Reinhold's Journey

2003-12-16T16:39:00.000+01:00

Hi friends, I have moved my blog! You now find me at reinhold.typepad.com See ya there. Thanks, Blogger!

2003-11-07T23:15:00.000+01:00

This week I spent 3 days with 2 friends at 1 conference on emerging church. Met Andrew again and enjoyed Brian McLaren. There are so many things at stake if you want to define church for the time to come! Like the quote by Len Sweet: the church "mistakes the dawn for a setting sun". I did this, too, I admit. Sweets book "Carpe Mańana" helped me to try to see the dawn instead of dusk. Shame, since I work with a ministry called "DAWN"...

2003-10-29T08:33:00.000+01:00

So much time gone again. The big thing was last weekend, my wife's 50th birthday. 35 friends and neighbours for a Brunch on Saturday, 15 for coffee, and more than 40 people at a big Party in the evening. Total family business changing the house into a party-like place, setting up meditation and chill-out rooms, providing food and drinks in large amounts and teaching people the first steps in Salsa at night. Much work but Grrrreat fun. I have such a great wife.
Yesterday went to Germany to spend time with Andreas Wolf evaluating the European Research Project on Church Planting. Going slowly but preparing to be a large, multi-year project.

In the meantime, autumn is here - a time of year that I love, mainly because of the colours and the contrast between rain, wind and a warm house.

2003-10-07T23:17:00.000+02:00

Today, our 25th anniversary. And Christina my beautiful daughter's 19th birthday.

Decided on the spot to spend a VERY special night in Lenkerhof Hotel. Found the perfect place. GRRREAT. Our kids ordered flowers in the suite, flowers on the table, a cake afterwards and paid for all the drinks and even the cigar afterwards. What a place! What a night!

2003-10-06T08:18:00.000+02:00

What is this: ca. 1 mm long, whitish, moves, and if you find it in your kitchen you have to take ALL the food out, search it, clean it, and desinfect the whole place? Some kind of maggot found a way into our beautiful kitchen. And my wife spent almost a whole day (see above). Ouf. Some kind of devolution product.
Do you not want to go to your kitchen and make sure you do not find little 1 mm long, whitish....

2003-10-05T15:48:00.000+02:00

Just found out that the Hotel where Michael my son will spend a 6 months internship belongs to an old friend of ours. Wow!! God is great and Switzerland is small...

2003-10-05T13:08:00.000+02:00

Rain. Quiet sunday. Autumn came in time - Oct 1 it started getting rainy and cold. I love fall - it is like being more alive than in summer. Change and colours and smells - wonderful. My pool in the garden is ready, quite proud of it (it takes so little....) Lots of good time with the family. My son Mike found a wonderful place for his internship, his dream hotel in Lenk. Will start tomorrow.
Our newspaper is out, but it takes much to become professional. Preparing conferences and meetings on church planting an church innovation.
Otherwise, I am busy preparing for a doctorate thesis - although I have no clue yet whether it is possible to write a dissertation on something like "the postmodern / postchristian culture shift and the church". But this is what I would like to research and work on in depth.

2003-09-22T23:35:00.000+02:00

Today, a BIG day. The miracle happened and we were able to collect over Sfr. 40.000 for the newspaper to start - in two days. I did the first step towards a dissertation. And I worked hard on my garden pool and brook. After supper, rewarded myself with an excellent cigar (the best and only one I have). Re-discovered Dashiell Hammet detective stories.
My wife is in Southern France with friends and our youngest boy. This gives me a whole week of almost unending time.
Watched Matrix Reloaded tonight with my eldest son. If you look for great Special effects, or if you love Kung Fu (or whatever that is called), you will be enthusiastic. If you look for some kind of good plot, you will doubt. If you look for meaning, forget it. Guess I am not yet postmodern enough.

2003-09-21T08:39:00.000+02:00

Today, national Alphalive conference; had a speech on the Challenge of postmodernism. There are more than 20.000 Alpha courses running worldwide, several hundred in Switzerland.
Had three great conversations with leaders; things are happening. Everywhere, signs of new life and new things. Switzerland is especially good, it seems, in connecting ministries and creating synergies.

2003-09-20T08:35:00.000+02:00

We need 40.000 Swiss Francs until 5 pm on Monday to really make the newspaper start. Anyone's purse itching?

2003-09-18T21:36:00.000+02:00

Wow, its me again. Great days, much work. The new newspaper is a crazy enterprise with a bunch of idealists and costs me some time to write and find articles. But being able to write about spirituality issues to more than 200.000 people every other week is quite something and worth some practice. How much easier it is to write for Christians...
Spent the days with a lot of students again. It is real fun to be with youngsters who are willing to learn and get engaged in the Kingdom.

2003-09-05T23:57:00.000+02:00

Today and yesterday, taught 8 hours each of Natural Church Development at the IGW in Bern. Was real fun - 25 students, all hidden behind their laptops, lots of questions and interaction. Another 7 hours tomorrow.

2003-09-03T11:06:00.000+02:00

We live and act much too fast. Read this morning: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.' Therefore you will flee! You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.' Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away..." (Isa. 30.15-17) We usually think: the faster the better. We must not miss anything. God seems to say: the faster the weaker. Speed often seems to be a weakness, not a strength. Satan (or anybody) coughs, and we flee. It should be the other way round. The message is: "Slow down! Think! Repent! Be quiet! Listen! Trust!" Too many Christians are burnt out from demands on all sides, trying to hasten "revival" and buried under missionary pressure.

2003-09-02T21:29:00.000+02:00

September has started - finally long pants and sweaters again. Welcome late summer, in German "old women's summer" (why on earth??).
Today, we started a new newspaper. Every 2 weeks, free for 220.000 people in our region. Trying to go the tiny small path between being too evangelical and missionary and saying nothing. Try to write articles about God without people knowing it. Guess thats why Jesus called his path the narrow one...
Looking for a new bed. How to find the right model among all the world's best beds?? Laid in so many beds yesterday, came home totally tired.
Kim was here again last week. Went to Berlin from here. My son Markus is trying to find the cheapest way to spend a year in the Caribbeans. We might go to the Dominican Republic for a week next spring to celebrate our 25th wedding.

2003-08-25T14:47:00.000+02:00

Spent an interesting weekend with some Christians on the Les Cerneux Campground - a **** meeting place for Christians of all couleur and with "normal people" as well. A friend of mine created this place a few years ago, among others as a working place for kids in final stadium of therapy. Great place, great weather. They had an accident two weeks ago with a 3 year old boy drowning in the swimming pond. When they discovered him, he had laid under water for 6 minutes. A Helicopter flew him to the Hospital, and in the night, the doctors told the parents that his brain had been damaged too much. 6 minutes in 28 degrees warm water is just too long. But the Christians continued to pray; in the morning, the boy woke up, sat up in his bed and asked for his mum. He was perfectly normal, no reminders of his accident. The event changed a few people's lives quite a bit...

