Thursday, November 13, 2008

Freedom of Choice?

Courier-Times Article for November 15, 2008

In the halls of our nation’s capital, legislators are considering HR1964 and S1173. These are the United States House and Senate bills titled “The Freedom of Choice Act”. The bills are nearly identical, only about 2 pages long each, and you can read them at your leisure on the internet. Unfortunately, as Christians, we do not have the luxury of being leisurely in our response to this “act” of Congress.

If these bills are passed and signed into law by the President it would impact Indiana communities in the following ways.

Abortions after the first 12 weeks would become legal. (Abortions in the first 12 weeks are already legal.)

A requirement would be removed that women considering abortions be given information regarding: the nature of the proposed procedure; the risks of and alternatives to the procedure; the probable gestational age of the fetus, including an offer to provide a picture or drawing of a fetus, the dimensions of a fetus, and relevant information on the potential survival of a fetus at that stage of development; the risks associated with carrying the pregnancy to term; the name of the physician who will perform the abortion; and the availability of ultrasounds and fetal heart tone services. These women would not receive this additional information: that medical assistance benefits may be available for prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care; that the "father" is liable for child support; and that adoption alternatives are available and that the adoptive parents may legally pay the costs of prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care. In addition they could proceed to an abortive procedure with no waiting period to consider all of the ramifications of their decision. (Currently they must wait 18 hours to consider all of their options.)

Physicians, hospitals, and hospital staff members would no longer have the protection of Indiana laws to refuse to provide abortions based on moral or ethical beliefs.

Minors would no longer need parental consent to have an abortion, and parents would not even need to be notified that such a procedure occurred.

Abortions could be preformed by people other than Indiana licensed physicians and in places other than licensed hospitals or surgical centers.

Babies who had grown to the point where they could survive outside the womb would no longer have protection under Indiana law, making second and third trimester abortions and partial-birth abortions legal.

These facts are not from pro-life sources. All of this information comes from The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) website.

From a biblical perspective, scripture is clear – God asks us to choose life.

Deuteronomy 30:19 reads: This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live . . . (NIV)

Scripture says that life begins in the womb.

Read Psalm 139:13-16: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

Even if scripture were not clear, the “Freedom of Choice Act” actually removes freedoms and safeguards that most Hoosiers hold dear.

Women who were considering abortions would not have the freedom to make an informed choice.

Physicians, hospitals, and hospital staff would no longer have the freedom to follow their own convictions of ethical and moral behavior. Rather, they would be faced with a choice of their own: stop preacticing medicine altogether, or move to a nation that believes in freedom of choice for medical professionals.

Parents would no longer have the freedom of being with their minor daughters during a major medical procedure, nor would they have the freedom of giving their minor daughters guidance and counsel. Children would, in effect, become wards of the state once they are born.

Communities would no longer have the freedom of deciding who can perform abortions and where they can be performed. Nothing would prevent unqualified persons from performing abortions in neighborhoods, schools, or hotel rooms.

Finally, infants would no longer have the freedom to fight for life. Regardless of their “viability” outside the womb, infants who were not “completely” born could have their lives snuffed out with the blessing of the federal government.

That’s where we come in. This is still a nation “of the people, by the people, and for the people” and you and I still have a voice.

So, if you value freedom then speak up! Write, call, and e-mail your national leaders, your Senators and Congresmen and women. Let President Bush and President-elect Obama know that you do not want them to sign that bill if it passes congress.

If you believe in the authority of the Word of God then your responsibility is greater. Not only do you need to use your voice to protect freedom and the lives of the unborn, you have the obligation to pray for your leaders that they will make wise and God-honoring choices. Pray for women who find themselves in the midst of an unwanted pregnancy. Give to ministries like the Henry County Pregancy Care Center and CRADLES that care for women who choose to keep their children. Consider adopting infants born to women who cannot keep their children, or supporting an adoptive family financially.

If we refuse to act, if our busy lives “prevent” us from excersicing our constitutional freedom of speech or our constitutional responsibility of self government, if we remain silent out of fear or apathy, we will lose many of our freedoms to a law called the Freedom of Choice Act. The choice is yours.


Visit my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

Photos and videos are posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Letter to the Editor - 7 October, 2008

We’ve been robbed. The Bailout Bill is nothing short of election-year robbery. I’ve read the contents of the bill and it makes me sick. You can find it on the internet and read it too. If you do, you will discover that your $700-billion in tax money, money that was “urgently needed to avoid an economic disaster not seen since the depression”, was spent on the following items: renewable energy credits; carbon mitigation and coal provisions; increase and extension of oil spill liability trust fund tax; deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; extension of mine rescue team training credit; Indian employment credit; railroad track maintenance; seven-year cost recovery period for motorsports racing track facility; extension and modification of duty suspension on wool products; wool research fund; wool duty refunds; provisions related to film and television productions; exemption from excise tax for certain wooden arrows designed for use by children; mental health parity; increase in limit on cover over of rum excise tax to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; secure payments for states and counties containing federal land, among other things.

Do any of these items help with the emergency action to free credit markets from being clogged with bad mortgages that were mandated by congress? Even a fifth-grader could answer that question correctly. And yet, the President of the United States pushed for it, both of the major Presidential Candidates voted for it, one Vice-Presidential Candidate voted for it (the other is a governor but would have voted for it if she could), and both of our Indiana Senators voted for it.

I have come to a conclusion. The supporters of this bill are either ignorant, or cowards, or crooks.

Maybe they didn’t know what they were voting for or supporting. Do you really want someone that ignorant leading our nation anywhere?

Maybe they knew what was in the bill, but were afraid NOT to vote for it; afraid for political reasons or afraid for economic reasons. Do you really want cowards leading your nation anywhere?

Or maybe they new exactly what they were doing, and for financial gain and/or to maintain political power they mortgaged our nation into the next two or three generations. Do we really want crooks and liars leading this nation anywhere?
There are no other options: ignorance, cowardice, or robbery.

To add insult to injury, the “crisis” was generated by congress who mandated home loans at below market cost, to individuals who could not pay for loans, on houses that were overpriced. This initial mandate was made to pay for the votes of the new home owners, who are now facing foreclosure and/or bankruptcy as a result of their bargain. The banks, who went along with this scheme, made decisions they would never have made under normal market conditions because of corporate greed, and as a result are now facing bank failures of a magnitude not seen in generations.

So the ignorant, or cowardly, or crooked politicians are covering the mess they created by giving more money to the greedy financial institutions, and the unwise and overextended home owners, by taking money from hard working, tax paying individuals who HAVE made good decisions! Does any of this make you upset?

As far as I can see, the only politician, on a national level, who has been looking out for East Central Indiana is Congressman Mike Pence who, even under strong pressure from his party’s President and his party’s Presidential Candidate, has stood strong against this unprecedented power-grab and money-grab-legislation.

I don’t say this as a political endorsement; it’s simply a mater of fact. President Bush, Senators Bayh and Lugar, Presidential Candidates Obama and McCain, and Vice-Presidential Candidates Biden and Governor Palin (by lending her support) have ALL picked our pockets for the next several decades.

What are we going to do about it? Is this still a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”, or is it a government of cowardly, ignorant, power-hungry crooks masquerading as political statesmen and women?

