IN the NAME of JESUS: MAKING CHRIST-O-LANTERNS !

10/29/06
Sunday Message:

IN THE NAME Of JESUS!
MAKING CHRIST-O-LANTERNS ! 10/29/06

Have You Made a Christ Lantern
for Halloween?


Good Morning!

From Sierra Madre, California, this is Pastor Kok III with the Sunday Message! It is 7:08 a.m (pst ) as I begin composing today’s message and I am near Sierra Madre Ave & Baldwin Street on October 29, 2006


Song: A Might Fortress is Our God
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/i/mightyfo.htm

Song: Morning Light is Breaking !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/o/mornlite.htm

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the daylight! Thank You for Your Presence and Your Power. We rely upon You for every moment and every breath. WE bow down to You, Oh Lord and PraiseYour Holy Name and we walk with courage in the NAME OF JESUS wherever we go. We are proud of You—because You created us in YOUR IMAGE ! You are the Father-Son-and Holy Ghost! Keep us running the race Oh Lord, in Your Name. Let us not doubt. Let us not be discouraged. Let us respond to persecution and affliction with assertive pride knowing we have a much greater inheritance than any jewels or mansions or cars can provide. You are the GREAT MANSION. ! You are the DIAMOND ! You are the ROLLS ROYCE ! Thank You Lord for giving us the GREAT GIFT of knowing You as Our Savior! There is no greater inheritance than KNOWING YOU ! In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen !

Sunday Message:
“IN THE NAME OF JESUS !”

Scripture: Acts 3:6-10, Acts 4:10, Acts 8:12, Acts 9:27,
Acts 16:18, 1 Cor 1:2, Phil 2:9-11

Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Acts 3:6-10

By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. Acts 4:10

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Acts 8:12

…how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus
Acts 9:27

"I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." Acts 16:18

“…with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, “ 1 Cor 1:2

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2:9-11

My Jesus Lantern Not a Jack O Lantern
My Jesus Lantern
Not a Jack O Lantern
My Jesus Lantern 102906
My Jesus Lantern
102906

And let me ask you. Do you have your Jesus Lantern for the Halloween weekend? There are all kinds of legends about the origin of “Jack O Lantern” some of which have religious connotations about a man named “Jack” whom the devil had made a deal with or made a deal about (with somebody else) and having something to do with entry into hell. Others say it is a name merely for a night watchman who carries a lantern.

Whatever you believe, why not make Halloween a truly Christian night or weekend by carving a cross on your pumpkin, as I did, or carving “Jesus” on it (as I did on the other side). Or maybe something similar. With a candle inside and a cross and “Jesus” on the outside it is a great model for “This Little Light of Mine”! (for more about Jack O Lantern see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o'-lantern )



And what is the meaning of Halloween? Is is something Christians should celebrate? Ignore? Is it meaningless? Just a time for silly fun? (for more about the history of Halloween see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween ). The name itself is derived from the fact that it is the evening before “All Saints Day” (also known as “All Hallows Day”) . According to Wikipedia it has been a pagan holiday, but in 835 AD Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day from April 20 to November 1


Wikipedia says it was the Irish Celtics who may have originated Halloween—originally it being a celebration of the end of summer (known as “Samhain”). In addition to it being the end of summer (and harvest festival time) it was a time when the dead “revisited the mortal world” and “large communal fires were lit to ward off evil spirits” . Therefore the Jack O Lanterns represented a way of warding off evil spirits as well. That’s why in Ireland more often the Jack O Lanterns have a mean face –intending to be scary to the evil spirits. And what is more frightening to the evil spirits than the CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST?! And the NAME OF JESUS!

Some Americans have just made Halloween into a time to dress up in costumes and have no real understanding of the historical significance of the time. In Ireland it is still so important to them they get a week off from school for the holiday.

