Dare We Listen?

Jolted by Address


On reading 1 Samuel 3

We are surrounded by a din of demanding voices: selling, recruiting, seducing, coercing. We screen them out in order to maintain our sanity, to secure our rest. And then, in the night, you address us, you call us by name, you entrust to us risky words, you empower us with authority. But your voice is on first hearing, not distinctive. We confuse your voice with that of an old friend or a deep hope or a powerful fear or an ancient bias. We hear, but we do not listen— jolted, bewildered, and resistant. But your voice sneaks up on us: you address us, you call us by name, you entrust us with risky words, you empower us with authority.

 Sometimes . . . occasionally . . . boldly . . . we answer: "Speak, I am listening."

And listening, we are made new and sent dangerously by your address.

Brueggemann, Walter (2010-04-01). Prayers for a Privileged People (p. 114). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.

On Mission

February 15, 2012     Hola family and friends,  One of the many blessings in the Krichton home is our opportunity to minister and serve the people in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic.   Our entire family partners with the mission in various ways, through prayers, relationships, encouragement, financial support, and by supporting me (the wife and mom) to go.  God has placed an incredible love in our hearts for the people of Monte Cristi.  With great joy, I share that once again, I will be co-leading a team and following God to the Dominican Republic April, 2012.  This will be my 7^th mission trip to the Dominican Republic and I am thrilled to lead a team of 6 men and 3 women who will serve together from April 20^th through the 28^h.

The area we visit and serve is a short distance from the Haitian border.  God used this trip to open my eyes wide open to not only the needs in the impoverished area of Monte Cristi, but to the needs all around the world.   There are needs all around us and God is calling each one of us to be His hands and His feet.

I am writing this letter to share with you an opportunity to partner with me once again.  Mountain Christian Church has a long standing relationship with the residents, missionaries and with many of the churches in the Monte Cristi area.   Many on this team, including myself, are returning to this area because of the love the Lord has placed in our hearts for the people of this country.  I am asking you to be a part of this mission team by supporting me in a few ways. Our trip will take place from April 20^th through April 28th.   The scope of our mission will include outreach in the community to men, women and children, neighborhood evangelism, and church worship services.   Of course, we will diligently plan, but we will remain open to whatever God calls this team to do while on the mission field. 

First and foremost, I would ask you to pray for the people of the Dominican Republic.   There are some strong and faithful followers of Christ there, but they struggle in many ways because of the limited resources.  There are also many in the area who are living without the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and what He did for us all.  Secondly, I would also ask that you pray for safety and guidance for our team as we seek opportunities to serve and reach the community.   Please also pray for our families we will leave behind while we are on the field.

Lastly, I would ask you to prayerfully consider partnering by providing financial support.  Each of us will need to raise $1,200 in support to enable this mission trip to happen. I am confident in our Lord’s provision for all things! Each trip is funded through partnerships with special folks like you, who may feel the call to support and enable an ordinary person like me to be used by Jesus.    A trip like this cannot happen without your prayers and support.  I have enclosed a form with information and options to make your giving and support easier.  We would appreciate your support no later than February 29th, however, if you would like to send support after that date, we would greatly appreciate it as well.  

Thank you for taking the time read this letter. Thank you for your past support.  Thank you for the privilege to know you.    I pray that you will share my passion to reach the people of Monte Cristi with the love of Christ.   I also pray for you, that your faith will grow, and that you will experience God’s blessing as you open your hearts to Him.  

Love and Peace,                                                                                              

Jenny Krichton

Enclosure – support remittance

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN CHURCH    

SHORT TERM MISSION TRIP TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DR)

We/I, ____________________________________, commit to supporting Jenny Krichton and the April 2012 Missions Team to the Dominican Republic by:

___ Praying for the team as they prepare for the trip and throughout the trip.

___ Praying for the people of the Dominican Republic and family members remaining in Maryland.

___ Contributing financially to support the trip.

Name __________________________________

Address____________________________________________________

              ____________________________________________________

E-mail__________________________________

_____Please check here if you would like to receive a tax receipt for your donation.

Please make checks payable to Mountain Christian Church and mail your donation along with this form to the address below.  Please note DR - STM Jenny Krichton, on the memo line of your check.

Mountain Christian Church

ATTN:  DR - STM:  Jenny Krichton

1824 Mountain Road

Joppa, MD  21085

You may also give online by going to www.mountainchristian.org

·         Go to “online giving” at the top right on the home page

·         Click on the picture “Save time give online”

·         Go to #3 “short term mission trips” and check the box

·         Type in your donation amount
In the "please specify trip box" put STM - DR - Jenny Krichton

Your receipt will be sent via mail or e-mail depending upon how you donate. 

