For the last several months I have been experiencing a lot more Dee dah days! I feel more joyful now than perhaps at anytime in my ministry. I love what I do and I love the people I work with. Everyday really does feel like a gift. I feel more joy in my life and a deep gratitude for my friends, my family, and the ministry I have.

I first came across the phrase ‘dee dah day’ from reading John Ortberg’s book, ‘The Life You Always Wanted’. In one of his chapters, Ortberg writes about the time he was giving a bath to his children, all three of them in the tub at one time. One of his children, his youngest girl, got out of the tub and ran around and around in circles singing, ‘Dee dah day, Dee dah day”. Ortberg says her dancing was an expression of her great joy. She was so happy she couldn’t hold it in any longer. So, she burst into song and dance to release her joy. She was celebrating life.  But, Ortberg confesses that he was unable to celebrate with her. Bathing his kids was just something he was trying to get through. He looked at it as something that needed to be done but wasted precious time and delayed him from doing other important things. In other words, he was unable to be fully present to his daughter and celebrate with her in her moment of joy.

I think about how many times that has happened in my own life. Preoccupation with self can rob us of opportunities for joy. Do you know any people around you that are bored? Sure you do!  Walker Percy has said it well, boredom is “self stuffed with the self.” People who are joyful are seldom bored. They see possibilities for life and hope in every situation. My guess is that joy must be at the very heart of our Creator. And, if we miss joy in this short life we have, then we will miss living life fully alive.

A couple of weeks ago I had a Dee dah day! My dear friend and fellow minister, Steve Blanchard and his sweet wife, Susan, adopted two Chinese babies a few years ago. Their youngest daughter, Menlee, who now attends preschool at our church invited me to be her guest at preschool for Hero Day. Wow! I was so excited! I always wanted to be a hero!  The fact that I was her hero for that day was exhilarating! (Thanks to Steve and Susan for saying good things about me to their daughters)! I quickly posted the photo of Menlee and myself on Facebook last week. That day at preschool with Menlee was a ‘Dee dah day’ for me! Actually, I have been having a lot of ‘Dee dah days’ lately. Whether taking some of our new American children from Nepal for ice cream at Chick-fil- et, or going trick or treating on Halloween with our International students at VCU, or just having lunch with some of our newly Divorce Recovery participants, I am having some of the best and most joyful times in my life.

I think the possibility for having Dee dah days are all around us. Doesn’t seem strange that the people often closest to suffering seem to have the most joy!

May you have a Dee dah day real soon!

Dee dah day, Dee dah day, Dee dah day!

Ralph Starling

Last week I had the sad occasion to perform a funeral for a lovely young lady that gave up on life to soon. She was known for her enthusiasm for life and bubbly personality. Her family and friends said of her that she never met a stranger! And yet, behind her winsome personality and zest for life was a deep feeling of despair. She was struggling with a messy separation and divorce and had finally reached the point of letting hope go. For those of us at her graveside it was an emotionally difficult experience to process, especially as we witnessed her dear mother burying her only beloved child. It was a dark day. All who knew and loved her were seeking some word of hope or ray of light within the darkness of that moment.

How easy it is to feel on top of the world somedays, and, then, to suddenly find ourselves at the bottom of a dung heap a few days later. It happens to good people everyday all around us. It may even be happening to you right now.

At Richmond’s First Baptist Church we are currently hosting our Fall Divorce Recovery Workshop with approximately 120 participants who now find themselves walking through ‘the valley of the shadow of death’. Overwhelmed by grief and loss of hope these participants are seeking to find ways to begin again. It is not easy journey when your relationship crashes and you are trying to sort out exactly what happened. In addition, some of the people you hoped you could count in your time of despair have left the neighborhood. Only God knows why? But, it is during these times of abandonment and nakedness that courage can be borne anew. Part of becoming stronger is the ability to forgive oneself  as well as the other person.  There is a saying in our Divorce Recovery Workshop from Jim Smoke, author of Growing through Divorce, ”In divorce you always get custody of yourself.” Learning to take responsibility for one’s own failures and shortcomings is one of the keys to emotional and spiritual well-being. It requires courage to admit your failures and acknowledge one’s own shame that often binds you.

