Prayer room

Visit our prayer-room (bönekammaren) here>>. In the prayer-room you can post your prayer request (even if most prayer requests are in Swedish), pray and listen to devotional music.

A manifestation of Jesus in Stockholm

18.000 people from all Christian denominations gathered in Stockholm Saturday for a manifestation of Jesus. Open air meetings were held in all parts of Stockholm and after that all participants gathered for a march from the different open airs to a central park in Stockholm where the finale manifestation-meeting was held. (Photo by Stefan Baronowsky)

Reflections on Creativity

Guest blogger: Harry Brocksieck
Harry and Barbara Brosckieck are retired Salvation Army officers from the Central Territory in the USA. They have also served at the Eastern European Training College in Finland.

Creative: adjective – using or showing use of imagination to create new ideas or things

The hermit said it is important to delve into the self to create something. The process not the results is the goal. He is creative with words. We have 8 books he has written. He is indeed a wordsmith. His books are insightful, interestingly written and full of surprises. Some titles are:
-Teaching the Dead Bird to Sing.
-Trumpet at Full Moon
-A table in the Desert

Madeline L’Engle was the guest lecturer at Wheaton College. Listening to her that evening, I believe she was the first I heard say that you must be humble and courageous in creating. She said she creates her characters then she loses control of them as they develop their own characteristics. She creates the idea but the plot takes over and it becomes a living entity that creates itself. She often has to ‘run’ to get down the various dialogues that come from the interaction of the characters. It is hard work to keep up with the developments, she said. When I am finished I am exhausted and exeleraited. “Where did all that come from?” she was asked. “It comes from within,” she said. “I have exposed myself in my writings in ways I have not always wanted to be exposed. I see myself in new ways when I have completed the creative process. If you could sit with me after completing some of my writings you would cry with me over who I really am. I could share with you my embarrassments. I could reveal the weakness of my character. I would also reveal some of my good qualities to be noted too. I am so often surprised with who I am. “

My friend Rio is one of those people. He was our first CO at the corps we attend in Fountain Valley. He is one of the top 10 preachers I have ever heard. I can’t remember when he did not start a sermon with a story. The story was usually humorous and out of his personal experience. I even remember the first sermon he preached! First a little background for this story– Rio is about 30, 6’4”, rugged good looks but not striking, pleasant personality and about 25 lbs overweight. Rachel his wife is also tall, strikingly attractive with her Christlikeness coming through her stylishness. The sermon begins with this true story: “Last Monday Rachel and I were stopped at a stop light. Rachel looked out her window and said, “Well look at that!” Rio said, “I looked out her window and saw a construction site with a young, handsome, shirtless, muscular hunk working. Quickly I threw my shoulders back, pulled in my gut (as far as I could) and flexed my muscles. I was about to say something to her about how handsome and dashing a picture I was when the light changed and Rachel continued, “A new Taco Bell.” We all laughed. The point of the sermon was ‘When we look out the same window do you see Christ or are you distracted by lesser things. Rio is like Madeline L’Engle to our delight.

Barbara has gotten creatively green after reading the National Geographic. She is using Colorado’s 300 days of sunshine, dry climate and usual breeze hanging clothing on the line outside (she saved $30 last month on the electric bill). The sheets and clothing smell wonderful and refreshing.

Oswald Chambers did not write ‘My upmost for His highest.” His wife did. He died young. As part o her love for him and with some financial need she gathered up his letters, notes and papers – organized them and published them under his name. If Barbara goes senile or dies before I do and I can get to her 26 journals (so far). I can mine the gold from them just like the miners did here in Colorado. I will make a fortune, opps, I mean to say, I will bring a lot of blessings to people through her insights. She has the creativity and insights but she is missing the marketing spark to share her insights and ideas. If we are both promoted to glory then Steve and Kevin can share the wealth.

In developing our spiritual life through creativity the creative work –with words, wood, dirt, people, etc. has to have these qualities
1. It must point toward beauty
2. It must contribute to life, love and joy
3. It must contribute to longsuffering, patience, kindness,
4. It must contribute toward goodness, gentleness, self control
5. It must give some insight to God
6. It must give some insight to the human personality – hopefully our own.

