Klauslis in Korntal

"Click or wait"?

"Click or wait" adequately summarizes my thoughts last Saturday morning as I prepared to book our tickets on Delta.com for our move to Germany. Ever since the AWM asked us to come for a three year ministry and we were approved by Liebenzell USA to raise support, we have been preparing for this moment. Why the hesitation? For one, in order to go somewhere new, one must leave behind something familiar and comfortable. We have been the last eight years in Dallas and have come to know this community and love and care for our friends here. To go means to maintain these ties in a new way while trying to establish other ones elsewhere--a worthwhile, though hard task. Second, we still have a lot to do. When we moved here we came with a car load of stuff from the Northwest and seven boxes sent from Germany. Eight years and three kids later, despite a weeding out process we still have a lot to sort and sell--not to mention the plethora of other details associated with moving anywhere. Third, one always wonders if it is the "right" time. Are we really ready? The wisdom here clearly does not come from within. God gives wisdom and counsel through revealed Scripture, trusted voices (such as church and mission board), and circumstances. In our case, the alignment of the latter two that does not contradict the first, seems to indicate that this is the way forward. Does this mean 100% certainty. It never will. It is only as we go step by step that God unfolds the details of a plan in which we only play a small part. So, with this in mind: "click."

The beginning of fall: A covenantal sign?

Just last Sunday we who live in the northern hemisphere left summer behind and began the slow march through fall toward winter. For us here in Dallas it’s hard to appreciate the significance of the change. It’s still in the 90’s during the day and nights cool off only to the 70’s. Yet, the slight change in the air and shortening of the days will only become more acute in the coming weeks.

While the change from summer to fall is generally not something that generates too much interest, it would be wrong to say that it is ignored. Already the stores are pushing Halloween candy as well as fall and winter clothing. People have put up season specific yard decorations, and the football season and baseball playoffs are in full swing. Yet there is nothing dramatic about these changes. We expected them. They are so normal and so automatic that we don’t give any thought that things could be any different. Herein, however, lies the significance. In the covenant that God made with Noah following the flood, He not only promised not to destroy the earth again with a flood (Gen 8:21) but also to maintain the stability of the world order:

“While the earth remains,
seedtime and harvest,
and cold and heat,
and summer and winter,
and day and night shall not cease” (Gen 8:22).

According to this passage, the predictable change of the seasons and even the rising and setting of the sun each day affirms that God keeps His covenant with humankind—withholding for a while longer His judgment and extending His grace.
The fact that we take the dependability of the change of seasons for granted seems to only underscore the extent of that grace.

While some want to find religious significance in the changing of the seasons, I suggest that Christians should find covenantal significance. God keeps His promises. The stability of the world order confirms that. Yet, if He keeps this promise, He will also keep the promise to judge the world again. This makes the change of seasons another opportunity to assess our priorities and lives before him, not unlike the admonishment from 2 Pet 3:11-12a:

“Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God . . . .”

Discovering Trinity

A unique opportunity that Julia and I have had over the last few weeks has been to visit many of the small groups at Trinity Fellowship Church in order to share our ministry. We started attending Trinity in the fall of 1999 and had been active members until joining Lake Cities Community Church--a plant from Trinity in the eastern part of the Dallas area. Despite this length of time (including my teaching adult Sunday school for six of those years) in these last few weeks of visiting small groups, we feel that we are getting to know Trinity in a whole new way. People that were only familiar from sight (or those we had not seen at all because they went to a different service) now have names and backgrounds associated with them. In short, our experience of what we knew to be Trinity Fellowship has broadened. While, at times, the prospect of raising support has been daunting, this has been an unexpected bonus--truly getting to know the local Body. Our thanks to all the small groups for allowing us to share our lives with you and our life together in Christ.
MTK

Finding Korntal

Where in the world is Korntal? It's a small town just northwest of Stuttgart (in southwestern Germany) that is joined together with the nearby town of Münchingen. Together both towns have a population of about 18,000. To see where it is on a map follow this link and click on the picture under the heading "Zum Online Stadplan" (on the upper right). Happy surfing!

For a clearer image, click on map.

Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps
used with permission.

Welcome to our blog

Welcome to the inaugural post on our new blog about our ministry in Germany. Our desire is for this to be a place for information, reflection, and encouragement as we now prepare to go to the Akademie für Weltmission in Korntal, Germany and once we're there.