On Saturday, a whole day with a few church planters and friends at Le Phare in Fleurier, a unique initiative: a church that consists of a Cyber-Café, a bookstore, a library, a restaurant and a Youth center in the middle of the main village of the Val de Travers, a beautiful valley near the French border. Another one of new initiatives that try to cross the border and bridge the gap, a church that sees itself as a mission and willingly takes all the tensions between God and the World. They are in the midst of a strong crisis - which we discussed in unusual openness - but they will continue. It MUST be possible to create places where Christians not only "reach out" into society but live and act as part of society, serving the community determined by Kingdom life and values.

2003-08-22T12:56:00.000+02:00

Found this on www.pray.de

"All I really need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark!

Don't miss the boat!
Don't forget we are all in the same boat.
Plan ahead - it wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Stay fit - when you are 600 years old Someone might ask you to do something really big.
Don't listen to critics, just get on with what has to be done.
For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Two heads are better than one.
Build your future on high ground.
Speed isn't always an advantage - after all the snails were on the same boat as the cheetahs.
When you're stressed, float a while.
Remember the Ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic was built by professionals.
Remember that the woodpeckers inside are a larger threat than the storm outside.
No matter what the storm, when God is with you, there's a rainbow waiting!

2003-08-13T14:00:00.000+02:00

Still hot, warmest summer for 200 years, maybe even for 210. Trying to figure out for some 12-13 year old boys what following Christ practically means. In between, writing articles and trying to build a pool in our garden. Here in Switzerland, we call it "biotop" which means "a place for life". When I have it ready, I will show a foto.

2003-08-07T21:09:00.000+02:00

What is the main task of a FATHER? To fix broken things, to give away and be available. That's what I have been doing for days now. In these hot days - today we had 36 degrees - you cannot do a lot of sensible things anyway.
Installed a new worship-and-sermon-and-service-presentation software today (called PraiseMaster). Put more than 100 songs in it, cut-and-paste. Some hours of dealing with all the worship songs I have known for decades now. Some I cannot sing any more, many are jewels. What a treasure.
"Dad, you and mom have studied theology and have been teaching thousands of people - why can you not teach me and my friend more about the bible? We know so little about it" told me my daughter Christina today. Wow. When kids become 18, they start realizing that their old folks are not so stupid after all (boys usually some years later). So, from next week on, it's one evening per week bible study. Grrrrreat. Christine wants answers, not only the "nice-we-have-talked-about-it" style.

2003-08-02T18:45:00.000+02:00

I AM BACK. Will anyone after such a long break (my God, more than a month) still read my blog? If you are there, welcome.
Just returned from awesome holidays. Bike trip of 400 km from Berlin to Rostock, all along lakes, meadows, forests and with mostly nice people. Great weather, great wife, good bikes and much peace. The Ex-GDR is doing well on one side, but lots of old houses and trees still old or under construction. And an unemployment rate of more than 20%...
Spent a day sightseeing in Berlin with Kerstin, the Mother of all Hospitality. Had a great time with her. Thanks, Kerstin, for everything... And thanks, God, for protection on the German highways and providing some angels who can fly more than 180 km/h (I heard the normal ones quit at 160...)
Berlin is a city where a strategic city-wide network of churches and leaders is emerging - see "Together for Berlin"
Back home, celebrating my son Michael's engagement with Emily from Indonesia. They are really serious - and I will have a new daughter. Great! Always liked girls...
Last night, celebration with a good meal, lots of crackers and fireworks, as August 1 is the Swiss National day.
Planning for the second half of the year. Look forward to a new start. Hope I can make a difference in peoples lives and in the Kingdom. A quote from the book "Naked Church" that talks to me a lot: "I'm just a disciple with a simple agenda - follow the Master wherever He goes". Thats it.

2003-06-26T21:40:00.000+02:00

Kim came to our house with Andrew Jones and is staying for some time. She is one of God's new army of Young Davids and is trying to find out what the next steps should be. Today, also Emily came from Indonesia, my oldest son's girl friend. She is small by stature but a great person and very funny. With all these cool folks, it is going to be a great summer.
Finally rain today. All the school kids ran out into the schoolyard with shampoo and shower cream ...

2003-06-20T23:20:00.000+02:00

Hot weather in Switzerland - the longest over-30-degrees-period I can remember.
Last weekend, finale of the "Rollorama" after more than 9 years Rollerskater Hall run by Christians. This was a wonderful experiment and experience in Churches working together, providing a safe place for kids and families to skate and enjoy themselves. Rollorama was a pioneer and a model for many similar initiatives in Europe and beyond and won enormous credit in the public for Christians. Now it came to an end and there is room for new things. We had the strong feeling that God wanted to take that virus and multipliy it into hearts, families, neighbourhoods, companies, schools and whereever people are.
The tension, though, is between diaconic and evangelistic work. If you are present in society, this does not mean yet that many people come to know Christ. To have that, you must be intentional, have much patience, have strong coworkers who are able to disciple people all the way through.
Andrew Jones came to see us last weekend with family and friends. Kim stayed with us and is trying to figure out what to do next. Thrilling. Meeting new friends all the time.
Read a diploma thesis on a Church Planting Project in Switzerland today. Realized suddenly how difficult it is to plant a church if you a) want to do everything right, b) think of church as a program or organization and c) have no special key leader or target group.
Hot, hot, hot. Lord, send some rain...
Andrew is on his pilgrimage. How will the family do in hot Spain??

2003-06-20T22:53:00.000+02:00

Finally on the blog again. So much has happened. Spent a week in the USA with the global DAWN team, including a stay in beautiful Black Forest, some intense days of team meeting, whitewater rafting on the Arkansas river and a South African style barbacue. Colorado Springs was like always great to me. Brougth home some good stuff - a new Sony Clié among others - and a heart full of love and good memories. At the end, a good European team meeting in Zürich last weekend, including a hilarious Bruce Almighty Movie. Wow.
This week, wonderful summer weather here in Switzerland. Everybody in the pool as much as possible. Martha, my son's girl friend from Colombia is here, and me unusually silent towards her because I speak so little Spanish. Well, that might change. Markus got his baccalaureat / Matura / High School diploma this week.
Today, surprise: visit of Andrew and Debbie Jones with their kids and some girls on their pilgrimage to Spain. Had a private pizza party and enjoyed nature, Italian Wine, Czech beer and each others friendship.
We are very much trying to find a way to have a kind of party to communicate something of the Gospel to our neighbours. We love our neighbourhood and want to bless them with the Love of God. Who has experience with neigbourhood parties in a normal Western European bourgeois setting?

