Smolensk - Day 2

Years ago I led a mission trip to Mexico. It is a trip I will never forget. It was the first time that I felt as if I was part of something much, much, much, much larger than me. It was the first moment I can recall where I realized that God has used me, and our group, as an instrument. On that trip, a trip which was perilously close to "falling apart" as it endured set back after set back, we had become the answer to someone else's prayer. The church we were helping complete had been praying for a new roof for years. They needed a concrete roof but did not have the money, materials, or labor to roof their large church building. And God called us to build a new roof for them. They had not been praying for us specifically. They had just been praying that God would send someone. And someone was us. We were the answer to a prayer.

(Our group at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Smolensk. We visited there today. Pictures inside are not allowed but I can say that I have never seen anything like it. Ever. A truly stunning piece of architecture and a work of Christian art that I have not seen paralleled many places if at all.

See: 

http://www.smolensk-travel.ru/en/about-smolensk/touristic-musts/holy-assumption-cathedral/ , or,

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g672719-d5521267-Reviews-Cathedral_of_the_Assumption_Uspensky_Sobor-Smolensk_Smolensky_District_Smolensk_O.html ).

Today was a day much like that day long ago in Mexico. In a VERY small way (but important way), I think we were played a part in answered prayer today. Our church partners, Central Baptist Church in Smolensk, have been working for years for more cooperation from the government (remember the history of the Soviet Union and the persecution of the church in the mid 20th century) and cooperation from the 'official' and historic Russian Orthodox Church. This process has taken decades. It has required year upon year of relationship building by Victor our friend and the pastor of the church.

Today, many things culminated for Victor. And we played a part in the hard work he has done and in the hard prayed prayers he has offered. Our presence, American Christians in a city that only sees a handful of Amercians in any given year, became an opportunity for meetings with government and church officials. Think of it like a catalyst. And though all we did was bring greetings from America, and from White Memorial, our presence mattered. The Russian church and government officials were generous to us (you would not believed the meal we had at the Orthodox cathedral today), and curious about who we were and how we found Smolensk and Russia.

(Harriet, Jerry, Victor and the head of the State of Smolensk office of Human Rights and Human Services).

The officials in the governors office and the Metropolitan of Smolensk (think Archbishop or Cardinal) would not allow us to take pictures.

But it was an incredible day of sharing and discovery. We learned of them, they learned of us. We talked about American TV (of which they see a lot). We talked about music (you should know that Russians are, as a whole, incredibly musical). We talked about the beauty of the arts here. We spoke of new opportunities for religious partnerships "across the many confessions." They treated us with the best and most generous forms of hospitality. And we did our part to help Victor, who has long prayed and worked for these types of relationships, to continue to build on the good foundation he has been constructing. 

Many prayers went into today. And we were here to help them find answers.

It was a good day. A different day. But special. Goodness -- by God's abundant grace -- so special.

(The wall which still surrounds much of the old city of Smolensk is one of the great historical sites of Western Russia. Forgive the blurry picture. The photographer was very rushed and very cold. It is amazing to see in person. Read more about it here: http://www.smolensk-travel.ru/en/about-smolensk/touristic-musts/smolensk-fortress/ ).

(Victor leads us from his home to one of our meetings down the main walking "boulevard" of Smolensk.)

(It became very cold today. Very different than our first few days.)

(The Duma building in Smolensk.)

(Victor and Olya took us on a brief -and cold - walking tour of the sites of Smolensk. Here we talk about Russian music in front of a statute of Mikhail Glinka. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Glinka ).

Tomorrow: we go to Katyn in the morning. It is a site dedicated to victims of mass murders during WWII. After this visit we travel to an alcohol and drug rehab facility run by the church about 50 kilometers away.

Prayer requests:

- safe travels

- warmth (is that too much to ask for?)

- that we will represent WMPC faithfully as we sing in church on Sunday and as I preach on Psalm 67 and John 15. We will also talk with the church family about the ministry of WMPC and what we are doing in Raleigh.

- that the time we spent today will continue to help Victor with his ecumenical dialogues and growth in his relationships

Day 4 - Moscow to Smolensk

Have you ever wondered where birch trees were created? I can tell you. Russia.

Millions, and millions, and millions of them. Birch trees everywhere. Their white bark as far as the eye can see is truly a sight to behold. Spring has not quite come here. And it threatens to be pretty cold before we leave a week from tomorrow (Friday). But Spring is almost here. The buds are bugeoning on the birch trees. The world here will soon become green.

