Silence

My three children have been at their grandparents back in KC all week. For my wife and me it’s a very strange feeling around the house… quiet... It has taken me a couple of days to grow accustom to the change. For a while the quite was so prevalent, so ‘loud’ that it distracted me. I’m used to chatter, interruptions, noise, things flying, etc… and not just because of the kids. I can’t blame it all on them; it’s how I’ve been ‘programmed’ in this society. (And probably you as well.) It has led to a great many of us to warm up to cold, short attention spans. This causes some complications when we gather to worship each week. As the spiritual environmentalist at my church what am I to do with people who want to get in and out, to get “The Word”, and then get to lunch, to do worship as if they were checking off the grocery list? Then again what am I to do with myself because sometimes I’m just as bad as they are? Because here’s the truth: Sometimes God doesn’t answer back real quick like. Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes he doesn’t even answer. Sometimes His silence is the answer. There is a book by Barbara Brown Taylor that pretty much should be required reading for every believer in North America called “When God is Silent”. Taylor says, “Too often, I believe, preachers get into the business of giving answers instead of ushering people into the presence of the God who may or may not answer.” Well, I guess I shouldn’t say much after that quote. Peace, Jonathan

Hike to Havasu Falls

My brother-in-law and I took a great hike this past week deep into the Havasupai Indian Reservation of NW Arizona to Havasu Falls. We were like 'Man vs Wild' except that we only spent one night, ate turkey sandwhiches and doritos, watched movies on his ipod and once down there flew out by helicopter. Other than that we were just like 'Man vs Wild'.


















Taller than Niagra, Mooney Falls, is over 200 feet. At one point, I thought I heard someone say they were the tallest in the states but that only shows my ignorance cuz it's still a couple thousand feet shorter than Yosemite Falls in CA. (And three thousand feet shorter than the tallest falls in the world, Angel Falls in South America.)

My bro-n-law, Jon North, most likely considering his puny, little existance compared to the rather large body of water dropping over 100 feet at Havasu Falls.

Me at Havasu Falls. 11 miles from trailhead. Which is 90 miles from Seligman, AZ. Which is... well it's all kinda in the middle of nowhere.

17 Years

My wife and I spent last weekend celebrating our 17th. It's truly amazing how fast time seems to go by. One thing that has worked for us is that she always makes the small decisions and I make the big ones.

So far there haven't been any big ones.

I've always thought that marriage was a bit like being in the lab where God, as the scientist (not a mad one but a good one) starts pouring elements, like the man and wife, into the beaker and then adding all kinds of other ingredients while cranking up the bunsen burner (i.e. stress, tension, good things, bad things, etc...). After a while stuff starts coming out the top... smoke, foam, unwanted compounds... During this whole process at times it feels like a part of you is being dissolved away. And actually there is some truth to that. In a good marriage (or any healthy relationship really) a part of you does have to dissolve away. It's not particularly fun. It's not really what you had planned initially. It's just way these things work. But the stuff that gets boiled away, that you have to let go of is the stuff that wasn't any good anyhow. And then after some time and prayer you begin to realize that the new element that is made is better than anything individually you had to offer. It's the joy and the pain of being in marriage... of being in the lab together. I'm sure you can draw the connection between this thought and our relationship with God so I won't belabor the point. So, here's to marriage. Crank up the bunsen burners!

Jonathan

Please note that what I've referred to here is not a call for anyone to completely, 100% lose themselves into another. That can be unhealthy. I'm not convinced that anyone should should give total control to another human. I'd say give total control to God but even then you've still got some choices to make and a life to live. ("I've been crucified in Christ but nevertheless I still live")