2003-06-01T21:07:00.000+02:00

Sitting on the Balcony after a great and hot day and enjoying evening peace. House Church this morning, see the bikes. Great folks, we grow together like a body. God is sharpening our vision to become a third power in our region besides State and Free Churches. There are tons of post-evangelicals around, no longer at home in eiter of the traditional structures, and struggling to find a form to be church that expresses what they see and feel. We are moving towards a larger network of individual Home Churches, interdependent yet each a church of their own. Met two leaders in the Swimming pool in the afternoon who steer towards something similar. God is on the move, definitely.
Tonight, had our neighbours with us for a barbecue. Family of 5 grown up kids, their mother died last week of cancer. I see God in emerging friendships and closer relationships than the average Swiss style. It is thrilling to build friendship and finding out when to say what about Jesus.

2003-05-26T15:39:00.000+02:00

Just returned from Magdeburg and Dresden, Germany. Spent time with colleagues and friends, visited Andreas Wolf and KRAFTWERK church and had tea with one of the most remarkable women I ever met: American Millionaire's wife, Hippie friend, always looking for meaning and extremely honest. Met Jesus, returning back to Germany with 67 to take care of Street Kids and Punks. Got a house and started a social ministry. Today, at the age of 78, still active and full of vision. Called "Mother Theresa of Dresden". Wow.
Dresden is a fascinating city. Loved it.

2003-05-22T07:57:00.000+02:00

Met a real Mystic yesterday. A man, living in constant presence of God and having the deepest ecstatic experiences again and again, being at the same time very normal, intelligent, "wordly" and creative. He said that holiness has much to do with a) living in the Bible b) being moderate c) being not too pious d) being humble and e) enjoying life.
In the evening, boys club again. Long discussion on computer games - two dads and 10 boys. "Not a second boring" - what a compliment from my youngest!
This was one of these days where many things go different than you plan, but at the end of the day you are deeply happy because there was a master planner behind everything.
Today, I will go to see some friends in Magdeburg and Dresden, Germany.

2003-05-17T01:02:00.000+02:00

Great day. Met two leaders over noon - interesting talk and contact. New friends are given to me. And leaders are getting in touch and opening up their hearts to each other like never before.
My German article "Why I do not pray for revival" has been put on the Web by a Swiss Christian site (www.livenet.ch), and I keep getting phone calls and e-mails from very different places, mostly pastors, who wholeheartedly agree. Funny - I do not want to be known as anti-revival, and I would rejoice if God did something big and unexpected; but obviously there are many out there who are tired of the promises and prophecies and the whole irrational style that is often linked to the expectation of "revival" - while not seeing and appreciating what God is doing everywhere.

Tonight, celebrating Markus' 20th birthday. Great boy - Thanks Father. Cooked a fantastic family meal and enjoyed some happy time together. Sure, the Kingdom of God is more than just eating and drinking, but it certainly includes both.

2003-05-14T20:56:00.000+02:00

Two days with mainly computer and family work behind me. The family and the computer are two of the main stages of sanctification, and I am rehearsing very much...

2003-05-11T23:53:00.000+02:00

Today, maybe a church or even better a church network was born. 40 people with us for more than 5 hours. Church as it should be - happy, moving, honest, holistic. It seems God is giving us partners and friends to build a House Church network here in the Thun area. They are understanding the challenge. I want the House Churches to become the Third Power along with the established State and Free churches.
Yesterday, church planters meeting near Basel. Small group. Moving stories about the Kingdom, God calling people and new churches. Come to appreciate the Foursquare folks more and more. They PLANT churches, see www.cpforum.net as an example.

2003-05-09T16:22:00.000+02:00

Rain at last. Pouring. In a nearby town, hail the size of table tennis balls.

2003-05-09T08:13:00.000+02:00

Good week, but without other half. Wednesday Kids group - 10 boys in the most juicy age... Last night workshop, our discipleship group. This is a really enjoyable group - three couples and ourselves, from four different churches but growing together and opening up; two of them trying to reconnect to something like "church". How delicate is the balance between form and freedom in Christian life, to avoid the extremes of legalism and cheap grace! Great evening.
Tomorrow church planter's meeting. Sunday House Church Network Celebration. Will try to move on strategically.
But I am not made to be alone. Time to get reunited.

2003-05-04T09:40:00.000+02:00

Went to my first Salsa party last night, unfortunately without my wife. Its quite a risk not being able to dance too well yet and asking other women to dance... But many people showed up, and the music was great. Now for a sunny sunday.

2003-05-04T09:39:00.000+02:00

England was great, good new contacts and promising talks. Afterwards, flew to Hamburg to see my sister in Bremen - great family feast. Even my 83 yrs old mother came. My sister's husband leads a large church in Bremen, and we have always had good friendship and exchange of experience. Came home well, saw my wife for 1 day and then saw her off for a week away with seniors. Now I am taking care of the house and the kids on my own. Is fun. Great weather, spring in full blossom.

2003-04-23T07:26:00.000+02:00

Off for Great Britain today for the European Church Growth Association conference. Church Growth and Church Planting share many of the same issues - both are concerned about forms of church for the future. Look forward to travelling again. After that, I will fly to Germany to meet with a denominational leader and see my sister for her 50th birthday.

2003-04-21T21:19:00.000+02:00

Had very relaxing days. Celebrating Easter each generation in their way: our kids stayed together the whole night with 60 other kids and returned around 4 in the morning, we left at 6 and greeted Easter day on a high mountain with some dozens of Christians. Friends at our house the whole day yesterday, playing games, eating, laughing, and leaving us exhausted. Today quiet day with private time of worship.
Easter. Few people still know what happened then. 4% of Swiss think Jesus was born, another 5% believe He was married on Easter. But everybody loves hares and chocolate.

2003-04-16T14:43:00.000+02:00

Found the site of Glide Church - very cool. And finally a German Christian site dealing with postmodern vision, media and materials.

2003-04-15T20:36:00.000+02:00

Michael our eldest son back from his 3 months trip to the Far East. No SARS. Christine, our daughter, made her driver's licence yesterday; Dad's many hours with her were successful. Today, we have three pilgrims with us for the night who walk (!) all the way from Tirol in Austria to San Jacobo de Compostella, on the St.Jacob's pilgrim way which leads through the village my wife is a pastor in. Nice folks, good to have them.

