Commandment XI or CXI...thou shalt pray before eating

It came up in conversation with someone from the US recently that there were people (I believe in the Christian Church) that were no longer praying before eating as a matter of course. Why? They did not consider it Biblical. They made it a point to make that known (when they chose not to pray before a meal, and were asked why.)

What exactly is their stance on this issue? I can not say, but I found it challenging to what I believe and practice...that is praying before eating. Why do I do it? Before I share my thoughts, let me first say I firmly believe in praying without ceasing, which is Biblical. We should be in constant comunion with God. Can I realistically do that? Probably not, but it is something to strive for all the days of our life, right? So whether or not we say it outloud, or try to look pious if we are alone with our hands folded, head bowed, or whether we just silently say gracias to Him who deserves it without anyone else knowing, we should be in prayer with God.

I assume that by the above stated stance they were not saying it was un-Biblical to pray before eating, but that rather it was not a mandate from the Bible to do so. If so, I think I can understand that. Sometimes I have felt like "saying grace" (Is that akin to sharing the gospel? I am curious as to the etymology of that idiom?) has become very rooted in legalism. If I do not pray before eating, is that sin? By some reactions I have seen one would think so. In certain situations where it is hard to pray together, we have passed word to pray individually. Someone walks up late, seeing people eating, and asks, almost in unbelief "Aren't we going to pray before we eat?" Have you ever been chastised for forgetting to pray before eating? I know I have...and have been the one doing the chastising, no matter how positive minded I might have been at the time.

Should we not pray before eating? Of course not. Jesus broke the bread, and gave thanks, etc. We give thanks for what we have received, an that is one way to do that.

Is it an absolute, that we must do so at all times or feel guilty if we do not? I am reminded of Romans 14. If we are strong in our faith in that area, so be it...as we accomodate those that are weak. If we are weak, then so be it...as we struggle and reach out for higher understanding...and not condemn those that are strong.

Thoughts?

Soccer video

Care to see some video taken from the latest group? David Lawson, sports minister and artist extrodainare put together something for his blog, and I thought it was a good show for the soccer ministry, so here is the link for you to check it out:

http://www.davidlawson.blogspot.com/

Also their Church is currently in the middle of something I have seen before, but never quite put in such a way that has struck me. A faith in action campaign, with a slogan, if you will, on their website saying "Don't GO to Church...BE the Church." I am sure I have said this before, and with much thanks to Pastor Jeff for pointing this out in one of his sermons, but the old hand gesture I was taught as a kid, "this is the Church, this is the steeple, open the door and see all the people," is really just pushing forward the idea Church is somewhere we go, like a club or to the gym. It should be, "this is the building, this is the steeple, open the door, and see the Church. But wait, they are all getting up, and going out to do God's work!" Sure it requires more manual dexterity, and more memorization, but wow would it be closer to what WE as a Church should be.

And why do we even need the steeple? Is that not steeped (I could not resist) in past pagan buildings? Can you store stuff in it? Are they a wise use of funds? Would not a lightning rod on the roof serve just as good a purpose? Feel free to set me straight, if I am in the wrong here. Otherwise, I am taking a pro-no steeple stance.

Melon Ciego

Well, the group left on Saturday, which means my life is pretty plain. And no watching puddles gather rain since of course it has not rained since they left. But I am not complaining there is no rain. And although it is sad they have departed, my cheeks are dry today....eh eh.

No rain is good for the road to the clinic. Some major work was done on Saturday and Sunday to make some repairs...Saturday down in the more populated Ciudad Lempira, and Sunday morning with a make-shift crew of neighbors digging a ditch and trying to throw some "stuff" into the road to make it more passable. That poor road. Many a visitor has comented that it's not sane. Sick perhaps. Or just a bad road. Who can say? One way or another we are really going to have it made. Of course, a road made in the traditional sense might take a few decades, but you know we're really gonna have it made.

Raindrops keep pounding on my head

You know, it seems to me that an inordinate number of times that we go to El Patio with a group, it rains the most. What does it mean? I do not know. Today during the milk project and soccer time it rained...and rained, and rained some more, hard rain, unusual rain...well, unusual except for on days we go to El Patio. The area down from the clinic where the water usually pools pooled in such a way that made it unpassable, forcing us to choose an alternate route. What fun. But no problems were had, and we all made it there and back safe and sound.

This morning we made our way to the local public hospital with some of the youth group from the Church to visit the children in various areas, including HIV/AIDS, orthapedics, surgery, infant care, dialysis, physical therapy, and the cancer chemotherapy ward. Whew. Included among the children was one parent who came up to me as I came in to check on the rest of the group. It seems she regonized me from a visit some time ago (she mentioned as much as two years), and wanted me to pray for her daughter again...as she has had one surgery as can be seen from the picture, and is to have another on Tuesday or Wednesday. She would appreciate all our prayers for her daughter. There were many such stories as you can imagine there, that is just one of the many hearts that have been touched, are touched, and are being touched through that portion of the ministry and by those that have been there when God's face was needed.

