As we headed into the French Rivera, our subject of study was the Kingdom of God. What could be more of a backdrop for study then being in the harbor of an ancient port near Nice that is beautiful to the eye. VilleFranche is a lovely harbor near Nice and Monaco.
As our speaker, Scott Tjernagel, turned our minds to understanding the Kingdom of God, we began to talk about the inequality of wealth in our world and how we can be challenged to understand the gospel’s influence on how we use our wealth and power. I thought as I walked around these beautiful places that many who have so much would use their influence to build communities that are caring for those less fortunate around them. Our students will be going from the ship to spend two months working on relief projects. The one group will be going to Guinea Bissau to work on building an orphanage for two months. The other group is going to Bethlehem to work with the poor and so in both cases, the contrast from this wealthy port will be stark.
As the week progressed, the group began to see the need for them to see the teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament as leading them to understand a stewardship of the whole earth. Often we think of our faith as only bringing us personal joy and freedom which it does, but the message of Jesus was revolutionary in its call to bring to earth God’s desire for restoration of the whole earth and every part of society.
For me, it was a wonderful week of having my brother Scott with us as the speaker sharing his passion for building the kingdom of God and for discipling young people. What a privilege to be able to share part of the sea adventure with him and to be able to send him back to New Braunfels, Texas to continue to see our faith community growing in living out the gospel. One of their projects has been for the church to help clean up a local river. New Braunfels is a haven for tourists year round who come to enjoy riding inner tubs through the river and who typically drink a lot while floating. As these cans are thrown into the water, the church has been diving for the cans and trying to clean up a small area in the hopes of awakening the community’s need to take care of creation.
As our speaker, Scott Tjernagel, turned our minds to understanding the Kingdom of God, we began to talk about the inequality of wealth in our world and how we can be challenged to understand the gospel’s influence on how we use our wealth and power. I thought as I walked around these beautiful places that many who have so much would use their influence to build communities that are caring for those less fortunate around them. Our students will be going from the ship to spend two months working on relief projects. The one group will be going to Guinea Bissau to work on building an orphanage for two months. The other group is going to Bethlehem to work with the poor and so in both cases, the contrast from this wealthy port will be stark.
As the week progressed, the group began to see the need for them to see the teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament as leading them to understand a stewardship of the whole earth. Often we think of our faith as only bringing us personal joy and freedom which it does, but the message of Jesus was revolutionary in its call to bring to earth God’s desire for restoration of the whole earth and every part of society.
For me, it was a wonderful week of having my brother Scott with us as the speaker sharing his passion for building the kingdom of God and for discipling young people. What a privilege to be able to share part of the sea adventure with him and to be able to send him back to New Braunfels, Texas to continue to see our faith community growing in living out the gospel. One of their projects has been for the church to help clean up a local river. New Braunfels is a haven for tourists year round who come to enjoy riding inner tubs through the river and who typically drink a lot while floating. As these cans are thrown into the water, the church has been diving for the cans and trying to clean up a small area in the hopes of awakening the community’s need to take care of creation.
Hello my friend...I thought I'd lost you but have just read all your updates and am thrilled at all the real life adventures you and your students are having...great too that Scott could join you for part of the voyage. May you continue to find your source of strength and core of love in your Beloved and know His deep and abiding pleasure over you in your journey with Him...Love and blessings, jt
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