In England they celebrate All Saints Day on November 1 and All Souls Day on November 2. Historically, “On All Souls Eve, families sat up, and little "soul cakes" were eaten by everyone. At the stroke of midnight there was silence with candles burning in every room to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes and a glass of wine on the table to refresh them. The tradition continued in some areas of Northern England as late as the 1930s, with children going from door to door "souling" for cakes or money, by singing a song” (Wikipedia). Hence, this may have been the origin of “Trick or Treating”

“The custom of trick-or-treating resembles the European custom called "souling", similar to the wassailing customs associated with Yule. On November 2, All Souls' Day, beggars would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes" — square pieces of bread with currants. Christians would promise to say prayers on behalf of dead relatives helping the soul's passage to heaven.” (Wikipedia)

October 31 is also Reformation Day. “On this day in 1517, Martin Luther posted a proposal to debate the doctrine and practice of indulgences. This proposal is popularly known as the 95 Theses, which he nailed to the Castle Church door. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought. Since the Castle Church faced Wittenberg's main thoroughfare, the church door functioned as a public bulletin board and was therefore the logical place for posting important notices. Nonetheless, the event created a controversy between Luther and those allied with the Pope over a variety of doctrines and practices. When Luther and his supporters were excommunicated in 1520, the Lutheran, Reformed and Anabaptist traditions were born.” (Wikipedia)


Also according to Wikipedia, for the occult Wicca “Halloween is one of the four major Sabbats celebrated by the modern Witch, and it is by far the most popular and important of the eight that are observed. . . Witches regard Halloween as their New Year’s Eve, celebrating it with sacred rituals. . . (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 120) This is another reason to make Halloween a positive time for Christian evangelism, and to cast out demons as I spoke about last week. We have much greater power than any superstitious religious such as “Wicca.”

We have the power of the Holy Spirit –which comes from God Almighty—the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We need not fear evil spirits unless we take them for granted or pretend they don’t exist. Once we have a sound “pneumatology” (knowledge and understanding of the Holy Spirit) in our system (personally and collectively) we are strong as the Body of Christ. But too many semi-Christians and “secular Christians” don’t believe in either the power of the Holy Spirit or the danger of the devil. That’s a problem.

Wikipedia notes the Christian concern about the holiday as well, and how some Christians have used it as a time for evangelism: “Another response among Christians in recent years has been the use of Hell houses [which tries to scare people more for the sake of religious purposes than just for fun. The purpose is to depict hell as a miserable place and due to the result of unconfessed sin. Not a bad idea] or themed pamphlets (such as those of Jack T. Chick) which attempt to make use of Halloween as an opportunity for evangelism [27] “ Maybe some of you are aware of the work of Jack Chick who writes and distributes cartoon tracts as a way of doing evangelism.

In regards to All Saints Day—in some countries this is a day to remember lost loved ones—similar to our Memorial Day in America. For the Christian church it is also a time to remember, specifically, our Christian saints and martyrs, those who died for the cross (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints_Day ). And for Mexicans, their day for remembering lost loved ones is bettern known as “Day of the Dead” (Dia de Los Muertos), also celebrated around the end of October.

And Wikipedia notes that “Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead joyfully, and though it occurs at the same time as Halloween, All Saints' Day and All Souls Day [which is more of a Roman Catholic tradition than Protestant] the traditional mood is much brighter with emphasis on celebrating and honoring the lives of the deceased, and celebrating the continuation of life; the belief is not that death is the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life” Shouldn’t we as Christians think of the end of human life as a new beginning as well?

Nonetheless, I have a difficult time with the use of too many skulls and crossbones as a symbol of festivity. If we make death seem to glorious it can make life seem cheap. And life should not be cheap—it should be valued as a time to serve God, preparing for eternity. But if and when death comes we should also value the time as a time of transition to a greater place (for those who know Jesus Christ as Savior).


Given the coinciding celebration of Reformation Day around this time of year we, as Protestant Christians, should also remember the importance of the Protestant Reformation which begun with Luther posting his 95 theses arguing against the sale of “indulgences’ by the Roman Catholic Church—a practice that had the potential for corruption. And although there are a lot of good Catholic congregations around the world, haven’t we all become very well aware, recently, of problems in the Roman Catholic church—especially that of pedophile priests?

