.Real.Greg.Lee.

Bears 17 – Bills 7

Been a little out of the loop with the India trip and the Bears bye week last week. I feel like I should be more confident of this pick since the Bills haven’t won yet.  Too bad I’m not.

Posted in Suncrest

Suncrest Hobart is moving!  Doug Gamble announced it Sunday and I think it worth celebrating across all campuses.

The Hobart campus has had God’s fingerprints all over it since it’s conception.  A church closing partnered with us to fund the launch and (more importantly) send some great people to help serve and get the campus off the ground.  For two years now the campus has met at a the Showplace 12 by the Mall and we’ve seen a lot of people taking steps of faith (lots of baptisms in the clip below!)

Now, Suncrest has been given a church building (and a neighboring house) that will become our new home for the Hobart Campus.  It needs some work (which is already underway) and we plan to move in early 2011.  Receiving this type of donation is an amazing blessing all by itself, but there is even more we are excited about with the move.

1.  We will be in Hobart. The theater has a Hobart address, but that is all.  This is our chance to become part of the fabric of that community.  We don’t want to be a “come and see” church as much as one that cares for its own community so this is an incredible opportunity.

2.  We will have a 24/7 presence. The nature of the theater means we disappear every time we walk out of there at noon on Sunday.  Because of mall restrictions, we can’t even do signage while we are there!  Now, we will be not only be “findable”, but “un-missable” as we keep doing things we’ve already started to do in Hobart — Movies in the park, “Trunk or Treat” on Halloween, etc.

3.  A place for teens. Already, partnerships have begun to open up with the available facility.  There is a new “Youth for Christ” chapter being started in Hobart by a guy from Suncrest (more on this later) and the facility will become a great place for students to gather for some positive stuff after school.

That seems enough, but I’m confident there will be more…Can’t wait to see how the life of this campus flourishes in the months ahead.  Below is a visual look back at what has already been accomplished in just two years – it is worth 3 minutes of your time!.  Love your campus, Hobart!

Posted in Suncrest

Tonight, we get on a bus and begin a 30 hour journey home.  More than half of that is on one flight from Abu Dhabi to Chicago.  I’m ready.

It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say I’ve had a few life-altering experiences, reflections, and conversations.   I’d say at this stage there are 3 huge lessons.

1.  Theology Matters. I need to think more clearly about how Christianity does and doesn’t interact/overlap with other faiths.  And I need to keep learning about different perspectives and traditions within Christianity.  The challenge is to communicate with the right combination of conviction, sensitivity, open-mindedness and urgency.  A.W. Tozer said, “What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.”  My only adjustment to this quote is “What you really believe about God is the most important thing about you.”  Even if we are not conscious of it, every person’s theology is shaping nearly every decisions we make.

2.  Everything is relational. Our worst times on our trip is when this wasn’t acknowledged.  And the best times were when people who disagree about things can have a rich conversation about challenging topics becuase we have grown to trust each other and genuinely like each other.  If you think about the most challenging problem in your life right now, I bet a key aspect to the solution has to do with investing in a relationship.

3.  15 days is too long. If you know me, you know I’m always up for an adventure.  The chance to have all these experiences on the other side of the world is right up my alley.  But I’m sick for home.  I miss Suncrest and the team I get to work with there.  Even more, I’m just dying to see Jenny, Jack and Abby.  Can’t believe I didn’t get to trick or treat with them and I missed their fall break.  Jenny is  a saint for carrying the load herself.  I got to text and email and even video chat a few times, but I can’t see committing to a trip this long again.  It’s just too much.  Can’t wait to see their smiling faces Tuesday evening!

Posted in Suncrest

Raymond Williams with a Hindu Moto Acharya

I’ve never had an experience like this before with in-person access to so many religious leaders.  And all of that thanks goes to the retired professor leading our trip.  Dr. Raymond Williams is distinguished on a lot of fronts..Ph.D. from University of Chicago, books published by Cambridge Press, many positions of distinction in his career as professor at Wabash College.

Raymond Williams with Bishop of Church of South India

Part of his life’s work has been studying a segment of Hinduism in India and also the religious patterns of Christians who in America who are immigrants from India.  We have benefited from all the connections he made in that field.  During our first week, we received tours and access to parts of Swaminayaran Hinduism that I can’t even describe.

Arch Bishops in Catholic Church

Then, as we made our way south to a more Christian region of India, we had personal conversations with the key leaders here.  More than once, the way to understand the people we were meeting with was “this would be like meeting the pope of the catholic church.”  While none of these religious segments are as large as Catholicism, they do count millions of followers.

Audience with Catholicos of Orthodox Syrian Church

I’m just grateful for the opportunity.  Every leader has been gracious to answer our (sometimes challenging) questions. It has been a world-class trip and I’m going to walk away with new learning,  deeper understanding, and sharper perspective on many things.

Principal of Orthodox theological Seminary

The pictures here are of some of the leaders…Hindu, Orthodox, Catholic, and more.  Hope to write about some of my reflections on this…but I have more reflecting to do first!

Posted in Suncrest

I haven’t updated the India trip for a while so I’ll come back to some of the Christian Experiences we have had in a later post.  Yesterday, we took a bus trip to Madurai.  It was through some beautiful mountains, but it took about 10 hours to go 170 miles.  (We actually got lost on the way and the bus drivers had to resort to the GPS on my Blackberry to guide us back!)  On one part, this monkey was right outside my bus window.

This is an old city known for the Massive Hindu Temples.  The size is overwhelming itself, but the detail and paiting on every inch of them is truly remarkable.

