Back To Church

I went to our church for the first time in about 2 months tonight. It was great to be back. It felt like a sort of homecoming.

I'm thankful for the church you've placed me in, Lord!

Fireworks

Today was a good day for two reasons:

* Vancouver hosted the annual Celebration of Light fireworks. It was superb. This is really the only event of the year where Vancouver sheds its no-fun city image and actually allows people to enjoy themselves.

* While watching the fireworks at my good buddy Rudy's place, I met not one, not two, but 3 hotties. My gosh, thank you Lord! Hahaha!!! However, two of them were quite snobby, so I guess I really only met one!! Anyways, 1's better than none. ;)

Ted's Back!

Today my brother Ted, his wife Karin, and their 4 children Neal, Priscilla, Dylan, and Natasha arrived from Paraguay. They plan to be in Canada for the next 2 years.

I'm thrilled!

The last time I had a sibbling living "in the vicinity" was 10+ years ago. I've missed him dearly, so I will do everything possible to make the most of his extended visit.

No More TV...Finally!

This morning I drove Cindy to Langley, where she had a job interview. During the interview I went to Tim Horton's and had coffee, a sandwich, and a donut.

Afterwards I picked her up and on our way home we dropped by a recycling place in Surrey where I was able to finally! get rid of my old electronics "stuff": tv, laser printer, and laptop and camera batteries.

I feel a little lighter now. Less crap's weighing me down.

Visiting The Benedictines

This morning at 6am I picked up James and together we drove up to the Westminster Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Mission. We arrived there shortly after 7am, settled into one of the corners upstairs in the guest house, and proceeded to take out our Bibles and have a Bible Study of Psalm 41.

Afterwards we prayed the Psalm, before praying for the world, for the church, and for one another.

Then we got down to business. The purpose of our trip to the monastery was to speak with some of the monks there, and learn about their community-life. We met with Father Mark, Father Matthew, and towards the end of the day we met a lively one, Father Peter. The areas we discussed were: 1- the purpose of Benedictine monasticism in general, and the Westminster Abbey in particular; 2- the structure of the community; 3- the nature of life together; and 4- the nature of ministry.

Here are, in (very) short form, the responses we received:

1- Benedictine monasticism exists to seek God through ora (prayer) and labora (work), and this is worked out in response to the monastic vow of stability, continual conversion, and obedience; the specific calling of Westminster Abbey is to prepare young men for the priesthood.

2 - the structure of the community is 1 abbot and 29 monks; the abbot is the Christ-figure of the community, and as such his authority is unquestioned; on the other hand, he leads the community not out of a position of pride or lordship, but humility and love.

3- the nature of life together is structured around the divine office, or the sanctification of time through work & prayer. Every one works out his monastic vocation according to his gifts.

4- the nature of ministry stems from the gospel of Matthew (5:14), where Jesus says: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." In other words, do now what we will be doing in all eternity: seeking peace and pursuing it.

I have to say that everytime I visit the monastery I leave a better man. It seems to me they're doing something right. I'm incredebly attracted to their vocation.
















After we finished the conversation, we went and heard them sing the Psalms in the beautiful church.
















And we also had the chance to go for a walk and visit the monastery farm. The picture above is of the orchard trees.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the monks at the Abbey who are working in your vineyard. Bless them according to your good and perfect will. Amen.

Settling In

It's great to be home. Yesterday I slepped in, and today I am starting to get down to work. I've got a lot of things that I need to get done.

August 17th is the deadline for my "Building Christian Communities" coursework. By then I have to write a movie review, visit a Christian community and write a reflection paper on it, and write a research paper.

After the 17th I want to take 2 weeks and do some house lceaning: clean the apartment, pay my taxes, pay my bills, do my financial planning for the next year, get rid of old "stuff" (tv, laser printer, clothes, and shoes), register for the Fall Semester, and some other "stuff" that needs to be done before the new semester begins in September.

Also, my brother Ted and his family arrive here on the 28th of July, and I definitely want to spend some time with them.

In the meantime, I'm thrilled to be home!

Hiking The Big T..... Uhm, Grand Teton

OK, so today was actually a travel day: 15 hours from Driggs --> Butte --> Spokane --> Renton (Seattle) --> Vancouver. I'm finally home!