One of the many reasons I am not an atheist, as popular as that belief may be today, is because of the person of Jesus. People may not like some Christians, and maybe even for good reasons. But they can hardly find any fault with Jesus. The more I become aware of the beliefs of other religious systems, the more I love and value the way Jesus related to all kinds of people. If one is able to strip away some of the sloppy agape that is dished out by some in our Christian religious culture, one might be surprised to discover the freshness and radical love of God through Christ. Recently, Franciscan priest and writer, Richard Rohr, captured a sense of hope for me in one of his daily devotionals:

“Christians indeed have a strange image of God: a naked , bleeding man, dying on a cross. It is not what you would think the image of God could be or should be. Is God eccentric here, or is it we who have not diagnosed the human situation correctly?

Jesus receives our hatred and does not return it. He suffers and does not make the other suffer. He does not first look at changing others, but pays the price of change within himself. He absorbs the mystery of human sin rather than passing it on. He does not use his suffering and death as power over others to punish them, but as power over others to transform them. He includes and forgives the sinner instead of hating him, which would only continue the pattern of hate. Amazing that people cannot see that! It is interesting that Jesus identifies forgiveness with breathing (John 20:22-23), the one thing that you have done constantly since you were born and until you die. He says forgiveness is like breathing. Forgiveness is not apparently something God does; it is who God is. God can do no other.”

—adapted from Hope Against Darkness, by Richard Rohr

Perhaps if this young lady had been able to find her way to our Divorce Recovery Workshop or some other support group  the outcome of her life might have been different. She might have discovered a future with hope. During last week’s funeral service one of her friends stood up and asked what lessons can we learn from this tragic loss of our dear friend? The response from the back of the room, “Maybe after this service today we should go home and call someone who needs to know that they are loved and valued!” That would be one good way we could honor the memory of our dear friend.

Is there someone who needs to hear from you today?

Grace and forgiveness always,

Ralph Starling

When I returned home from my vacation in California last week I discovered that my dog, Baby, was not doing well. She has been losing weight and had lost her appetite. I took her to the emergency veternarian clinic in Careytown the next day. They checked her out and her vital signs were normal. But they had no idea what was wrong with her. They offered to do more tests on her. I asked them, “How much is this going to cost?” “About $500,” the doctor answered. I paused and then replied, “I don’t think I can afford that.” I thought to myself, “I have already spent $200 in the last few minutes here. I  could spend thousands of dollars trying to find out what is going on with Baby and still there would be no guarantee that her health would be restored. After all, she is almost 12 years old now. That is getting old for a dog.”  So, I took Baby back to the car returned home where she could rest as I pondered what to do next. I was hoping for some kind of miracle.

For the next several days Baby continued to get weaker. I tried to feed her soft food like rice and chicken, but she ate very little of it. When I tried to feed her by forcing food into her mouth she would just turn her head away from me. After church last Sunday I returned home just in time. Baby was in the back yard sprawled out on all four legs. She was struggling and  gasping for breath. I knew the end of her life was near. I reached down and picked her up and brought her inside my home. I rubbed her stomach and put water on her tongue. About 30 minutes later she took her last breath. She became very still. I knew life had finally departed from her body. Her frail little body had finally given up. I cried.

Baby and I shared some great years together. I first saw her as she was running wild in the sleepy little town of Marion, Alabama. She looked to have been about one-year old then and must have been abandoned by her owner. For several days I tried to get close to her! But she was fearful. And, she was wild and fast! But, I could tell she had a gentleness to her that made me want to hold her. Finally, after three days of pursuit I managed to catch her by enticing her with food. A few days later she became a Virginian.

Now, I am flooded with memories of Baby. I remember just days before my father died I picked up Baby and sat her up on the bed next to my Dad. My Dad immediately awakened. He loved Baby. When he saw Baby his face lighted up, and he reached over  and began petting her. Baby gave him great joy during his final days of life.  Last May I took Baby on her first ministerial staff retreat. It was there that she experienced her first boat ride! She had never been in a boat before and was a little apprehensive at first. But, the ministerial staff gave her special attention and soon she began feeling right at home on the boat as we cross the lake. She was so happy!

