Last Night's Seder Meal

Last night was the first Passover Seder that we have hosted in our home in the States (Lori and I did host one in Santiago de Compostela with our friends there). We invited a small group of close friends from the NW suburbs to join us in this special celebration this year.

If you have never had the chance to participate in a Messianic Seder meal then I would highly recommend it. It follows the Jewish Seder traditions and explains the foods, the symbols and the meaning of the meal to the Hebrews in Egypt. It also connects the dots to the "last supper" or Seder meal that Jesus hosted for his disciples in Jerusalem shortly before his crucifiction. When linked to the full Jewish history there is a palpable excitement in the air as you glimpse the ancient meal through the various windows of Biblical history.

Baruk atah adonai, Elohainu, melech ha'olam
(Blessed are you Lord, our God, king of the universe)

Oregon

I just uploaded some photos from our Oregon trip here and here.

Studio 1125 Photography

If you live in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and are looking for a photographer for your wedding or another important life event, some friends of mine have just gone public with Photography business. Check it out at www.studio1125.com.

Friends in Galicia

Now that Lori and I live in the NW Suburbs of Chicago, we continue to follow the lives of our friends across the pond through their blogs.

This week I had the opportunity to talk with a good friend from Spain in person. I was able to grab a coffee with Roberto Reed as he was passing through the Chicago area. Rob lives in A Couruña, Spain. We met several years ago and I always enjoyed when I was able to visit Vida Nueva Church (A church that he helped to plant). Occasionally friends from the church would come and assist us during the opening of art exhibits in cafe Terra Nova. We enjoyed the kind of partnership that happens when Christians take kingdom view of ministry and work to encourage one another.

Last summer we were able connect with Nate and Faith Walter as they left the Chicago area and headed to Galicia with International Teams. Rob and his church graciously welcomed them and have been working alongside of them as they adjust to life in Spain. We are thankful for Rob and his family and the way that God is working through them to reach Spain with the Gospel. If you ever make it to Galicia it would be well worth your time to look up Roberto and the Walters.

Jacob's New Blog

I remember reading some of Jake's first blog before I ever knew him. You see, I knew that he was going to be joining our team and I was interested to get to know him. Just before touching down in Spain he started his second blog and then I got to know him in person.

I don't know if he will ever know the ways that he has challenged me both as a friend and in ministry. During the two years that our families lived life together and worked together in business and ministry, I felt like Jacob was constantly stretching me as he looked around the world and spoke truth to a world of injustice. He can be ruthlessly honest, but if you ever sit down and have a conversation with him you will find the most gentle of souls. Anyway, he just retired his 4 Peregrinos blog and started a new one at www.anoblation.com. I am not sure what new direction he has in mind, but I know that it will be worth the time.

Check it out! Maybe you'll get the pleasure of meeting him one day!

Trip out West

One of the things I told many Spanish friends that they should do if they ever visit the states is rent a car and drive from one side of the states to the other. We only passed through 10 states on this trip to visit some friends in Arizona, but we were amazed by the various types of terrain and the vastness of the USA. Here are some pics from our trip.

What do you Bring to the Table?

I gave a sermon this week at HCC based on Colossians 3:15-17.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

This was something that our team sought to live out in a very literal way while we gathered together as a local body in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Saludos!

Rich Grassel's Blog

As I think back on my teenage and college years I can easily see that God placed some amazing people in my life who really challenged me in ways that literally changed the direction of my life. Rich Grassel is one person who I have been Googling for years, hoping that he would start a blog. Well, just a week ago a friend of mine (Thanks Ben!) alerted me to Rich Grassel's new blog. Check it out and prepare to be stretched.