My Unusual Disdain for Boston Sports Teams

I finally realized why I dislike Boston sports teams so much.  It’s gotten so bad that my favorite team each week happens to be whoever beats the Pats, Celtics, or Red Sox.

Super Bowl XXXVI - One of the most painful sports memories of my life.

I’ve posted on my Boston-hating before, and although I mentioned that it was the fans who elicited the hater-ade, I took some time to reflect and came to an altogether different conclusion.  Yet another reason for folks to practice pausing via the daily office.

Basically, Boston has owned all my teams in the recent past.

Consider the following:

LA Angels – Lost to the Red Sox in 2004, 2007, and 2008. We finally beat them this year, but they promptly snatched up our ace, John Lackey, in the offseason.

St. Louis Rams – To those of you who don’t know, I’ve been a Rams fan since I was in the 5th grade and the team was in LA.  My favorite player was Jim Everett growing up, and I would get teased about wearing a Jim Everett shirt to school every day.  Most of the teasing came from my twin brother Peter, but whatever.

The Rams lost to the Pats in one of the most heartbreaking games of my life, Super Bowl XXXVI.  The Rams were heavy favorites, and Kurt Warner, my favorite player at the time, was coming off an MVP season.  We lost on a last second 48 yard field goal by Viniateri, and the legend of Tom Brady was born.

This is how ridiculous my anger was – I was so mad that I kept blaming the refs from the playoff game the Pats had with the Raiders before the Super Bowl, the one in which the tuck rule allowed the Pats to keep the ball and eventually win the game.

Can you believe that?  I was blaming the refs from the previous game which allowed the Pats to play in the Super Bowl.

Yes, I am a bitter man.

LA Lakers – My allegiance to the Lakers has shifted to the Clippers (insert joke or tease from audience here), but of course I rooted for the Lakers in my earlier years, and most recently, when the Lakers played the Celtics in 2008, I was totally rooting for the Lakers.

Sure enough, they got manhandled by the Celtics.   It was embarrassing.  I remember watching the final game at Tim and Flerida’s, and they promptly got beat by 4,567 points.

So there you have it.  That’s why my level of hater-ade has risen in the recent past.

I need to listen to some Taylor Swift to cheer me up.

Theological Influences

I recently met with one of our small groups for a theological pow-wow, and I must say, I came away from the discussion quite energized.  It’s been awhile since I’ve had a chance to revisit some of the thoughts I’ve come to (and am still wrestling with) regarding the Bible, theology, and its relevance to the world, and I realize that I really like discussing these subjects!

Anyhow, I also recommended a few books to the group, and as I was explaining each book, I realized there are a few authors/thinkers who have really shaped my approach to theology, Scripture, and the world.  I thought I’d share who these people are.  I’m usually quick to read any books/articles/talks that come from these people.

Interestingly enough, I think the rest of our pastoral staff at NLF would have varying lists, a thought which brings me much consolation.  Also, although they’re not included on this list, our pastoral staff (Pete, Geri, Rich, Jackie, Linda, Mike, Myrna, and Peter) challenge and shape my thinking in more ways than most!

This list is in no particular order

1.  Christina Park – Yes, my wife.  I’ve learned much about love, forgiveness, grace from her.  She’s taught me to appreciate sci-fi, fantasy, and romantic comedies as well, even pointing out profound theological underpinnings in each.

2.  Pete & Geri Scazzero - Pete’s my boss, so he’s on the list.  But seriously, his books have certainly had the greatest influence on me in my formative years as a pastor.  Geri has also lent wonderful insights regarding marriage, God, sexuality, and all that good stuff.

3.  NT Wright – He’s a Biblical scholar whose perspectives on Israel, God’s Kingdom, the Victory of Jesus, and Paul’s message, have blown me away.  I know there’s been some theological jousting between him and John Piper regarding justification, but I don’t think I’m sophisticated enough to see how they’re both not talking about the same thing from different angles.  See, you couldn’t even understand that last sentence.

4.  Richard Rohr – Every single work I’ve read from Rohr has been deeply profound and insightful.  His thoughts on manhood, Scripture, spirituality, and grace are really astounding and cause me to ponder everything.

5.  Ron Vogt – Ron’s a counselor whom I regularly see (now with Tina).  He hasn’t published a book as far as I know, but his thoughts on the emotional world and its intersection with theology and humanity has been radically transformative for me.

