Amazed by God's Vision

Current home of First Baptist Church, Sofia.  The name above the entrance is "Christian Baptist Church."

Murals in progress in main room of the youth and children's area.

The sanctuary from a corner of the balcony.

Looking up at the balcony of the sanctuary.

I am amazed.

Today we worked in the new and as-yet unfinished building of Sofia Baptist Church, or Purva Baptistka Tsyrkva, priming the walls of about 8 rooms on the fifth floor of six..  Currently this church meets in two services on Sundays in a cramped, over-used, over-worked building that is beyond its last legs.  Three staff members share an office about the size of a walk-in closet.  The first picture is of that building.

Yet this  church and staff, led my Dimitri Oprenov, possess a gospel-driven vitality and God-sized vision that amaze.  For eight years they have been working on a building a block down the street from their current facility that will seat many hundreds, host ministries of every imaginable kind, and serve as a beacon of gospel light for much of central Sofia.  They hope to be in the building by Easter.  The pictures above give an idea of the size of this facility, which, though it seems immense compared to the current facility, is small compared to the church's vision.

Please keep this church in your prayers as they seek to reach out to an unbelieving society.  Pray that the power of the gospel will pierce the post-communist darkness that pervades the nation.

Reboot the Airplane . . . and Our Hearts

So, here we are at the Frankfurt Airport, waiting for our final flight to Sofia, Bulgaria.  Some of us were questioning the wisdom of having a four-hour layover in Frankfurt, but now it’s feeling pretty good, after our 2.5 hour delay waiting in the airplane as we sat at the terminal at O’Hare.  Seems that the FAA’s ACARS system (I’m going to look up that acronym) down for a while, which meant that all planes flying overseas could not upload their flight data.  I messaged that to my daughter Laura, and she replied,”21^st Century problem – they have to reboot the airplane.” 

Aaaannndd . . . we’ve just been told that our flight out Frankfurt is also delayed.  So, we’re   three for three in delays.  Denver to Chicago was delayed 1 hour; Chicago to Frankfurt was delayed two-and-a-half hours; Frankfurt to Sofia, who knows?  The plane we’re supposed to leave out of here on has not arrived yet.  (Later edit:  We departed from Frankfurt 90 minutes late for a VERY bumpy flight to Sofia!)

Apparently, we’re already being taught some lessons, if we care to take them:  how to be patient with technology, for example, especially those technologies to which we have become accustomed or on which we have come to depend.  Could we worship on Sunday morning if the power went out?  It might stretch our capabilities.  It also would raise the question: “What, in fact, are we worshiping?  Is it the music?  Or are we truly worshiping Almighty God?"  Maybe we need to reboot our hearts!

Но иде час, и сега е, когато истинските поклонници ще се покланят на Отца с дух и истина; защото такива иска Отец да бъдат поклонниците Му.  Бог е дух; и ония, които Му се покланят, с дух и истина трябва да се покланят. John 4:23-24 in Bulgarian

Words and Stuff

My seat mates on the Chicago to Frankfurt were young German couple returning from a vacation in California and Las Vegas.  As I tried to speak German with them I realized how quickly I had forgotten what I had brushed up on just a few years ago during a family vacation in Germany.  Struggling and stumbling through old language pathways in a brain apparently stiffened with its added burden of years, I wondered how in the world I am going to make myself understood in Bulgaria and Serbia.  I don’t want only to be heard through an interpreter.  I want to convey my love for my Bulgarian and Serbian brothers personally, directly, not, so to speak, second-hand – or should that be “second mouth”?

So once again, I find myself retreating to God’s Word.  I will be able to open my Bible to passages that speak not only God’s love my mine, and then ask my brothers and sisters to open their Bibles to the same passage, then simply add what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace;” which they can then read in Bulgarian, “И право е да мисля това за всички вас, понеже ви имам на сърце, тъй като вие всички сте съучастници с мене в благодатта,” or Serbian, “Kao što je pravo da ja ovo mislim za sve vas, jer vas imam u srcu u okovima svojima i u odgovoru i potvrđivanju jevanđelja.”

Should we not always go to God’s Word; and not only when we have no other language in common?  For in His Word alone is life.

Third re-packing means I'm done.

So, I left out a sweater, a second Bible, a pair of  jeans, the American snack food I was gonna pack (box of "whales" cheese crackers), a couple of pairs of socks, and a neck pillow. So now, my suitcase weighs 43 pounds instead its previous tonnage of nearly 50 pounds.

One precious item that has been added to my bag is a zip-lock bag containing one card or gift for each day of the trip, made for me by my sweet grandchildren, Jacob, Quinnlyn, Katie, and Emma.  Liam probably helped in some mysterious way -- maybe he spit up on one of the cards in a strategic position.  Anyway, I will have eleven gifts or cards crafted by the grands, one for each day.

With everything packed, it's about time to hit the hay before my 3:30 a.m. alarm goes off.  Perhaps I'll be able to get wifi at DIA or ORD and bring you who are following up to speed.

За всичко имам сила чрез Онзи, Който ме подкрепява. -- Philippians 4:13 in Bulgarian

Ready to Go, Not Ready to Leave

Everything is packed, and repacked.  So, in that sense, I'm ready to go.

What I'm not ready to do is leave my wife, or leave my church family, or leave my grandchildren, or, in view of the tragedy that befell an eighth-grade student in our community this morning, leave my middle school guys in Awana.  So, in a sense, my heart is torn.  I want to go.  I don't want to leave.