But rather than talking about the boring journey home (we didn't even listen to any music!), I'll post some pictures of a hike up the "Ski Pass" (or something like that), not too far from Grand Teton National Park.

It was a perfect hike: 5 miles; we did it a few hours before Mark's wedding yesterday. Here are the pics:

The way up:















Andrew (left) & Rob


















































At the top:

Cub & Andrew















Susan, Andrew, Tim, & Rob















The Lake (it was cold!)






























The return:

Here's To Mark & Leah!!!!

Here's to Mark & Leah, who got married today in Alta, Wyoming!!!!

The day was schorching hot, but it wasn't humid, so having an outdoor wedding was better than I thought it'd be (I thought I'd die in the heat!).

The wedding began at 4pm at a friend of the bride's place. The view of the Grand Tetons was amazing:















It didn't take long before Mark started mis-behaving:


































After the wedding, though, he finally got his act together:















Mark & Leah at the reception:















The Regent connection (from left to right, Kristy, Dave, Andrew, Mark, Leah, Rob, Cub, Tim, & Susan):















I've come to the conclusion that I'm not a wedding-type person. I always end up feeling awkward. Going as a "single", "available," "bachelor." Blah.

Everyone's always trying to set me up with someone. Why at a wedding? On any other day things are normal, but for some reason at weddings the matchmakers come out of the woodwork and try to work their magic.

I guess I should appreciate others trying to set me up with a hottie (and there were certainly some hotties at this wedding)....

Alright. On a brighter note, here's what I liked about the the wedding:

* Mark & Leah - they are a great match!

* the vows - they wrote their own - nice touch

* the sermon - marriage as a sacrament (Genesis) blessed by Jesus in Cana (gospels)

* reception - low key, informal, great food

* community - I sensed it

I think if I ever get married, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it's a small & simple wedding. That's all I have to say about this topic.

Goin' To Idaho!

It's been great to be back at home again this past week. Things are slowly going back to normal, whatever that word means.

Tonight though, I'm off to Idaho, with Andrew, Tim, and Susan. We rented a car and are leaving around 8pm. We expect to arrive there around noon tomorrow.

The purpose of our trip is to attend Mark's wedding, which is on Saturday.

Sunday morning we want to begin our trip back.

I'd much rather stay here, actually, and not go. After all, I just came back from a long trip. However, it's not just anyone's wedding: it's Mark's wedding! And it will be worth it.

Life At Home

I didn't sleep well last night. I went to bed around 10pm, and around 4am I woke up, unable to fall back asleep until about 5:30. After falling asleep, I slept until almost 9am, so that was ok.

Readjusting to life at home can be strange. At times I feel extatic to be back, loving the familiar sights around me; but at other times I feel like exiting my body and exploring another realm. Not possible. Time to continue living real life.

Been listening to my new Bach cds I picked up in Leipzig. Brilliant stuff, soul stirring.

Late afternoon my parents dropped by for a quick dinner.

Around 9pm I met up with Cindy, whom I haven't seen since last summer. She's home from China, where she's been a high-shool teacher the past few years. It was good to see her. We get along well, and she's attactive. Sometimes I wonder...

Home Again!

I arrived home today around 9pm, after a missed connection (not my fault .. it's those idiots at Toronto International and their airport expansion that caused me to miss my connection) and a one hour delay on my last flight.

I'm happy to be home again.

I look forward to processing all I've experienced over the past few weeks and "making sense" of it.

But for now, I look forward to sleeping in my own bed again.

Aerial view of Greenland:

Frankfurt: Zentrum

Tomorrow I go home. So today was just a day to get my bearings in order, and get any "last minute" items for family and friends at home.

* I got some really cool socks for Alicia. I think she will like them.
* I bought a "Korea" scarf for my buddy In-Young.
* For Carla I got a "Brasil" mascot from the World Cup.
* And for James I bought a Deutschland jersey. Well, it's a cheap version.
* For mom and dad I got some great Jacobs German coffee.

This, in addition to a few other things I'd already picked up along the way.

For Rudolf & Olga I got a little table to put on their balcony. They were great hosts to me. I'm thankful for that.

