shawnw.orgfaith – technology – culture

NPR did a segment this morning on students from California sending pen pal-style letters to children in Haiti affected by the quake (link).

One girl, Stefica, responded to her letter by singing. And it was caught on tape.

The best part is, however-many-million NPR radio listeners were exposed to a few moments of worship from a little girl in Haiti who has nothing and, at the same time, everything.

Here’s a quote from the story over at NPR.org which includes the lyrics she sang:

Sixteen-year-old Stefica Jean Pierre even wrote in English: "I thank your school for the money sent to my country. I am very happy for the poem you wrote. I don’t know anything about poetry, but I will sing for you."

I recorded her beautiful voice soaring over the misery around her: "I’m so glad you’re here in my life," she sang. "I’m so glad you came to save us."

If you’ve sung in church any time in the last decade, you’ll likely recognize those lyrics. If you haven’t, they’re from a venerable worship tune called Lord I Lift Your Name On High. By today’s standards that songs played out. But to hear Stefica sing it, it’s as if it came off the drawing board yesterday.

Stefica, thank you. For a moment, you lead lots of people in worship.

And most probably didn’t even know it.

We dropped this one at MCC a couple weeks ago. Love it.

Those of you who like lists (I love lists, btw) will get a kick out of this post. Here’s our tentative itinerary for 1/21-1/25.

Thursday, 1/21

• 6:00am DELTA 5960 Indianapolis to Atlanta (track us for free at FlightAware), arrive at 7:38am local time
• 9:50am DELTA 693 Atlanta to Guatemala City (FlightAware), arrive at 12:20pm local time (gaining an hour)
• Afternoon – Up in the air at the moment. We have to do some grocery shopping for our Friday morning Compassion visit (which we may have time to do Friday morning). I believe we’re also going to try and visit the Buckner baby’s home.
• Evening – dinner at Casa Chapina, Cafe Sayul or NAIS Aquarium.

Friday, 1/22

• 7:30am-11:30am Wendy and I get to meet with Sammy, one of our sponsored Compassion children at his home, then Jody gets to meet with Miguel, one of her sponsored Compassion children in his home.
• Afternoon – Spend time with the boys at Eliza Martinez, starting day one of our three day life skills courses. We developed these in response to the regular needs boys learning some skills they’ll need to operate as productive citizens once they come of age and leave the orphanage.
• Evening – dinner at Casa Chapina, Cafe Sayul or NAIS Aquarium.

Saturday, 1/23

• Morning – possibly more time at the Buckner baby’s home
• Afternoon – more time at Eliza Martinez with our continuing life skills courses.
• Evening – dinner at Casa Chapina, Cafe Sayul or NAIS Aquarium.

Sunday, 1/24

• Morning – unplanned at the moment. This may end up being some much-needed downtime
• Afternoon – Our final day with the Eliza Martinez boys. We’ll be wrapping up our life skills courses and cooking lunch with the boys (spaghetti, garlic bread and salad). This will be a hoot!
• Evening – our final dinner in Guatemala for this trip. Undecided where we’ll go at this point.

Monday, 1/25

• Morning – packing and travel to the airport
• 1:50pm DELTA 692 Guatemala City to Atlanta (FlightAware), arrive at 6:25pm local time (losing an hour)
• 8:30pm DELTA 5949 Atlanta to Indianapolis (FlightAware), arrive at 10:07pm local time

John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey. –Mark 1:6

How welcome would John be in your church today?
’Cause you know he’d be stinkin’, wearing camel hair for clothes.
He was probably a bit gaunt.
I can’t imagine locusts being very filling.
(I should probably try the John the Baptist diet; might be good for me.)

The man in the image above is wearing today’s equivalent of camel hair.
When’s the last time you slept using a cardboard pillow?
How welcome would he be in your church?
Do you have anybody wearing “camel hair” in your church already?

Maybe instead of being all comfy and cozy at church on Sunday, we should go to the park. Or the mission.
Find someone wearing camel hair.
Discover who they are by talking to them.
Learn what they love.
Learn what they need.
Love on ‘em.
Pray for ‘em.

See past the camel hair right through to the person.

‘Cause they’re just like you and me.

Dear worship leader,

Thanks for your presence on stage. Thanks for taking us to deeper places of worship of our God. Thanks for the time and talent you pour into bringing what you bring every Sunday, week in and week out. But, there’s a catch.

Leading worship from on stage isn’t enough. Show us where your heart is by being His hands and feet and worship with your life. Help feed the homeless. Spend time with underprivileged kids. Take part in the sufferings of Christ.

It’s easier for us to follow you on stage if you can lead us in serving the poorest of the poor, "the least of these."

(I bet those nasty letters will stop, too).

Don’t wait for someone else to go first. Lead us in worship. We know you can do it. And we’re ready to follow.

Sincerely,

shawnw