We are the Church

 "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Cor. 12:27

Growing up, I remember as early as second grade singing a hymn that went very simply:

I am the church

You are the church

We are the church together

All who follow Jesus

All around the world

Yes, we're the church together!

The whole point of the song, as the verses continue, is that church is not merely a building. Rather, the church references the people involved. It doesn't matter where they come together, it's the different spiritual gifts that combine to create a community, an extended family led by God the father, saved by Christ the son, unified in faith by the Holy Spirit.

"Who's the king of the jungle?"

Despite being a church member for the past 20 years or so, the words of this hymn have never rung so true as during the past five months. Our beloved leader, Pastor Jeff, departed in December after being the pastor on Guam for 9 years, leaving our church here to be run by a shell of a staff (including moi) and a team of exceptionally dedicated volunteers (everyone else). In retaliation for him leaving, I am posting the goofiest picture of him I can find (thank you gorilla-motions song from jungle-themed Vacation Bible School).

Throughout this period of transition as we seek our new pastor, the pendulum of our abilities as a church people has swung back and forth in my mind. I have stood in awe of the Sunday morning services our church has put together. I have teared up listening to the sermons written by inspired lay pastors who somehow create time during their workweeks as lawyers, active duty military, university professors, and businessmen to listen to God's message in the scriptures and relate it so personally to the interworkings of our lives. I savor every doughy morsel of homemade communion bread, prepared lovingly and unceremoniously each week by a navy spouse. I belt out the harmonies to familiar hymns and worship songs that make my soul feel renewed, energized and at home. I memorize Bible verses alongside our youth during Confirmation and Sunday School. I marvel at all we are able to accomplish with our spiritual gifts as the body of Christ.

Oh, how I wish this were the end of the post! (insert long, dramatic sigh...)

Other times I get a glimpse of why God needed to take things into his own hands and come down into this painfully fallen world to show even his most devoted followers the Way (while we were still sinners...). Try as we might, we have so many flaws. Sometimes our Sunday services seem so disjointed, they can be painful to sit through. And as a former public speaking coach, it's all I can do not to boastfully extend free consulting services (!) to some of the volunteer speakers. Sometimes the music... it just doesn't come together. The hymns are boring or unmelodious and even the worship leaders hit their share of wrong notes (I can say this because I myself am completely guilty!). We leave long, awkward pauses in places that used to flow so smoothly. Some Sundays it seems like the only thing we do right is pass the peace.

As a people, we have all of the gifts to create flawless church services as we reliably did just a few months ago, but we are now painfully aware of how valuable it was to have a leader to organize us all. Metaphorically, it's like taking a peek of the disaster our lives would quickly become without the Holy Spirit's persistent guidance and direction. Our new pastor can't get here soon enough!

Nitpick as I might about the ins and outs of the weekly service (and under the circumstances I try really hard not to!), it has been during this same transition time that our team of 19 church members (out of a congregation of 190 - that's 10%!) went out into the world to care for those in need at an orphanage in Manila (and it took three church-supported fundraisers to get us there). Every Tuesday morning I meet with a group of a dozen or so women for intensive Bible studies on topics as far reaching as Roman history to the apocalypse to meditation. My faith (and my understanding of God) has grown tremendously from being part of this group of spiritual leaders. That's in addition to at least two other Bible studies going on churchwide throughout the week. And you may recall our church created a mural of the entire world from paint and supplies and time donated by our members (and a special visitor) in just five days.

Putting the books of the Bible in order

In two weeks on Pentecost, nine of our youth will stand before the congregation and become confirmed adult members, having memorized the Apostles Creed, the 10 Commandments, the books of the Bible (in order!), the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, and a dozen other verses of scripture. Thanks to the program's leadership by a church member who stepped in, their ability to explain the tenets and sacraments of the Christian faith is almost mind-boggling. The current members of our youth group are transforming into the future leaders of the church... and the world... right before our very eyes. Despite our tendency to run around like lost sheep at times, the things our church... the people... have been able to accomplish without a pastor seems, at times, supernatural.