6.  Jay Feld – Doctor Jay is NLF’s Counselor in Residence, and I’ve learned a lot about grace, community, and wisdom from him.  He’s speaking at our singles’ retreat, and I think you should be there if you’re a single person between the ages of 21-84.

7.  Tim Keller (and his son, Mike) - It’s hard to find things to disagree with Keller about because he’s so thoughtful and winsome in the way he approaches faith, culture, and the gospel.  Aside from being an amazing thinker/preacher, he also models a kind disposition toward those with differing opinions, which is quite frankly, really cool.

8.  Paul Lim – One of my theology profs at Gordon-Conwell.  What I really appreciate about him is the way he handles heady and heavy material with an edge toward orthopraxis.  In other words, he is about the head, heart, and hands, and he had done a lot of thinking about God and real people in the real world.  His stuff on theodicy and the problem of evil is pretty mind-numbing, as are his thoughts on the trinity.

9.  Laura Speiller – Laura was the first one to introduce me to the contemplative tradition.  I’ll never forget one of the ways she described contemplative prayer – an embrace without words.  Deep.

10.  Sean McDonough – Another one of my seminary profs, he modeled and taught me to approach the Biblical text systemically as well as meditatively.  I can’t wait until he publishes some more stuff.  He’s also a great sparring partner when it comes to sports predictions.

11.  Leighton Ford – Leighton is like the godfather behind so many movements happening in today’s Christian world.  I nearly cry every time he speaks or writes about something.  He introduced me to a number of authors including Parker Palmer, who should also be on this list.  I love Leighton’s breadth of learning – I think it’s shown me how to look for truth everywhere.

12.  Dan Shin - A close friend and former staff member at NLF, we had (and continue to have) extremely stimulating theological debates.  I love it.  I must say, for a guy who doesn’t read much (Dan), he has a great philosophical and theological understanding of varying subjects.

This list is getting out of control, so here are some other folks whose perspectives I appreciate and seek out somewhat regularly.

Martin Luther King, Jr, CS Lewis, Parker Palmer, Henri Nouwen, Richard Lovelace, Gordon Fee, Doug Stuart, William Webb, Anne Lamott, Andy Crouch, Rob Bell, Brian Mclaren.

I notice I’ve listed relatively contemporary people.  I think the classical authors (Calvin, St. Teresa, Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, St. John of the Cross, Aquinas, etc) are too prolific for me to want to start following.  Yes, that’s a lazy perspective, but one that I freely confess to.

Who are your theological influences?  What are your thoughts about this list?

PS  If you’re looking for recommended reading from our church, you can click here.

More Taylor Swift

I might be going a bit overboard with this Taylor Swift theme, but I wanted to add one more reason why I believe there’s so much mass appeal for TS.

In the facebook comments I’ve received from Cate, Judea, and Jusup, I’ve noticed a common critique of Swift’s musicality and lyricisim.  I’m not a talented musician, and not even a polished music listener for that matter, so I’d certainly have to concede artistic taste to the aforementioned musicians above.

So while it’s true that Swift’s music may not have as much depth musically or lyrically, I would nonetheless say that her songs seem to hold together a delicate balance of angst and buoyancy, thereby having a cheering effect on the listener.

In other words, I can relate to the feelings of alienation throughout the songs (again, I can only comment on The Love Story and You Belong with Me), but by the time the song is done, I have become a hopeful youth once more, believing that true love is real and available.

Thus, I can listen to the song when I’m down or up.  The masses love the triumph of hope over suffering, I think.

Theologians would call this the promise of eschatological renewal.

I call it fun.

Or funny – at least when my wife starts to dance and giggle, that is.

Taylor Swift, Teenage Angst, and Mass Market Appeal

As an ignoramus of pop culture, particularly music (ask anyone who has karaoke’d with me – I’m horribly dull because I don’t know any songs), I’m fairly new to the Taylor Swift phenomenon.  Aside from the now infamous Kanye VMA episode, I didn’t know much about TS until recently, and in fact had never listened to any of her songs.

The numbers don't lie. People love Taylor Swift's music.