2003-04-13T08:43:00.000+02:00

Today, House Church Network Celebration again. Look forward to being together with the family of Jesus. My wife preaches in the State Church, my son Michael is about to return from 3 months Indonesia and Australia - tonight the family will be united again. Lets welcome Jesus to our houses and cities on this Palm Sunday.

2003-04-12T19:40:00.000+02:00

Full and rich day yesterday. Counseling meeting in the morning, coming to know new friends in the afternoon and a 50th birthday party (many of these this year...) in the evening. Relationally rich. Several people interested in starting a neighbourhood house church. Birthday parties are so good for making contacts! Today, working in the house all day.

2003-04-11T08:45:00.000+02:00

After some terribly rainy and cold days, a sunny morning again. Busy with meeting people, preparing sunday House Church, and removing all furniture from the lower storey of our house for a new floor to be put in. AND: learning Spanish with my wife - in a totally new way.

2003-04-09T17:01:00.000+02:00

Just watching the end of a despotic regime. A giant statue of Saddam just torn down by a US tank; would have been even nicer if the Iraquis had done this by hand. But sometimes, you need help from a big brother... Historic day. If this war is over now, it would be much shorter than the first Gulf war. NOT THOUSANDS of civilians killed. But some people have a refrigerator now, some even a car, taken from government buildings...

2003-04-05T23:48:00.000+02:00

Just discovered DAWN's new Emerging Generation website. Congratulations, Charlie.

2003-04-05T23:18:00.000+02:00

My son Markus sits in his room and chats/videoconferences online with his Girl friend who is 8000 km away in Colombia. They can see, hear and write to each other at the same time. How romantic were the times when we still had to write (and wait for...) letters!

2003-04-05T23:15:00.000+02:00

Had three wonderful days in Ticino (Italian part of Switzerland) with my wife. Much time for each other, to reflect, laugh, eat well and talk a lot. Thanks, God.

2003-03-31T23:00:00.000+02:00

Spent 2 days near Tarragona among several hundred people who were a) Spanish by nationality, b) Spanish by language, d) Spanish by food and d) pentecostal by style. Poor me. Felt totally lost. 2-4 good conversations, the rest either painful - like with a female prophet by the name of Cindy J. - or boring, in spite of a Latin American Evangelist who reminded me of Hitler's way of speaking. I know, I know - God has many children. Some feel like brothers, others like cousins.
On the way back ended up in the middle of a wild demo in Geneva main station. A handful of chaots tried to storm the train in which I sat, used the emergency breaks and blocked the train for about an hour. The whole station full of shouting people and hundreds of policemen. Came home late and ended up in bed with a fever - my usual one-day flu. A good bath, some heavy vitamins and 10 hrs of sleep brought me to my legs again.

Tonight, our Salsa course. For the first time in my life, I enjoy dancing. There are some good things coming from Latin America, too... My wife and I are learning Spanish so that we can explain to our maybe-daughter-in-law from Colombia some personal things about our son, her maybe-future-husband-to-be, when she comes to visit us in June.

2003-03-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

Lasts night again gang of 12 boys (ony 9 were present). Posted little questions and tasks all over our ground on the subject of "war and peace". Amazing how they are filled with stereotypes. And quite a challenge to give them a biblical perspective! And help them to get an idea that the enigmas of God are more satisfying than the solutions of men...
Preparing for a short trip to Barcelona, Spain, today. Conference of spiritual warfarers and strategic people. Great to be able to get out again.

2003-03-25T08:46:00.000+01:00

"Turn around, for the Kingdom is about to come". Everywhere - in micro- and macrocosm - the Kingdom calls and motivates us to turn around; to think differently, to accept paradigm shifts. Most people like to think what the masses and media are telling them to think. Turning around is a daily routine - Martin Luther said: "I convert daily".

2003-03-20T12:01:00.000+01:00

War has begun. No one likes war, but this one seemed unavoidable. Just came back from an anti-war demonstration in Thun. Some 1000 pupils and students, some teachers, all expressing their anger and convincing each other that War is bad, Bush is bad, America is bad. I held up this poster - the only one who expressed a somewhat different opinion. But no discussion (remember the 60s, when a Good Old Discussion was still possible?) Just tons of kids expressing what the whole of Europe seems to think right now.
This is what scares me more than Bush and Saddam: the irrational and totally one-sided "public opinion", strongly formed by the media - and based not on thinking but on emotions. 10% hardliners, 90% followers who are loudly repeating what they hear others say. No historical perspective, no differentiation. Imagine one day the Christians are the Bad Guys...
In the meantime, lets pray for a quick war and be assured that His Kingdom will come.

2003-03-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

My son Michael has landed in Perth, Australia, after spending a great time in Bali. He stays with Bruce and Sarah Stuart. Greetings and thanks, folks!
Bill Wilson survived a shooting and robbing in New York. Thanks, God. Here`s the story.
Found Big Father and loved the site.

2003-03-07T16:39:00.000+01:00

Spent two days with REMOP conference in France - a bunch of Church planters in this big country. Exercised my French. Made new friends. The number of evangelical churches in France has risen from 800 in 1970 to 1800 today. Evangelicals are at last going public and becoming publicly acknowledged.

2003-03-04T10:08:00.001+01:00

BUT....Switzerland - i.e. the richest man in Switzerland - has won the America´s cup. Nothing, but nothing is like it used to be if a country that has not seen any ocean for millions of years wins this Cup. Braaaaavo Alinghi! Sorry Andrew and all New Zealanders. Maybe it´s getting cheaper for us now to visit the second beautiful country of the world where Frodo, Gandalf and the Fellowship have trodden...

2003-03-04T08:21:00.001+01:00

Struggling with God. Who could ever have this stupid idea that God is a man-made reflection of our wishes and ideas? Feuerbach did not know the living God who is ever so often different from what you want him to be... An excellent article in German "Do not let God go", based on Jacob´s struggle with the Almighty (ending up in a painful injury) by my old friend Jens Kaldewey spoke to me directly. Right now, it´s not so much the success stories that mean something to me but the struggle of the great Saints with their God; like Theresa of Avila who said "God, if that is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few". Undoubtedly, the mistake is always on our side. But God is not an easy partner. No wonder - He is God! Maybe there are some of you out there reading this blogspot who are secretly dissapointed by God or by what they thought was God. Tell him your pain, struggle with him - but stick to him!

2003-03-04T08:21:00.000+01:00

After some rainy weather, this is going to be a glorious day full of sun and fresh air. Happy birthday to my sister Ingrid today.

2003-03-01T22:51:00.000+01:00

Whole day Family´s day - Father-in-law´s 87th birthday. What an age, and what a lively spirit still! Great time with three generations together.
Read the other day: "Whenever an old person dies, it´s as if a whole library burns down". Who keeps the wisdom and knowledge of old people, especially old Christians, for the generations to come?