Chewing on a Proverb

Proverbs 3:5-6  

⁵With all your heart you must trust the LORD (God, this is hard for me.) and not your own judgment.  (But, God, I feel strongly that I know what you want me to do...I think)   ⁶Always let him lead you, (God, where are you leading me? I'm scared. This is hard.) and he will clear the road  (What are you doing with my life?  How long must I wait?) for you to follow.  (I want to follow you. I'm just not sure where to step next.)

It's 11:53 p.m. and I feel so very apprehensive about chewing on the verses above.  I know this scripture by heart but I am wrestling with it tonight.  I am frustrated by it quite honestly. I feel like a kid with a plate of brussels sprouts.  I know these verses are good for me but I'm just not sure I can chew them up and ingest them.  This is hard.   Oh, it's easy to roll this off the tongue and recite from memory, but it's not as easy to chew and swallow.   

Lectio...here we go.   May God speak and give me peace in my soul.  Nourish me with your Word, O God. Please speak to my condition.  Amen.

Lectio Divina:  The actual practice of lectio divina begins with a time of relaxation, making oneself comfortable and clearing the mind of mundane thoughts and cares. Some lectio practitioners find it helpful to concentrate by beginning with deep, cleansing breaths and reciting a chosen phrase or word over and over to help free the mind. Then they begin with the four steps:

Lectio - Reading the Bible passage gently and slowly several times. The passage itself is not as important as the savoring of each portion of the reading, constantly listening for the "still, small voice" of a word or phrase that somehow speaks to the practitioner.

Meditatio - Reflecting on the text of the passage and thinking about how it applies to one's own life. This is considered to be a very personal reading of the Scripture and very personal application.

Oratio – Responding to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but is thought to be more of the beginning of a conversation with God.

Contemplatio - Listening to God. This is a freeing of oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy, and hearing God talk to us. Opening the mind, heart, and soul to the influence of God.

A Winter Prayer

Grant me Your Sense of Timing
Prayer by Ted Loder from his book Guerillas of Grace:

O God of all seasons and senses,

grant me your sense of timing

to submit gracefully

and rejoice quietly

in the turn of the seasons.

In this season of short days and long nights,
of grey and white and cold,
teach me the lessons of waiting:
of the snow joining the mystery
of the hunkered-down seeds
growing in their sleep
watched over by gnarled-limbed, grandparent trees
resting from autumn’s staggering energy;
of the silent, whirling earth
circling to race back home to the sun.
O God, grant me your sense of timing.


In this season of short days and long nights,
of grey and white and cold,
teach me the lessons of endings:
children growing
friends leaving
jobs concluding
stages finishing
grieving over
grudges over
blaming over
excuses over.
O God, grant me your sense of timing.


In this season of short days and long nights,
of grey and white and cold, teach me the lessons of beginnings:
that such waitings and endings may be a starting place,

of planting seeds which bring to birth

what is ready to be born—
something right and just and different,
a new song, a deeper relationship,

a fuller lover— in the fullness of your time.

O God, grant me your sense of timing.

Mixed Forecast

Today, I write for the benefit of myself.  In an hour, I will be preparing to leave my comfortable sofa to enjoy a holiday party with my ministry team.   The expectation is that joy, laughter and celebration will fill the night.   There will be food to be eaten and games to be played.   I don't feel much in the party mood.   The experiences and my emotions today have been much like a mixed weather forecast.   There have been periods of sun, warmth, and gentle winds.  There have also been periods of storms and what felt like tornadic activity.

How can I celebrate while a friend was nearly beaten to death by her husband last night?  She lay in a hospital in Puerto Rico, without any idea of what she will do next.  Her husband is now incarcerated in Puerto Rico.  How can a family vacation to visit family turn out this way?   What can I do for her when she returns home?  I am overwhelmed by the sadness I feel and the enormity of what is ahead for her.

How can I celebrate while my Aunt lay in the hospital with lung cancer tonight?  What do I say to my family?  How can I help?

Today, my mind has been flooded with thoughts of those who are going through trials and difficulties.    I am studying the book of James and have memorized Chapter 1 of the book.   "Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds."   I have repeated and repeated this verse, and those that follow ad nauseum.  Tonight, I'm having a hard time considering what has happened.  I am especially having difficulty considering it pure joy.  

May God help me tonight. The picture of my friend, beaten to the point of non-recognition, is hard to remove from my mind for the next several hours. 

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

Thank you, Jesus.  Be near me Lord, Jesus.   Be near to those who are hurting and sick.  Be near the lonely and lost.  Be near the widows and orphans.  Be near the poor.  Would you be near, Lord, Jesus?  Please, be near.