The first time I actually heard one of her songs was in the Philippines – at a Mcdonalds nearby the Olive Grove Ministries office in Cebu.  Our team was having lunch there with almost 20 kids from Rick’s G1:27 Tutoring Program, and we were all surprisingly giddy to be enjoying big mac and fries with kids who weren’t used to the western taste of fast food.

Maybe it was the general ambiance, or perhaps the exquisite taste of the fries, but all I know is that when a particularly song hit the speakers in the dining room, the lunch turned into a sing-along bonanza, complete with squeals, head bobs, and Mike Favilla disoriented with what was happening.  The energy in the room increased at least 25% as every single kid (and female adult), started singing and squealing to Swift’s song You Belong With Me.  Rosy and Hannah led the singspiration from our end, and somehow the mcdonalds soon became a chorus of unified angst and hopefulness pre-packaged by Miss Swift.

Wow.

Did I mention we were in the Philippines?

Since then, my wife has been playing the song non-stop.  She mimics Rosy’s dance moves.  She mouths the words like Lirio, Rejen, Lutche, and company.  She’s watched the video, and researched other songs by TS (she’s found one other song she likes – Love Story).  Someone, please give me back my wife.

Anyhow, we were having a discussion about the song You Belong with Me last night as we were listening to it for the 1,000,000th time.

I say to Tina, “What is it about this song that people are nuts over it?”

Tina responds, “You have to listen to the words, Drew.  Anyone who thought they were unpopular in high school can relate to the song.”

“Anyone, or just girls?”

“Anyone,” she says.

I can’t even describe how thrilled she was when she watched the music video at home and saw that the protagonist in the song was in the marching band – /She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers/.  Wow again.  TS struck a cord in my wife.  Sidenote: If you’re unfamiliar with American teenage culture, the marching band is not seen as a popular or cool affiliation.  Well, in most instances (i.e. when your school is not known for its marching band. e.g. a school can be really really great at marching band, winning numerous competitions and such, whereby designating it a cool thing to do in high school).  What’s ironic about this as that when most teenagers grow older, they usual wished they had spent time to learn an instrument by participating in lesser esteemed activities such as marching band or orchestra. End of Sidenote.

I remember talking to a childhood friend of mine, a sweet and brilliant woman who’s accomplished in many respects.  She’s a previous Rhodes Scholar, one of the most prestigious honors given to college-graduates around the world.

Anyhow, she said something a few years ago that always stuck with me.  Keep in mind she’s met a couple of presidents, dignitaries, and some of the most distinguished people in the world.

She said, “Almost every interesting person I met was a loser in junior high school.”

For most of you reading this blog, I’m guessing there’s a sigh of relief.

“I was a loser, too!” you’re probably thinking.

I’m willing to bet that we all felt like losers growing up, at one point or another.

I’ve found that even the most talented, beautiful, athletic, and brilliant people know this feeling.

Angst is what binds us human beings, and no one feels it more than teenagers.  The feeling of being disconnected, misunderstood, or alienated.  These are some of the deepest longings of the human heart, and when someone like TS can express those feelings of being unloved and undervalued in such a catchy way, people are drawn to it.

I was not surprised that TS underwent her own sense of angst and abandonment that most teenagers feel.

And the numbers don’t lie.  The masses have spoken, and they love the song.

This is what music does (and other art forms for that matter) – it touches us to our core, expressing the netherworlds of our emotional worlds in ways that simple prose cannot.

And even if you say, “I can’t stand her!” or “I don’t like her musical style!”, I think when you’ve gone through the pits of unrequited love, you might just start to sing /If you could see that I’m the one who understands you/ Been here all along, so why can’t you see? / You belong with me.. /

Yes, I just wrote a post defending Taylor Swift.

Unrequited love.  Angst.  Someone who loves me despite my uncoolness.  Someone who will never leave me, who will love away my insecurities, my questions, my doubts.  Sounds familiar.  This Story has mass market appeal.

Some Cool NLF People – Part 3

January Edition

1)  Mark and Pam Taft – I’ve deliberately not mentioned staff on these lists because I wanted to highlight so many other folks, but the thing is, so many people at New Life are practically staff.  Mark and Pam are one such couple.  They have been faithfully serving in our marriage ministry for the past several years, and they have done so much to resource pastors, couples, and other vocational ministers throughout the city.  Their previous stint was at Here’s Life NYC, which is actually how I got connected to New Life out of college ten years ago (I realize I first arrived in nyc ten years ago, but settled nine years ago.  I just say ten because it’s a nice number).  That’s right, the Tafts are largely responsible for me being in NYC at New Life.  I feel indebted to them in so many ways – with marriage, ministry, and spiritual growth.  They are now working with Christian Resources Ministries, and our church is so lucky to have them.