If you remain silent, you willingly open your pocketbook to the next generation of what used to be called civil servants. It’s time to do something. Someone just stole $700-billion dollars that belonged to you. Who’s going to hold them accountable?


Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Wrap-up Journal Post, Wednesday, September 17

2:26 PM – Thank you for your prayers and financial support during my trip. It was exciting to see God working in the lives of so many people.

The trip was fully funded and I was able to give some money to the school for leadership development and to the Bernhardts for their ministry in Indonesia. While I was there I also gave books from my personal library to Pastor Maryono, Kim Linegar (US History and Bible Teacher), and Mike MacLean (Music Teacher). I also left music for “Hail to the King” and will be sending some of my original songs and arrangements to the church and the school.

Things for you to pray about include:
1. Pray for the local church (GJKI – The Christian Church in Indonesia) and for Pastor Maryono as they share the good news with people in Salatiga.

2. Pray for Pastor Maryono’s brother Martino who is spearheading the house church movement in Salatiga.


3. Pray for Pastor Maryono and his wife as they raise 2-year-old Samuel. God miraculously provided the pastor’s home for Samuel when he was born to a young woman who could not raise Samuel herself.

4. Pray for the female Islamic student Okta, as the Holy Spirit is working in her life to bring her to Salvation in Christ.

5. Pray for the English professor Hamam, as he seeks to come to the US to complete his doctorate. I believe the Holy Spirit is working in Hamam’s life as well.

6. Pray for the Indonesian Christians during the rest of September, which is the Islamic holy month, Ramadan.

7. Pray for Gideon, the gamelan instructor who uses his skill with the traditional Javanese instruments and shadow puppets to present the gospel of Christ in the local villages.

8. Pray for the Worship Seminar participants and the Mountainview students who lead worship on a regular basis, that they may be able to lead God’s people together in worship.

9. Pray for Salab Putih, the Christian retreat center in Salatiga, as they are coming under political attack to give up much of their land to the Islamic community so that a mosque can be built in its place.

10. Pray for the 9th Grade Bible Class at Mountainview that they will develop a passion for the Word of God.

11. Pray for Jeremy, the speaker for the youth retreat, and his wife as they prepare to move to a remote island in Indonesia to be missionaries to a formerly un-reached people group.

12. Pray for the 11th and 12th Grade Leadership Class as they develop their leadership skills and prepare to use those skills to advance the kingdom of God.

13. Pray for my small group of 7th Graders at Mountainview. They are experiencing the newness of school and/or the newness of boarding at school. Pray that God will help them assimilate into the school and that they will develop good Christian friendships.

14. Pray for the college-aged friends of Sharon and Casey as they try to live a Christian life in a predominately Muslim nation.

15. Pray for the staff at Mountinview International Christian School as they minister to students from several nations.

16. Pray for Sharon, Casey, Ryan, Niko, and a new little Bernhardt to be born in a few months as they have committed to serving Christ in Indonesia. Pray for their financial provision and for their protection as they are both Christian and foreigners.


Some Of Things I Gained By Traveling To Indonesia
A deeper understanding of our freedom in Christ. We talk about our freedom from the bondage to sin and that is a wonderful freedom, but it is not the extent of our freedom. We are also freed from the law, freed from do’s and don’ts.

When we give to someone in need, we are not trying to earn entry into heaven, or a bigger mansion when we get there. Christ has purchased our entry into heaven, and He is preparing a place for us even now. When we give, we are free to give out of the compassion the God has placed in our hearts – no strings attached, no ulterior motives.

The freedom that we have is a freedom to respond to God’s call or people’s needs out of love and compassion alone, without the burden of trying to earn positive points for judgment day.

A deep love for the people of Indonesia and an insight into God’s love for all people. It’s hard to explain but after a few short hours in Indonesia I had developed a deep passion for the people of Indonesia. It was a supernatural love, not based on personal observations or relationships. It was the love of God for these people, being lived out in my heart.

With this new found passion, I also re-imagined God’s passion for all people. There are people in Bulgaria that God loves deeply; there are people in Orissa, India that God loves passionately; there are people in Henry County, Indiana that are deeply loved by God. Our job is to find those people and tell them of His love.

A clearer concept of how we should minister to Muslims. By explaining our freedom from the law and our freedom to serve others, we can highlight the bondage that Islam brings to its people. We can also share that God is both transcendent (very other, very removed from us) and imminent (very near, very intimate with us). He wants to hear our concerns and our sorrows. He wants to share in our joys and triumphs. Prayer is more than a scripted exercise five times a day; it is communion with God Almighty, our Creator and Friend.

A fuller understanding of the power and work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is at work in our lives and in our world. He goes before us as we minister and comes behind us when we leave or are called away. He is at work in a female teenaged student of Islam. He is at work in the English professor at the Islamic University. He is at work in the church in Salatiga. He is at work in the heart of an unwed mother. He is at work in the prayer life of a busy pastor. He is at work in the dreams of a frightened 7th grader. He is at work in the study of a US history teacher. He is at work in the Karate training sessions of a Muslim guard. He is at work in the homes of missionaries around the globe. He is at work in the busy, sometimes frantic preparation of a music minister from New Castle.

A clearer understanding that passion is a result of our interaction and communion with God. Passion is a gift that God gives us as we explore His heart, read from His word, and listen to His Holy Spirit. We can then use this gift to fuel our work in the harvest of souls. As a result we give the gift back to God and the cycle begins anew. Passion is a gift FROM God and a gift FOR God, and is a direct result of our interaction and communion with God. If you want to develop a godly passion, spend time with Him.

A lower tolerance for spiritually-autistic Christians. We have nothing to complain about; especially as American Christians. We are often consumed by the latest fad, or hottest news story, or brightest star in Hollywood. Many of the things that consume our time and finances are simply here for a time and tomorrow they will be gone. Even our finances themselves are destined to fade away. We are blessed beyond measure, but we are often ignorant of the needs that our time and finances could help resolve. We will not be found innocent on that day when Jesus says, “I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was hungry . . .” What are we holding on to? Why are we holding on to them? Are we finding security, or fulfillment, or joy in something, or someplace, or someone other than Christ?

Thanks again for making it possible for me to travel to Indonesia. It is a beautiful country full of people that God loves deeply. Thanks for your prayers. There was never a moment that I felt afraid or unprotected. Thanks for your support of Cheryl and the girls. It was a long time for me to be gone, and I’m sure that your prayers helped sustain them in my absence.

During a final interview last Tuesday, Annaliese, the journalism student at Mountainview, asked me if I felt I had completed all that God wanted me to do In Indonesia. That question sounded a little too final to me. Yes, I believe I was faithful in doing everything God wanted me to do. But I would not be surprised if, instead of the final Indonesian chapter, this is chapter one in a larger story. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the coming days!