(Members of the group wait for the train to start boarding. Hardest part? Negotiating the coffee shops with limited Russian language skills. That,and moving 30 pieces of luggage and backpacks on and off trains.)

Today we took the train 5 hours to the west to our mission partner in Smolensk. This area of Russia, near Poland and Belarus was long ago visited by German Baptists. And so Protestants here are mostly Baptist. After the suppressions of the 1930's, churches here were allowed to be reestablished after WWII. Why here? Perhaps because this area (remember, near Poland, western Russia) was devasted by World War II and German occupation. They needed the gift of faith to survive the terror of the after-war hardships. I have no way of proving this. This a thought. A theory.

And so the Baptists who had been here for so long began again after the war had ended, just when hope and trust and God was most needed.

Twenty or so years ago, White Memorial got involved and partnered with Pastor Victor and the Smolensk Baptist Church. And we have each, in Raleigh and in Smolensk, been enriched time and time and time again by this relationship.

I am happy to say that we found the right train and we navigated our way through stations across platforms well enough.

(Judy and Dan quiz Ellen Smith, our Russia Mission Network co-partner. The train was quite pleasant).

(Colin looks out the window as the Russian landscape zooms by. Note the birch trees. Here a birch tree, there a birch tree...it is amazing.)

(Victor meets us at the train station in Smolensk. Members of the group take in our new surroundings.)

So, where to stay in Smolensk? Well, we are staying at the "camp" outside the city that the church has spent the last several years building. Our church, White Memorial, has been a major partner in this effort. Sending teams of workers, money, and other forms of support to help the camp become a functioning site for ministry. Now weddings, meetings, conferences for religious and secular groups, educational seminars, and summer camps for the children of Smolensk, including many orphans we sponsor through scholarships, all take place here. This place, like many other similar efforts around the world, is as if a dream rose out of the dirt and became real. It took a big vision and a grand calling to dream this place into being. It takes a great faith and huge amounts of prayer to see it take form and become something very real.

(Rodnik, the church camp where we are staying.)

To be here is to be blessed in a very specific way. Simply to come these 5,000 miles is a form of witness. Witness to our friendship in faith. Witness to our joy at seeing this dream take shape. A witness to our hope that we will be able to witness more growth and more ministry in years to come here in this place.

Victor and his family, as well as the members of his church, are proud of what they have accomplished. They dream of expanding: building soccer fields and outdoor picnic areas. And I say, why not? To make anything of goodness, grace, and witness one must have a big dream, a grand calling, and a depth of faith. Thus far, these folks have proven to possess as much. Why think they cannot make it happen?

(The main assembly room at the camp. What do you see when you look at this photograph. Look closely. There is a lot going on here. A lot of tools of ministry are present. On a related note: the cross-quilt on the wall was made by WMPC members.)

(Victor begins a tour of the building. Lydia, Jerry, Judy, Jean, Dan, Mary Grace, Ellen, and Irinia - Mary Grace's friend from Belarus who joined us today for a few days - listen to Victor tell of the uses of the camp.)

(Lunch was abundant! Olya, our translator, Victor, and Christopher talk about the days ahead immediately following the meal.)

(What were those 30 bags mostly packed with? Things from White Memorial sent to help the camp, to aid orphans, and to help with the various ministries of the church in the community. Blankets, TShirts for camp, hundreds of pairs of socks, hygiene items, kitchen utensils, arts supplies, puzzles....the list could go on. Included here are items and quilts from the knitting ministry at White Memorial.)

What will be doing in Smolensk?

Well a break down would look like this:

- Friday: meeting with Russian Orthodox Church clergy and touring the Smolensk cathedral; then meeting with members of the governor's staff to tell them about interfaith efforts in the US.

- Saturday: we travel a good deal out of Smolensk to visit the small rehabilitation center the church supports. Alcohol and drug addictions are major obstacles in this part of Russia.

- Sunday: church day. Including conversations between our church members about different ministries that people are devoting their gifts to getting done.

- Monday: visiting orphanages, delivering supplies, etc..

It will be a full few days.  Here's hoping for abundant grace in days to come.

Prayer requests:

-that meetings with Smolensk church and state officials will go well

- that we will preach and sing and share about our faith and congregation faithfully on Sunday

-safe travels for our group

- our families back home

Russia Report - Day 3

I am going to reverse a couple of things tonight (today). I am going to start at the end and work backward to the morning.

(This is a new development in Moscow, called Moscow City. 1square kilometer of high rise modernity. Yes, that building is twisted.)