This group from Christ's Church leaves tomorrow. It seems like they just got here! As usual, we will be sad to see them go, but also grateful for their time here, and the time together as a family these coming weeks before I head off to the US.

Cornball

Today was our corn distribution in Pueblo Nuevo, which was different since we only visited a few homes personally as much of the corn was divided up and sent to homes very far from where the Church was located.

After we arrived back to the clinic, the women took a deserved trip to souvenir shopping after the hard work they put in all this week with Valerie. The guys stayed around with me for soccer ministry practice with the girls group, which was fun....so much fun I forgot to pick Cecilia up from school until Silvia reminded me.

Ups and downs

The trip to Sampedrana (you perhaps wondered where we had been?) went well. Up the mountain we went on Monday and began the work set out for us to do, that being stucco work on the new storage facility while the roofing process continued above, and painting the pastor's home (lovely, familiar color don't you think?) outside, and even most of the inside with a nice reflective white (remember, no electricity...white helps visibility in low light situations.)

At night we watched some very deep movies with the community...like Finding Nemo and Spiderman II. Finding spiritual connections to everyday from those movies...not overly hard. David also gave a sermon to introduce Spiderman II.

(At left) Workers enjoying themselves tremendously through work, laughing at camermanr, or just giddy with joy over the prospect of a two hour Spiderman movie delight? You be the judge.





(At left, part 2) Breakfast of champions shown at left...cheese and crackers, with bakery bought pastries and cookies. And of course do not forget the cup of fresh coffee.

Getting eventually down the mountain proved a challenge with some fairly intense rains making the road...interesting, and the local bus needing our help (twice...once the Ford to get up a mountain, then later the Defender to push then pull it off the rock it got highspotted on) to make progress. The driver usually uses his passengers to pull the vehicle out, but did not have enough today to get the job done. Nothing like paying for the oppotunity to work I suppose. We made it unscatched back to Comayagua, and then on to Teguc, with the rain sticking with us most of the way.

Christ's Church arrival

Ah, the group has arrived. I was amazed at the speed with which they exited customs. How amazed? They were waiting on me when I arrived. Of course, had I been there promplty when the plane landed, surely that would have been the day they would have been delayed by bad weather, lost luggage or some other sure thing via Murphy's postulate.

At right we have a typical gringo cart while in Honduras. In case it is hard to see, we have coffee, quite a bit of coffee, vanilla, hurricane sauce, jalapeño popcorn, plantain chips, coke, m&ms, more chips, and more pop (oh, sorry, it is "coke", I forgot.)

They got a tour of the new bakery as well, with less people than the inaugaration it was interesting to take a good look at the "behind the scenes" and hear more about the progress being made. Oh, and hearing they will be making pizza sometime soon was encouraging as well. Apparantly one of the brothers working there worked seven years at Pizza Hut.

And on a personal note, our friend Soren came up this afternoon, just to fix my cell phone...and visit, which for several months has been held together with a rubber band. He was able to stay for dinner, which was just as nice as my fixed cell phone.

Pan de Vida

Well, last night's regular Thursday night service was not so regular.

It was not held with a Church, but not in a Church, if you get my drift.

Last night was the inaugaration of the bakery Pan de Vida (Bread of Life). Brought about by a very generous donation abroad, the Church now owns a building, has the machinery necessary, and the ingrediants needed, to run a bakery.

The service was short but very positive and well done, giving the thanks squarely where they belong, to God, and in prayer for this venture. This venture also being defined in its purpose: to provide jobs for Church members, to provide a top quality product to consumers, and to pass profits back to the Church for the growth of the ministry.

Oscar and I went together (his truck left at my place) as we came back from delivering sand to Sampedrana (why, you ask? Long story short...no sand in Sampedrana and work yet to be done!). During the service we were recognized for our efforts in whatever we might o rmight not have done, which was nice but certainly not necessary and presented one of the special bread loaves made for the leaders of the Church. It was....delightfully delicious. I mean, it was delictable and full of doughy goodness. I also had a cookie that was out for sampling, which was also very good. So when I go back to buy more, it will of course be to support the ministry, with no personal motive as you can well imagine.

Soren and his big day

Well, the 8th came and went, and Soren was happy it was his birthday. Well, he was pleased I guess would be a better choice of words.

The humurous thing was he was to go to another birthday party thrown by our former neighbors on Thursday. On arriving back at the house I heard that the piñata did not interest him, and that for the most part he just entertained himself. When I asked him before he left about going....do you want to go? No. Do you want candy? No. Do you want hamburgers and french fries (the party was a big shin dig at McDonald's)? No. What do you want? Pizza!