That alone is worthy of a celbration of the Reformation. Had the Protestant Reformation not occurred we would all still be under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, which for many years was synonymous with being Christian. The Body of Christ has come a long ways since then. Praise the Lord ! And remember, there are still a lot of good Roman Catholics—don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Some of the problems of Roman Catholicism includes the problem of “pelagianism” (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagianism ) which, according to Wikipedia (remember my Sunday Message is spontaneous—not a result of intensive research, although I do have my Masters-in-Divinity) is the denial of original sin. Perhaps the denial of original sin also has allowed “humanism” to flourish (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism ). Pelagianism minimizes the need for God’s grace. According to Wikipedia, “Pelagius' view essentially denied the work of the Messiah; he personally preferring “teacher” or “master” to any epithet implying divine power.”

Humanism is a seemingly harmless world view that actually may be more harmful than most people realize. Humanism emphasizes self. The ability of “self” to solve all problems, often through rationalism and the use of the mind. However, some aspects of humanism have been positive because in the Roman Catholic church for many centuries the “common people” were taught not to think for themselves. In contrast, “Renaissance Humanism” had some positive results in its emphasis in returning to the source of truth—the Bible—the original language of the Bible, and its subsequent translation to English (and the refusal to rely on the translation and dictation of the Roman Catholic Church and their priests).

Wikipedia says, “Renaissance humanism was a broad movement that affected the social, cultural, literary and political landscapes of Europe. Beginning in Florence in the last decades of the 14th century, renaissance humanism revived the study of the Latin and Greek languages; and caused the resultant revival of the studies of science, philosophy, art and poetry of classical antiquity.” So when we speak of “humanism” in terms too general it can be misleading. The name “humanism” itself seems to be too generalized.

Some positive results of so-called “humanism” have been a lot of great music, the arts, great literature, etc. This should not be seen as entirely negative. God gave us gifts and talents. Why not use them to glorify Him? The downside of humanism is when the gifts and talents are not used for the Glory of God, or worse, are used to glorify the devil.

And how could I mention Reformation Day without mentioning John Calvin. Calvin, of course, looms large in my mind given the culture and context in which I grew up. Even the college I attended was named after John Calvin. The denomination in which I grew up, the Christian Reformed Church, also integrates the thoughts and writings of John Calvin into its preaching and teaching. And Calvinism has a lot of positive attributes. But as with any systemized way of thinking, there are drawbacks.

Wikipedia says this, in part, about John Calvin & Calvinism: “Calvin was trained to be a lawyer. He studied under some of the best legal minds of the Renaissance in France. Part of that training involved the newer humanistic methods of exegesis, which dealt with a text directly via historical and grammatical analysis as opposed to indirectly via layers of commentators. This legal and exegetical training was seminal for Calvin for, once convinced of the evangelical faith, he applied these exegetical methods to the Scripture.”

And exegesis is something taught at Fuller Seminary. My problem with exegesis is that in some instances “deconstruction” of the Word of God can go too far. Analysis is one thing—looking at the Greek & Hebrew and examining concordances, etc. but deconstruction is another. What is “deconstruction”? I don’t have a precise definition and if somebody says they do their probably a “sophomore” (wise fool). Even Wikipedia acknowledges that it is hard to define (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction )

But what deconstruction means to me is the over evaluation or devaluation of a person, place, or thing. It is the radical misinterpretation of something or somebody. For example, for a while there seems to be an intention of liberals to say that the Founding Fathers of our Country, the United States of America were not Christian nor had any religious interests or inclinations. For the most part this is totally untrue and has no basis whatsoever. It is simply propaganda on the part of some to try to change history for self-serving purposes.

Likewise, there are those who try to deny the Holocaust ever happened. They contend that it is a myth. It is so preposterous that it is simply a blatant falsification and a lie. In more difficult to detect ways there are all kinds of persons, especially professors, who teach something in self-serving ways by deconstructing an author’s intent, or even by deconstructing the Bible to such an extent that it no longer represents the Word of God.

While attending Fuller Seminary I had my suspicions that Nancey Murphy was doing this. And I had concerns about a few others as well (some of whom I mentioned last week). Then recently, last Sunday evening, after I had just completed transmission of the Sunday Message (re. Casting Out Demons and Finding Lost Sheep) I was at Fuller Seminary when a guy named “Bill” came walking by. I was out in the courtyard with my dog, Lola, just relaxing for a few moments when Bill came by.