You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)


If you want to support Sharon and Casey or Mountainview International Christian School, let me know in the comment section and I'll forward their contact information.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Journal - September 13, 2008


1:05 PM – Finally got to Indy around 11:00 am on Thursday. So here’s a recap of the last few hours of our travel.
The flight from Taipei to LAX went farther north than the trip over. We crossed very near Korea and flew just south of the Aleutian Islands along Alaska’s southwest tip. Then it was down along the west coast flying over San Francisco. The landing at LAX was the smoothest I’ve experienced ever! Can you say, “Butter!”?
At the Security checkpoint in LAX they confiscated my toothpaste, shaving cream, and pocket knife. Yes, I was stupid and put my pocket knife in my carry-on bag instead of my checked bag. A pocket knife in carry-on on September 11? I guess I was more tired than I thought.
The flight from Dallas to Indy was delayed for a few minutes because of a “minor” maintenance issue. Never found out specifically what it was but I’m glad they fixed it. The flight took off as the sun was rising for the second time in less than 24 hours.
That was very weird. We took off from Taipei, Taiwan around 11:00 PM on September 10 and landed in LA at around 8:00 PM on September 10. So we landed three hours before we took off. We took off and landed in the dark, but over the Pacific Ocean we saw the sun rise and set during a trip that lasted less than 14 hours.
Anyway, the flight to Indy was beautiful. We flew over the clouds and I got some great pictures and video. As we approached the airport we flew right over the Indianapolis Speedway and I got a couple of shots from the air.
Cheryl greeted me at the airport and was very teary-eyed to see me. It was good to be home.
After traveling to New Castle and taking a shower, we went to the respective schools to pick up Emily and then Kaitlyn. Big hugs were on everyone’s agenda. I’ll post a trip wrap-up entry soon.


You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Journal - September 10, 2008


Sept 10 - 1:25 pm - In the Jakarta Airport. Security took Ron's water that he just bought. They almost took his frappuccino but he stood at the security check point and drank it all.

10:20 pm Taipei time - Sitting in the food court of the Taipei Airport, waiting to board in about 20 minutes.
Flight between Jakarta and Taipei was interesting. We were delayed because a passenger had checked their bags for the plane but never made it to the gate. After confirming the passenger was absent, they had to unload his/her luggage. Finally we took off. Our flight path was farther west than coming in to Jakarta. We traveled just off the coast of Vietnam and flew past Hong Kong. The young lady next to Ron got sick and threw-up on the plane. The stewardess did not help (except for bringing a large gift bag for the sick passenger to use). Ron did most of the helping.


You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Journal - September 9, 2008


8:25 am - Getting ready to leave the hotel in Yogyakarta. Going to Tom's Silver shop.
3:46 pm - Back in the Java Dorm getting ready for the trip home. I need to transfer some pictures, pack, and be ready for dinner at 6:00 pm. I'll also need to write thank you notes.
Today we saw skilled silversmiths and other craftsmen and women creating jewelry, puppets, and intricate sculptures.
After shopping at the store attached to the Tom's Silver factory/museum, we went to Malioboro street again. and did some shopping. Then we headed home.
Casey hasn’t been feeling well since last night. We offered to drive but he said he wasn't THAT sick.
We went to the school and talked with Sid (business manager?) and made final money exchanges.
On the way back to the dorm, I got stopped by several students who were glad to see me again and told me how much they loved our times of worship at the retreat.


You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Journal - September 8, 2008


(written on September 9) - Monday was a busy day. We left Salatiga around 8:30 am and headed to Borobudur, an ancient Buddhists Monument. It's a manmade mountain of volcanic rock carved and shaped into 100's of Buddhas covered with bell shaped domes. Also carved into the walls of each level of this "mountain" are sculpted reliefs depicting portions of a story. Kind of like ancient comic strips carved into the side of the walls.
From the parking lot to Borobudur and from Borobudur back to the car was miserable. Peddlers and beggars more than you could count, each one trying to sell something or just beg for money. It was hard not to feel sorry for the beggars.
Leaving Borobudur, we headed to Yogyakarta. One of the funniest signs was saw I'm sure lost something in the translation. Several of the auto repair shops advertised "Cat Oven" but I'm sure it's not what it sounds like.
We shopped a little at the main shopping area in Yogyakarta called Malioboro. Sidewalk merchants set up outside of store fronts, each selling something they thought we should take home as oleh-oleh (souvenirs).
At the end of the shopping district is a department store (Mirota Batik). The prices here were competitive with the sidewalk merchants.
We ate lunch at Pizza Hut which had normal Pizza Hut food and a wide variety of other food. It was more like a blending of Pizza Hut and Big Boy.
For dinner we at a dinner theatre serving Javanese food (rice, sate, etc) and then showed a production of the Ramayana - the story about the White Monkey King. This production had live actors instead of shadow puppets. The cast included a child that was no older than 3 or 4.
That night we stayed at a little out-of-the-way hotel that looked pretty run-down from the outside. When you walked through the front door, you were in a hotel that was 4 or 5 star and could have been promoted as a honeymoon spot. Two waterfalls framed an open air restaurant. One waterfall fed a coy pond just off the lobby, and the other waterfall fed a small swimming pool. The pool was the centerpiece of an open courtyard surrounded by two stories of hotel bungalows. A very nice place.


You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Journal - September 6, 2008


(written on September 7th) – Woke up to a beautiful sunrise through my balcony window. Talked with Tami Byrd and my family through Skype. My breakfast was an apple; Ron has been raving about them for days, so I finally tried one. It was pretty tasty.

The schedule at the retreat has been VERY flexible. So we’ve been a little short on time for rehearsals. The two praise bands have done great, especially with little rehearsal time. They loved worship and participated enthusiastically. Their favorite songs this week have been “Hail to the King”, “Mighty to Save”, “God of this City” and “Who Am I”.

As our meeting time began, I began to get a little queasy. I started the Ciprofloxacin and Pepto right away.

The students were sad to see the retreat come to an end. By noon I was on my way down the mountain in the Java Dorm bus. After lunch at KFC in Salatiga, I took a nap in the afternoon.

Then in the evening, we all went to Casey and Sharon’s house for supper. There we met 6 Indonesian college-agers and shared a meal of chicken and goat sate (chicken and goat on a stick), two kinds of rice, and lasagna. For desert Sharon made a chocolate chip cheesecake.

The conversation after dinner centered a lot on US politics. The students were interested in who we were going to vote for and why. We also talked a little about New Orleans, Ramadan, and the Islamic faith. It was a good conversation.


You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Journal - September 7, 2008


1:05 pm – This morning I woke up at 5:00 am wanting to put the finishing touches on my message and talk to my family on Skype. The dorm was all locked up, so I had to go on battery power in my computer. This was pretty scary because my computer is old and when the battery gets too low it doesn’t warn you, it just shuts down. Anyway, it worked long enough so that Cheryl and Emily and I could talk. Kaitie was babysitting.

The church was packed today. I only recognized two songs this week; “I Give You My Heart” and “My Redeemer Lives”. Instead of a worship trio leading like last week, this week there was one man who led worship. The praise band played both weeks: drums, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboard.

Before my message, I gave my copy of Shaped By God’s Heart to Pastor Mariono. I preached from Philemon verses 3 through 7a and encouraged them to use prayer to develop a passion for God and compassion for people. Casey translated and hopefully God spoke to hearts. One young man, probably 11 or 12 years old, took very extensive notes and had me autograph his notes!

After preaching, they asked me to sing, so I sang “Thank You, Lord” about Indiana, the dinosaur tree, and my thankfulness to God for His many blessings.