There are a little over 12 million people in Moscow. Which is like putting all of North Carolina into one city. There is nothing old world about Moscow. It is modern, glitzy, flashy. There is no doubt that it has gotten more upscale since I was here last in 2003. Of course one can wonder about the rest of Russia...has it benefitted economically as certain parts of Moscow have? 

I am told not. Tomorrow we take the train to the west, to Smolensk. There we work with partners in the Smolensk Baptist Church. This partnership with WMPC has lasted over 2 decades and is by every measure a success story.

(Olya, Phlippe - her son -, Ilya - her husband, Joan and Jean at dinner this evening.)

Part of our wonderful dinner was eating with Olya, one of the Russian mission partners who has been near and dear to us since she was a very young child. She has been with us many times in Raleigh. In fact, she was there on my first Sunday at WMPC. She even quoted parts of my sermon back to me tonight. Sunday I preach in the church which raised her. Separated by 7 times zones? Yes. Sharing enough common faith that those time zones do not prevent the development of real relationships? Absolutely! We are friends whose hearts are brought closer together through trust in God.

More pictures from Moscow. 

Again, they set the stage...to understand the fragility of the church in Russia, not only the small Protestant, Baptist, Lutheran, and Evangelical churches, but every church in Russia, one must have some idea of the grand collapse of the church.

Before 1917, churches were everywhere. Thousands of them. Russian Orthodoxy was the standard bearer of the Orthodox-faith branch of Christianity.  After 1917? Destroyed, repurposed, or forgotten for 80 years.

As Anatoli, our tour guide said, "It has been a really hard century for the churches." 

To understand that history you must go to Moscow. See the interrelatedness of the Czars and the Patriarchs. And then and only then can one grasp the magnitude of the fall of the church.

(St. Basil's at night. That's right. They once built churches like this. Other magnificent churches barely meters away were destroyed. Most famously the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which was turned into a swimming pool. That destroyed church, not pictured, was rebuilt in the early 2000's).

(Looking across Red Square at night. As a child I was afraid of Red Square. Everyone I knew was in the 1970's. Tonight we saw families walking. Couples jogging. People shopping. Peaceful. Tranquil. Beautiful and lovely. I wonder now - how well did all that fear in a very perilous time - how well did it serve us?)

(Pictures at night are never great. So much of Russia, Moscow Russia, at least, is bathed in art. This is a subway station near the Bolshoi Ballet. Collin and Jean and Lydia stop to take a picture of one of more that 70 bronze sculptures in this ONE station. Most stations in the central city are adorned with similar art. Here is a poor close up of one of the sculptures).

If you ever get to Moscow. Tour it at night. Not so much traffic. 

And monuments like the Bolshoi with her four muses - music, art, literature, theater - are even more spectacular at night.

Speaking of traffic. It should be noted that parts of Moscow were laid out for 500,000 or so cars. And now there are as many as 5 million a day in the city. Moscow traffic is a wonder to behold.

I'll post a video to my Facebook page later with the greatest U-turn (across two turning lanes, and 6 lanes of traffic, I have ever seen. But it took us 90 minutes today to go 6 or 7 kilometers).

Our day had started at Novodivichy Convent and its amazing cemetery. I am a sucker for old cemeteries. And I really wanted to see this one. Our mission partner Ellen stated it well: how do people with no church or "official faith" or "religion" bury the dead? If there is no belief structure in immortality or eternity, no faith tradition to uphold it or proclaim, then what do people do? Remember - this was the reality for Russians from 1917 until 1989 or so.

This cemetery is an example of what they did. They immortalized themselves in granite. In marble.

Jean and Jack and Joan and Mary Grace take in the grave of Nikita Kruschev. Note in the above pictures the size and magnitude of the grave stones.

Anatoli, our guide leads us today. Here he leads us through the cemetery. Ellen and Jean in the foreground. Collin and Judy near Anatoli. Great guide. If you ever need an English-speaking guide in Moscow, he was wonderful.

We also went to the childhood home of Peter the Great at Kolomenskye. It was a reproduction of the wooden palace where he grew up. Part of the history of Russia is contained in its memory. How Peter turned Russia's gaze from South and East, that is Asia, to firmly West and Europe. It is the great moment of cultural transmission in Russian history. It just may have set the stage for the fall of the Czars and the demise of the church. We'll see more of that in St. Petersburg.

For now...to Smolensk in the morning!

Prayer requests:

- that we get on the right train

- safe travel to Smolensk

- health and safety for families back home

- that our time of ministry and sharing with our church partners would be one of growth and joy for them, and by grace, for us.