2)  Isaac and Valerie Chung – Isaac is a filmmaker/photographer whose film Munyurangabo was featured in the Cannes Film Festival in 2007.  It’s really an extraordinary, groundbreaking film.  Isaac first went to Rwanda because of the work Valerie was already doing there as an art therapist.  Valerie now works in Brooklyn doing some family therapy.  These two are incredibly talented, compassionate people.  The thing is, they’re really humble and unassuming, which I think is one common aspect of our community – we’re all just folks at the end of the day.  I’m so proud to know Isaac and Val, and if you’d like to support their work, you can check the links above.  They also volunteer in our 3rd service.

3)  Veda Simpson – I just hung out with Veda at the Rule of Life weekend, so that’s why she comes immediately to mind.  She’s such a sweet, friendly person, and I hear she makes some really good ribs.  This post is one plea for an invitation to dine at her home.   But seriously, Veda has an easy smile and laugh, and gives wonderful hugs.  I admire her hunger for God and the way she extends grace to others.  Very, very cool.

Rule of Life Weekend January 23rd-24th FAQ

Rule of Life Weekend 1: Prayer and Rest

Saturday, January 23rd-24th

Early Bird Cost: $90 (Goes up to $105 on January 11th at midnight).  Financial Assistance is available upon request – email drew@newlifefellowship.org.

Speakers:  Pete and Geri Scazzero, Drew Hyun

Register here. REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.

Frequently Asked Questions

1)  What does the entire cost include?

The cost includes lodging, breakfast on Sunday morning, and materials associated with the conference.  Transportation, Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday lunch, and other incidental costs of the hotel are on your own.

2) What time does the weekend begin and end?

The event starts on Saturday, January 23^rd at 9:45 am at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge, NY (1717 Motor Parkway Hauppauge, NY 11788 631-784-1234).  The event ends at 4 pm on Sunday, January 24^th.

3) How will transportation be handled?

There is no access via public transportation to the site.  If you need a ride to the site, please email akandathil@newlifefellowship.org.  If you have space in your car and are willing to provide rides, please email akandathil@newlifefellowship.org and indicate how many you are able to fit into your vehicle.  Information about transportation arrangements will be sent to you on the week of the retreat (Tuesday, January 19th).

Directions from Queens:

Long Island Expressway (495) East to Exit 57 (Veterans Memorial Highway). Turn left at the light onto Motor Parkway. Continue on Motor Parkway and the hotel is on the left.

4) What will the housing arrangements be like?

There will be two people per hotel room with two double beds.  The rooms are like a normal hotel room with a private bathroom.

You can request a roommate upon pre-registration.  If you do not request a roommate, one will be assigned to you (it will be someone of the same gender).

If you’d like to add an additional person to the room, you certainly can, but keep in mind that every individual will be charged the full amount for registration.

If you would like a single room, the cost is $140.

5) Which meals are included in the registration fee?

The only meal that is covered in the registration cost is breakfast on Sunday morning.  There is a nearby strip mall with several restaurants (pizza place, Subway, Chinese buffet, sushi, deli, etc) that one can drive to for meals for Saturday lunch and dinner, and Sunday lunch.  A list of nearby restaurants will be provided at the orientation.  We recommend bringing at least $25 for meals.

6) Which topics will be covered at this retreat?

Topics will include: the gospel and its implications for our entire lives, holistic spirituality that allows God to work in every area of our lives, and building your own rule of life.

7) What other amenities are available?

There is an indoor pool and gym on site.

8)  Is there childcare available for the event?

No.  If you are parents of babies that are nursing age, you can come to this.  Parents of children up to 4 years old can come as well, but keep in mind that one parent will have to be with the child at all times during the sessions (and outside the main room if the child is disruptive).  We are hoping to create a quiet atmosphere for contemplation and prayer.

9)  If I have made a deposit, when do I pay the rest of my fee?