2003-02-25T22:20:00.000+01:00

Finished 9 days of Bible explanations for the Scripture Union´s daily reading. 2 times per year, this is a good exercise not to lose the art of bible interpretation and explanation. What a rich heritage in these old commentaries!

2003-02-25T10:24:00.000+01:00

Wonderful sunny winter days. The faintest idea of spring in the air.

2003-02-20T23:14:00.000+01:00

Had discipleship group with three couples tonight. Subject: "Blessed are those who mourn". Everyone shared his / her area of mourning in life, without "praying it away" immediately. What a fulness, what a rich range of experiences! And: how foolish those who try to avoid mourning at all costs!

2003-02-20T15:40:00.000+01:00

"The range of our possible sufferings is determined by the largeness and nobility of our aims. It is possible to evade a multitude of sorrows by the cultivation of an insignificant life. Indeed, if it be a man's ambition to avoid the troubles of life the recipe is perfectly simple. Let him shed his ambitions in every direction, let him cut the wings of every soaring purpose, and let him assiduously cultivate a little life, with the fewest correspondences and relations. By this means a whole continent of afflictions will be escaped and will remain unknown. Cultivate negations and large tracts of the universe will cease to exist. For instance, cultivate deafness and you are saved from the horrors of discords. Cultivate blindness and you are saved from the assault of the ugly. Stupefy a sense and you shut out a world. And therefore it is literally true that if you want to get through the world with the smallest trouble you must reduce yourself to the smallest compass. That is why so many people and even so many professedly Christian people get through life so easily, and with a minimum acquaintance with tribulation. It is because they have reduced their souls to a minimum that their course through the years is not so much the transit of a man as the passage of air amoeba. They have no finely organised nervous system, for they have deadened and arrested the growth of one nerve after another. They have cut the sensitive wires which bind the individual to the race, and they are cosily self-contained and the shuddering sorrow of the world never disturbs their seclusion."

from J. H. Jowett, The Price of Enlargement. The quotation is inspired by 1 Peter 5:10 and Philippians 3:10.

2003-02-18T16:06:00.000+01:00

The profoundest act of worship is trying to understand.

2003-02-18T12:41:00.000+01:00

Had an electric power interruption last week. Overheard two friends talking to each other: "Yesterday, when the power went off, I got stuck for three hours in an elevator". Answered his friend: "you should have seen me - got stuck for three hours on a moving staircase..."
I myself get stuck for more than three hours every day on my office chair...

2003-02-17T00:25:00.000+01:00

My kids got engaged in Youth service today. Lots of work (photos, multimedia, theater), but few visitors. Is this the way to have church among kids - trying to give them an attractive program which gets boring for them soon? My daughter was disappointed.
Read in an article that the invention of "teenagers" as an age between child and adult is unique to our Western Culture of the 20th century - and might well be the deeper reason why we have so many disoriented kids and so few real committed followers of Jesus in that age. In the bible, a boy of 14 was treated like an adult, which helped him to bring out his best. I learnt with my kids: if you expect trouble in this age, you will have it. But if you treat them as "young adults" - with responsibilities and rigths - quite early, they will appreciate the trust you put in them and behave adequately.

2003-02-14T11:09:00.000+01:00

Had a perfect ski day with family and some friends yesterday. Here you see me in action...

2003-02-11T19:23:00.000+01:00

Spent the morning with a young pastor and church planter. Got a little reconciled to the G12 "model" (what a technocratic name!) But realized again how much energy you have to spend balancing all the various personalities, theologies, and views if you want to build a larger church. No wonder so many pastors burn out after some years leading "church" in this multi-option and multi-opinion society...

2003-02-10T23:52:00.000+01:00

Spent hours today in fixing my wife´s computer. That stupid thing did not want to obey my orders. Managed to write an article on the City Reaching project in Bergen - and to go to the Gym. Now Windows XP has provided a nice restoration, and everything looks fine.

2003-02-09T22:37:00.000+01:00

Great House Church Network celebration today, almost 50 people - 4 hours of worship, teaching, discussion, tears, fun, kids and good food. Another new family took part. If the group continues to grow, we will have to plant a new hub in the region.
Nice quiet afternoon, Big Fat Greek Wedding tonight. The women liked it, hilarious.

2003-02-09T08:55:00.000+01:00

Spent much time this morning in helping my wife put on a Swiss traditional costume (Tracht) with many hooks to fasten. She has a Church service today with a Yodel choir and many out of this scene - traditional, mostly rural people - will attend. This is one of the largest unreached people groups in our country, and I guess every nation has people of this kind. They believe in a good God but Jesus is strange to them. They hold traditional views, love their country and sing a lot. I often try to imagine what revival would look like in this people group who make up an estimated third of our society.
Here is my wife in her costume.

2003-02-08T23:09:00.000+01:00

DAWN Europa conference is over. Was a good working conference, even with only 35 participants. This is the team (Ueli Haldemann and Oivind from Norway missing). From left: myself, Andrew Jones (CZ), Andreas Wolf (D), Dominique Pfeiffer (D), Marc van der Woude (NL), Brian Mills (UK), Bob & Mary Hopkins (UK). Missing on the picture: Ueli Haldemann (CH) and Oyvind Augland (N). On Marc´s blogspot you find more details on the conference.

2003-01-29T21:52:00.000+01:00

Who ministers to the unreached paper groups on my desk?

2003-01-29T19:59:00.000+01:00

Tired after a office desk day. Fascinated by the fact of a God who is One and Three at the same time. Christian Schwarz´ little brochure "Experiencing God in a trinitarian way" is fascinating. Imagine we would understand this and 80% of the Christian quarrels would disappear - and the energy would be directed into God´s world! Tomorrow I will have the joy again of teaching 30 students in Zürich this Open Secret of Trinity - and the practical consequences for our spirituality and life.
Preparing the DAWN conference in Wilderswil. If you still want to surprise me and come - here are the infos.

2003-01-26T21:02:00.000+01:00

Interesting weekend. Went last night to a Pub in our village - my wife knows the pub-keeper and his wife. A friend of ours leads a regional choir of pub-keepers, and my wife has been preaching to them several times, also they sang in her church. This is a special kind of folks. When I was a boy, going to a pub ("Wirtschaft") was tabu for Christians; today, the church realizes that pubs have such an important social function. Pubkeepers often are like pastors to the people - and my wife loves to spend time with them to let them know about a God who did not find place in a Pub but loves the Inn-keepers anyway.
Anyway, we spent some hours in that pub last night with a long talk with the keeper who has been raised in a Christian home and now tries to live a moral life as good as he can. We were able to tell him a lot about Jesus and his life, as well as to a guest who deliberately sat at our table. I guess Jesus would spend a lot of time in pubs, would he live here today. What would He drink???