I had seen Bill around the campus many times, and had also seen him around town—always walking and always with a grin on his face as if somebody had just told him a funny joke. In fact, he had this look around Fuller Seminary as well. I couldn’t figure out what was going on with him and never took the time to talk to him. He was a little dissheveled, seemed a bit unkempt and I thought maybe even homeless. But he was employed by Fuller Seminary as a custodian for a while and now works for campus ministries at Pasadena City College (as I found out last Sunday).


I talked to Bill for a couple hours and told him about who I was. I mentioned my website and my Sunday Message. He told me about himself—that he was originally from Detroit, Michigan and was in his 50’s. I didn’t probe too deeply. Obviously he had been through some hardships. He even had dentures which he periodically popped in and out of his mouth for some reason. With them in he had a nice smile and a good countenance on his face. Without them he looked like a downtrodden man.

But I came to realize as we conversed that he was a person of sincere faith. He expressed interest in what I was saying as well and some knowledge of various other religions and of course Christianity. He was very intensely a Christian that emphasized personal relationship with Christ. That became very clear. He was of the inclination to say “Amen” after I made a strong point—although he didn’t say “Amen” in those exact words. He said it in other ways.

This was not a Richard Mouw—a man with years of academic education under his belt, or with philosophical sophistication. He was a simple man and despite working around Fuller Seminary knew nothing about what is happening and being taught within the “hallowed halls” of the seminary. The most he knew about Richard Mouw was that he had cleaned Mouw’s office toilet. But yet he carried a Bible around and I had seem him reading it and studying it intensely at the Pasadena Library on more than one occasion. He didn’t know anything about the Greek or Hebrew but he definitely knew Jesus Christ.

There was a fervor about him that was refreshing. There was something honest and sincere about him. And he was a simple man—a working class fellow who said that his job cleaning offices and restrooms at Fuller Seminary was the best job he ever had. He told me about living at a homeless hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I wanted to probe more deeply and find out what happened to his teeth and what got him off track in life, but I let him tell me what he felt comfortable with.

And I told him about my concerns, my beliefs, my interests and passions. And that was it—I knew I would see him around again. He was a survivor but when I said that to him “You are a survivor” he protested saying “ I would like to think I am more than a survivor” and talked about leading people to Christ at Pasadena College. He had pride in himself and his walk. That was good.

And this brings me back to “deconstruction.’ I once heard Charles Kraft, a retired Fuller Seminary professor, say that maybe the best thing to do after finishing at Fuller is to “forget everything you learned.” Maybe he is right. Too much over-analysis of the Word of God can water down the power of God. It raises doubts and ambivalence if we over-analyze the Word of God. The Power of the Word is derived from the Power of Faith.

This is not to say that we should eliminate critical thinking or exegesis but we should be wary of too much analysis. I’m coming back to where I used to be—the seminary years were a challenging time but now it’s time to restore the Power of God and the Power of the Word to what it was meant to be—without too much deconstruction.
Dr Chandran and His Intern 102706
Dr Chandran and His
Intern 102706
Dr. Chandran 102706
Dr. Chandran 102706
Dr. Chandran
is Still a Resident

There’s a song by the rock group Supertramp in which they say with sarcasm “they taught me how to be critical, liberal oh intellectual, cynical…” And I might add, “clinical.” I took a quarter of “clinical pastoral education” at UCLA Medical Center while going through seminary. My dad is also a supervisor of “clinical pastoral education” (CPE). On Friday I was at the hospital trying to get some answers about the pain in my neck, left arm, and left leg—which has plagued me ever since February 3, 2000.

My doctor there—Dr. Chandran—appears very prestigious and “clinical” even though this is at a hospital that is experiencing tough times and may lose accreditation; and even though Dr. Chandran is still a “resident” and still young. He dresses well and takes pride in his job helping poor patients (almost all are from the poor surrounding neighborhoods). I've been going there because I didn’t have insurance for a while and just recently had it reactivated. It’s been an experience.