After eating brunch at Casey and Sharon’s we were supposed to go to a rice farm. My stomach started turning flips again so I took a nap while Ron and Tory went with Casey and the boys, Nicko and Ryan. I feel a little better now but not 100%. I’ll be going back to the church in a few minutes for the second worship seminar.

9:36 pm – Ron and Tory said they really enjoyed the rice farm. I’ll try to get pictures from them to share. This afternoon’s worship seminar was a lot of fun. People were a little bit freer in sharing, and asking questions, and joking.

After the worship seminar concluded, the church gave each of us (Ron, Tory, and myself) a gift so that we will remember Indonesia. Tory opened his tonight and it is a batik map of Indonesia and a batik placemat/coaster set. Ron and I liked the paper so much that we decided not to open ours yet.

I didn’t eat supper; my stomach was still feeling funny. But one of the Indonesian grandmothers insisted I eat one of the fried puffed rice chips. It tasted a little like rice crispys. My stomach feels basically the same. I think I just need some sleep.

You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Friday, September 5, 2008

Journal - September 5, 2008


4:48 pm – Today was the only full day of the retreat. I woke up at 5:30 am like everyday here in Indonesia. The morning was hectic.

I connected to the internet and it was INCREDIBLY fast. I uploaded some pictures and video, updated this blog and tried to connect with my family on SKYPE. By the time we figured out how to do it, it was breakfast time and I had run out of my internet time.

11:11 pm – When I realized it was time to go to breakfast, I also realized that I had some corrections to make to MediaShout. In addition, Jeremy brought the Nooma video “Lump” to show and I had to figure out how to make that work. So I missed breakfast.

During Jeremy’s message, the Nooma video froze up (I had already determined that it wouldn’t play in MediaShout and had switched to Windows Media Player). So while everyone was waiting, I worked on the laptop and finally got it to play on another program (Nero). Other than that, morning worship meeting was good and Jeremy closed with a call to salvation and rededication. Several students made commitments; hopefully I will receive more details later.

I worked with a small group of 7th graders and discussed 2 Timothy chapter one. Later, for lunch, we had chicken sate – chicken on a stick (see goat on a stick post earlier in the week).

I took a few pictures by the pool, walked down to the camp ground where the students are staying at night, and worked on making more room on my computer. While my computer was copying files to a memory card, I laid down on the bed and woke up 1-1/2 hours later! I guess I was more tired than I thought . . . or maybe it was the trip down the mountain to the campground and then up again.

I still wanted to talk to Cheryl and the girls on Skype, so I went to the Merapi Room early to get on the internet. After I had signed on and was busy connecting, I was informed that our supper was moved up by 30 minutes and that meant that rehearsal should be starting . . NOW! I was able to talk to my family for about 5 minutes and see what Thursday morning “bed-head” looks like from half-way around the world.

During supper I sat at a table that was deep in conversation about war and Christian service and should Christians serve in the military. This was made even more interesting because of the diversity of the countries represented around the table; these students had family ties to Africa, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Korea, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the United States. A lot of thorny issues were suddenly even thornier. Should a good Christian serve in the military? Does it make a difference if the country they are serving is Pakistan or the United States? What if Indonesia and the United States went to war; what would the missionaries from the U.S. do?

This evening’s meeting time was interrupted by a time of thanksgiving and encouragement, as each student was given the opportunity to express, before the whole group, gratefulness and appreciation. Students have really caught on to the songs, “Hail to the King”, “God of this City” and “Mighty to Save”.

After the evening meeting, many of the students stayed in the Merapi Room and held their own impromptu worship time. After a while, everyone wandered down to the campfire where we roasted marshmallows (Yes, I walked down the mountain – even further this time – and walked back up). Jeremy is staying in Salatiga tonight so I have the room to myself. It’s after 11:30 and I have a busy day tomorrow.

More later . . .


You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Journal - September 4, 2008


10:16 pm – Talking with Jeremy after worship. Today was a busy day. I started by fixing the setup of a new flat screen TV for the school. There are still a few bugs to work out. A new DVD and an old VCR plugging into the latest technology in TVs. Hopefully, we can get them set up so all they have to do is press POWER and PLAY.

At 10:30 Ron and I joined the 11th & 12th Grade Leadership Class. We had a good discussion with some future leaders in the church. Hopefully, we imparted some insight and wisdom . . .

For lunch we had KFC – Indonesian style. Food here has been really good. Nothing too strange. Toward the end of lunch I was interviewed by Annalise, a journalist for the school newspaper. After the retreat she wants to interview me again to get my reaction to the event.

After lunch, I walked back to the dorm and packed for the retreat. Then I walked back to the school and worked a little on the laptop in the lunch area getting ready for tonight.

At about 3:30 pm we loaded into SUVs and the school bus and headed up the mountain to the Salab Putih (White Cross) Retreat Center. After finding my room and setting up for this evening’s worship, we had supper – chicken and rice and noodles and something that looked like thin slices of dried bread (they had the texture of Styrofoam but tasted pretty good).

The evening meeting started at 6:50 and 130+ people piled into a room the size of a small ballroom in a hotel. We were packed! The kids sat on the floor and the adults sat on a handful of chairs that were in the room. This retreat has students from 7th grade through 12th grade.

They seemed to respond well to worship. Jeremy introduced 2 Timothy to the group and was well received. By the end of the meeting it was very hot in the room. There is no air conditioning, just open windows on one side of the room. I think morning meeting times will be much cooler.

After our evening meeting, I purchased 2 hours of internet time for 30,000 Rp (about $3). So if you are reading this before September 6 that’s how I posted this journal entry.

One of the questions in the interview I had during lunch echoed a comment I had heard a couple of times before. The students want to know how long I will be here, and seem disappointed that I will be leaving the middle of next week, even though they barely know me. Apparently, many people come to visit, but few stay, or even return.

It must be hard to invest in relationships when people are coming and going so frequently. At the praise band rehearsal Wednesday night, the students told me I should come back and bring my family with me. I think they would love the country and the people, like I do, but I’m not sure they would survive the 24+ hours in the air – ONE DIRECTION!

More later . . .

You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Journal - September 3, 2008


8:50 am - traveled to Salab Putih (retreat site) to look at the sound system. It's fairly new but more like a home stereo amp than a sound mixer. Only 5 - 1/4" mic inputs and three mixer controls (1; 2 and 4;3 and 5). We will have to run guitars on their own amps; the keyboard and the microphones will run through the sound system. With live drums and a very LIVE (echoy) room, worship will have a tendancy to be too loud We'll see.

Ron and Tory were up all night - couldn't sleep. I slept great. Kim, the teacher that took me to Salab Putih says that spiritual opposition is very tangible during Ramadan. Her son, Clayton, didn't sleep well last night either. He will be my drummer for morning worship and the sound tech for evening worship.

9:37 am - Preparing to go to the Jr. High Bible Class. I'm uploading video, so you should be able to watch some "moving pictures" soon.

Casey is having a busy day. Ron is in his second day of electrical work. Some tiles have broken and other minor emergencies that require Casey's attention. Tory is still not 100% but is teaching a defense class this morning.