I enjoy being creative in my devotions. Following is how I am approaching my daily devotional time with God.

A study of the parables of Jesus in the Gospels
1. Studied each parable and completed this chart on each parable (I like charts) – took about a year

a/Feelings found in the parable
Feelings marked with an * are identified in the text. The rest are my assumptions

b/Definition of feelings from the dictionary
( Feelings in the first column that are italicized are feelings of being in the Kingdom )

c/Teachings from the Parable

d/Summary of Teaching or Lessons to be learned

e/Prime Feeling from Psalm 150 Highlighted Here
F=Fear B=Beauty
P=Passion S=Surprise
sA=Sadness fR=Fragmented
E=Enjoyment L=Loud
broK=Brokeness loV=Love /Praise

2. Completed the following chart (took about 3 months)
Characters and Characteristics in the Parables of Jesus

a/ Characters listed
(Those in Italics are assumed and not part of the parable)

b/God like characteristics found in the parable

c/Human characteristics found in the parable

d/Subhuman characteristics found in the parable

e/Additional comments

3. Summarize lessons from books, commentaries on parables ( took about a month)

4. Select a word that summarizes the central truth of the parable. That word starts with a letter of the alphabet. I then type into a chart all the words from the dictionary staring with that letter that might be used in writing some prose about the story, which is most of the words. I look up the meaning of the words I don’t know – very interesting process.

5. Then I look at the words and write some prose. – the parable is
Luke 14:25-33 (KJV)

And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, [26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. [31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

The word selected is “Weigh” as in weigh these matters

The parable in prose
Walking with Jesus (being a disciple of Jesus) is 4 things 1) putting Christ first in all relationships, 2) taking up your God appointed responsibility, 3) forsaking all personal possessions (including things and awards, honors, etc.) but Him, and 4) following Him.

Waft, waddle, wander nor waltz into discipleship. Be wary and wakeful. Wait and weigh rather than wading in too soon. Later on you won’t want to be wan or to waiver. You don’t want head wagers to warble or wager that you are a waffler or a wastrel.

For instance if you are going to build a warren, watchtower or a warehouse near the wadi with wapiti and walleye you have to wonder if you have the wampum in your wallet to finish the wallboard, wallpaper, wainscoting, and water proofing; including a water closet. You don’t want to wail when the wag, waif, washerwoman or wain-wright wahoo on their walkie-talkies because you walked-away from it.

Or weigh a wanderlust, wayward, wanton, warmongering warlord coming at you wanting warfare. You are wagering your warriors, warheads, warhorses and warplanes against his ware. Should you wade in with war paint and war bonnet, do a war dance and go on the warpath or does your watch dog suggest warming up to him? He is not warmhearted, a waddy is not a wand and wavering will end.

He has warned you, are you watchful of the warning? This is not a waiting game, you could get a walloping! It is wacky to wallow in being wishy-washy! Or does watching warrant a wash? War is not a waggery situation. You don’t want to make a wasteland of or wager your kingdom or warp your wife into a wahine on his water bed wearing your wardrobe and wassailing while you wake as wastepaper in the washroom wastebasket. Your warder says get on or get off the wagon. You can’t wane in the face of the forces advancing. Consider waylaying him by sending a warrant officer with a wad to wangle a warranty as a way out of this.

There was so much material in each vowel that I have a prose from ‘w’ words that begin with ‘we’, ‘wh’, ‘wi’ and ‘wo’ in addition to the ‘wa’ above.

6. Finally there must be some application of this parable to my life so this is the final chart: (took about month then a life time to apply this parable)
Methods of personal response to Living in this life the way I will live in the Kingdom and the truths around it.

a/From the emotional section of the study.

b/From studies of other books on the Parables

c/Reflections in W (Weigh) on Living in the Kingdom NOW

There is also have a section on holiness teaching from each parable and any humor found in the parable.

Creative: adjective - making imaginative use of the limited resources available.

Harry

What have same sex relationships and kleptomania to do with each other?