Dr. Chandran, Two Months Ago
Dr. Chandran, Two
Months Ago
Financial Services King Drew[1]
Financial Services
King Drew[1]
Hallway 2, MLK Hospital 102706
Hallway 2, MLK
Hospital 102706
Hospital Hallway 102706
Hospital Hallway
102706
King Drew 102706
King Drew 102706
King Hospital Waiting Room 102706
King Hospital
Waiting Room 102706
MLK 2 102706[1]
MLK 2 102706[1]
THE WAITING ROOM EXPERIENCE AT MLK HOSPITAL



Unfortunately, even the best doctors (who allege that they are at King Drew Medical Center and attend King Drew University because they specifically want to help the poor) sometimes become cynical and start thinking of the people they attend to as “poor” –clumping them into a category of being. And although I was the only Anglo in the waiting room of Latinos & African Americans I immediately realized that I lost my “being” as an educated, successful, person given I was in the waiting room with poor people without insurance.

No argument or debate could change that fact (in the eyes of some of ). Ironically, those who worked there were having a hard time holding their heads too high after they had lost accreditation those who worked there–and the hospital may be closed in a few months—or radically restructured—with layoffs and/or transfers. And the poor people weren’t so uneducated as to not know the problems at the hospital. These “poor ignorant people” now had the upper-hand. And I can imagine that was hard for a person of pride like Dr. Chandran.

I sensed the ambivalence in many of the staff there—including Dr. Chandran. He could not become too high-minded himself given they had failed as a hospital. Occassionally he would speak condescendingly towards me but I would quickly remind him of the current affairs. I didn’t bother telling him about my work as a pastor or my success as a teacher, or that I graduated with honors from Calvin College.

MLK Hospital 102706[1]
MLK Hospital
102706[1]
MLK KING Drew Waiting Room 102706
MLK KING Drew
Waiting Room 102706
Nice Nurse at MLK HOspital, 102706
Nice Nurse at MLK
HOspital, 102706
STILL WAITING

He wouldn’t believe it given I was in a hospital for low-income patients without insurance. Despite his alleged conviction that he wanted to help poor people, he still prided h imself on being “not one of them.”
He was neither Latino nor African-American. Perhaps he had Indian heritage (from India). India is a status culture as well—with the “caste system” being very strong. Those from India who come to America sometimes bring remnants of that world view with them. And that caste system can be dangerously categorical. Like the royalty system in England, your status, in India, comes from the family you are born into, not according to our American ideal of “you are what you do” (i.e. what you actually do and perform).

Although you could tell he was working on his “bedside manner” there was still a supercilliousness that tended to emerge if he didn’t check himself every now and then. I told him that I was at the point of wanting to “check myself in” at a hospital and he responded “I didn’t know y ou could do that’ in a slightly condescending manner. And then he added “Not unless you are a celebrity” apparently wanting me to know that he wasn’t overly impressed with me. I didn’t bother arguing. I said “What if you are simply exhausted?” He didn’t respond because he may have known he was wrong.

Phil king @ pt, 091406[1]
Phil king @ pt,
091406[1]
Physical therapy 091406
Physical therapy
091406
Phil King Treated Me Poorly

You don’t have to be (or shouldn't have to be) “celebrity” to be treated well at a hospital. He was trying to tell me that I was a nobody, but kept a check on himself from going too far. I knew I was not a nobody but wasn’t there to prove anything to him.Then he left the room with his intern assistant to go look at my x-rays which they had taken a few months ago, and as they were doing so I heard a nurse in the corridor asking somebody loudly if Dr. Chandran was actually a doctor. That was very reassuring, I thought to myself sarcastically.

I perked my ears and moved over towards the partially closed door ( I was still in the individual room where he was looking me over) . The person to whom she was speaking defended Dr. Chandran saying he was working on a specialty but had enough credentials as it was to be an emergency room doctor. For some reason this nurse, who had taken my vitals when I first arrived and had a nice bedside manner, did not approve of Dr. Chandran.

When Dr. Chandran came back his tone was much different. He seemed to have double-checked his attitude at the door and now returned calling me “sir” and expressed sympathy with my pain and the originating cause, giving me his own personal account about how he had once been mistreated by the police.
Photo 4084[1]
Photo 4084[1]
(Above: Dr. Chandran in the Reception Areas at MLK Hospital)

Meanwhile, I related to him why I had discontinued going to physical therapy down on the first floor. I told him that there was a fellow down there by the name of Phil King who had been condescending to me and who had even doubted the account I told him about how the police had mistreated me back on February 3, 2000. In fact Phil King had gone so far as to say “Sure, I’ve heard that before.” I only went to physical therapy twice before deciding not to return. The second time there King called me “man”—which is also used in a derogatory manner by persons around Los Angeles, especially clerks, but also others.