Casey said we had ordered cheeseburgers and fries for lunch. It's still moderately warm, but not unbearable. We've had two good rains since Sunday (the first one caused the power to go out!), so the rainy season here has begun. Six months dry and six months rainy.

1:44 pm - The 9th & 10th grade Bible Class was fun. Turned out that there were no 10th graders, so it was just a 9th grade Bible Class. Ron talked first and then me. The theme seemd to be multi-faceted.

1. Live life to the full.
2. Great Commandment - love god, love people.
3. Read the word - it's exciting.
4. Don't be afraid to walk thru doors that God opens.

Kim, the teacher, then walked thru the topics the class was discussing. What was Noah's responsibility and what was God's. Then she asked what is our responsibility, and what is God's. She added that many times we become unhappy when we try to do God's things and fail to do ours.

3:23 pm - I don't know if I've told you this before . . . In muslim cultures there is a call to prayer 5 times a day. There are loudspeakers located at the top of every mosque. In Salatiga there are several mosques - not so much denominations, but easy-access locations. The loudspeakers crank up at various times of the day including 4:00 am. During ramadan the kids are encouraged to go into the streets and set off firecrackers at 1:00 or 2:00 am so that people will wake up and eat (since it is the month of fasting, they are not supposed to eat during the day). This keeps the non-muslims up as well, but it hasn't bothered my sleep, so I am thankful!

More later . . .

You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Journal - September 2, 2008



2:20 pm - Had something different for lunch - goat on a stick. It's real name is Sate. Ron discovered some strange electrical wiring - three phase electric, but only one phase going to each of three buildings and coming off of, at least, two transformers. It's a real electrical mystery.

Tory is still sick - fever and dizzyness. We were going to a video recording studio where Sharon works. I don't know if that will happen now or not.

I discovered a small tree (or a big bush)with long white flowers hanging down like bells. I'm not sure what it is called but it is very beautiful.

There is a small bird that is very common here. It's moves so fast I don't think I can get a picture of it. I think they call them swifty's. They are about the size of a bat and fly around like one too - diving and turning and swooping. At the first open-air restaurant we ate at on Saturday evening something was flying around over our heads for about 15 minutes. We hope they were swifty's!

The mosque we were at on Monday will be torn down at the end of the month. After Ramadan they are going to build a new, bigger mosque to accommodate all the people wanting to pray.

Muslims are required to pray five times a day. What we discoverd at the mosque was that Islamic prayer is more about performing certain motions and saying certain words in order to gain "good points" in God's "reward system". I you pray during Ramadan you get 700 points. If you pray any other time of the year it's only worth one point. And that's all based on if you preformed the prayer properly. If you mess up, it dosen't count at all.

What I discovered is the stark difference in Christian and Islamic prayer. Christians talk to God as their friend. Any time of the day or night. Any position, it doesn't matter. Christians talk to God because they want to.
Muslims pray because they are trying to earn points. The give to charity to earn points. They help those in need to earn points. They cannot serve God or people freely because the purpose in the service is to gain entrance into heaven.

Christians are not only set free from sin, but they are set free to serve people out of love. They are free to serve God, not out of duty, but devotion.

Freedom in Christ is a lot bigger than freedom from sin! It's freedom to love and serve and live with no strings attached. God is good . . .

5:44 pm - Still sitting at the lunch tables. It's been a good afternoon, but I'm wondering how Tory is doing. He must be pretty sick. Casey was supposed to be back around 2:00 pm, so Ron and I have waited here. We could walk back to the dorm, through the school campus but we don't want to miss Casey, Sharon, or supper! Oh well, God is still good . . .

8:26 pm - I told you God is still good! Seconds after my last post, we got a call from Casey saying he was coming over. Tory came with him and we all went to supper. The nurse thinks Tory is just dehydrated, so Tory is now following my example of how much water to drink. My eye's are tired. going to be in a few minutes.

You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Reminder - More Pictures Here!

You can find more trip pictures at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

They are also posted at my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!

Monday, September 1, 2008

Journal - September 1, 2008


3:48 PM - Trying to update everyone before I rest. I have a praise band rehearsal tonight at 6:30 PM.

We went to the open air market this morning. Very interesting! (I'll post some pictures later). Raw meat (beef, chicken, fish) sitting out in the open - no refrigeration. People walking, riding scooters (sepeda motor), riding bicycle powerd carts, and driving horse (kuda) drawn carts.

At 11:00 am we went to the local mosque. This was very exciting because it is the first day of Ramadan (Islamic month of fasting). The professor of the English department of the university located at the mosque gave us a tour. His name is Hamam. He guided Ron and Casey and me, along with three of his students through the university/mosque complex. One male student will attend a university in Oregon in March. Another male student will study in Arizona in January. A Female student named Okta also accompanied our tour.

Pray for Okta; I believe that the Holy Spirit is working in her life and she would be open to a presentation of the Gospel. Pray also for Hamam; he is wanting to travel to the US for his Doctorate.

After the tour, we returned to Hamam's office and sat around a table covered with green indoor/outdoor carpet. We asked and asnwered questions about Chritianity and Islam. I believe we shattered some of their misconceptions about Christianity.

Afterwards, we went to another local resaurant and had rice and spicy chicken. They had cucumbers and lettuce too, but we have been instructed not to eat the local vegetables unless they are from Sharon and Casey's home and have been washed in bleach water.

At 1:00 PM we wnet to a gamelan instructor. He introduced us to several traditional Javaneese instruments which, when played together but 5 to 18 people, is called gamelan. They are all percussion instruments. Some are drums, some are like xylophones, and others are like upside-down brass pots with one big "bump" sticking up from the bottom". The gamelan plays while a traditional shadow puppet play is performed.

Then we discovered that this gentalman, named Gideon, uses his gamelan as a way to share the good news about Jesus with people. They modify the traditional shadow puppets and replace the "white monkey king" and the "evil king" with characters like Jesus and Peter and Paul, etc. The people in the communities they go to, welcome them because they are bringing traditional Javaneese music and musical instruments. Then Gideon and his crew use puppets to thell them about Jesus! What an exciting way to communicate the gospel!

Well I need to Go rest before rehearsal. More later . . .

Sept 1 - 10:17 pm - Rehearsed with Praise Team A at 6:30 pm. Trying to get people excited about worship is a recurring theme among worship leaders here. I think what they are really saying is, "I want people to be passionate about God." So how do you develop passion? Do you cast a vision & hope they see? Do you remind people about what God has done? Is passion a gift FROM God or a gift FOR God?

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Journal - August 31, 2008



Aug 31 - 8:39 PM - Day began at 7:00 AM with morning worship in Salatiga. Pastor preached on the truth that God knows everything (Psalm 139). After lunch we attended the most extravagent wedding reception I have ever seen! then in the afternoon, I led a worship teaching time for about 30 people.
As soon as we said, "Amen" the power went out at the church (all over town really). It's been spotty ever since.
Had roast beef and potatoes for supper (by candlelight and battery powered lights)
Quote of the day . . . Annual theme for church in Salatiga:
Rumahku akan disebut
rumahdoa bagi segala bangsa
My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.
Oh, that all churches would make this their theme!
Ramadan begins tomorrow . . .