I think it will always be that way for believers in this world.  C. S. Lewis described this feeling of wanting to go but not wanting to leave as an indicator of the longing all believers have, not far below the surface of our hearts, to go home and be with Jesus; and yet, we don't really want to leave the ones we love in this earth.  Paul expressed it this way.  "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." (Philippians 1:21-24)

So, as my body takes flight tomorrow, I'm sure I'll leave a chunk of my heart behind in northeast Colorado.  Then, some days later, it will happen again:  I'll fly back home, and a piece of my heart will remain in Bulgaria and Serbia.

And one day, all of our hearts will be home and whole, as Christ gathers us finally around His throne.  The fractures of life in this transient planet will be no more.  What a day!

Until then, there's a gospel and a world in need to it.  Staying or leaving, we go with that gospel.

What to Take With Me

I'm trying to decide what I can leave out of my suitcase, which weighs approximately 47 pounds.  Yes, I weighed it.

I know, on international flights, you're allowed 50 pounds.  "Allowed" doesn't mean I want to lug 47 pounds around for several hours over 11 days.  And what about the room I'm going to need to bring some gifts home?  Hmmmm?

So, I'm praying over a final sort-out.  Maybe I won't need all of it. How many of those shirts can I leave out?

All of which makes me wonder about why I need (read "want") so much stuff in my life anyway.  Jesus said, "Watch out for every form of greed.  Life does not consist of what you have, even if you have a lot." (my translation of Luke 12:15). And Paul talked about contentment with much or little.

By contrast, what do I talk about?  What do you talk about?

Защото се научих да съм доволен в каквото състояние и да се намеря. Зная и в оскъдност да живея, зная и в изобилие да живея; във всяко нещо и във всички обстоятелства съм научил тайната и да съм сит, и да съм гладен, и да съм в изобилие, и да съм в оскъдност. - Philippians 4:11b-12 in Bulgarian

"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." Philippians 4:11b-12 in English

Preaching Possibility

In a few days, some of the pastors on the trip may get the opportunity to preach in some of Baptist churches in and/or near Sofia, Bulgaria.  I volunteered.

Which is another way of reminding myself that I need to be prepared to preach, anywhere, any time, to any group, in any setting, as Paul urged Timothy:   "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." (2 Timothy 4:2).

Will I get to preach?  I don't know.  What will I preach about?  Too easy, drill sergeant!  Jesus Christ and Him crucified!  May I always be ready to point to my suffering, dying, rising again, reigning Savior.

а ние проповядваме разпнатия Христос -- 1 Corinthians 1:23a in Bulgarian

Packing

Wow!  This packing feels more like sorting through my life than sorting through my closet and dresser.  We've been instructed to pack light, and plan to wear each piece of clothing multiple times.  I'm not sure how to do that.  I've got my super light REI towel, guaranteed to absorb 8 times its weight in water and dry out in a few hours.  I've got my little packets of "personal tissue" and wet wipes, because the word is that you never know when you'll need these in eastern Europe.  I've got everything I can think of in small and light and easy-carry.

However, some of the important stuff is bulky, like my shoes (twelve-and-a-half, D) and my voltage converter.  I really wish I had room to take a fan (it helps me sleep through unfamiliar night noises), but instead I've downloaded a fan app to my smart-phone that sounds sort of fan-ish, and I'm giving it a try tonight.

As to the *really* important items, do I take one Bible or two?  How many other books will I have room for? ( I have 3 I want to read while flying.)  Can I fit one full change of clothes in my carry-on/back-pack, or should I try for two?  What about my Bulgaria-Serbia info notebook (as in a real, three-ring binder, not the electronic gadget):  should it be in the suitcase or in the carry-on?

Oh, and please, Lord, in the midst of all this, help me remember my passport and boarding passes.  When it comes to flying, you can get everything packed and ready, but without a ticket, it's no go.  And that's about more than airline travel; it's about salvation as well.  Think about it.


Защото копнея да ви видя, за да ви предам някоя духовна дарба за вашето утвърждаване, то ест, за да се утеша между вас взаимно с вас чрез общата вяра, която е и ваша и моя,  - Romans 1:11-12 in Bulgarian

Getting Ready to Fly

So, it's Monday night, and in less than 60 hours, I'll be getting on a Boeing 777-200 and heading for Sofia, Bulgaria.  Along with several other pastors and church leaders, we will be visiting and praying with existing and potential Baptist churches in central Bulgaria and throughout Serbia.  You can obtain
a Word document with a daily prayer guide and itinerary via email by requesting one from Becky at fbcsecretary@bresnan.net.

I may have an opportunity to preach at a Baptist church in Bulgaria, and with that in mind, I have been trying to learn a few Scripture passages in Bulgarian.  I'm finding it astonishingly difficult.  While I am perfectly confident that God understands Bulgarian, it's coming along pretty slowly for me.

The effort to learn a bit of the language proves to me how desperately beyond my natural abilities I will be operating in the next few days.  And, frankly, as uncomfortable as that makes me in the flesh, it's a wonderful gospel-centric thing. It serves as a hearty reminder that there is no genuine ministry that can be accomplished in the power of human nature.  Not only is there nothing I can do without the Holy Spirit's help while in Bulgaria and Serbia, there is nothing I can do without His help in Sterling.

So, if you're reading this, please pray for me (and for the entire team).  Pray that I resist the temptation to rely upon my training, my background, my education or my experience, or to think of myself as having any competence for this work other than the power of the gospel and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

We've been told we'll usually have web access throughout the trip, so I'll try to update this regularly and add photos from time to time during the trip, as well as afterwards.  Hope you keep in touch; but I hope even more that you pray for me.


Благодаря на моя Бог всеки път, когато си спомням за вас, винаги във всяка моя молитва, като се моля за всички вас с радост, за вашето участие в делото на благовестието, от първия ден дори до сега -- Philippians 1:3-5 in Bulgarian