We’re now bracing ourselves for the journey back to Kottayam.  We leave Monday night for our trip back to Chicago.  Can’t Wait.

Posted in Suncrest

I got to baptize Scott earlier this year.

Scott Skowronski shared his story as a “Person of the Second Chance” at our Highland Campus on Sunday. Like him, I want everyone to know how God really works in our lives so I asked if I could share it.  Enjoy…

I am in my 29th year of life and am filled with so much love.  I carry with me relentless hope, faith and desire that enable me to be the someone I was always meant to be.  As I take time to periodically reflect on my existence, I can look back at the many different seasons and physically trace the ways that God was working and preparing me for what was yet to come.  However, it was not always this way…

For most of my life, I have lived as a confused person simply waking up to the challenges of the day chasing an ever elusive feeling of sustainable happiness.  Any joy that I experienced was attributed to the immediate effect of the self indulgent behavior I was currently participating in during my pursuit.  There was absolutely no thought about consequences and definitely no care about where I may end up.  I was living in a world without truth.

I have always been blessed with so many worldly things that I used to take for granted.  I have always had a family that loved me.  I always had food in my stomach and a comfortable warm bed to call my own.  However, an ungrateful attitude combined with misguided decisions led me down a dark road where my gifts were being used solely for my own personal pleasure.  The rewards for my choices gently seemed to fade with each selfish act leading me down a path of unavoidable destruction.  By the time I realized where I was in my life, I suddenly became consumed by hopelessness and a fear that it was too late to change.

However, I made a physical dedication to the inward transformation that had been in progress throughout my entire life on February 7th, 2010.  On a cold winter day, my heart was forever changed becoming filled with a warmth that has a source so much greater than the sun.  I was baptized by Greg Lee rising from the water with a new hope stronger than anything I had ever felt before in my life.  As I was embraced for the first time as a whole hearted follower of Christ, I felt comforted immediately knowing that God was in control of my life.

Since making the decision to participate in the act of baptism, my life has not become any less hectic.  I am confronted with daily challenges… I face new fears… and suffer through intermittent hurts.  However, the confusion that plagued my existence has been overcome by a greater purpose dedicated to serving God and ever increasingly becoming more like Christ.  I feel a constant love that carries over into the lives of those around me and continue to live every day trusting I am being guided to exactly where I am supposed to be.

I trust that 29 years from now I will be filled with even more life no matter where I may be and take comfort in the fact that God is in control.  As long as I commit myself to listening for his guidance and follow through on his will, I can live a life full of sustainable joy.  What more could I ever ask for?

I made the choice… I took that step… I became a follower of Christ… and my life has been forever changed.

Posted in Suncrest

Skyline of Ahmadabad from the top of temple complex

Like I mentioned yesterday, we have moved from the north of India to the South.  Here is a wrap-up of Ahmadabad in Pictures…

Some friends touring the Step Well...the ornate hand carvings are e everywhere here.

An Audience with the Sadhus and the Moto Acharya of Swaminaryan Hinduism

The family we stayed with in front of their home - Incredible Hospitality

One of many Hindu Temples we visited

Kids are the same all over the world - and they all want their picture taken!

Posted in Suncrest

We finished our time in Ahmedabad and flew this morning through Mumbai (Bombay) to Kochin and are on the bus to Kottayam. This is in the southern part of India.

I’m ready for the change. Our experience in the north was awesome, but after almost a week it was nearing overload on a few fronts:

Food. The food was given to us in overwhelming amounts (we heard our hosts saying it was their duty for each of us to gain 5kg while we were there!). And it was good. But with everything vegetarian (and us having some restrictions on what we could eat) it all started to look the same after a while. In the south, we get some meat again.

The city. The streets are so compact. The sounds never stop. There are even smells most of the time. I like the action, but it feels a little like sensory overload after experiencing it continuously.

The religion. I am still processing all of this, but I could feel being in a Hindu environment continuously. It was fascinating and has some good take aways, but I have never been in a place this long before where it seemed to suppress the presence of Christ and the grace he offers. I don’t say that with a mean spirit…our hosts were not at all anti-Christian. But Hinduism simply dominates the culture and God’s Grace is among key elements where it is different from my faith in Jesus.

I hope I will be able to post this week about how that presence is alive and well in this southern part of India.

Posted in Suncrest

A quick break from my India updates to finish a very cool story…You might remember a month or so ago when I posted about a guy acknowledging in our worship services that he could not read and asking for help so he could understand the Bible. It turned out that not only were there offers to help, but quite a few people also had the courage to admit they had the same challenge.

I got an email last week saying a group has begun with three leaders and 9 people who are finding some help. Many thanks to Dick, Jonas, and Natalie for leading!

When I got this email from Bobby Jackson last week, I told him how thrilled I was because it is both sides of our mission being lived out! Lives will be changed AND some are finding their niche where God can use them to make a difference.

LOVE IT!

Posted in Suncrest

A quick break from my India updates to finish a very cool story…You might remember a month or so ago when I posted about a guy acknowledging in our worship services that he could not read and asking for help so he could understand the Bible. It turned out that not only were there offers to help, but quite a few people also had the courage to admit they had the same challenge.

I got an email last week saying a group has begun with three leaders and 9 people who are finding some help. Many thanks to Dick, Jonas, and Natalie for leading!

When I got this email from Bobby Jackson last week, I told him how thrilled I was because it is both sides of our mission being lived out! Lives will be changed AND some are finding their niche where God can use them to make a difference.

LOVE IT!

Posted in Suncrest