You will be making the rest of your payment upon registering on Saturday morning. Please pay cash or check, and make checks out to New Life Fellowship.  Any incidentals you incur will be paid directly to the hotel on your own.

10)  Are commuters welcome to this event? If yes, what is the cost?

Yes, commuters are welcome for a cost of $60.  We highly recommend staying overnight because of the “retreat” feel we want to create in getting away.

11)  What does the schedule look like?

Here is a rough outline (Please keep in mind there will be intermittent breaks during the sessions as well):

Saturday, January 23rd

9:15a-10:00a  Register at the site

10:00a-1:00p Session 1

1:00p-2:30p   LUNCH

2:30p-4:00p  Session 2

4:00p-7:00p  FREE and DINNER

7:00p-9:30p  Session 3

Sunday, January 24th

8:00a-9:00a    Breakfast onsite

9:00a-12:00p  Session 4

12:00p-1:00p  Lunch

1:00p-4:00p    Session 5

New Year’s Eve Party at New Life Fellowship

New Year’s Eve 1950s Bash!

Fun for all ages!

Register at www.newlifefellowship.org

Fifties Outfit Contest! Dress in your best 1950s costume! But even if you don’t come in Fifties attire, please come and bop till you drop!

Online Registration is CLOSED. Prices increase at the door.

Pre-Registration Prices:
Adults (18 and older) – $20
Youth (6-17 years old) – $10
Children (5 and younger) – Free
Family – $50 (Does not include children 18 years and up)

Door Prices:
Adults (18 and older) – $35
Youth (6-17 years old) – $15
Children (5 and younger) – Free
Family – $75 (Does not include children 18 years and up)

FAQs:

1) What does the cost include?

The cost includes dinner (Taste of the Nations – the food will be catered from restaurants around Queens), dance lessons, family activities, and the rest of the festivities for the night.

2) Do I have to dress up in a 50s outfit?

No, not at all. We’re encouraging people to dress up just as an added element of fun, but by no means do you have to dress up to celebrate the new year with us.

3) Why are you charging a flat-rate now?

We are charging a flat-rate to break even for the event. The cost of food, decorations, professional dance instruction, and supplies is why we need to charge.  The primary cost of all of these is food.

4) Will there be different style of music besides 50s stuff?
Absolutely! We will have family and kid-friendly dancing from 7-8 pm. The dance lessons from 8-9:30pm will be 50s related. From 9:30-10:00 we will have latin music playing, and then from 10:00-11:00 we will have different types of music playing, including hip-hop, latin, swing, etc. All the music is pre-selected as songs for a variety of audiences to enjoy, and we trust that they will be wholesome in terms of lyrics.

5) What’s the schedule going to be?

Shell Room

6:00-8:30 Dinner in the Shell Room

Sanctuary

7:00-8:00 Family & Kid friendly Dancing in the Sanctuary
8:00-9:30 Professional SWING Dance Instruction in the Sanctuary
9:30-10:00 Open Dancing (Latin tunes) in the Sanctuary
10:00-11:00 Open Dancing (Mixed tunes) in the Sanctuary
11:00-11:40 Entertainment in the Sanctuary
11:40-12:20 Devotional, Times Square Live, Worship
12:20-2:00a Open Dancing (Mixed tunes) in the Sanctuary

Basement

8:00-11:00 Coffee House with Live Music (Jay Reitz and Abbey Hoffman) and Movie UP to follow

Yellow and Blue Rooms

8:00-11:00 Game Rooms (Yellow and Blue Room)

6) Can I come for just part of the night?

Yes! However we’re encouraging people to get tickets early, because at the door costs increase considerably. Registration will last until 11:30 pm, so you’re free to come after that for the worship portion if you’d like.

7) Will there be childcare?

No. We’re encouraging families to come to dinner and go to the family activities from 7:00-8:00 pm, and after that we’re encouraging all parents and guardians to supervise your own children throughout the night thereafter. If your child is found hiding or running around the building, we will likely ask you to leave due to safety concerns – so you must stay with your children throughout the evening!

Mentors

One of the common wishes/requests I hear from younger folks (of which I am one) is the need for a mentor.  We’re trying to figure this out at New Life Fellowship, and one of the ways we’re hoping to do this is by hosting inter-generational events (retreats, classes, and connections) that will create opportunities for mentor-type relationships to form naturally.