2003-01-20T21:21:00.000+01:00

Its after 9 in the evening, I had an interesting meeting today in France with some evangelical leaders, discussing the possibility of steps towards planting more churches. 12 hours on the train, 3 hours meeting. Deleted 200 old e-mails on my computer. Wow. Now I am in a Internet Café here in Geneva, waiting for my last train that will bring me home at midnight. Tired but content with the day.
At home, we have Australian mice, very funny little animals. Last night, one of them escaped the cage and decided to eat the only important cable in the house - the one to the Internet cable modem. So the whole family has no internet access. Now who told this little rat to eat exactly that cable?? Must be a mutation. To make it up, they had - some weeks after the first nest - again half a dozen of babies. Must have been the dad, full of despair (or joy??) Anyone wants one, two, three or twelve Australian Mice??

2003-01-16T20:27:00.000+01:00

Today and tomorrow teaching on Church Growth and Natural Church Development at the Institute for Church Growth and World Mission (IGW) in Zürich. 35 students, all of them young leaders. What a chance! But 8 hours teaching per day is quite a thing... Big fun anyway.

2003-01-14T09:11:00.000+01:00

Reading a Christian Classic, "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" by M.Lloyd-Jones. What an important book in a time of superficial answers and pragmatic quick fixes!
Snow last night. After they had it in Spain and everywhere else, now finally here...
Michael, our eldest son, has departed for Indonesia for three months. He loves that country and the beings that live therein, including the females. We pray that God protects him and opens doors for his future as well. Where will our kids be when they are our age?

2003-01-09T17:45:00.000+01:00

Yesterday it was my birthday, I hung one more year on the line... Paul Simon is a little bit older than me, but 51 is a nice age, too. Had a meeting in Basel in the afternoon and then Fondue with 14 boys in their early teens and our whole family. Great party. After that, studied the "Blessed are..." texts in the Sermon on the Mount. The boys were struck how different Jesus is than what they see and hear on TV - and how interesting ways there are to become happy.
Today, whole day work at the desk. Tonight, family goodbye meal for my son Michael who leaves for Indonesia for 3 months on Saturday.

2003-01-06T01:38:00.000+01:00

Spent 3 days in a skiing place in the mountains. Enjoyed skiing but also time to relax and to plan. Now it's 1.30 in the night, just returned from a 9hrs waiting marathon in Zürich, picking up my son Markus who returned from Colombia. Had to wait another 2 hrs because his luggage got lost. Obviously Europe is in weather chaos. Spent time in Zürich watching the latest James Bond movie - one of the worst, in my opinion. Maybe good for tech freaks, bad for people interested in something like a red thread. Pierce Brosnan looks good but is boring - and has freckles.
After Bond, went to ICF Church, the booming New Generation Church in Zürich. The leaders are friends of mine, and we had a good quick chat. Leading a church of a few thousand kids is not easy but the whole movement is deepening spiritually and growing in quality; last year, they rapidly moved into the G12 system, lost 500 people and almost doubled their income. They are a bit crazy, radical and very fast.

2003-01-01T02:29:00.000+01:00

Completed 2002 with a house party, 25 guests of all ages; good food, games, laughter, singing, movies, talking, dancing and celebrating the Father´s goodness. Was a great time. Welcome, 2003 - one year closer to the Coming back of the King.

2002-12-29T01:45:00.000+01:00

"Members only - lets have a party. You are welcome - forget your visa card, just bring your broken heart" These were the words of a song in a Gospel concert tonight that we went to. A Blues and a Gospel singer sang it - it sounded very much like the Great Invitation to me.
Very rainy an much too warm. Switzerland needs snow, and the Dollar is much too low.

2002-12-23T18:05:00.000+01:00

Much has happened since my last blog. Went to see my parents in Germany and was just on my back to the airport by train. In Cologne, I stepped out for a second to ask for an information, when suddenly the train closed the doors and left behind me, with all my things in it: money, passport, computer, jacket, mobile - what a feeling! After some phone calls, some hours, a missed flight and an extra trip to Aachen, I got everything back - just my nice little new computer missing. Germany!! Next morning, after a night with little sleep on the train - what a good feeling to be back in Switzerland! Of course, this is not paradise (as some folks think), but people are a little bit more honest. Mike, my son, forgot his Palm Pilot on the train and got it back today (how can he always leave things in trains??) Fortunately, the insurance pays for my computer. The good side: never had so much time to pray on a trip than this time.
Christmas preparations. No stress, much fun and family joy. Saw Lord of the Rings 2 - liked it less than the first one. Orks and Ents, castles and battles, OK - but No. 1 was much more poetic, I feel. But Gollum is a good one and illustrates Romans 7 beautifully.

2002-12-14T22:40:00.000+01:00

Last night Christmas market here in Steffisburg. For some hours, the magic of a thousand and one smells, lights, things to look at, and a couple of thousand people. Then teaching on the Kingdom of God at Zyklotron leadership training - another great evening. Someone wrote "when an old man dies, it is as if a whole library burns down". I want to pass on as much as possible to the New Generation - they may experience the Kingdom in a greater way than my generation did.

2002-12-12T20:41:00.000+01:00

Heard of Susanna? She is a friend of ours and was in serious need of money, having worked for the King and spent all she had for the Kingdom. When she came home from a trip, she found in her newly rented apartment fourteen thousand Swiss Francs in a cupboard - no clue how the money got there. After a short time, there was another heap of money in this cupboard - another 14.000 ($ 9000). I talked to her on the phone, and some other leaders veryfied the whole story - it´s true. Is that the kind of things we have to get used to, talking of God? My wife´s reaction was "why does God not do for once a miracle healing some of the very sick people I know?" I am happy for Susanna anyways. She is leading 24-7 prayer here in Thun, and God did not let her down.

Kids and parents - a chapter of its own. Had two students today with me who write a thesis on "how can different generations still be together in one church witout being frustrated". It is amazing how little churches and their leaders still realize that it´s not only a matter of old vs. young - that has always been there - but of a culture clash: modern vs. postmodern. That raises a whole new set of questions. And how come that so many church members literally get mad when they suspect that young people want to do church in their own way? The postmodern mindset is a frontal challenge against so many values we thought to be "biblical" - and it is so much more "biblical" in many ways than the modern culture...
Kids and parents II: Markus, our second son, travels to Colombia tomorrow morning for 3 weeks to see his girl friend. And of course he needs lots of help from his seniors to really make it... Christine wants to go to Paris over New Year, she once heard that there is a big New Year Party under the Eiffel Tower... How good that Omnipresence is more than a theological term for God!