So we had no big shin dig, just a pizza for supper, and cake. He does like cake...and his gifts from the grandparents.


Unfortunately he has been a little sick. He woke up in the middle of the night, which when combined with no nursery service at Church (all the teachers and bigger kids like Cecilia's age up to teenagers went to Picacho for kid's day celebration) made for a sleepy boy.

But he does know he is now three, not two, which is quite a revelation for him.

Good thing Felix did not come

Yesterday we got a surprise rain, maybe 1/2 hour or so. In that half hour, the market area downtown flooded to about 4 feet or so, and one woman died. Imagine what could have happened with even a weakened hurricane?

Also yesterday the Ford and the Defender served as a funeral procession for Lourdes' baby who was born earlier this week. As is typical here, Lourdes does not know why the baby died, was not told anything, and after giving birth the baby was taken from her to another ward, and never got to hold him while he was alive. She only found out he died when she returned to the hospital to pick him up (why did she leave? She was forced to even though she was not 100% because they needed the bed.) How sad it was for them to decide to use the Defender as the hurse...that a coffin would fit in the back of the truck was not good. We drove to Sabana Grande to a cemetery outside of town for the burial.

Felix go bye bye

We awoke this morning wondering why we were not awoken last night, when Felix was supposed to pass through Tegucigalpa. I can not say I was disappointed.

Apparantly the storm has gone somewhere, although from what information we have here, I can not determine where. Go figure. The only thing I currently see from my beautiful view on the second story is clouds...no rain.

I am sure there are reports of damage, etc. in other areas, but for me that will have to wait until later, we are getting ready to go to the clinic at this time, I just wanted to give an update of sorts to all those abroad that have been praying, asking and otherwise concerned for the situation here.

Felix?

I know many of you are wondering, and praying (thank you...more than words or I can convey) about how things are going here.

So far, Felix has not reached us. The rain began a little while ago, but a very gentle rain. I am sure there will be something more to follow.

With memories of Mitch in everyone's heads...supermarkets, gas stations, banks, water bottle vendors, everything have been deluged with customers. Perhaps we will be overprepared. One would hope.

Otherwise a rather normal day so far..if not for the lines at all the commercial establishments, so far you would not know a former hurricane is on its way.

Update explanation

Here is the cockney slang used in the little adendum to this month's update. People really use these, I did not make anything up. Believe it.....or not!

dog and bone....rhymes with telephone
china plate...rhymes with mate
butchers hook...look
ball of chalk...walk
whistle and flute...suit
sky....pocket
saucepan...kid (also seen as saucepan and lid)
frog and toad...road
plates of meat...feet
barnet fair...hair
apples and pears...stairs
skin and blister...sister
cream crackered...knackered (tired)
Pete Tong...wrong
mince pies...eyes
tea leaf...thief
half inch...pinch (or steal)
mutt and jeff...deaf
penned and inked...stinked (or stunk as it were)
loaf of bread...head
barney rubble...trouble (also referenced in Ocean's Eleven as I recall)
septic tank...yank, or someone from the USA
duchess of fife...wife
two and eight...state, like agitated baby
dicky bird...word
brown bread...dead
adam and eve...believe
boat race...face
bread and honey...money
borassic lint...skint, or moneyless
bob's your uncle...there you go

Prayer request

Quick note to all of you possibly out there...pray for my Dad, he is in the hospital with pain symptoms around the midsection. A CAT scan showed no immediate problems with his heart, appendix, etc. but they can not figure out what is wrong with him. He is being held over night until they can do a procedure tomorrow (apparantly not available on Labor Day.)

Also of course Hurricane Felix that is on its way here. We do not believe we will be directly affected here in the capital, but anything is possible. Valerie tried to go to the grocery store this afternoon....longest lines she can every remember seeing. Hopefully we can get in tomorrow morning before it gets crazy again.

Also for our intern Ruth and her mum that left today for Copan. It is possible they could get caught up in all this, as they were hoping to head to La Ceiba (the North Coast) on Wednesday. Obviously all those plans could be toast depending on the weather.

Tea for me

Well, Ruth's mom Elaine arrived today (they leave for holiday tomorrow) and brought with her a considerable amount of tea. So since they were ready for some upon arriving at home, I figured what better opportunity for me to have a spot.

Tea...Earl Gray...hot.

My first experience was exactly what I thought it would be. That is to say, not terrible, not great. I recall saying profoundly "it tastes like drinking a tree" which sounds worse than it tasted. I could probably be tempted for another spot just to compare. Interesting stuff. Don't worry about me getting hooked on it though...at least not yet.