I caught part of a korero (talk) given by my neighbour Sam at the last Te Haerenga. We talked about all sorts of things, but Sam was always able to relate the scripture or topics to culture identity, being Maori (or Irish, or First Nations, Sri Lankan, Hebrew...) and to the ministry of home.

I am not even sure where to begin...on top of listening to him talk at the marae, I'm in a Bible study with him every week too...I should have been taking notes...hindsight is always 20/20. Anyhow...we're looking at Nehemiah...it was kind of chosen by default. Hanna (Sam's daughter and one of my other next door neighbours) asked a question about Nehemiah because she was reading something and it became our focus. There you go. Anyhow...Nehemiah is about rebuilding and that's what the Maori are doing in some many ways; rebuilding their cultural identity, rebuilding their language, their homes, their whanuas, and their values. It's hard work to rebuild especially when there is opposition like there was in Nehemiah.

So...why Nehemiah? Sam asked us that question and then said because he had vision. Vision. I feel as though I have met so many visionary people and that I had a pretty good idea what it meant to be visionary. Sam shed some light on the meaning of the word vision. He referred to the scripture that had the word vision in it (I forgot which one) and said that it referred to a scroll being unrolled and its contents being revealed and it meant (in this scripture...something about people being without vision....anyone?), "The unfolding of the mind, will and purpose of God". I like that. I want vision.

NEXT.

Then he was talking about when a couple of John's disciples asked him where he was staying and instead of saying, "oh, I live with my mom and dad over there and my dad and I have a carpentry shop", he said, "Come with me" and he took them there. Sam's purpose of pointing out this little tidbit was to share how important home is as a place (if not THE place) for ministry. Then he pointed out that a number of things Jesus did were in homes too...water into wine, healing the paralytic, meals etc. Home. Create a place where he can dwell and people want to come and spend time in your home. Not just the power of home but a sense of family and how it can heal people to see and live in and be in a sense of family.

Where do you live?

The next thing was about the shakers, feelers and insiders.

Shakers don't get to close to you, they may not even look at you, but just shake you a bit and then make their best guesses as to what you are like and what you need etc (gov't, sometimes the church, researchers). How would that make you feel?

Feelers still won't look at you, but they will get close enough to touch and poke, maybe ask a few good intentioned questions (that serve their own purposes of defining who you are rather than letting you tell them who you are or taking the time to actually get to know you). Maybe even be friendly just to get those answers too, and then leave.

Insiders are the people that actually take the time to have a relationship, get to know you, see and experience your life. YOU...are an insider...you know yourself. You know best (well God knows best, but you usually have a pretty good idea what you need etc. and what your life is really like).

I kept thinking of ministering to people in the world and wondering how often Christians have been shakers and feelers rather than insiders. Jesus was most definitely an insider. I hate to admit that I have been both a shaker and a feeler. I have stereotyped, judged, and misunderstood people.

What are you?

This was such a random post. Sorry. Random thoughts just have to come out sometimes.

What other random thoughts have I been having you ask? Well, I can't stop thinking about how many sleeps it is until I get to see Nolan (19) and I have thought about weaving and whether or not Canadian customs will let me keep the things I have made (it's plant material) and I keep wondering what the heck I am going to do for a 6 hour layover in San Fransisco after a 15 hour flight from Auckland. Yep. That's it for now.