The last week there has been a theological discussion in Swedish Christian papers about membership in a local church. The reason for this is that a church in Gothenburg, belonging to EFK (The Evangelival Free Church), has made membership open to people living in same sex relationships.

Here is one voice from an English speaking blog. (You can read the whole article here>>)
"There are so many different opinions and interpretations about the present theological “hot potatoes’ that one easily looses one’s way in its jungle. (Here, here, here, here and here… People question the way I relate to Scriptures where the Apostle Paul writes about homosexuality. Their statement is: “What did the apostle Paul really know about same-sex relations? There are so many new things that we have learned since New Testament times about the complexities of sexuality!”
----
“They make a good point”, I stated earlier. It is true that since the writings of the New Testament many more things have become clear to us; the (dark) wrestles of life and our soul have been brought to the surface and have been examined, analyzed, evaluated, and explained like never before.
I know that not everything we need to know about sex is right there on the pages of the Bible. Many authors who have written about sex and who researched sex had an awful lot of good things to say. Yet, I dare say that the Bible is my only and supreme authority on the subject of sex.
----
Well, here we finally come in on the subject of kleptomania…It is at this point that a parallel can be drawn to sexuality. The majority of the people living in the world today have probably a greater insight and knowledge about stealing than Moses ever had. In the Ten Commandments a simple and straightforward commandment is given: “You shall not steal!”
There is really no nuance nor is any explanation given about the way this should (could) be considered. There are no links to praxis, history, experiences or principles. You shall not steal. That’s it. Don’t steal; IT IS WRONG!

During my years as pastor in New Life Church Stockholm (www.newlife.nu) I have had to deal with some people who were compulsive thieves. When meeting with them, one thing they told me was the fact that they could not help doing it… they stole things that were of no interest or value to them, and yet, time after time they stole even if it meant that their relationships and trust with other people and friends got broken. The surge to steal was like a beast within them they could not handle.

In regards to this matter, there are major drives and issues which drive people into such destructive behavior. There are psychological, social and other issues involved… YET, time after time again I had to come back in my conversations with them to that same statement, or commandment: You shall not steal!

That statement did not give me room for interpretation, or nuances. It did not give room to wiggle. It was one of those “one liners”, almost too clear, too obvious… It was unnegotionable. A cold fact… You shall not steal. No explanation, no excuses. Although much reasoning and information could be brought into the matter, only one thing remained the same: “You shall not steal!”

The point I want to make is the following: when it comes to the basics, what is right and what is wrong; the Bible supersedes all other sources. It is our authoritative guide on ethical issues. Of course we will have to consider where the rubber hits the road; that’s in the praxis in our pastoral dimension. I know there are people who steal because they have nothing to eat, others because they have a responsibility for their families. Others because they have been abused and victimized by greedy economic systems (I will in the near future write more about greed and such systems). But no matter what we can give as explanation for our actions, stealing was, is and remains wrong!

In some occasions we choose to forgive and forget, in other occasions we counsel, yet in others we send people to jail. But no matter what the cause and circumstances might be the basics are: It is wrong to steal! In the discussion on the so-called “sin catalogues” which were used by Christians and churches 30-60 years ago we have heard time after time again how insensitive the Church has been. OK! Many leaders have crawled to the cross a number of time and affirmed their guilt in these matters… But we have to realize that the large majority of the people using “the sin catalogue arguments” have not received the kind of insensitive treatment they are relating to. It’s “hear-say” in most occasions. The Church, because of its historical guilt complex has gone the opposite direction and has allowed everything without nuances as an appeasement to the guilt memory.

In days past, conservative Christians have often done a terrible job in dealing with the complexities and nuances of human sexuality. But no matter what these complexities and nuances might be… the fact remains the same: the word of God remains true and it supersedes all other sources, whether they are endorsed or not by our society or ideologies. I might be politically incorrect but I will continue to follow His Word and Truth as a basic authority yet, with a heart open to be touched to be able understand the complexities people experience.

That’s the Way I see it!
John van Dinther"

US looking at Sweden

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
The Stockholm Syndrome
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

"It's not about being politically correct," she said. "For me, it's about being biblically correct."