2002-12-09T13:55:00.000+01:00

Cold and foggy - these kind of days where you want do disappear under your pillow. Unfortunately not possible - too much going on. Last Friday Night, last "complete family meeting" of this year - all kids are flying out sooner or later this month. Yesterday, House Church celebration again - we read through a Advent liturgy that expressed the thankfulness for the Christ who came and the hope for the Christ yet to come. Sometimes it´s good to have a liturgical text even in a House Church setting - expressing words that others (and mainly the Bible) have expressed much better before than we can do it.
Advent is a time of hope. Today, there is little hope among modern Christians - ironically even among the most charismatic ones who "claim" all kinds of promises that former generations patiently waited for. We want everything here and right now. We call this "claiming in faith", but I feel this is robbing us from hope. Hope needs a long breath. Watched "The Count of Monte Christo" with my wife last night. This guy spent 13 years innocent in prison! How would one of the modern "here and now" - Christians have dealt with a situation like that?
Anyway - in reading the Advent hope texts yesterday, I felt something of the wide horizon of hope - not everything is fulfilled yet, and there are still great things to come, the greatest of them when the Great Advent of the King will take place.

2002-12-05T13:15:00.000+01:00

Full days. Housework and "spiritual" work in between - somehow hard to switch all the time. But it´s Advent time - God became man. Fully. How would one live if the two worlds - the spiritual and the material - really became one?
Had a long talk with I. again this morning. She complained about not hearing God´s voice. When I asked her whether and how she ever reads the bible, she answered "rarely - and when I read it, I just open it, point with my finger somewhere and expect God to talk to me. But usually I do not hear anything". I asked her whether this was her usual way of buying food in the Supermarket - coming in with closed eyes, stretching out her hands and buying - and eating - the first best thing that she touches.... Honestly, who has taught the kids such a nonsense? How does this whole "point-and-shoot"- generation get an access to the old, new and exciting Word of God??

2002-12-02T14:17:00.000+01:00

Our Most Famous Swiss writer Jeremias Gotthelf wrote a book "Geld und Geist" (Money and Spirit). That´s my work this week: prepare budgets and make proposals for 2003 - and write 5 articles and teachings. There is enough around of both, money and spirit. The challenge is to use and channel it. Help me, God.

2002-12-01T10:57:00.000+01:00

Have a whole morning with the Lord. Wanted to read the Bible and "hear his voice" but got distracted by many things and thoughts. Started to read a spiritual magazine and found several articles through which the Lord spoke to me. It seems that for now, even the way in which God speaks to me is more holistic than religious. Answered an e-mail of a church-tired American Megachurch pastor that fit into the whole pattern of thoughts. Here is part of my e-mail to him:

Dear Tom,
it is Sunday morning, my wife is out preaching, and I have my time with the Lord. I got your e-mail and it fits perfectly into this time and my thoughts.
I visited your blogspot and can only say, I can fully understand your frustratedness with MegaChurch. The American Church Concept (ACC :-) is - even more than the European one - in many ways a perversion of what Church is supposed to be. Now before we go into the old blaming game, let me share a very fresh thought that I discovered THIS MORNING when reading an article of a German writer, Manfred Hausmann, who also happened to be a Christian, from 40years ago: Church is not a structure / an institution but something that happens. Not static, but dynamic. Of course, it has to take some visible form, but that is not the essence. "When two or three (as few as that!!) meet in my name..." We should try to see Church as a Verb not a Noun. Get my idea? This Verb can happen in many forms, and we should judge the Noun (the form) by how much and how purely it allows the Verb to happen. It seems House Churches / small life groups allow this more than large structures. The problem with these large structures is that money, building, success etc. - and consumerism on the other side - become so dominant that they overgrow the basic meaning which is "following Christ together".

Now we will have a big Sunday Brunch with the whole family and some friends of Christine who stayed overnight. The sun is shining - after many rainy days - and its going to be a Great Day.

2002-11-30T11:33:00.000+01:00

Do you know Zyklotron? Guess not. That´s not a tropical storm but a training course for young House Church planters and leaders in the Thun area. It´s still small and has only a handful of students, but the concept is well thought through and balanced.
Yesterday I had to go to Graubünden with my wife to look after our house in the mountanins - it´s not as bad as we feared. But its still raining up there, and more avalanches of rock and mud will come down. Heard some myself - frightening noise. In the evening, I just made it to teach at Zyklotron. Afterwards, went out for pizza and a beer with the young leaders. They asked me "holes in my tummy", as we say in German. Was great fun. Challenged the young leaders to make the changes that we old ones did not dare to make: go for House Churches and start acting as one Body in a city.

Went out for jogging this morning with the local pastor, a great friend, and a teacher from the local school. In the midst, we prayed over the city and the region, catching for breath...

2002-11-28T19:40:00.000+01:00

Switzerland has voted against a more strict asylum law - with 3000 votes difference! This means 49.9% of the population is for and 51.1% against this law - can you imagine this split in a nation? And now the joke: because in some cities, the votes have been weighed instead of counted - thanks to our ultra-precise letter scales - but because this method is not officially allowed, these votes have to be counted again; which means that the results could still change! The Swiss authorities asked for some experts from Florida to come over and help them in this matter...

2002-11-28T16:48:00.000+01:00

Caught up with the family again. Tons of mail of all kinds. Tons of rain also, did some harm to our house in the mountains. Have to go there tomorrow.
If you ever want to spend some great time in one of the most beautiful spots of Graubünden, the Swiss Holiday Canton, drop me an e-mail. We rent this house out and would be happy to have some friends there some time.

2002-11-26T22:49:00.000+01:00

Back home after 11 days abroad. Great to have a safe place to return to. Somewhat tired.

2002-11-25T23:23:00.000+01:00

Spent last two day in Andrew Jones´ home in Prague with the European DAWN team. Intense talks during the day, fun and movies in the evening. Such a hospitable house! Took a stroll today through Prague - what a city! European heritage at is best. Tomorrow, it´s home after 11 days out. Will be the last big trip this year.
Saw "Bourne Identity" last night. Funny thought who I would be without my memory. What is our identity?

2002-11-19T22:47:00.000+01:00

Spend a week on Grand Cayman, halfways between Cuba and Mexico, together with 14 guys from the DAWN leadership team. Great place – white beaches, blue sea, clear water, everything you can imagine as a tourist. November is a great time to be in the Carribeans; it´s warm and yet not too hot. A real privilege to be here.