With that said, we’re still looking for intentional ways to create mentoring relationships, so if you have any thoughts, please comment here.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a mentor, here’s what I’d suggest:

1)  Ask – This is easily the first step, but often the most overlooked.  Usually it’s a simple case of “you do not have because you do not ask.”

2)  Be persistent (but not overly-persistent) – If the first request doesn’t work out, don’t give up, God might be leading you elsewhere.  If you’re not sure if you’re being overly-persistent, ask.

3)  Come to classes (or small groups led by older folks) - You can get brief “mentoring” times by coming, learning, asking, and even finding times afterward to ask questions, etc.  *Learners are usually the most attractive people for older folks to mentor.

I’m thankful that NLF has a bevy of different age groups that we can attempt to create mentoring opportunities between older, wiser folks and younger people who are just starting out.

Here’s a quick list of mentors I’ve had throughout the years, and how I met them:

1)  Ralph Dyaz – TA in our 4th grade class at Mar Vista Elementary School.

2)  Edwin & Esther Chung & LWEC Youth leaders – Family friends and Sunday School Teachers who made a significant impact on our family and all the brothers.

3)  James Yim – Pastor of a small church plant in LA that we attended in high school.  Now the lead pastor at Living Way Community Church.

4)  Gary Nomura and Loc Ta – CCC Staff at our college fellowship at UC Berkeley.

5)  John Shim – Pastor of Eastbay Baptist Church, which we attended in college.

6)  Mark Taft – NLF.

7)  Jim Owens – NLF.

8)  Pete & Geri Scazzero – NLF.

9)  Jay Feld- NLF.

10)  Craig and Ellen Fee – NLF.

11)  Ken Shigematsu, pastor at Tenth Ave Church in Vancouver, CA.  I met Ken through the Sandy Ford Fellowship, which I got connected to through Pete Scazzero.

12)  John McCauley – CEO of Muskoka Woods in Ontario.  I met John through the Younger Leaders’ Gathering affiliated with Lausanne, which I was connected through via the Sandy Ford Fellowship.

13)  Paul Lim- Professor at Vanderbilt University, he was a seminary professor of mine while I was at Gordon-Conwell.

There’s many more I could add to this list (including all the elders and staff at NLF), but these people are folks I’ve had significant conversations with about life, love, work, and basketball.  I’m not even sure if some of these people would consider me a “mentee”, but these people have been great influences in my life, and I wouldn’t be who I am if I didn’t have these folks.

Some of these relationships I simply fell into – being in the right place, at the right time.  Others, I had to keep showing up and asking.

Either way, if one takes the posture of an avid learner, I think one can fall into these types of relationships too.

Some Cool New Life Fellowship People – Part 2

Hopefully I’ll be able to post these once a month.

1.  Tony and Louise Simone – The Simones are a dream for any church to have – wise, seasoned, and mature people of faith who bring a presence of hospitality and warmth wherever they go.  Tony runs his own business and Louise is a schoolteacher, and they are the parents of three adult children and a few grandchildren (I forget how many but I know they’re adorable).  I’ve worked with these folks in Alpha and small groups, and I think folks who know them would agree that these two are gems to our community.

2.  Cate Song – If you don’t know by now, Cate is a phenom in NLF circles as one of our worship leaders, and she’s apt to become more well known as she continues to travel with her music.  You should buy her cd if you have a chance.  The thing is, if you get to know her, you find out that she’s as quality a person as one will ever meet, in addition to her immense talent.  She’s fun, easy-going, and really thoughtful.  And she has served our communities in many more ways than just her music – I think mainly by being her winsome self.

3.  Victor Rodriguez and Nelly Calzada (and kids Mia and Januel) – Fellow Astorians, Victor and Nelly are a great family to have in the neighborhood.  They are charming, cheerful, and funny – really funny.  Victor works for Intouch ministries while Nelly works in television.  They’re one of the few families I know who have moved to NYC from the suburbs of a Southern city and absolutely love it here (and can recognize how God is moving in NYC).  Their kids are really terrific, too.  These guys make me believe I actually live in Astoria.  Oh, and they volunteer in our worship ministry and they’re thinking about hosting/leading a small group.