Shoe Polish Challenge

While I was putting away shoes in my closet, I thought that I should gather some old clothes and shoes to give away to the needy. I've often done this before, but today, something changed inside of me when I spotted the shoe polish.

I was challenged by two questions which came to my mind:  



1.  Why do I gather the torn, the tattered and weathered articles of clothing or shoes to give to the poor? 

2.  Why do I keep the best for myself?  

I grabbed a pair of black flats that I absolutely loved to wear.  They had been placed in the back of the closet as they had exceeded the "gently worn" look.  Typically, this pair of shoes would have landed in the donation bag for the poor.   However, today, I grabbed the shoe polish kit and I began restorative work on my black flats.   After a few short minutes of depositing black polish into the scratches and gashes of the shoes, along with some buffing, my black flats looked like new again!      

Isn't that great?   So, what's the big deal?  Why write about shoes and shoe polish?   I write because the Spirit had laid a very important decision on my heart.  Do the shoes go in the donation pile or might there be something better for the poor?  

God convicted my heart today that there is something better.   I am keeping the restored pair of black flats and I'm giving away my newest pair to the poor. 

I challenge you to do the same.   Will you keep the best for yourself, or might you give your best away?   Let's rethink what goes in our donation piles for the poor. 

"Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves." Romans 12:10(NIrV)

The Widow and the Willow

The Widow and the Willow
Thoughts after Hurricane Irene...

The Widow:    Irene blew open the sashes and gave me a new perspective toward the people in our community. I wonder why it takes such an event to move me forward. I felt an incredible sense that God wanted me to check in on a widow who lives behind our home. Over the years, the trees have grown so tall that we are unable to see one another or converse from our yards. Ashamedly I say that on most days, I don’t even think about Mrs. Gert. Thankfully, God laid this dear lady on my heart, so my girls and I decided to whip up a casserole and some banana muffins and pay Mrs. Gert a visit on Sunday. The workings of our God never cease to amaze me. We knocked on the door, but she did not answer. In the very moment we turned to leave, Mrs. Gert pulled into her driveway and was being dropped off by her daughter. Although we hadn’t seen each other in years, and at the ripe age of 86, Mrs. Gert remembered all three of us, and even my daughters’ names! She invited us for a visit. This was a rich time of sharing fond memories of her husband, Mr. Ed, who had passed away a year ago. We shared some teary moments as she described caring for him in his final days with Alzheimer ’s disease. She told my girls that he awoke each morning at 5:00 to read his Bible and that he was a good, Christian man. She told them that the Lord is her strength and that she still drives to church every week. Her faith in Jesus is the most important thing in her life. Jesus is what keeps her going. We listened intently to every word she had to say. We prayed together and look forward to visiting again. We never made our way into a church building on Sunday, but we heard the best life sermon we could have asked for. We chuckled as we made our way home because WE thought WE were going to be the blessing, but most assuredly, WE were the recipients.




The Willow:  My daughter, her small group friend and I were able to connect with a bunch of Mountain Christian Church folk to help clear away a large willow tree that had fallen in a townhome community in Abingdon. A neighbor from Mountain cared enough to come to the aid of a family in need. She was not physically able to participate in the clean up, but she leapt with joy spiritually toward this family with the love of Christ and called the Help Line through Mountain. The family does not attend Mountain and could hardly believe that we would show up to help, not knowing them at all. Kids and adults worked together as a team cutting, hauling, raking and spending time talking to the home owners and their neighbors. We circled together and prayed for the family. These people are loved by God and they matter to Him. I pray that they know that. I look forward to praying for these folks and for God to work in their lives through this event. Silly me…He already has.

You Have 1 Missed Call

You have 1 missed call.   What's worse?  You have 2 missed calls. 

When it comes to God's calling upon my lilfe, I don't want to miss it. 
When I think of calling, the image of a telephone comes to mind. Were God to connect with me using a phone, I would want to hear His voice so clearly that I'm able to say, “Yes, Lord” with the assurance that I have heard His invitation. Not that God's calling is in any way mechanical…don't take the analogy too far. Nor should we expect to hear an audible voice so clear that the need for faith is minimized. That said, the illustration works.


Multiple components make it possible to receive a clear voice over a phone line. The cord itself is not a single wire but multiple strands. So it is with God's call. Consider a few strands that might help in discerning the call of God for your life and ministry.


God's calling is rooted in Scripture and prayer


God will not call us in a direction that contradicts His Word. In the context of Sabbath rest, Hebrews 4:12 reveals that God's Word is living and active. There is a quiet confidence that develops in the devotional life, resting upon the power and promise of God's voice in Scripture. God speaks as we listen with an open Bible.