Journal - August 30, 2008


Aug 30 - 9:30 pm - Getting ready for bed. Had a waffle for breakfast. Drove part way up the mountain to Ketep Pass to look at the volcanoes - Merabi & Merbabu. Too many clouds to see the summits. Visited Salab Putih (white cross) retreat center where I will be ministering next week. Had a picnic on the mountain on ground that had been terraced for farming. Toured the school grounds. Ate at a restaurant overlooking a rice patty. Had fried chicken & rice. Saw some beautiful flowers today.

Journal - August 29, 2008


Aug 29 - 10:27 am Tiawan - Flying over Manila. Flight attendant says to turn off Palm Centro.
11:53 am Taiwan - Close to crossing equator.

(Too busy to journal. we landed in Jakarta, went through customs, boarded a domestic flight to Semarang, got in the car and drove to Salatiga!)

8:55 pm WIB - Finally horozontal! My room is small with two twin beds, tall ceilings & a connected bathroom. Can't get internet service in room. Will try at breakfast in the morning. Took a shower and brushed my teeth. Feel much better now! Open windows and ceiling fan should keep me cool tonight. There is a rotweiler at the gate to the dorm, who looks scary but is really lazy and has arthritis (which came first, the chicken or the egg?). The locals are afraid of him so I guess he accomplishes his purpose. Going to sleep now.

Journal - August 28, 2008


Aug 28 - 1:23 am PDT - China Air is under staffed and disorganized. Had to pay extra $32 for carry on.
9:14 am PDT - First meal was GREAT. Roast beef & mashed potatoes. Got up to stretch. Feels like my muscles want to cramp. Seats are small. Almost 6 hours still to Taipei. Plane has front view & bottom view cameras. At night, over ocean you don't see much. Flying at 35000 feet. Temp outside is -48 C. 525 miles per hour.
11:47 am PDT - I can see the glow of the sun starting to rise behind us. The left wing of the 747 is siloetted ed against the faint blue/orange.
12:53 pm PDT - Talk to my girls via satellite phone a few minutes ago. Expensive but worth it!

Journal - August 27, 2008


Aug 27 - 6:25 pm EDT - 20000 feet in the air on the way to St. Louis. Sky is hazy and we're chasing the sun.
7:21 pm CDT - In the air again. I can still see the sun. We're inbetween the clouds above & the haze below.
7:36 pm CDT - 38000 feet. Flight path over Pueblo, CO then Phoenix, AZ.
8:41 pm CDT - The sun is beginning to slip below the outline of the Rocky Mountains.
10:08 pm CDT - 110 miles from LA. Still a ribbon of orange on the horizon.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Sunday Morning In Salatiga




6:38 am - Getting ready to go to church. Then this afternoon we will go to a wedding reception. At 2:00 pm I will be teaching my first worship class at the local church. Here's a few pix. You can find the rest at my facebook site (see previous post for address) or my Flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/.

I'll post more text later. Internet is sometimes slow here.

Friday, August 29, 2008

On The Ground In Indonesia



Jsut finished waffles and will be going up the mountain this morning. Today is a day of relaxation and exploring. I'll post some thoughts about my flight a little later. Thanks for praying!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

More Trip Details

Here’s some more details about my trip to Indonesia:

On Sundays, August 31st and September 7th, I will be leading a worship leader’s training session in the local churches [3 am ~ 6 am Eastern Daylight Time].

I will be teaching in a Worship Class at Mountainview International Christian School (www.mountainviewics.org) on Tuesday, September 2nd [11:30 pm 9/1 ~ 1 am 9/2 EDT].

On Wednesday, September 3rd I will be teaching in a 9th grade Bible Class [11:30 pm 9/2 ~ 1 am 9/3 EDT].

Thursday, September 4th will begin with a teaching time in the 11th & 12th grade Leadership Class [11:30 pm 9/3 ~ 1 am 9/4 EDT]. Then from Thursday afternoon through Saturday morning, September 6th I will be leading worship at a youth retreat. The speaker will be using 2nd Timothy as the text for the retreat.

I would appreciate your prayers before, during, and after my trip. Pray for the students in Indonesia. Pray and care for my family here in New Castle. Pray for my health (rebuke kidney stones!). Pray that passage through Customs will go smoothly. Thank God that He provided the resources that I needed to make the trip. Pray that God will enable me to learn the Indonesian language. Pray that God would be glorified, and the Kingdom of God would be advanced, as a result of the trip.

Monday, August 18, 2008

God Is Good . .

God Is Good . . . Indonesia Update
As of Sunday morning, I have received funding to cover all my expenses.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Less Than Three Weeks Till The Trip!

One month from today I will be returning from Indonesia. Some of the plans have changed so I’ll give you an update.

As we were preparing to purchase tickets, the purchase price jumped over $900 for each person! Cheryl got on the internet and found some flights considerably cheaper. After forwarding this information to the travel agent, we were able to get tickets at about the price we had estimated. God is good . . . all the time!

Keith Stork, who recruited me for the trip is not going to Indonesia now. He is completing a sabbatical and is unable to go. That leaves me, Ron Baker (mission worker/electrician from Newton Falls, Ohio), and Tory Buchan (Martial Arts Expert from Anderson, Indiana). We will be leaving Wednesday, August 27th and returning September 11th, 2008. Church of God missionaries, Casey and Sharon Bernhardt, will be our contacts “in country” and are making final preparations for us now.

Our focus will still be the Mountain View International Christian School where the Bernhardts act as missionaries and where Madison Park’s youth pastor Joe Webb’s brother serves. Mountain View International Christian School is located on the central Indonesian island of Java just south of the equator (1200 miles south of Vietnam, 1000 miles north of Western Australia, and nearly 10,000 miles from Indianapolis). In September they will be 11 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Savings Time. (Noon in INDY = 11:00 PM on Java)

We will be flying from INDY (IND), to St.Louis (STL), to LA (LAX), to Taipei-Taiwan (TPE), to Jakarta-Indonesia (CGK), to Semarang-Indonesia (SRG), followed by a car trip to Salatiga which will be our base city. We will leave INDY at 5:55 PM on Wednesday, August 27 and arrive in Jakarta at 2:00 AM, Friday, August 29th (all Eastern Daylight Savings Time) with a total in-air-flight time of over 24 hours plus layover hours. (I don’t have the Jakarta ~ Semarang ~ Salatiga details yet)

On the way back we will leave Jakarta-Indonesia (CGK) at 3:00 AM on Wednesday, September 10, travel to Taipei-Taiwan (TPE), to LA (LAX), to Dallas-Ft.Worth (DFW), and arrive at INDY (IND) at 10:40 AM on Thursday, September 11. This is a total in-air-flight time of over 23 hours plus layover hours, plus travel time from Salatiga, to Semarang, to Jakarta.

I will be leading worship for a youth retreat for all of the students at the school (high-school), I will be sharing and teaching in a worship class at the school, and I will be sharing and teaching worship leaders in the local churches. Ron will be working on electrical repairs and installations. Tory will be training the security detail at the school.

Indonesia is primarily a Muslim nation and there is growing hostility between radical Muslims and others (moderate Muslims, Muslim sects, and non-Muslims). There is also a growing use of property laws to take property owned by churches and missionaries (think “imminent domain” on a local or neighborhood scale). Central Java is still very safe. Ramadan (Muslim holy month of fasting) begins on September 1st and the country is also gearing up for major elections in 2009.