Finally, for myself I got some Tchibo coffee and a pair of Adidas walking/hiking shoes.

I'm ready for the trip home.

Frankfurt: Finally! (Via Bologna)

What a long day it's been. What a nightmare it's been.

Upon arriving back at the train station in Firenze last night just before midnight, I found out that the train to Frankfurt via Milano and Zürich was sold out.

Damnit! What now?

I didn't want to spend the night at the train station, so I snuck on the train anyways, guilty conscience and all.

But it didn't take long before one of the train employees noticed me. At the next stop, Bologna, I was promptly told to get off. Well, at least they were polite. I, on the other hand, was embarrassed and .. well, pissed off. I want to get to Frankfurt!

Well, looking on the positive side, at least I saw the World Cup celebrations in Bologna. I mean, not only was I in Italia the night they won, but I saw the celebrations in two different cities! Who else can say that?

Bologna celebrations:


I ended up sleeping on the floor of the Bologna train station, until 5am, when I caught a train headed for Milano. It was a regional train, without air conditioning, and even at this time of the day it was still 25+C. A sorry, sleepless, sweaty ride.

At 8am I arrived in Milano.

I found a connection to Zürich not long afterwards, arriving there at noon.

At 1pm I caught a train to Basel, where I had to switch trains.

At 2pm I left Basel, arriving in Frankfurt at 5:58pm.

This was the worst day of my trip. Who figures.

I'm tired of traveling. I want to go home. I miss my bed.

Assisi: Chiesa Di San Damiano, Rocca Maggiore, Basilica Di Santa Maria Degli Angeli

My last day in Italia was also my busiest day. That does not mean it was the best day, by any means. It just means that I did many things:

* In the morning I visited the Chiesa di (Church 0f) San Damiano - here, Saint Francis heard the voice of Christ, "rebuild my church...". Here, he also wrote the Canticle of the Creatures, shortly before his death. Finally, this is also the exact place where Santa Chiara began a convent for the Poor Clares. This convent is still intact today.

Chiesa di San Damiano (note the sign on the right side; It's in Latin, and I think it says "Praise the Lord all ye creatures!"):















Convent Dining Hall:















Convent Orchards, with a view of the Spoleto Valley:















* Early afternoon I walked through the town of Assisi, up the hill to Rocca Maggiore, an imposing fortress at the summit of the hill. The fortress is a monumental example of medieval military architecture.

Rocca Maggiore:















View of the Rocca Maggiore from one of its towers. To the right is the town of Assisi, only partially visible because it's on a hill:















Inside Rocca Maggiore:















* Then, around 3:30 in the afternoon, I said good-bye to Jasminka (Jasmine), a Croatian woman who'd moved to Assisi with her family and worked at the convent I stayed at. She's been really kind throughout my stay here, making suggestions about which places to see and giving directions on how to get there. On my first morning here she even prepared me a great coffee. She was a delightful woman. We had some great conversations.

I boarded a bus towards the Assisi train station. But before boarding the train, I quickly paid a visit to the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli (Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels). It encloses the Porziuncola (the nuclues of the first Franciscan monastery) as well as the Cappella del Transito, the little chapel where Saint Francis died.

Basilica di Santa Maria deglie Angeli:















I boarded the train, Firenze-bound, arriving there at around 8pm, just in time for the final of the WM.

Goodbye Assisi...I shall never forget you. God-willing, I'll be back one day:















I found myself a restaurant across the street from a sqaure where hundreds of fans were watching the Italia - France game. I guess no one but me was hungry, because the restaurant was like a morgue: empty, dead. But I needed to eat some dinner before embarking on a long trip back to Frankfurt. I ate one last delicious meal in Italia.

After the 90 minutes plus 30 minutes extra-time, I paid the bill, and crossed the street to the square, and joined the fans in watching the penalties. It was delightful watching the crowd celebrate each time the Italian team scored. They kept screaming Forza Italia, forza Italia!!! I cheered too.

When the last player scored, the palce went mad. Pandemonium. Adrenaline. People honked their horns. People filled the streets within minutes. Flags everywhere. In the distance I could here firecrackers and see fireworks. This was Firenze. I wonder what Roma was like.