Russia Travel Blog - Days 1 and 2

Every trip begins with excitement. This excitement may be related to a little fear -- fear of the unknown. Fear of the not yet seen.  And the excitement may be related to anticipation. For repeat travelers it is excitement over renewing old friendships or sharing familiar sights with new found friends. 

That's where we were on Sunday as we left Raleigh: on our way to Russia. Moscow, to be exact.

Now there is no simple way to Moscow. We went from Raleigh, to DC, to Geneva, to Moscow. Lots of flying, sitting, thinking, and for me, praying. Whenever you are responsible for a group, you pray a lot. Being a pastor, a trip leader, is a silent contract of sorts with the trip members and their families. The pastor's part of the contract is a promise to get everyone there and back safely. On a church-partnership mission trip, which this one is, it is the Holy Spirit's job to empower the changing of hearts and minds in the participants.  Thanks be to God! 

The flights were relatively uneventful.  I share one picture of the French / Italian Alps. The camera does not do it justice. I am not a skiier, but I might be trying again after seeing this:

Last night during devotional time I asked each person to share with a neighbor at the table one thing they each were hoping to receive or learn the next twelve days. Then I charged them each to share that prayer for that one thing - share that one thing in prayer to God -- for a partner in the group. 

As you read this, what one or two things would you hope to take with you from Russia?  While we are here we'll do 5 days of touristy touring and 5 days of miniistry / social work / outreach.   What would you hope to gain if you were with us?

Today was a Moscow day. Setting the context. To understand the historical and social setting of the livers of our church partners in Smolensk, it is necessary to know something about the long and complex history of Russia. This history setting is what we did today, on Day 2 in Moscow.

Please keep us in prayer as we serve and grow together.

Here are photos on day 1. I'll caption as best I can.

Waiting to go into Red Square and the Kremlin.

And while waiting we got to witness a Communist Party March and rally. It was very, very small. And it was fascinating.

Mile marker 0. All Russian distances are counted from here. Right near the resurrection gate entrance to the Kremlin.

Our group. Lenin mausoleum in the background. Note these particular Kremlin walls under refurbishment.

Red Square will never be the same again.

Inside St. Basil's.

Cathedral of the Annunciation. Main church on the Kremlin grounds. 

Supposedly the largest cannon ever made. Never fired. Just look at the cannon balls!

Looking outside the Kremilin from inside the Kremlin -- overlooking St. Basil's and Red Square.

The foreground is a new construction project.

Presidential offices at the Kremlin. Tried to get an appointment to meet President Putin. It did not work out. Note no visitors across the white line.  Not even nice Presbyterians from North Carolina.

Keep us in your prayers. Prayer requests:

Continued good weather...

Catch the train to Smolensk on time with all our bags - most of which are full of supplies and gifts for the ministry in Smolensk...

 

Faith, Politics, and Complexity in the Post Easter Season

• 

I hear the following comment from time to time: “I went to my son’s/daughter’s church in another city. And you know what the pastor did? In the sermon he told the church that they were going to vote and then he told them who he thought they should vote for.” For a myriad of reasons, this is something that we don’t do at White Memorial. 

Reason 1: Our Presbyterian and Reformed tradition values freedom of conscience. We hold it as a principle of our church’s identity. God has given each of us a mind, and we hope that everyone will use the mind they have been given. We encourage prayer and the leading of informed civic lives.

Reason 2: The current climate of the body-politic is so toxic-laden that any remarks we do make invariably illicit strong reactions. Indeed, even when we preach about political issues as a call to prayer, invariably we risk upsetting people on several fronts. We say what some deem to be the wrong thing. We say something and others deem that we didn’t say enough. Or, some wish the church would be a safe haven, set apart from so many of the debates which dominate the news, the office or the home.  

So what do we do? If we cannot talk and pray about issues that effect our city, state and country at our church, then when and where can we talk about them and give direction to our members and friends about how to pray about them?

Why am I writing about this now? As you know, we are in an election year. Primaries. Conventions. Speeches. Campaigns. On top of this, we live in the capital city of North Carolina and we have an amazingly politics-literate congregation. We have a number of elected officials in our church family. This means we’ll be praying and thinking about elections at church, just as we are praying and thinking about it at home.

Pastorally I will be praying for all of us. Since 2001 I have heard story after story of our toxic political atmosphere infiltrating families—grandparents, parents and adult children who do not speak to one another for months on end because of political disagreements. I have heard stories of friendships lost or permanently altered for the worse. No candidate, no position is larger than our shared faith in Jesus Christ. No vote is worth losing a loving relationship.