Subsequent to the second physical therapy appointment I filed a complaint with his supervisor at the hospital and got a response from her saying that King had been counseled about it. King was the only Anglo person working in physical therapy. He had an associates degree and seemed to be an underachiever. I would say he was “slumming” –meaning he took a job at a low performing level and never went on in his education for the sake of “taking it easy.” And he even misread the chart at one point, and acknowledged his mistake upon my return the second time. He was not a true professional. In fact he was not a physical therapist at all—he was the assistant.

In contrast, Angela Gardener, an African American gal and the actual physical therapist, was very personal and professional in her assessment and treatment of me. The difference was night and day. Yet King had a sense of pompousness that was derived solely from being white.


Still waiting 102706 King Drew Hospital
Still waiting
102706 King Drew
Hospital
Typical Patient @KingDrew[2]
Typical Patient
@KingDrew[2]
Waiting Room 22 King Drew 102706
Waiting Room 22
King Drew 102706
Waiting room king drew[1]
Waiting room king
drew[1]
Waiting Room, King Drew 102706
Waiting Room, King
Drew 102706
STILL WAITING...

And this brings me back to Reformation Day and Halloween –for me Halloween is a reminder of our call as Christians to evangelize and reform. By going to MLK Hospital despite it being a low performing institution I was there to help reform—not by criticism and formal assessment –the way the medical board does things—but by just being there—being incarnational—and saying “Treat me as you, yourself, would wish to be treated.” And it was a reminder to them that they can’t get away with mistreating people.

I can complain. I can talk. I can write. The average poor person there does not have a voice. And the hospital has gotten accustomed to taking advantage of this fact—perhaps leading to their demise and downfall. Even after I left I called the orthopaedic department and asked for their fax number and the Latino lady said in broken English that their fax machine doesn’t work but proceeded nonetheless to give me the number, while adding that they get their faxes from a different department. SO WHY WAS SHE GIVING ME A FAX NUMBER THAT DIDN’T WORK? I wanted to fax a message to Dr. Chandran. I’m allowed to do that.

For some, but not all, of those who profess to want to work with and care for poor people it is just an excuse to “slum” i.e. not work too hard but get paid for it as if they are. It’s cheap and sleazy. Even the so-called “poor people” in the waiting rooms were smart enough and discerning enough to realize what was going on. The African American ladies in the waiting room kept up a constant chatter—showing their awareness of what was happening around them. It was phenomenal.

By the way, I’ve had to take a few people (including chaplains and pastors to task) to task by email because of your lack of exhibition of the FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT by email in asking me to remove your name from the send list. I even took Chaplain Tim Won, a military pastor, to task for his way of emailing me last week—without any graciousness, kindness, or encouragement.

And it led me to re-think my interaction with a teacher by the name of Mr. Jamieson this week. Mr. Jamieson is a young teacher at Orthopaedic High where I taught for four days two weeks ago. He is an African American from Pasadena or Altadena (CA) and noticed me immediately when he saw me at the high school because he apparently had noticed me at the Altadena Library a few days prior (although I had not noticed him).

Mr Jamieson, Altadena Library 102406
Mr Jamieson,
Altadena Library
102406
Pray for Mr. Jamieson, a New Teacher
with a Good Heart

And then I saw him a few days later at the library where he says he “hangs out” as if it is his “second home.” He was nice enough. He talked to me at an engaging level without pretension or condescension. He expressed frustration about teaching at this particular school. I tried to encourage him drawing back upon my own experience teaching as a new and young teacher ten years ago at a high school in Coachella. I knew the frustration he was feeling—lack of support from the administration, sometimes lack of student participation, over-crowded classrooms, etc. It’s not easy starting out teaching in a high school, especially a low-income, inner city (or in my case, rural) high school.

I mentioned to him that I was a Christian and a pastor and came to Pasadena to attend Fuller Seminary –and worked as a substitute teacher while getting my M.Div. Like most non-seminary students what I was saying did not mean that much to him. It may have been even more irrelevant to him because he came from a science background and was a chemistry teacher. My mentioning “Christian” got a “that’s nice” response from him. Being Christian was quaint to him.