I walked back to the train station to wait for a midnight train, headed for Frankfurt via Milano. Along the way, I saw people leaning out of their balcony windows screaming Italia, Italia! What a frenzy. I loved it. I love Italia.

Today's WM scores:
Italia 1 - France 1 (5 - 3 Penalty shootout)

Assisi: Eremo Delle Carceri, Monte Subasio

After the many great experiences I've already had in Europe this summer - World Cup, friends, church history, schnitzel, family, Bach, coffee, pasta, & gelato - it's hard to imagine that the best was left for last, but that is indeed the case. This is because today, finally, I could hike the outdoors to my heart's delight and content!

I hiked 16 kilometers: four kilometers to the Eremo delle Carceri (Hermitage); four more to the top of Mount Subasio, before turning around and retracing my steps all the way back to Assisi.

The Eremo is a hermitage, tucked away in the forest of Mount Subasio. This was the hermitage Saint Francis came to periodically to retire from his apostolic activity, in order to refresh and renew his soul through quiet contemplation, meditation, and prayer.
















As his following grew, he began bringing his fellowmen up here, and after his death, the Franciscans continued using the hermitage, growing it into a small cloister. Even today a few monks live here, and a few hermits live in some caves a short hike away from the Eremo.






























The hermitage is virtually self-sufficient, with its own vegetable garden (see garden on left side of next picture) . Oh yeah, the view is not bad either!
















I noticed that there were doves everywhere in the vicinity of the hermitage. This is quite appropriate, because Saint Francis was a lover of God's creation. There are stories of him calming wild wolves as well as singing with the birds of the air. He sometimes even preached to the birds! His love for creation is nowhere displayed more clearly than in The Canticle of Brother Sun.
















After visiting the Eremo I continued my hike, towards the top of Monte Subasio. Although much of the hike was along a paved road, it was nevertheless still interesting. There were a couple rest areas along the way, so I was able to sit down and eat a sandwich and get a drink of water. The weather was really hot too, probably around 38C, so resting in the shade was a must!
















Once on top, there was a great view of the Spoleto Valley and the hills of Umbria.












































It's becoming increasingly clear to me how much I enjoy, perhaps even need, the outdoors, the hills, the mountains, the open spaces. I enjoy living in the city, close to people and all kinds of convenient amenitites, but there's a part of me that yearns for the rugged, raw beauty of hills, mountains, and forests. It completely makes sense to me, why Jesus went into solitude to pray in the wilderness. Perhaps God awaits us in the quiet, empty spaces of his creation, rather than our own busy, noisy devices.

I say this because while on my hike today I really felt at home. I felt at peace, the quiet, inner kind of peace that we all long to have.

After finishing the hike, around 5pm, I returned to my casa, exhausted, yet invigorated. I grabbed some food later on for dinner, and in the evening watched the fútbol game between Deutschland and Portugal.

I feel at peace. Thank you Lord Jesus.

Today's WM scores:

Deutschland 3 - Portugal 1

Assisi: Basilica Di San Francesco, Basilica Di Santa Chiara

According to G. K. Chesterton, "Saint Francis walked the world like the Pardon of God. I mean that his appearance marked the moment when men could be reconciled not only to God but to nature and, most difficult of all, to themselves in short, the coming of Saint Francis was like the birth of a child in a dark house, lifting its doom; a child that grows up unconscious of the tragedy in the house, and triumphs over it by his innocence...It was such an amnesty and reconciliation that the freshness of the Franciscan spirit brought to all the world".

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) embodies in so many ways what it means to be a follower of our Lord Jesus, that this morning, upon entering the basilica dedicated to him, I could not help but be overwhelmed with emotion, especially joy. I actually wanted to cry, but for whatever reason, could not.

Assisi was canonized a short two years after his death, and not long after that, the basilica was built. Essentially, it is composed of two churches superimposed (built) on top of each other, with a crypt containing his body underlying the whole structure. According to the Assisi - Franciscan Itinerary booklet, "The handsomely designed exterior is majestic, and the interior magnificent, rich in frescoes done by the most celebrated masters of the 13th and 14th century" (page 42).