Elections matter. Elections affect our lives, and they have impact on real people of every kind. We all know this. But why have our elections become so mean-spirited? The historians and political scientists of future generations will know for sure. But I think it is because so many of us are afraid. It is when our fears divide us one from another and our differences limit our conversations and interactions that we have slipped far away from the beloved community that God has called the church to exhibit to the world.

On this side of Easter, the call is to leave fear in our wake, to remember the Lord who called us to pray for our enemies and to put the needs of others ahead of our own. It may be complex. But Easter asks us for our best, complex or not.

Easter -- All the Reasons to Love

We read a lot of books with our children. The favorite was a beautiful book called All the Places to Love. It is the story of a grandmother who shows her grandson all the places to love on the family farm: the stream, the fields, the trees. The book ends with the grandson showing his newborn sister all the places to love. He is passing on his knowledge of the beauty and the grace of their home. Isn’t that lovely?

As we approach Easter, I am once again reminded that there are many reasons to love Easter. Jesus overcomes the tomb! God’s plan for the flock of sheep of Christ is revealed, and it is triumphant and beautiful! Christ is risen, and with his rising come forgiveness from sin and release from death! Easter is such good news. My hope and desire is that Easter rekindles confidence and trust in the heart of every Christian. It is our best day, and it confirms our best hope.

Of all the reasons to love Easter, one of my favorite is that Easter means we do not need to be governed by fear. According to Matthew, Jesus’ first word of Easter to the women is “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:10). These are good words to take to heart.

This Easter let us push back against fear. We are so afraid. Hundreds of people have said to me, “I am so afraid for our country,” or “I am so afraid for our world.” I would safely guess you have heard this, too. Fear dominates the landscape. We are afraid of political outcomes. We are  afraid for our planet. We are afraid for our children and grandchildren. We are afraid of other people who seem intent on harming us. This fear is an equal opportunity oppressor: it infects people of every region, every political flavor, every race and every age.

My point: even though there are real worries in the world and even when the future seems daunting, we let fear control too many of our thoughts and decisions. When I feel afraid and when I let fear overcome my faith, I make my worst decisions as a husband, a father and a pastor. People make many of their worst errors and decisions when they are consumed by fear.

Easter is no accident. Jesus’ command—do not be afraid—is not happenstance. Easter is an antidote to fear. It is a permanent and final reminder that God will have the final say and that God’s grace will overcome all sources of fear. While our fears are real, so, too, is our trust in God. And God is bigger than all things that go bump in the night or that cause our minds to question and our hearts to doubt. And no, no, no— this trust is not naive. It is the most important trust we hold because it is the trust that holds us.

Desmond Tutu wrote these words, now sung the world over, words which fully capture our Easter faith and Easter hope:

          Goodness is stronger than evil;

          love is stronger than hate;

          light is stronger than darkness;

          life is stronger than death.

          Victory is ours, victory is ours

          through him who loved us.

          Victory is ours, victory is ours

          through him who loved us.

May Easter grace abound!  Abound!

Mortification and Vivication

Do you recognize those words? They are quite old and quite out of fashion. But they represent a very important and very old theological idea and practice. “Mortification” comes from the same root for the words “mortified” and “mortal.” It refers to things which are dying or which need to die. “Vivification” is the opposite. From the same root as the word “vital,” it means to come alive. 

 

The theological and spiritual practices of mortification and vivification intersect in a complex but critical transaction. What is it within us that needs to die in order that Christ might live within us? How can there be any room for the grace, mercy and love that Jesus offers us if we are consumed by greed, lust, envy, or shame, guilt and suffering? How can Christ live in our hearts if there is no room for him to take up lodging?

 

The book of 1 Peter 2:24-25 uplifts this twinning of mortification and vivification for us: “Jesus himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.” Romans, chapter 6 in its opening verses does the same: “What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?”

 

Part of living in the gracious light of our savior is spiritually dying to all things which are consuming our energies. The first rule of faith is letting go of whatever we are clinging to that distracts us from the new life which God is freely offering.

 

So as you read today, what practices, what distractions, what sins need to end in order that the newness of Christ might live within you? What room do you need to make for the Savior? As you answer these questions, know that you are not alone. None of us are solitary in our need to confess our sin. Nor are we solitary in our need for grace. Mortification and vivification are necessary for all of us.

 

Living and dying—spiritually dying to deadly things in order that we might spiritually live—we belong to God. And this belonging is an invitation to a life more wonderful than other types of lives we might imagine. As we move to Holy Week, we have a perfect opportunity to consider the gift that God offers us in the Christian life. Will we embrace it?