Watching Baby’s life depart from her body reminds me once again how fleeting life is for all of us. In times like these I fall back on the affirmation that there is a loving Creator who has a design and purpose for all of us and all living creatures. Death is part of that design. And, I like to imagine, as the Apostle Paul did, that some day our loving and good Creator will reconcile the whole creation to Himself. I believe God loves and values all His creation. I like to believe that someday He will redeem it (Romans 8).

Now my home seems empty and I feel a her absence, especially at night. There is no Baby to feed and pet in the morning. There is no Baby to walk with in the neighborhood. There is no Baby to sit with on the sofa in the evening.

As I stood over her grave last night I thought about how easy it is for us to become emotionally attached to our pets. Call me crazy, but I like to think that our pets, like Baby, and all of God’s creatures will ultimately end up where they began—with their loving Creator. I believe Baby is loved and valued by her Creator. I hope she felt loved and valued by me.

Love and Grace to everything,

Ralph

Today was my day off. I usually try to take Fridays off, at least sometimes. It was noontime and I decided to make a quick stop by the church to pick up my mail. I was in and out of the building in a minute. Just as I was about to get in my car a young man (who looked like he had been sleeping in his clothes) approached me on the street and asked if he could take a shower at the church. He said, “I haven’t had a shower in several days.”  ”Jordan is my name,” he said, “and I am from Maine.” “Jordan,” I responded, “the shower facilty is closed today. But if you walk around to the side entrance of the church there will be a lady at the front desk who can provide you information about showers and clean clothes.” I gave him my business card, he thanked me and went on his way. I got in my car and drove away, thankful to be back in my air-conditioned car. I drove about two blocks with Jordan still on my mind. I wondered about his life, what his childhood was like, and the things that may have brought him to his current situation.

Then, I made a u-turn and drove back to the church. Luckily, I caught Jordan just as he was leaving the church with a community ministry brochure in his hand. I pulled up beside him and asked, “Did you get the information you needed about a shower and clothes?”  ”Yes,” he said. “I will be back here at 10 a.m. in the morning.” “Great!” I said. And asked, “So, where are you headed now?”  ”Nowhere,” Jordan responded. “Just walking.” “Have you had lunch?” I asked. “Nope, he responded. “Would you like to have lunch?” I responded. “Sure, and he hopped in my car! I took him to one of my favorite places—Bandito’s Mexican Restaurant.

After spending an hour together at lunch I learned much more about Jordan. Jordan is 21 years old and loves organic food. He hopes to have a garden someday. He graduated from high school and is a certified electrician. He loves to read books on psycology and especially enjoys reading the works of Carl Jung. During his childhhod he was physically abused and has spent many years in a community home. I felt some sadness from Jordan as he shared about some of his family relationships. For the last several years Jordan has been walking. He has traveled all over the United States and as far west as Seattle. Jordan says he feels free. He sleeps wherever he can and seems to enjoy his life of traveling by foot. He says some people call him a hobo.  But Jordan doesn’t mind. He says he is on a mission—to love everyone he meets. So, Jordan keeps walking and meeting people. Who knows where he will show up next? Or, who might be his next new friend? It happened to me today. It might be you next week!

Several months ago our Pastor, Jim Somerville, and I were riding in a car together when he noticed a homeless man walking down the street (perhaps one of the many people dependent on our church for food and clothing). Jim pointed to the man and said, “Look Ralph! There goes one of God’s favorite people.”  Yes, indeed. He loves all His children. I bet you are one of His favorites, too!

May grace happen to you!

