Klauslis in Korntal

Some fun new widgets

Check out the two new widgets on our blog site. The one to the upper right gives the current weather in Stuttgart (our large neighboring city) so you can see how hot, cold, or rainy we are having it. The one to the lower left (scrolling down) gives a German word a day. Just click on a word and it will take you to a site where you can hear the word and find its meaning. And while it is probably not as good as Rosetta Stone, remember that Rosetta Stone has no link to our blog! Have fun.

Getting to know the DMG

In a recent blog I mentioned my attendance at a mission conference put on by the Deutsche Missionsgemeinschaft or German Missionary Fellowship at their headquarters at Buchenauerhof near Sinsheim Germany (see picture). The DMG is unique among missionary sending agencies, not because of its focus on a particular field, but because of a lack of one. The DMG, with over 300 missionaries has no mission field of its own. Instead, it serves as matchmaker, linking up its missionaries with mission agencies around the world. For example, if a particular missionary feels called to work in church planting in Japan, the DMG will link them up with an agency that is doing that kind of church planting.

But why go with the DMG instead of just going with the agency itself? The reason is that some mission agencies have not German sending arm. By seconding missionaries to other agencies, the DMG thus enables German missionaries to serve in a wide variety of mission fields while maintaining a sending and support base in Germany.

If you would like to read more about this mission and their work (yes, they have an English translation!) see their website and look particularly under the link: DMG . . . a model.

Suffering: An Effective Motivator for Missions?

This last Sunday I had the opportunity to represent the AWM at a missions conference sponsored by the DMG or Deutsche Mission Gesellschaft (German Mission Society) at their headquarters about an hour north of Korntal. What intrigued me most about this conference (among other things) was its theme. Most missions conferences that I have attended have chosen themes that attempt to put the task of world missions in a "positive" or optimistic light: like, for example, "Reaching the Unreached" etc. The theme for the DMG conference was somewhat more sober. For this year they chose: "Suffering for the sake of Christ."

This theme was illustrated during the plenary sessions. In the morning meeting, missionaries from various fields were introduced, and where appropriate, were asked to share incidents where suffering and persecution have accompanied mission work and the life of the church in that country. The range was from dealing with social pressure to violent opposition and even martyrdom. The sermon developed the theme theologically.

Are we sometimes not realistic enough about missions and about what it is to be a Christian. Is not suffering a key concern in the New Testament as seen in one of Jesus' most famous sayings ("If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"--Mark 8:34) as well as in lesser known sayings like this one of Paul recorded in Acts 14:22: "it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations."

Is the DMG on to something in its theme? Have we glamorized missions too much? Is there also a danger of sensationalizing Christian suffering? What are your thoughts?

A bottle full of words?

(Note: this is a devotional that appeared [in German] in the March 31 edition of the Campus News here at the AWM).

Germans drink a lot bottled water. In fact, bottled water is so valued here that it is almost an offense to offer someone water from a tap. The favorite by far the favorite is sparkling mineral water that often comes from some local well. The varieties of water are almost endless and a trip through the supermarket usually reveals an entire row devoted just to this one product. My observation was confirmed by the website: www.mineralwasser.com (roughly translated!):

"Germany is mineral water land. Contained within its indigenous land is a treasure of water from which more than 500 mineral and 60 "healing" water brands are drawn from over 220 mineral water sources."

What this  tells me, is that when someone in Germany finds a good source of water, it is well worth it to bottle it. There is always a market here for good water!

When James asks his readers in 3:11 (ESV): "Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?" he demonstrates his understanding for what every producer of mineral water knows very well: the quality of water is based on its  source. Good water only comes from good sources, bad water from bad sources.

In this passage, however, James is not especially concerned about sources of water. Rather, he is occupied with sources of words. His concern is that Christians are capable of allowing two extreme types of speech out of their mouths. On the one the one hand "we bless our Lord and Father." On the other, "we curse people who are made in the likeness of God."  He continues:  " From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so." (3:9-10)

Especially troubling with the duality of speech described in this passage is the source that James attributes to evil: namely the devil. (3:6) Speaking evil of others fits well with what James describes  wisdom "from below" that is "earthly, unspiritual, demonic." (3:15)

For Christians, however, the source and content of speech should be understandably different. Rathat then leading to "quarrels" and "fights" (4:1), it should come from the "wisdom from above" is "first peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." (3:17) Christian speech should only come from one good source!

The admonition of this passage is applicable for today. We need to always ask what is the source behind our countless words so that they don't result in destruction both in and outside the church. How many lives have been damaged by words that don't have their source in God's wisdom. But just as this passage provides a warning, it also provides an encouragement. For just as words have the power to destroy if their source is not from God, when their source is from God, they have an incredible potential for good. The have the potential to encourage, build up others, and even give life.

Depending on their source, our words are worth much more than the entire mineral water treasure of Germany! If our speech was water, would it be worth bottling?