Archive for the ‘Transformation’ Category

First Night = Game Night!

A number of the new students arrived last night, all of them very timid.  So, to welcome them, break the ice, and loosen things up, we busted out some board games and had a great time!  Jenga, Upwords (Palabras Arriba), cards, puzzles, and more.  Let me tell you – it was challenging to play Upwords [...]

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Transformation and Fine Food

For one of the students in the AIMS (Armonía Indigenous Mexican Scholars) program, his story of transformation means that he is beginning to learn how to cook fine food. Reynaldo is from a small village in Oaxaca, has been with Armonía for many years, and last Fall he entered a study program in culinary arts. [...]

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Jesus Demonstrated Transformation

As we saw in the last post, Jesus proclaimed transformation by preaching the gospel of the kingdom and the necessity of repenting from old ways and living by faith in kingdom ways. But Jesus wasn’t just a preacher. He was a doer, a symbolizer, and act-er. Matthew 4 describes Jesus as a preacher, but also [...]

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Jesus Proclaimed Transformation

Last week, I indicated that I would continue to explore the drama of transformation and how it finds its climax in the person and work of Jesus. In doing so, we will see how Jesus proclaimed, demonstrated, and accomplished transformation.
When Jesus began his ministry, he started to preach from the prophets. Luke records Jesus’ inaugural [...]

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Zacchaeus was a wee little man

This week in music class, I taught the kids the Spanish version of “Zacchaeus was a wee little man.”  I also used the opportunity to talk a little bit about the story of Zacchaeus.  How he was small and not a good guy, but he wanted to see Jesus.  How Jesus chose to go to [...]

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Together Transforming Poverty into Life

Recently we wrote this article for the Mission Monitor at Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church, our home church back in Saint Louis. To download that publication, click here, but the entire article is included below.
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We are excited to tell you a little bit about what we have been learning and doing while here in [...]

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Transformation through the Exile

When David was king of Israel, and then his son Solomon, God’s promises to transform deformed relationships between himself and his people, among his people, and between his people and creation seemed to be reaching fulfillment. The kingdom was growing, with God’s people in God’s place living under God’s rule. But kingdoms easily become corrupt, [...]

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Transformation through the Kingdom

After God’s people finally made it through the wilderness and settled in the land of Canaan, the people were ruled by a series of judges until the people cried out for a king. Unfortunately, their desire for a king “like all the other nations” proved disastrous, since Saul rebelled against God and was not a [...]

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Transformation through the Wilderness

As we have seen, transformation begins with sure promises of God and mighty, salvific acts of God. But transformation is not immediate and it is not without struggle. In fact, for the Israelite people, pursuing transformation meant wilderness wanderings. It meant encountering scalding desert heat, debilitating hunger, and dangerous thirst. It meant encountering enemies, both [...]

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Transformation through the Law

After the Exodus, the people of God’s covenant are a separate, unified nation for the first time since God’s promise to Abraham. When the people had arrived at Mount Sinai, God reminds them of his mighty act of salvation: “’You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ [...]

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