Denverpost.com reports:
"LOS ANGELES—Miss California says she stands by her anti-gay-marriage comments, even if they may have cost her the Miss USA crown.
Carrie Prejean defended her views Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show, telling host Matt Lauer that she spoke from the heart during Sunday's pageant when she said that "marriage should be between a man and a woman."

Prejean, who was named first runner-up at the pageant, told Lauer that she knew "at that moment after I'd answered the question, I knew that I was not going to win because of my answer." Still, she stands by her statements.

"I don't take back what I said," she told Lauer, adding that she "had spoken from my heart, from my beliefs and for my God."

"It's not about being politically correct," she said. "For me, it's about being biblically correct."

Read more Denverpost.com>>

Reflections of an old Codger

Guest blogger: Harry Brocksieck
Harry and Barbara Brosckieck are retired Salvation Army officers from the Central Territory in the USA. They have also served at the Eastern European Training College in Finland.

Marriage: a legally recognized relationship, established by a civil or religious ceremony, between a man and a woman who intend to live together as sexual and domestic partners.

At about the age of 14 I started praying for a wife. I knew I did not want to be single all my life - I only tolerated singleness for the next few years because I had to. My prayers would be fulfilled by someone - if lighter complected like Marilyn Monroe or on the darker side like Gina Lolabrigeada. A few years later just before entering CFOT at Youth Council several candidates for that session were talking to Major Peggy Foster, who graded our candidate’s lessons. I said to her, "I can’t find the answer to the ‘Golden Mean’. " This candidate whom I did not know walked by and said, "I know where that is found." Peggy said, "Barbara, would you write to Harry and tell him where to find the answer." (Amazing how stupidity sometimes pays off!) Now having just met her and thinking about her all day and while driving home that Saturday night in order to conduct the meetings at the corps the next day the sky opened and the Lord Himself revealed to me the most beautiful woman in the world who was going to be my wife - she didn’t know this, all she had said was, "I know where to find the answer." Now she wasn’t as glitzy as Marilyn or Gina but much more beautiful.

Barbara was a huge step up for me. Her parents were rich mine poor. She was a college grad, I did make it through high school. She was an English teacher. Englash were my worstest subject in school. I used to write very small for two reasons, 1) we did not have money to buy school paper so I wrote small to conserve paper, and 2) I would rather have the teacher chastise me for my poor penmanship than for my stupidity for poor gramma and not being able to spelt. Devyn, my 5 year old granddaughter, can count to 100 - forward and backward, read and spell but I had to stay home from first grade until I could count to 100 and say my ABCs. At CFOT Barbara, Bill, Tom, Ted and a few others were in the smart classes.... When the CFOT staff discovered that Barbara was interested in me she went from having a perfect score on her Review to dropping a whole point. So Barbara had her work cut out for herself when Colonel Trip welcomed folks to our wedding and Colonel Pepper pronounced us husband and wife.

Marriage, like having children, is the most wonderful and most painful of all human experiences.
Learning and growing, facing challenges while trying to be ministers with the demands of husbanding /wifeing and parenting revealed that there is both joy and pain in working out a relationship!

Here are some secrets to avoiding pain and turning pain into productivity and that ‘wonderful’ noted above:
1. Discover what God has in mind for your spouse - cooperate with Him
2. Be honest with each other
3. Be patient with each other - she isn’t perfect, I am not as perfect as I think I am
4. Forgive each other
5. Read ‘The Five Languages of Love’ then give her/him what s/he needs
6. Get help when you need it - there are people (not family) who can help
7. Forgive yourself
8. Start each new day as the first day of a new life
9. Don’t give up

Our friend Joy gave us a hand painted plaque with a poem by Browing that hangs in our bedroom:
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life
For which the first was made.
Our times are in His hand,
Who saith, :”A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half;
Trust God: see all, nor be afraid! “

Now almost 44 years later the best is in each ‘today’ that is lived! The ‘wonderful’ has come.
Marriage: A close union, blend, or mixture

Blessings,
Harry