"In this world you will have trouble,
But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:3

I believe it's that brush with the supernatural that keeps us, the fallen church, coming back in faith. I think back to this time last year, suffering through pneumonia and facing the funerals of two grandparents days apart on the other side of the world.  I didn't know if it would be physically possible to get there in time. Pastor Jeff encouraged me to go be with my family. My Bible study prayed for my health, my decision, and the ensuing travel. Hours later, the Space-A flight schedules aligned almost, well, supernaturally and carried me from Guam straight into the arms of my sister on the West Coast. She accompanied me the rest of the journey to Florida, where I was reunited with my extended family, and later that week with Nick's extended family in New Jersey. Both memorial services were held in churches. Surrounded by people. Being present among so many people I love in the midst of our pain and celebration was so healing. And healing was exactly what we broken people needed as the permanent eternal change (as well as the temporary earthly change) began to take hold of our hearts.

I am so aware now more than ever about the role the church body plays in our lives, our community, and our world. I am grateful for the members of our church who continue to give and teach and pray even when, at times, it seems we are running on fumes. Somehow (supernaturally, perhaps) we keep on, not only running, but staying the course. And I have the utmost faith that this rickety era in our church's inability to conduct perfect services will one day be something its members look back and laugh about with our awesome new pastor. "Remember that Sunday when there were two sermons? Hahaha!" (Yes, this really happened.)

It's times like this that I must so faithfully remember... or rather, am so painfully reminded... that I am the church... you are the church....

And for better or for worse, we are the church together. May God help us all. That, after all, may just be the whole point.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

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For my family... Remembering Shoopa and MomMom this week... forever in our hearts.

Soaking up Socal

 

I had a phenomenal visit to California. The wedding was most definitely the highlight, but everything else I did was so rich and meaningful, and every visit was so intentional and fulfilling. Perhaps it's because this is likely my last visit to San Diego for a while. My last visit to California from Guam. Crazy...

 

My mom couldn't pass up the opportunity to sneak in one last visit to San Diego, either! So she flew out and joined me. We went to the Flower Fields in Carlsbad, which are simply breathtaking. 

  I stayed with my dear friend Liz in Coronado. We spent the weekend hanging out, working out, meeting friends for coffee, staying up way too late, and mostly just catching up.

The last time I was in San Diego in January and saw Ann, she was in labor! She had her baby Asher later that night, so three months later, this was my first chance to meet him! Ann and her family will be moving to our next duty station two months before we will. Hooray for West Coast friends moving east!


And it was awesome to see Tracy! She and I were youth leaders together and were in the same Bible study. I went to our church with her Sunday morning and was tickled to go down into the old youth den and see our benediction verse still written in Laura's handwriting on the chalkboard wall we put up. I was also very envious of the amazing space that church built to house their teenagers. We had it so good!

I also took the opportunity to say hi to some Guam friends who just moved back to the States! It was really interesting to hear how their transition has been. The most surprising thing to me was what they said about how the people in San Diego have not been very nice or welcoming to them. They both very much miss island life, which I was somewhat surprised to hear from one of them who couldn't wait to leave. There are definitely some simple pleasures on Guam that can't be replicated.

One of the highlights of any San Diego stopover is getting to see these faces! 

Nick's little twin cousins Jack and Drew are now one year old, and they have got to be the most joyful babies ever!

They look right into your eyes... or the camera... and give you their biggest smile. Beyond cute!

And it's always great to hang out with their big sister Madison. We all had a wonderful dinner together and spent the evening catching up. Still, the visit was way too short, as it always tends to be. I will just have to come back. Soon, I hope.

After some awesome visits in San Diego, my mom and I met up with April, who picked us up and drove us to LA so we could take care of some very important business. April is going to join the Guam Club! She is coming all the way out to see me next month, and we are going on an adventure together... to China! We took advantage of the proximity to the Chinese Consulate office in LA and got our visas taken care of.

We used the rest of the day to see LA, since my mom had never been to any of the sights before. If you look closely, you can see the Hollywood sign in the background from our lunch stop at Hollywood & Highland. Then we moved on to ... 

We did some serious window shopping.

And saw some fancy cars. It cracked me up to see all the guys drooling and taking pictures!

You really do see the strangest things in LA

Luckily some awesome people live there... SO great to see Jen! Yes, this is Jen from Guam... and Thailand and Korea. Jen hasn't been getting much sleep lately...

Because Jen got a puppy! Nice to meet you, Norma Jean!

All in all, a busy and fun stopover in LA, one of my least favorite cities in the entire world :)

Creating the World

In the beginning the wall was formless and empty, and darkness fell over it. 