• As you live out the spiritual disciplines and meditate on His Word, what is God saying?


• What passages of Scripture are speaking to the depths of your heart in these days of decision?


God's calling is righteous


Romans 8:28–29 reveals a central purpose for each of us: to become more like Jesus. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled…and fulfilled.


• What decision will position you best to become more like Jesus?


• Do you sense confirmation during times of worship?


• Does this decision line up with God's good purpose for you and others?


God's calling is right


Reflection on Scripture (Psalm 139, Romans 8:28–30) builds assurance that God has wired each of us for a unique purpose. He makes no mistakes. It makes sense that He would call you to a place that is with the way He designed you. Some of His wiring might be weakness for HIS strength to be manifested, but His call will be the right fit. The following questions should clarify this component of His call:


• Do your natural, God-given abilities indicate a right fit?


• Has God given you a spiritual gift that suggests a right fit for a ministry decision?


• What training have you had, and do your learned skills point to a right fit?


• Have you taken assessments that bring confirmation of “rightness?”


• What decision will best line up with your passions, values, and vision?


• What are you doing in ministry right now? God's calling is as much about the present as the future. Abundant life and ministry are for today, not just tomorrow.


God's calling is rightly confirmed by others


This is a critical element. This means the church, which is the family environment for ministry equipping (Ephesians 4). This means leaders in your church, in the denomination, and friends in the kingdom. What are those who know you best, including family, speaking into your life? Calling comes in the context of relationship. Listen with a discerning ear to Godly counsel.


God's calling is sometimes revealed and punctuated by providential circumstances


Although balance between the subjective and the objective is crucial, many testimonies are shared of God bringing forth pointed circumstances to identify His hand and His invitation toward a specific task or ministry.


• What circumstances might God be using to speak to you?


• What events might form a pattern of God's leading?


• What issues are your friends and coworkers wrestling with?


Summary


Of all these components, the most important truth to remember is that we are called first and foremost to a person. Jesus said, “Come, follow me”(Matthew 4:19). We, the sheep of His pasture, can hear His voice (John 10).


Active listening in a relationship of active following affirms God's calling. It's His quiet voice in the solitude of reflection that guides us. When all the strands of God's leading are wrapped together, there grows a deep inner conviction that God's voice is speaking clearly. This develops into a necessary sustaining conviction for those entering vocational ministry and missions.


Is your heart phone ringing? Is God calling? Don't wait for someone else to answer. Be available. Be involved today. You'll be glad that you plugged in, completed the connection, and answered, “Here am I, Lord. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

Reading a great book entitled, The Accidental Creative

Have you ever found yourself in a book?    I'd be fooling myself if I likened myself to a princess or queen in a fairytale.   However, if a movie is ever made from this book (and I don't think it will), I could play the part of Amos.   Amos is a leader in a company.  Amos has several meetings over the course of a typical day.  He may also have longer meetings with his leadership team or sub teams.   Amos also manages an insane amount of e-mail and phone calls.  The most difficult thing, according to Amos, is that in the midst of all the meetings and "pseudo work," he knows that his main job is to move the mission forward and make progress in the area he leads.  He is to create new ideas and better the department.   But due to the frenetic schedule he keeps, the constant influx of e-mail, phone calls, and the pressures of managing the relational expectations, he finds there is not very much time to actually do work.  Amos gets to think of his work far less than he'd like because he's so busy just trying to stay ahead of everything else.  Amos's struggles to gain creative traction and move forward are largely the result of pressures he feels in five key areas of work:  Focus, Relationships, Energy, Stimuli and Hours.  

I, too, struggle like Amos with many of these areas.   I am reminded that I am a steward of the time God grants me each day.   I am on a journey of exploration to learn how to best serve God throughout each day so that my work may be honoring to Him.   I am diving into this book, in search of new practices and methods to create a healthy rhythm of work and creativity.    BRING IT!!

The Fanfare of Clouds Presenting the Night



The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19

I felt called to sit in my rocking chair outside this evening.  I received a grand invitation to attend the brilliant presentation of The Fanfare of Clouds Presenting the Night, written by God.     This show will be running every night and there is an open invitation to all.  

I spent the morning yesterday at a nearby beach.  I am so often led beside still waters or under the canopy of trees to be with God on Sabbath day.  My senses are heightened, my soul is at rest, the lenses of my eyes are opened and the ears which allow God to speak are most attuned to His voice in such places.    Tonight, is holy, as I sit under a partially lit blue sky and watch the clouds usher in the night.   The universe declares your majesty.  You are holy.

With God...