As of this writing, I have funded all but $250 of the trip. I’m sure God will provide the rest! I’m looking forward to you holding me up in prayer. Pray that lives will be changed, that the kingdom of God will advance, and that I will be an effective tool in the hand of God. I’m also sure that you will encourage and support Cheryl and the girls while I am gone in whatever way you can.

Also, I will try to update my blog (http://clfnotes.blogspot.com/) and my facebook site (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719) while I am in Indonesia. If you have an e-mail address, make sure that you send that to me so that I can update you directly.

Thanks again for your support, more news soon . . .

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Quorum Sensing, Bioluminescence, and Community

Courier-Times Christian Perspectives for Saturday, August 9, 2008

Quorum sensing, bioluminescence, virulence, autoinducers, and community; big words for a simple mind like mine, but I learned about all of them while watching NOVA on PBS.

It seems that Princeton University’s Bonnie Bassler has pioneered some remarkable science that may one day yield new ways to combat bacterial infections. Along the way, Bonnie and her research team have uncovered another example of how God has designed all of creation to live, work, and play in community.

While studying a harmless bacterium called Vibrio harveyi, Bassler discovered that there was something these little bacterial cells could do when they all worked together, that they could not accomplish while working alone. They could glow!

Individually, their little light would not make any impact at all, but collectively they could create a wonderful blue light. The exciting part is that they don’t try to generate light at all until they sense that there are enough individuals gathered to make their “lighting party” effective. They sense when they have a quorum large enough to effectively shine.

Now, no one believes that Vibrio harveyi held a convention or a business meeting, did research on candlepower and luminescence, and determined exactly how many individual bacteria are needed to efficiently “turn on” the glow switch. Scientists believe these little cells “communicate” using special molecules they produce and send to each other – like instant messages. People of faith see the hand of a creative God at work in establishing community at a grass-roots level.

The same quorum sensing and cooperative group activity happens in other bacteria that actually cause disease. The belief among the scientific community is that if they can disrupt this “grass-roots” communication they can prevent bacterial diseases in humans.

By now you are asking, “What does that have to do with the church?” I’m glad you asked. It confirms that at a very basic level, God designed the universe to work cooperatively in community. God, as revealed in the trinity, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is community; and His creation reflects that essence of who He is.

It also confirms that there are some things that the church can only do effectively if and when it works together in community. What could the church in Henry County do, and only do, when it worked with the rest of the church? How can we let our “light shine” together? How is the enemy of the church effectively blocking communication, preventing us from “turning on the light”?

There’s a lot we can learn from our little friend, Vibrio harveyi. Imagine all that God could do if the church worked together.

One opportunity the church has to come together in worship will be Sunday evening, August 31st, 2008 at the First Baptist Church on South Memorial Drive. I encourage you to show up and do some quorum sensing of your own. Maybe there will even be an after-glow :-)

Thursday, July 24, 2008

What Ties Bind You?

Christian Perspectives Article for the New Castle Courier Times 07-26-08

There’s an old church hymn with these lyrics: Blest be the tie that binds / Our hearts in Christian love / The fellowship of kindred minds / Is like to that above. What are the ties that bind you to your local fellowship of Christ-followers?

For many church-goers, the only connecting point is that we meet in the same building once a week. The advent of the automobile and the increasing desire for personal preference in worship styles has effectively eliminated the “neighborhood church”. We rarely worship with our next-door neighbors. Instead, we drive some distance to find “just-the-right” church.

But what happens when we don’t see our fellow worshipers during the week? What do we miss when we only see each other on Sunday mornings?

Those weekly meetings are staged, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, facing forward and listening. When do we sit across the table, and share face-to-face about our struggles and joys? What are the ties, or connection points, that bind us to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ through the week?

When someone is hurting because of a broken relationship, do we find out because of direct interaction with that person? Or do we find out through that particularly Christian form of “sharing” called the prayer chain? Prayer chains are fine, but when do we have the opportunity to personally minister the grace and peace of Christ to someone who is hurting? Those opportunities usually happen within the context of a meaningful ongoing relationship.

The only way we can be in the right place at the right time is to be in the right place to begin with. This might sound redundant but explore the idea with me. How can we minister to people with whom we have little or no contact? How can we connect with people we only see for ninety minutes, one day a week? When the right time comes along, will be in the right place?

What will it require, in rescheduling our lives, to create new ties that bind? How can we “live life together” more effectively? The early Christians were known for gathering daily to talk and eat and share and minister. When someone had a need, the rest of them sold personal belongings and addressed the need together, as a community. But they couldn’t have addressed the need together if they were never drawn together.

Togetherness deepens our understanding of each other, our trust for each other, our accountability to each other, and our compassion for each other. Separateness breeds misunderstanding, mistrust, and cynicism, and opens the door for all kinds of behavior that dishonors God. We fail in our mission, when we fail to interact with other believers and the rest of the world.

What are the ties that bind you to other believers? If it’s just a car and a spot on a bench for an hour-and-a-half, that tie is very fragile: handle with care. What can you do today to improve those ties? What will you have to give up in order to spend more time with brothers and sisters in Christ, not to mention those who have no relationship with him?

Friday, July 18, 2008

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

New Castle Courier-Times Christian Perspectives Article for July 19, 2008

Should I stay or should I go? The old Clash song could be sung by many Christians today. Should I stay in my comfortable, cozy church, or should I go into the world and share the good news out there. The answer appears to be, “Yes!”

Should I stay? Jesus told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. For the most part, we do the staying part pretty good. But WHY do we stay?

Do we stay because it’s comfortable? Do we stay because it’s familiar? Do we stay because it means we can rest? Or do we stay with a purpose?

Do we pray while we stay? Do we seek the power of the Holy Spirit? Do we work at growing as disciples of Christ? Why do we stay?

Should I go? Jesus told his disciples to go into all the world and share the good news with sinners. ‘Sinners’ is an uncomfortable word in a politically correct culture. But Jesus was called a friend of sinners. Are we friends of sinners?

We do the going part pretty good. We go to camp, go to concerts, go to hear good preachers, and go to revivals. But do we go to sinners?

Occasionally we go on mission trips: Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Africa, Mexico, the Appalachians. I’ll be going to Indonesia the end of August for two weeks. These aren’t vacation trips. We pay our own way, and work hard while we’re there.

But what about the in between times? Where are we going on Monday morning? What purpose do we have on Tuesday afternoon? Is there any intentionality in our Thursday evening? Do we ‘go’ on a daily basis? If so, WHY do we go?

Should we stay, or should we go? Yes. We should stay, with the purpose of growing as disciples, until we receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, we should go, daily, with the purpose of sharing the good news of Christ with a broken world. Then we should stay, and grow in the love and grace and truth or Jesus. Then we should go, with the intention of being a friend to sinners. And the cycle continues.

When I go to Indonesia, I will be going with the prayers and support of friends and family. I’ll also be going in the power of the Holy Spirit. Until then, I’ll be staying and going, and staying and going, and staying and going – with purpose.