I asked him where he attended college and he said Pasadena City College and San Francisco State University. That led to a discussion of liberal and conservatives and he mentioned his only experience with evangelical Christians was with them bashing homosexuals at San Francisco State. I laughed because it was a shallow understanding of what it means to be Christian.

But he was being nice—he wasn’t attacking me—just a one-sided practice of Christianity. And it is a good reminder not to make our faith one-dimensional. We should be known as Christians for more than speaking out against homosexuality. At the same time we shouldn’t back down from confronting that which God says is repugnant and wrong.

Ironically, he himself, spent part of the time attacking “liberal principals” who “baby” the students. He was right about that. He painted himself as being more of a no-nonsense teacher who was tough on the kids and who had been criticized for yelling too much or too loudly at them. We both agreed that kids that age need structure and discipline more so than many principals or assistant principals will enforce.

All in all the week was a good week for CASTING OUT DEMONS—through interaction, conversation, just being there, listening, talking, taking pictures, and now—at the end of the week—telling you about it. By conversing with you, the Body of Christ, I am helping to expand the Kingdom of God by helping you to understand what is happening in my life, in life around southern California, and at the hospital etc. By giving you a personal glimpse—an intelligent understanding of what is happening—and seeing it the way I’ve b een seeing it and experiencing it—incarnationally—we are CASTING OUT DEMONS together. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. GOD BLESS YOU !

Los Angeles and Southern California is no place for “childs play.” Like Bill I want to be more than just “surviving.” I want to be making a difference. And this requires constant movement, interaction, noticing details, and communication. This is a huge city with many many needs. Once I stop living as a missionary in the midst I am no longer a REFORMER, and may as well move back to the Midwest or somewhere much more predictable.

You get only one chance here—not a lot of elasticity. And for some reason God is keeping me here for the time being. Pray for me. Help me to keep being Incarnational and to keep making a difference. And don’t let me grow weary and allow others to take me for granted (like Dr. Chandran) or take advantage of me. If that happens I become a doormat—useless for all intensive purposes. If we walk with the name of Jesus on our tongue we walk with purpose. If we forget the name of Jesus we forget our purpose.

Finally, this week ended with me at the Animal Hospital emergency room. My dog, Lola, now 13 years old, was panting heavily, and unable to remain still. She kept pacing back and forth and kept trying to urinate, without success. She would squat as if to urinate almost every 30 seconds, but nothing would come out. I realized there was a problem and brought her in. They gave her antibiotics, at the cost of an arm and a leg. This morning she seems to be doing better –not panting or pacing. Pray for Lola as well. She’s been a great little dog and companion for me—her spirit is an inspiration to me—always willing to run, play catch, chase a ball, climb Mt. Whitney or what have you. Some churches around southern California actually have blessing the animal services—where congregants are allowed to bring their pets on a specific Sunday—to be blessed. Maybe I’ll try that sometime.
The Vet Looks at Lola, Animal Hospital 1
The Vet Looks at
Lola, Animal
Hospital 1
On Saturday the Vet
Prescribed AntiBiotics for Lola

Meanwhile, make a difference in the world. Be a light. Make a Christ Lantern for Halloween! Light the candle and let it shine through the cross carved on the pumpkin just like the light of Jesus shines in you! We are the Christ Lanterns! Show the world what that means !

Song: Lighten the Darkness !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/i/g/lightend.htm

Song: Light of Bethlehem !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/b/lbethlhm.htm

Be the Light my Friends ! Shine Bright! Never fear when God is here—and He always is. We have the Power of God in us—the presence of the Holy Spirit and the relational power of Jesus Christ! We can cast out demons! We can find lost sheep. We can change the world! WE ARE THE LIGHT !

Song: Holy, Holy, Holy !
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/h/o/holyholy.htm

Make this a truly Hallowed Eve, a truly Holy evening and weekend for Christ! Shine your Christ Lantern—make a literal pumpkin Christ lantern as well as shine the light within you—not only now during Halloween but everyday , everywhere.

God Bless you all.

Sincerely

J.P. Kok
Pastor Kok III
JOHN the EVANGELIST