Day 4: Whoa!!! Too hard to put into words!

The day started way too early, but not because of our schedule.  I never sleep very well, but when you need to write a sermon to prepare the next evening sleep just doesn't happen.  So I was up before the rooster crowed...litterally.  The rooster crows every morning starting around 5:00.

We went downtown to Ensenada this afternoon.  Ensenada is a beautiful port city where cruise ships dock.  Tourism and fishing are the biggest industries so their is plenty to do, with lots of shops and nice restaurants.  We ate at a cool restaurant that roasted chicken on an open fire.  1/2 a chicken and fries for $8.50.  The food was awesome (I may have mentioned that in a previous blog). 

Then we went to Javier's church.  When we arrived their were lots of people standing in the dark because the church wasn't open yet.  Yes on a Friday night people were waiting outside to get into a place and it wasn't a night club...it was a church.  The church was large based on the other churches we've attended since we've been here.  They had about half of the church completed and were in the process of finishing the other half.  The church had an amazing band, which played for about an hour, and while they did several people were dancing and every body clapps to the music.  Then Jimmy and Lauren sang.  They are incredibly talented and sounded great (not a shocker there).  Then Chelsea gave a testimonial, or what we refer to as her call story.  Then it was my turn to preach.  Javier has challenged us all week, by putting us in positions we may not put ourselves in.  An example being preaching at his church to about 75-100 people.  I thought I might be a little nervous but actually I felt pretty good.  JJ read my sermon earlier in the day and was very reseptive to the message.  Abby was my translator.  In case I didn't say in an earlier blog, Abby, JJ and Javier are all with Lantern Hill.

I preached my sermon in English and Abby translated.  It was harder than I expected to find the appropriate rythem of preaching and pausing for translation, but I think it went pretty well.  It is difficult to carry the emotion of the sermon through the pauses, but Abby was awesome at conveying the emotion in Spanish.  The worship experience was much different, the congregation will give you affirmations of amen, and haleluia during the sermon.  As most if not all of you know I am an emotional person.  So toward the begining of my sermon I got a couple amens, which almost brought me to tears.  For me it was affirmation that I had connected with people of a different culture, not to mention Lutherans don't talk while you preach.  I was pretty sure I'd cry at the end of my sermon, and I almost did, but I was able to keep myself together.  I really enjoy preaching in general, but this was one I will NEVER forget. 

Below is the manuscripted I preached from.  The (...'s) are there for pauses for Abby to translate, and I'm too tired to edit them out.

Mark 12: 28-34

We are different…I am American…You are Mexican…We are different…Our skin is a different color…Our eyes are a different color…We are different…We do not worship the same…At my church we rarely clap during songs…we are different.

This is my first time in Mexico…and all I heard before I got here…was we are different.  Some people in my country…think it is ok to have a fence between our countries…because we are different.  On the plane to get here…I wondered what was so different about us.  Now I know what is so different.  NOTHING…nothing is different about us.  We don’t look the same…we don’t speak the same language…we don’t listen to the same music…the food is different…BUT WE ARE NOT DIFFERENT.  We are the same.

In the book of Genesis…it says we are created in the image of God.  It does not say…Americans are created in the image of God….it does not say…Mexicans are created in the image of God…we are ALL created in the image of God.

We are the same.  The longer I am here…the more I can see…we are the same.  Last night…I went with my friends…to a different church.  And I was reminded…how much we are the same.  I saw a young couple…maybe 20 or 25 years old.  You could tell they were in love...by the way they looked at each other.  Young couples… have the same look in their eyes…no matter where they are from.  And I realized we are the same…God created us that way.  Love, and hate…happiness and sadness…joy and pain…they are the same in any culture.  They are the same across the world. 

In our reading today…we are told…love the Lord your God…with all your heart…with all your soul…and with all your mind and with all your strength.  That is not always easy.  We have families…and jobs…and kids to raise.  We are not perfect…we all sin…we all fall short…of what God asks of us.  No matter how hard we try…we are not perfect.  But do you know…what is the most beautiful thing?  God still loves us…God loves us even though we fail.    God gave his only son…Jesus died on the cross…for the forgiveness of our sins.  God sees no race…no culture.  Jesus died on the cross…for you and for me.  Jesus death and resurrection…happened a long time ago.  But the Holy Spirit is with us today.  The Holy Spirit fills us…with love and grace…every day.  For that I am thankful.  I will never…be able to repay God…for all of my debts.  But I will thank…and praise him every day. 

I know that every day…every night…every moment…every second the Holy Spirit walks with me.  And he walks with you too. 

We are also told in our reading today…to love our neighbor as our self.  Who is our neighbor?  Is it the person…that lives next to you?  Is it the person…who is sitting beside you now?  Is it a person you work with?  Or…is our neighbor from a different town…a different city…or a different country?

YES YES YES YES YES YES

Your neighbor is all of these.  And we are called by God…to love each and every one them.  I do not mean…to love them…like the young couple I talked about before.  I mean to care for them…to help them when they need help.  To really care…about the people we meet.  That is what God wants us to do.

Sometimes we are so busy…we ask…How are you doing…and we don’t even listen to the answer.  Loving your neighbor…is not only being nice.  Loving your neighbor…is listening…loving your neighbor…is caring about them.  Loving your neighbor…is doing what you can to help. 

The light of Christ…shines in us.  It is up to us…to shine that light in the darkness.  The darkness of people…who do not know Christ.  The darkness…of your neighbor in need.  The darkness…of a neighborhood in need.  The darkness…of the world in need.  It is our job…to shine the light of Christ…in Mexico…in the United States…and around the world. 

We are the light…and the Holy Spirit…is the electricity…that fuels our lights.  When we worship and pray…our lights get re-charged.  So we can spread the light…and the love of God…to everyone we meet.  No matter how different…they may seem. 

But prayer…should not just happen in church.  Prayer needs to be part of our day…then our light will stay bright.  When we open our hearts to the Lord…God tells us…where to shine our light. 

Each of our lights…may shine in different places…but we are all carrying the same light.  The light of Christ.

We are all different.  But we are all the same…we are all children of God…we are all brothers and sisters in Christ…sharing the light.

When I go home in a few days…I will leave with my friends…and I will be leaving… new friends here in Mexico.  But my light will shine…even brighter…because I will take your light with me…wherever I go.  Together we can light the world.  Amen

This has been an amazing experience, and I'm having a blast.  My only regret is that Camden and Christina are not here.  I miss them and love them terribly.  Next time they will be here, and yes there will be a next time.