More Random Stuff from Bored Browsing

Just hanging this afternoon. Finding strange and unusal things to share.

• FlashFace: Here is another place to while away a few minutes with some amazing flash software.
• Things you can do with sand. I am always amazed at this kind of stuff.
• Some very creative pictures. More fun pics here – click the links unders some of them for more.
• Readers – this site might be helpful or just quirky.
• This guy has way too much time on his hands.
• If you feel you are spiraling out of control…
• The colors on this blog are pretty amazing.
• The Brits really are unusual.

Geek Insights: How the Cursor Works

These are either little guys inside the computer or this is one really big cursor. Turn on the sound.

Stories from Russia

I really enjoyed getting to know the Russian church leaders at the conference in Moscow a couple weeks ago. Their stories are varied, often amazing, unique, and always a testament of God’s grace. Linda found ways to draw them out and she has begun to record them (without names) on her blog.

It really helped that we had such great personal translators. These two young women were kept quite busy with all the story-telling, counseling, and encouraging going on throughout the week. Of course their stories were pretty interesting too.

Man Hug

Thanks to Challies for pointing men to this very helpful “how-to” video.

Good Grub in Glasgow

Mrs. Random and I are visiting our daughter in Glasgow, Scotland for a few days on our way home from Russia. It is always nice to see her and enjoy her humor and her friends. On previous visits we have lamented with Jenny over the dearth of good burgers. No more! We ate at Louis’ Grill tonight at 18 Gibson Street. Great burger on one of the best buns I’ve ever tasted. Definitely the best in Glasgow. Followed with excellent Sticky Toffee Pudding. I’m not sure that the wait person knew what to do with three Americans (ok, two-and-a-half … Jenny is acclimating!) – especially with my promise to tell everyone about the place. Which I now have done. She’ll never know, but I have now fulfilled my promise and 56 people know where to get a good burger when visiting the University district in Glasgow. Cheers!

If you are interested in feeding your soul, you might check out St. Silas Evangelical Espiscopal church just down the street. Or Re:Hope in the same area.

February 2010 update: Sadly Louie’s is no longer in business. I did my part!

Not Lost in Translation

Teaching through an interpreter is quite an experience. I’ve done it a few times in my ministry and it is always interesting to see what happens to some of the words. It is frustrating sometimes for me and the one charged with representing my words. There is so much nuance in our languages, and so many different meanings. I’m told that Pasha did a good job translating my messages. I’d say something is hard and he had to discern from my context and other words if I meant “solid” or “difficult”; even though I tried to be careful, sometimes a metaphor or idiom that is second nature to us would bring laughter as it was translated literally – “brain freeze” doesn’t seem to make sense in Russian. The best thing about teaching Scripture through an interpreter is that it reminds us that our best words, our oratorical skill (should we have any), our powerful communication techniques will not carry the day. I am reminded with almost every sentence that the message will only be clear and usable if the Holy Spirit is working among us.  Linda and I also grew to appreciate the two young women who came along to help us in casual (and not so casual) conversations. They took their jobs seriously. They were concerned if we were left alone, that we might need assistance, and they quickly stepped forward to translate smoothly.  If our ministry was successful in any way, Masha, Natasha, and Pascha must be given great credit. What a reminder that the ministry depends on each one exercising his or her spiritual giftedness.

Ministry Thoughts

So what does an a pastor from Bellevue, Washington serving in an affluent church with an abundance of resources have to offer to a mostly young and struggling group of pastors and ministry leaders from Russia and other former soviet states? Probably a lot less than we might think. These men and women are committed. They are intelligent. They are spiritual. They have hearts as that are wide open to all. And they are mostly under stress all the time. If not from some government harassment, then from a burdensome bureaucracy. They have to be committed because few can live on the support they receive. The issues they deal with are the heartbreaks of any pastor – broken lives, shattered dreams, the ravages of sin, illness and death.  They do so much with so little in the way of physical resources, yet their attitude is good, and strong, and spiritual. Their trials would crush many of us in western ministry yet they engage in the lonely battle for souls with a certain joy.

I chose to develop thoughts from the Epistle of 1 Peter – teaching expositionally from the word. I did so with some fear. First, because the concepts are deep and rich and might not be communicated well through an interpreter. Secondly, these are men and women who have lived through trials I have only imagined. Third, and I almost always feel this way, why should these folks listen to me? Yet, I have to trust that the Holy Spirit brought us together for a purpose beyond what I can see and that he works in ways that will remain unknown. I can only hope that my words wrapped around the text might be encouraging.

These are good men and women of God. And they represent only one small Bible College in Moscow.  I trust that soon they will be serving one another and no longer need or want someone from the West to teach them awkwardly through an interpreter.  It is my privilege to speak from God’s Word to them.

In Praise of Margin

Margin is a good thing. Not the butter substitute, rather the practice of building in extra space, or extra time. We built in an extra day on this Moscow trip which turned out to be a very good thing because we needed it. Our flight out of Seattle was delayed by two hours. Which meant we would arrive 5 minutes after our connecting flight to Russia left. Not much you can do about that – getting really upset with the agent just doesn’t fix anything (besides I’m teaching on 1 Peter this week and this opportunity to demonstrate excellent behavior was kind of obvious). It was a bit frustrating to discover that the next flight we could take was going to require a 9 hour layover … meaning we would do the double red-eye trip … but at least we would still have time to acclimate some and rest before a week of ministry. Margin is a good thing.

It was also nice that both in Seattle and in London we were able to get access to the airline lounges … something that they made clear they are loathe to do for those who travel in the cattle class. I’m pretty sure that 1 Peter is talking about some significant suffering for the sake of Christ, far more than what we endured on our 9.5 hour coach flight with the recliner king and queen in front of us. (You know them – they fully recline their seat immediately and make really rude noises or faces if you should then happen to touch their seat in any way). We did have plent of opportunity to practice the principles Peter teaches though. Oh how spoiled we are …

Off to Moscow

Mrs. Musing and I are just about to walk out the door for the airport where we will catch our British Air flight to Moscow, via London. It is always and interesting experience to lose 10 hours to time zones, fly for fifteen hours, and do it all crammed into the cattle section of a long metal tube where one enjoys the generous thirty-one inch pitch of a seat that almost guarantees leg cramps and a sprung-rump upon arrival.

Why such an undertaking? We will be teaching and serving a group of graduates of New Life Bible College in Moscow. These pastors and ministry leaders along with there spouses have become part of the ministry of Crossroads Bible Church. This is our second trip and we pray that we might find God using us to encourage them and help them. However, we usually find that we are the ones most encouraged.