Aside from the amazing frescoes dominating the walls of the upper and lower basilica, the most beautiful moment of my visit was in the quietness of the crypt, where many others too had gathered in order to meet God in prayer. And meet God in prayer I did. Thank you Lord.

Finally, the relics room in the lower basilica was also very interesting, as it contained a habit, a hood, footwear, and various original handwritten scripts of Saint Francis.

Birdseye view of Basilica di San Francesco:















Front view of the basilica:















Franciscan Convent behind the basilica:















Cub at the basilica:















After such a beautiful morning, it was perhaps a little difficult to do anything else for the rest of the day, for I knew that whatever else I did on this day, it would not surpass my beautiful moments with God in prayer at the Basilica di San Francesco.

But knowing how limited my time was in this small town, I just had to move on and see the basilica built in honour of Santa Chiara, San Francesco's dearerst friend. In fact, the two loved each other, but decided not to marry, fearing that their love for each other would come between their love for God. So instead, they worked together side by side, Francesco forming the Franciscan Order of Mendicant (Wandering) Preachers, and Chiara (Clare) forming the Poor Clares.

Such was the holiness of Santa Chiara, that "When she came from prayer, her faced looked brighter and more beautiful than the sun, and her manner of speaking was of such inexpressible sweetness that her life seemed to be wholly of Heaven." Assisi - Franciscan Itinerary, page 26).

Birdseye view of Basilica di Santa Chiara (right hand):















Front view of Basilica di Santa Chiara















Flying butresses of Basilica di Santa Chiara:

Unlike the colourful interior of the Basilica di San Francesco, the Basilica di Santa Chiara has a surprisingly solemn character, with bare walls. Only the presbitery and the transept of the church has the biblical story in pictures.

There is also a byzantine crucifix located at the altar. This is the cross Staint Francis was praying before, when Jesus appeared to him and said "repair my house; as you see it is falling in ruins." This would be the experience that altered the course of his life, as it provided the impetus towards service and ministry in the name of Jesus.

Finally, these noteworthy items: a beautiful painting that tells the story of Santa Chiara, and a tomb containing her body, both situated in the crypt under the basilica.

Assisi: Chiesa Di Santa Maria Maggiore

I love Assisi, both, the saint, and the town!

The last chapter of my travels began this morning, when I said goodbye to Grace, Roma, and boarded the train to Assisi. I arrived in Assisi around 2pm, and immediately went to the Tourist Information Centre. I asked the lady working there where I could find a monastery or convent to stay for a few days. She replied that most monasteries are full this time of the year, so I shouldn't get up my hopes of staying in one, but she'd try.

She called one monastery: full.

She called another one, and to our surprise, they responded positively.

Thank you Lord!

I walked 5 minutes downhill around the main square, and arrived at the Casa di Accoglienza S. Elisabetta, a convent, and a house of hostpitality run by "consecrated lay women." Essentially, this is a place of rest, where one can stay for a few days in order to pray and reflect.

I look forward to staying here for a few days. I'm tired of travelling. I've been running on fumes for awhile already, and need a rest. There is a lot of history to take in here, but I also hope to try to get a little rest. Assisi seems like the perfect place. After all, Saint Francis and Saint Claire are both known for their love of God's creation. Perhaps I too can take in some of the beauty of God's creation here.

Here's the view from my simple but complete room:















Storm coming in! Shortly after my arrival, a rainstorm - the first rain I've seen in Italia - ensued: Thick, heavy clouds. Fresh air. Lightning. Thunder. Rain.















When the storm arrived, I just stood at my balcony and watched. Then I lied down on my bed and took a nap.

I woke up a few hours later after the storm passed by, to the sound of church music permeating the air. The music was coming from the church right across the street (see the previous picture, top left hand corner). I got changed, ventured across the street, and enjoyed a few minutes of choral music at the Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore, before climbing the hill towards the centre of town for some dinner.

I look forward to the next few days. I have a good feeling about this place. The spirit of San Francesco, the spirit of Santa Chiara, and indeed, the Holy Spirit dwells here. I can feel Him.

Below, a video of Assisi, taken from the balcony of my casa.

Roma: Vaticano

Our home in Roma is a mere 15 minutes walk and metro ride from the Vatican, which enabled us to sleep in a little and leave at 9am to arrive at the Vatican in time for a 10:15 Audience with the Pope.