So we scraped

 and primed

 And went to great heights to prepare the wall 

(nice work Kevin!).

And God said, "Let there be light."

And God saw that it was good. 
And there was evening and there was morning---the first day.

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear."

In order to make the dry ground appear, we got up at 4:30a to head to the church while it was still dark so we could project the image and trace it on the wall.

 Racing the sunrise clock to finish before the projected image became too light!

 The artist presenting all the possibilities for shading and highlighting

 And it was so

And God saw that it was good. 
And there was evening and there was morning---the second day.

 Day 3 brought us a team of friends to help our creation story move along much faster

God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day. He set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth and to separate light from darkness.

 Painting this in the playground of the preschool, we had a very enthusiastic audience.

And God saw that it was good. 
And there was evening and there was morning---the third day.

The next day we got up at 5a.m. again to head to the church and use the projector. 

In the rain. After spending most of the day resting and hiking, we returned to the world refreshed and ready to finish.

  Thankfully we had more help!

And God saw that it was good. And it was evening (which was great so we could use the projector one last time!) and it was morning---the fourth day.

With the final day of creation upon us, we started our morning with the sun.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. John 1:9

 In him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:5

And finally, on day five, our mural was complete!

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

What I Learned from Helping Create the World

Spending the week painting with my sister was a lot of fun. During the countless hours brushing and rolling color after color across many of the lands I have visited and those I have yet to see for myself, I couldn't help but think about what this world might be able to teach me. Here are a few ruminations from our experience creating the world.

There is something profoundly beautiful about a clean slate. It was amazing to see what a difference our simple coats of primer and white paint made on the wall. The whole backyard looked better immediately, even before the first brush of color made its appearance.  

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone; the new has come." 2 Cor. 5:17

It is utterly ridiculous how small some parts of the world are that get the biggest amount of the world's attention. Ahem Korean peninsula... There are many more, but as I splattered paint across this little blip on the wall, it seemed particularly fitting.

Conversely, it's amazing how big and intricate some parts of the world are that get so little attention. I had no idea the northern Canadian islands were going to require the most amount of attention of our whole world. So many crazy coastlines up that way. Part of me thinks that might be a great place to explore one day. If only it weren't so cold....

You never know where a thing of beauty may be found. Among the two dozen or so rusty, unlabeled, hopeless-looking cans of paint that were donated for the project, we found every single vibrant, gorgeous color we needed for our world. A few of the cans were complete duds, needing to be disposed of immediately. But what remained was absolutely perfect---on the inside. 

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7

In fact, even that which is thrown aside can be a thing of beauty.

(Yes, this is a macro shot of the inside of the mural trash bag. Maybe splatter painting from the 80s will have its comeback soon... so fun!)

One of my favorite moments from the week was when Courtney overheard one of the preschool moms asking her son, "Where does Grandma live?" His reply: "Blue!" and "Where does Aunt Cindy live?" "Red!"

Made me think of John Lennon's lyrics... Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do...

I loved considering the innocence of these little people who have no idea what wars and turmoil are going on at this very moment. Their only concern is playing on the playground until snack time. O that all the world could be so simple.

The scale of a place is relative. Guam is definitely not bigger than Hawaii. 

But it sure is to us!

Creating the world is hard work. No wonder God rested on the 7th day. We didn't make it that long. We actually rested on the 4th day. We spent part of the day napping and lounging around the house, and part of the day exploring God's actual creation, which included Waterfall Valley and this very lovely butterfly sighting. From the top of a waterfall, Court also spotted a freshwater eel (which I had never seen here before). Waterfall Valley is such a beautiful place. It could be a mural in itself. It made me consider that perhaps all the world could be a mural.


My favorite part of the mural design is the positioning of the "Far East" on the left side and the Western hemisphere in its proper place to our right. For those of us who grew up on the left side of the map, this is certainly a new way of looking at things, and a reminder that everything, after all, is a matter of perspective.

Despite the last touch-ups we did in our final hour of work, our world isn't perfect. And no amount of paint or artistic prowess could ever make it so. But even with its missteps in balance and scale and texture, our world is somehow still beautiful. The colors, the shapes, the vastness all come together just so to create wonder, provoke mystery, and inspire greatness. And here we are---for such a finite time---positioned to enjoy and explore all that it has for us.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them 

in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." 

Matthew 28:19