4.  Monique Ambrose – Monique is one of our faithful greeters, and she has the personality and smile that suits her for it.  There’s a peace and inviting spirit that Monique exudes, and it’s evident whenever I see her.  She’s a schoolteacher during the week, and I’ve always admired her earnest heart for God and the hopefulness she always seems to carry.  She’s also part of a small group in Flushing and is the proud mother of a college student!

5.  Brian Petersen – More affectionately known as BP, this southpaw is a leadoff hitter, counselor, small group leader, and acoustic singer  extraordinaire.  This guy absolutely kills me with his jokes and his references to Pete Incaviglia and Kirk McKaskill.  His band Liminal Space puts on a dang good show, too.  I respect him for his willingness to go deeper in his soul searching and wanting to be a blessing to Astoria – wow, two Astorians made the list this time around!

The Poor have Time, the Rich have Money

The poor have time, and the rich have money.

I’ve been thinking about the above statement for some time (it was in a devotional I read, as well as hinted at the movie God Grew Tired of Us and the book What Is the What), and my trip to the Philippines was a confirmation of sorts. It’s certainly a generality to say that all poor people are living unhurried lives while struggling for money, and that all rich people are busy while making loads of money, but I think there’s an element of truth to the gifts of being poor and rich, respectively.

Either way, the grass always seems to be greener on the other side, and it’s difficult to fully grasp the value of time and money if we don’t have it…. and if we do have it.

When we were in the Philippines, we saw some poverty.  I mean, I was actually shocked at some of the living quarters that housed up to 15.  There were unpaved, muddy roads, no discernible bathrooms, and malnourished children and adults.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but what I saw certainly did not fit my Western expectations.  I didn’t expect the neighborhood to be as poor as it was.  When it dawned on me that this is the neighborhood in which Rick and Jiji chose to live, I was flabbergasted.

But man, the people and children in Nangka have so much JOY.  They love to tell stories, explore nature, tell jokes, to laugh and sing.  There was so much LIFE flowing out of the families.  I think it’s safe to say that every single one of our team members came away grateful and encouraged by how loving and giddy the Filipinos were despite their outward circumstances.

Leonila and family with our team in front of her home. She's the one in the blue in the middle of the picture. She's one of the many bright, hard-working, sweet, and godly women we met.

One example of this is G1:27’s head tutor, Leonila.  She lived in a small shack on the edge of a dried up river bed with her large family, and yet, she was one of the most hard-working, bright, sweet, and godly women we met.  Amazing.

Part of the Filipinos’ presence is captivating because they have loads of time to hang out, play in the street, and chill with their families.  We couldn’t help compare our circumstances to theirs – we lived full, driven, protected lives, while the lives of the Filipinos are generally relaxed, family-centered, and joyful.

But that doesn’t mean these families don’t want or need money.  Of course they do, and sometimes to a fault.  But as an outsider looking in, I wanted to say, “You have something absolutely beautiful here.”  There’s a context in which God can really take root and be noticed and cherished in some of the simple things in life – food, shelter, family, and friendships.

Meanwhile, we were rich, and we felt it.  Some kids joked at how fat I was (not in a mean way).  I could spend $3/day and have an absolute feast of rice, pork, halo halo, and one hour at the internet cafe.

Sure, there’s relative poverty and wealth when one goes to other countries, but I definitely didn’t come away from the Philippines thinking, “I’m so poor!”

Instead, I came away thinking, I have it good.

But there’s a way that God gets lost in all that I have here and in all that I do here.  In fact, the common refrain I hear from people in NYC is “I’m so busy”.

The whole capitalistic, western mind-set pushes one toward busy-ness, often to a fault.  In fact, our greatest virtues – working hard, generating wealth/jobs, innovation – can also be our greatest curse, because we’re left without time for contemplation, family, and joy.

And when it comes down to it, I still want to live in the physical, material comfort of the West over the inconvenience and somewhat dirty surroundings of the poor – and I think impoverished folks do too.  After all, like I mentioned on Sunday, little girls still die for lack of $50 in poor communities.

But we don’t fully know what we’re missing.  And we don’t know the cost of losing so much time and so much contemplation until we’ve lost it.

Ultimately I’m grateful for people like Rick and Jiji who bridge these communities.  I hope New Life Fellowship can be such a community that connects the poor to the rich, and the rich to the poor, teaching each other the value of time and money in the process.