The first thing we saw upon arrival at the Vatican was Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square):






















































When the Pope arrived and began speaking, it was almost anti-climactic. No big introductions or anything, just a few announcements in various languages. I found this good, since the physical surroundings, the grandiose buildings, the massive columns, the detailed statues, already provide enough pomp. A big introduction would've made me feel like priorities have somehow been mixed up. Then again, I'm Evangelical. I've learned to be suspicious of anything ceremonial or grandiose....

The Pope's message was thorougly gospel-centred. He talked about our need to develop a friendship with God through Jesus. The biblical story he used as an example of friendship with Jesus was unusual, but nevertheless appropriate: John, Jesus' favourite disciple (according to tradition), requests Jesus if he'll permit him to sit at his right hand in heaven. Of course, Jesus' response is "It's not for me to decide; it's up to my Father."

Most sermons on this passage probably point us in the direction of ensuring that we focus on the right issues in our relationship with God. In other words, we shouldn't be worried about where we'll sit once we meet God. That only shows how proud we are, and instead, we should focus on how to live more faithfully here, now.

Pope Benedict XVI used this story, however, to point out that living faithfully here and now is exactly what John was doing. His request came out of faithfulness, not pride. His request indicated a genuine friendship with Jesus. And this friendship that John enjoyed with Jesus, is exactly what we should be pursuing also.

Interesting. I need to think about that some more. I also need to read that passage again, and try to understand it with this point of view in mind.

His talk was short, maybe 8 minutes, and he spoke in at least 7 different languages: Latin (I think), Italian, German, English, French, English, and Polish. In terms of the crowd, there were about 5,000 present, and I found that even though many people in attendance were probably there simply out of curiousity, many came earnestly, seeking a genuine encounter with God.
































Enough about the Pope.

After the "audience" was done, Grace and I walked around the Vatican walls to the Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums).

I did not take any picutres inside the museums. In many places pictures were not allowed, but also, much to my surprise and disappointment, a lot of art in the museums pertained more to Roman history than to the church. Most if not all the art was probably comissioned by the church, but it captured the history of Italy more-so than the history of the church. At least that's the impression I got.

I know that much of the history of the church intertwines with the history of the Roman Empire, but I'm not yet convinced that that's always a good thing. It's the whole relationship betwen religion-and-state thing that I'm probably uncomfortable with....

What I will say though is, that the Capella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) is magnificent. Pretty much every square centimeter of the chapel is covered with rich colours: the biblical story told in pictures. It was quite breathtaking. Now I know why Popes are elected here. And now I know why it sometimes takes them a long time to select a Pope. I'd want to hang out inside the chapel as long as possible if I could too!!!

Anyways, moving on.....

After visiting the musuem we still had one more place to visit: Basilica di San Pietro (Saint Peter's Basilica):






















































All I can say is WOW! Again, words like grandiose and magnificent come to mind when I think about how to describe the basilica. The beauty, the size, the colours, it was completely overwhelming.

The important question, however, is, did I meet God there? I'm not sure. To be sure, if I didn't meet God there it's because of my sinfulness and not his absence, but somehow, I think the multitude of tourists, the camera flashes, the noise of hundreds of people walking and talking, and especially the tour guides also have something to do with it. Is it fair to say that all the hype made it difficult to meet God?

There's something about having tours of a church that rubs me the wrong way. I noticed this in my travels in Germany already, where the constant influx of tourists disturbed the peace for those who were inside the church because they wanted to meet Jesus. Going out on a limb here, but I'm reminded of the story where Jesus drives people out of the temple for using it, well, not as a temple, but as a henhouse. Might we be doing the same thing?

In fairness, I did look at the schedule of mass at the basilica, and they do hold it regularly.

That was my experience at the Vaticano. Obviously, I have some things to work through. I'm overwhelmed. Confuseed. Challenged. In awe. I don't know how to feel about it. I need to think about it. I need to pray about it.

Lord have mercy on me, a wretched sinner. May this experience serve to draw me nearer to you, and may you use it to grow your kindgom.

Finally, yes, there was a World Cup game today.

Today's WM scores:
France 1 - Portugal 0