2002-11-15T08:51:00.000+01:00

There are kids around who do not fit at all into some kind of "christian" culture but desperately want to know and follow God. Talked to one of them yesterday. She has been "Christian" for three years but totally fed up with promises, big words and expectations that somehow never worked (like "resting all the time in the loving arms of the Father"). There is another reality out there - much more real than the cloudy, romantic and emotional world so many Christians live in. The older I get, the more I believe that there is a time for babies - where the Father all the time gives you the miracles that make you believe in him - and a time to grow up. When they think of God, most Christians peek over His shoulder "what have you to give me today" instead of seeking Himself. But God is not Santa Claus.

Full day yesterday. Spent two hours in the kitchen and made the best pizza ever for my family. Got mad when they came home and started excusing themselves - "Dad, I have an appointment, Dad I have to go shopping, Darling, I´m going to be late", etc. Sound familiar..? But still had a good evening together.

Today, I´m flying off to Cayman Islands - that is a place in the Caribbeans where tax defrauds usually go to live - for a team meeting. After that, see Andrew Jones and the European Dawn team in Prague. Will be away from home for 12 days, last time this year.

2002-11-06T19:26:00.000+01:00

"Much of the church has a brain like Einstein’s – it’s been dead since 1955" - a quote from Soul Tsunami by Leonard Sweet that I am reading presently. Highly to be recommended, even in the Web form.

We are moving forward with our network of House Churches here in the area of Thun. We decided last night to remain a network, not to build an organization, remain very flexible and embrace both the "let´s just share life and enjoy each other"- as well as the "let´s disciple the world and multiply" - wings of the House Church Movement. Of course, these are not either-or´s, but in reality they are, at least in our country, two different streams.

2002-11-05T08:45:00.000+01:00

Returned safely from Colorado Springs. Cold there - snow and sun. My wife enjoyed greatly to be back where we had lived a year in 98-99. It´s a part of our family journey, after all. We stayed with Gordon and Cherise, real great and generous friends. Running out with their dog in fresh snow at 6 in the morning, the sun just rising, was georgeous.
What struck us again was: Everything is BIGGER - the onion rings as a starter in the restaurant could feed you for a whole day. Coming back to Switzerland felt like coming to a real small place.
We do not know whether our talks with the other friends really helped a lot. The one - the only one - who can really change hearts and attitudes is God. But he usually needs people to be his hands and mouth, doesn´t he?

2002-10-30T13:49:00.000+01:00

Just spent an hour driving with a big L with my daughter Christine. Scary at first, but she has a good hand and feeling for driving. Only ran over three trucks - almost. But the car and me are still OK.

Preparing for a quick trip to the USA with my wife, tomorrow until Monday. Got to spend time with some friends who might need us right now. Will have to bring back tons of contacts and more tons of BIG RED, terrible stuff to chew on, but my sons love it.

2002-10-27T20:29:00.000+01:00

Today is my wife´s 49th birthday. What a wonderful woman she is! I feel extremely blessed being married to Regula. After a long brunch - for the first time in weeks the whole family together again - we took a wonderful walk in sunny, warm, stormy, clouded and colourful fields and forests of our surrounding. So great! Then, Kites with my son - there are some strong storms over Europe right now.
Had an interesting weekend with Andrew Jones, teaching on postmodernism and its consequences for church and theology.Only 20 students, but it was worth the time. Learnt much myself. Would love a kind of "church" where preaching, pictures, painting, music and talking together takes place simultaneously. How much value and responsibility postmodernism gives to the individual person!

2002-10-23T19:39:00.000+02:00

Back from a conference in Spain - Evangelical Alliance leadership and Hope for Europe Round Table. It is so important to get to know people personally in order to co-operate. Met some leaders of whom I had been "afraid" - the kind of guys who know all the answers, are very sure of themselves and God and are always full of faith and confidence. They usually make me nervous. But this time, I talked to some of them heart to heart and found out this is only a shell.
Ever been in a big Hotel at the end of summer season? Sad thing. Trist. People still trying to get some sun, but it´s autumn, definitely.
A friend of mine had to leave ministry and is trying to re-arrange the shattered parts of his life. Sometimes Midlife changes come in cruel form. How important it is for Christians to be merciful and wise at the same time in situations like this. If we are not very careful, the consequences can be much worse - in no proportion with the original situation!

2002-10-15T08:50:00.000+02:00

This is a loud world. Not only bombs in Finland and on Bali, but also noise, pictures, "news" and thousands of important things that mostly distract me from the most important. Created a little place for me where I do only one thing: read the Bible, pray and try to listen to God. No picture, no view, only a window to the Sky. A place where I condition myself and turn into "quiet mode" as soon as I take a seat.

Today I will do some practical work with my second son Markus with hammer and drill - put a new ceiling into his room. Good for intergenerational communication. Know "Life as a house"? Good movie.

2002-10-13T22:22:00.000+02:00

Full weekend. Spent 3 days in Finland, little DAWN conference. Last West European country for me to visit. Really liked it, though cold and rather dark. Beautiful colorful trees, interesting people, did a great research on the status of faith and church in their country. Then, while we were in a restaurant in Helsinki Friday night, the news about a terrible bombing blast in a shopping mall, killing 8 and wounding 80. A friend of one of the team members was there, people died 5 meters away from him. This was a shock to the Fins - they never had something like this before in their peaceful country.
Today 4 hours House Church network celebration, preached about making disciples and the Great Commission (I like this word much better than the German expression "Missionsbefehl", meaning "mission order"....) Tired and worn out afterwards. Watched a Western with Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman together with my son. Glad I am not Unforgiven.

2002-10-06T15:19:00.000+02:00

Returned from Sardinia - a wonderful time, lots of sun, sand, sea and a marvellous island to discover. Had mostly fine weather and enjoyed reading, snorkeling and sightseeing. Thank Jesus for a fast, problem-free trip back with a full-packed car.
Lots of mail and e-mails. Today we have our 24th anniversary, and Christine, my daugther, has become 18 years - adult at last! She´s mighty proud. And Dad, of course, too, having a beautiful young woman at my side when we went shopping today.

2002-09-20T20:33:00.000+02:00

Just had my last teaching on a young House Church leader´s training course on Postmodernism and the Gospel (German) . Was fun and lots of "aha"-reactions. Now seriously for holidays. Will live without computer, internet and blogspot for the next 2 weeks - this is a record. Sea, sand and sun (hopefully), living in a tent, cooking on a grill and enjoying life. See you later....

2002-09-20T07:48:00.000+02:00

Tired after all this article-writing and organizing. Ready for Sardinia. Yesterday, we got sent out by our House Church that we have been part of for the last over 3 years to mentor and disciple new leaders. We look forward to that. There are a lot of younger men and women around who are looking for direction, fathers and mothers. Here we are.