by in a few minutes as they are planning to film a few scenes in the church for an upcoming television series."
I couldn't have asked for a better guided tour. Jim and Sam spent several minutes describing many of the architectural features, explaining the symbolic significance of the stained glass windows, and giving me a brief history of the building and the parish. Arthur Guinness, the great grandson of the original Arthur Guinness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Guinness) proposed and funded the building of the church back in the 1880s and is buried in a crypt in a side room located within the building. Jim allowed me to have a look at the Guinness crypt and I noticed that next to it sat a 250th anniversary can of the black stuff. Underneath the can was a note, written by an anonymous person who thanked the Guinness family for their contribution to Irish culture. Jim said the can was left outside the building during the 250 year celebrations back in 2009.
As we finished the tour the BBC crew had arrived and were milling around making plans for the shots they hoped to get later in the day. Jim, Sam, and I exchanged details and shared a brief prayer. Jim asked if I would be willing to speak at their harvest Sunday in September and I agreed to do so. However, he called me later explaining that he had double booked the date and asked if I would be willing to speak another time and I of course agreed to do so.
I look forward to chatting with Jim in the future and I pray that God will bless whatever time we may have to spend in each others company. As iron sharpens iron, may our interactions with fellow followers of Jesus help us to be faithful in the tasks that God sets before us. If you want to learn more about the All Saints church here's a link to it's Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Raheny. You never know who you're going to meet in a coffee shop. - Shay
Jim mentioned that he was the local Rector for the Raheny parish of the Church of Ireland and that Sam was a former parishioner who is now a part of another congregation. I mentioned that I loved the architecture of the All Saints church building and that I had always wanted to have a look inside and Jim responded, "Are you busy now? Let me pay for your coffee and we'll take you over and give you a tour. Besides, a BBC crew is going to swing by in a few minutes as they are planning to film a few scenes in the church for an upcoming television series."
I couldn't have asked for a better guided tour. Jim and Sam spent several minutes describing many of the architectural features, explaining the symbolic significance of the stained glass windows, and giving me a brief history of the building and the parish. Arthur Guinness, the great grandson of the original Arthur Guinness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Guinness) proposed and funded the building of the church back in the 1880s and is buried in a crypt in a side room located within the building. Jim allowed me to have a look at the Guinness crypt and I noticed that next to it sat a 250th anniversary can of the black stuff. Underneath the can was a note, written by an anonymous person who thanked the Guinness family for their contribution to Irish culture. Jim said the can was left outside the building during the 250 year celebrations back in 2009.
As we finished the tour the BBC crew had arrived and were milling around making plans for the shots they hoped to get later in the day. Jim, Sam, and I exchanged details and shared a brief prayer. Jim asked if I would be willing to speak at their harvest Sunday in September and I agreed to do so. However, he called me later explaining that he had double booked the date and asked if I would be willing to speak another time and I of course agreed to do so.
I look forward to chatting with Jim in the future and I pray that God will bless whatever time we may have to spend in each others company. As iron sharpens iron, may our interactions with fellow followers of Jesus help us to be faithful in the tasks that God sets before us. If you want to learn more about the All Saints church here's a link to it's Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Raheny. You never know who you're going to meet in a coffee shop. - Shay
Monday, February 20, 2012
Resurrection
Our Christian community began studying Romans a few weeks ago. Every time I read through it I'm reminded of what a magnificent piece of literature it is and even more importantly, what a magnificent gospel we've been given. Romans is good news. The gospel is good news. Here are some highlights from Paul's letter that have brought me encouragement recently.
"For I'm not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith.' - 1:16-17
"Abraham...in the presence of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become 'the father of many nations,' according to what was said, 'So numerous shall your descendants be.' He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead." - 4:17-19
"Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." - 6:3-5
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." - 8:1-2
"But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you." - 8:9-11
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved." 8:22-24
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - 8:38-39
I wrote a poem reflecting some of these themes some years ago.
Resurrection
Lying in the dust the corpse rots through and through.
There's no more life to live, there's nothing left to do.
Then the bones begin to rattle, the bones begin to shake.
The sinews and the flesh, new life begins to make.
Gasping deep, lungs expanding, Spirit's wind, life's breath.
The living God's the giving God and life has conquered death!
His body hangs limp, beaten, broken, his side dripping blood.
On the faces of the women, tears stream down in a flood.
He was the one who'd redeem his people, but the cause is now lost.
None could imagine the pain and the suffering, no one could count the cost.
And the tomb stands ready to receive his lifeless body dead,
But it's Sunday morning now and resurrection wins instead!
She's heard of resurrection, but it seems to good to be true.
Yet through faith her heart believes, so there's nothing she won't do.
Her dead body is buried; the grave of water sucks her in.
She's covered in his blood, and she rises free from sin.
Her old life is behind her, in her new life she looks ahead
To the time when he returns and her body will rise again!
"O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways...For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen." - 11:33 & 36
Good news indeed. - Shay
"For I'm not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, 'The one who is righteous will live by faith.' - 1:16-17
"Abraham...in the presence of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become 'the father of many nations,' according to what was said, 'So numerous shall your descendants be.' He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead." - 4:17-19
"Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." - 6:3-5
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death." - 8:1-2
"But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you." - 8:9-11
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved." 8:22-24
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." - 8:38-39
I wrote a poem reflecting some of these themes some years ago.
Resurrection
Lying in the dust the corpse rots through and through.
There's no more life to live, there's nothing left to do.
Then the bones begin to rattle, the bones begin to shake.
The sinews and the flesh, new life begins to make.
Gasping deep, lungs expanding, Spirit's wind, life's breath.
The living God's the giving God and life has conquered death!
His body hangs limp, beaten, broken, his side dripping blood.
On the faces of the women, tears stream down in a flood.
He was the one who'd redeem his people, but the cause is now lost.
None could imagine the pain and the suffering, no one could count the cost.
And the tomb stands ready to receive his lifeless body dead,
But it's Sunday morning now and resurrection wins instead!
She's heard of resurrection, but it seems to good to be true.
Yet through faith her heart believes, so there's nothing she won't do.
Her dead body is buried; the grave of water sucks her in.
She's covered in his blood, and she rises free from sin.
Her old life is behind her, in her new life she looks ahead
To the time when he returns and her body will rise again!
"O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways...For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen." - 11:33 & 36
Good news indeed. - Shay
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