Monday, June 30, 2008

NAC 2008 - Thoughts on Wednesday, June 25

Wednesday evening wrapped up the week. My personal highlight was being able to sing Get Up and March! for the first time, which I had been working on since 2001. The choir from Madison Park Church of God provided the core choir for the evening. Paul Flores and Alejandro de Francisco helped lead worship.

Songs we used:

  • He Reigns; by Peter Furler and Steve Taylor; arranged by Jay Rouse; PG Octavo PA8138 – November 2005; directed by Steve Williamson
  • Days of Elijah; by Robin Mark
  • I Cannot Be Idle; by William J. Henry
  • Rise Up, O Church of God; by William P. Merrill, alt. / Aaron Williams
  • The Stand; by Houston, Joel
  • Forever Grateful; by Altrogge, Mark
  • Let Them Know; by Lanny Wolfe
  • Reach the Lost; by Alejandro de Francisco
  • Here I Am, Lord (Heme Aqui, Senor); by Hipolito (Paul) E. Flores
  • Get Up and March!; by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • Here I Am To Worship; by Tim Hughes
  • Grace Alone; by Scott Wesley Brown / Jeff Nelson

He Reigns can be ordered on-line at http://www.praisegathering.com/

Reach the Lost can be ordered by contacting Alejandro de Francisco at alejandroycarmen@yahoo.com or alejandro@evangelizando.com

Here I Am, Lord (Heme Aqui, Senor) can be ordered by contacting Paul Flores at paulflores@juno.com

Get Up and March! can be ordered by sending me an email at curt@smdcog.org



NAC 2008 - Thoughts on Tuesday, June 24

Tuesday evening we started with the Kid’s Place Kids leading us in worship. Alejandro de Francisco and Ed Fry also helped lead us in worship during the evening.

Songs we used:

  • Let the Children Come; by Mia Fieldes
  • A Child of God; by Barney E. Warren; arranged by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • We Fall Down; by Chris Tomlin
  • Holy, Holy, Holy; by Dykes, John B. / Heber, Reginald
  • Holy Is the Lord; by Chris Tomlin / Louie Giglio
  • Let My Words Be Few; by Matt Redman / Beth Redman
  • Poderoso Rey / Almighty King; by Alejandro de Francisco
  • Levantando un mundo diferente by Alejandro de Francisco
  • Ven a Cristo by Alejandro de Francisco
  • We Will Rise; by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • I Am the Lord’s I Know; by C.W. Naylor and Ed Fry

A Child of God; and We Will Rise can be ordered by sending me an email at curt@smdcog.org

Poderoso Rey / Almighty King; Levantando un mundo diferente; and Ven a Cristo can be ordered by contacting Alejandro de Francisco at alejandroycarmen@yahoo.com or alejandro@evangelizando.com

Information on Ed Fry’s great rendition of I Am the Lord’s I Know can be obtained by contacting Ed at edpaulfry@aol.com


NAC 2008 - Thoughts on Monday, June 23

A major technical glitch occurred on Monday night. The joys of digital sound created a nightmare when the right speaker stack and the left speaker stack were suddenly and significantly out of sync. The house system had to be re-booted but it didn’t affect the web-stream or cable signal. This almost made me forget about the piano repairman trying to rebuild the piano in the middle of rehearsal. 30 minutes shot and the piano still had sticky keys for the rest of the week! But God is still good . . . all the time . . . The Michigan Singers and the Indiana South Youth Choir combined to form the core of the choir on Monday evening.

Songs we used:


  • Sing to the King; by Billy James Foote; arranged by Jay Rouse; directed by Kendyl Terry; PG Octavo PA8145 – May 2006
  • Crown Him With Many Crowns; by Matthew Bridges/Godfrey Thring/George J. Elvey
  • All Hail King Jesus; by Dave Moody
  • Bless His Holy Name: by Crouch, Andrae
  • Majesty: by Jack Hayford
  • How Great Thou Art: by Stuart Hine
  • What a Mighty God We Serve: by Clara M. Brooks / Barney E. Warren
  • I Will Praise Him; by D.Otis Teasley
  • You Reign; by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • He Is Lord; by Author Unknown
  • How Great Is Our God; by Tomlin, Reeves and Cash
  • Shout to the Lord; by Zschech, Darlene
  • Alive Forever, Amen; by Travis Cottrell, David Moffitt, and Sue C. Smith; Brentwood Music Octavo #45757-1097-7; directed by Dick Forsman
  • The Doxology (Michigan Singers); by Thomas Ken, Samuel Stanley; directed by Dick Forsman


A song I would like to have used, but we ran out of time in rehearsal, is “Holy, Worthy” by Kendyl F.L. Terry. He can be contacted at kterry@hpcc.cc

Sing to the King can be ordered on-line at http://www.praisegathering.com/

You Reign can be ordered by sending me an email at curt@smdcog.org

Alive Forever, Amen can be ordered on-line at http://www.brentwoodbenson.com/


NAC 2008 - Thoughts on Sunday, June 22

Sunday evening service was planned by Jim Lyon. We had special guests Sandi Patty, Alli Peslis, Tommy Moseley, Leslie Barnes and the Arlington Church Choir from Akron, Ohio. Also, participating electronically was the choir from Crossings Community Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The evening was broadcast on Cable TV in East Central Indiana, web cast to over 300 churches in North America, and locations in over 22 countries and on every continent. The evening was hosted by Jim Lyon and Robert Davis Jr.

Songs we used:
Nearer, Still Nearer; by Lelia N. Morris
Near to the Heart of God; by Cleland B. McAfee

NAC 2008 - Thoughts on Saturday, June 21

Technical and logistic glitches hounded us all week and Saturday was no exception. Also, two of my five trumpet players didn’t show until 15 minutes prior to the service, and we had no synth on the platform until just prior to the service. But God is good . . . all the time . . . The Thulin family was great! If you need someone to lead worship, preach, and/or present a gospel concert contact the Thulin Family!

Songs we used:

  • Antiphonal Trumpet Call to Worship – Love; by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • Celebrate the Lord of Love: by Baloche, Paul / Kerr, Ed
  • Once Again We Come; by Charles W. Naylor; arranged by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • God’s Wonderful People; by Lanny Wolfe
  • All In Jesus; by Barney E. Warren; arranged by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • I’ve Been Set Free; by Jeanette Thulin
  • Child of God; by Jeanette Thulin
  • We Are Ready; by Jeanette Thulin
  • Gentle Shepherd; by William J. and Gloria Gaither arranged by Jay Rouse; Directed by Dr. Rick Sowers - PG Octavo GG5468 – November 2006 – Piano, Choral and Oboe; Bassoon part arranged by Curtis L. Ferrell
  • Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone); by Tomlin, Chris Excell, Edwin Othello Newton, John Rees, John P. Giglio, Louie
  • One Body, One Spirit, One Lord; by Curtis L. Ferrell

Gentle Shepherd can be ordered on-line at http://www.praisegathering.com/

Antiphonal Trumpet Call to Worship – Love; Once Again We Come; All In Jesus; and One Body, One Spirit, One Lord can be ordered by sending me an email at curt@smdcog.org

I’ve Been Set Free; Child of God; and We are Ready and be ordered by contacting Jeanette Thulin at info@thulinfamily.com