Ralph Starling

They did it! Congratulations to Uma Sapkota and Krishna Dangal! They just graduated from Henrico High School last Wednesday. What makes their graduation special is that they arrived in Richmond, Virginia, just 30 months ago. Uma and Krishna were born and raised in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, a two days drive from the city of Kathmandu. “Living in Richmond is a totally different experience from living in a bamboo hut with dirt floors and outdoor bathrooms,” says Uma. Krishna adds, “The area of Nepal we lived in is very tropical. Our refugee camp was located nearby a river next to a jungle. It was not unusual for snakes, especially cobras, to find their way into camp. People often died from snakebites, especially in the summer.” At the refugee camp the Bhutanese were dependent on relief organizations to supply food, health care, and education. Uma proclaims, “Here in Richmond we have can have jobs and pay everything— our rent, our food, and medical care. We feel free here. We have equal rights. The Nepalese government treated us badly.”

Over twenty years ago both Uma and Krishna’s family were forced to flee Bhutan and seek refuge in Nepal because of persecution. Both girls were born and raised in a refugee camp. The Nepalese goverenment was not happy about having so many refugees come to their country. At one time over 100,000 Bhutanese resided in refugee camps in Nepal. Many have now been resettled throughout the world. Approximately 60,000 Bhutanese refugees are currently being resettled in the United States. Almost 500 of our new Bhutanese friends have now been arrived here in Richmond.

Last week several of us from Richmond’s First Baptist Church attended their high school graduation at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Seigel Center. It was a wonderful day of celebration! For Uma and Krishna graduation was a dream come true. Adapting to a new culture and mastering a new language is not for lazy people. For those of us from Richmond’s First Baptist Church, watching them graduate was like seeing a little of heaven come to earth. It is a joyful feeling knowing that we have become family.

Bright, gracious, and humble are some of the words that best describe the spirit of Uma and Krishna. They love learning and they realize more than most 18 year-old teenagers the value of having a good education. They know that the future well-being of their families depends on them. They realize they have a unique opportunity that many people in our world only dream about.

With a big smile Uma exclaims, “Graduating from high school is a great feeling. When I lived in Nepal I had no idea what I would do with my life. Here in Richmond, Virginia, I have a future! Here, I feel I can do anything!”

Uma and Krishna are headed to college this August. They expressed their gratitude to Lindsey McClintock, minister at First Baptist Church, and Jessica Lilley, a college student at Virginia Commonwealth University, for all their help in tudoring and coaching them as they prepare to enter college.

What a delight to have Uma and Krishna, and their families here in Richmond. Of course, they are just a few of the many immigrant families arriving in America today. All of them are beloved by God. All of them are our new sisters and brothers. Sometimes I have the feeling that we may need them more than they need us.

Uma and Krishna did it! And now, they are ready for their next great adventure.

The best is yet to be!

Cheers to Uma and Krishna!

Nemaste!

Ralph Starling

I just returned from vacationing in sunny south Georgia where my family resides. It was good. Really good! I played golf with my brothers, and took long walks with my dog, Baby. Each day was slow. Each day I would take my two nieces and my nephew to their favorite restaurant, Chick Filet. Much of the time I just sat around the kitchen table talking with my Mom and drinking a lot of ice tea. In other words, it was not a working vacation.

Years ago I remember reading a little book by Tim Hansel entitled, ‘When I Relax I Feel Guilty’. His major thought was that many of us in America do not know how to relax. And when we do, we feel guilty. What is it about us that makes us feel that we have to constantly be producing something to earn our worth and value? What would happen if we just let go of our need to always be in control? Maybe, if we could let go of our need to impress others we might enjoy God more and especially our relationships with one another. We might actually have more fun living!

Here is the paradox: when we are able to let go and relax a very interesting thing often happens— we begin to see things with a fresh perspective. Our energy and enthusiasm returns and our creativity flows again.

Brian Eno, composer, muscian, producer, (U2, Talking Heads, Roxy Music) describes his creative process works:

“The difficulty of always feeling that you ought to be doing something is that you tend to undervalue the times when you’re aparently doing nothing, and those are very important times. It’s the equivalent of the dream time, in your daily life, times when things get sorted out and reshuffled. If you’re constantly awake work-wise you don’t allow that to happen. One of the reasons I have to take distinct breaks when I work is to allow the momentum of a particular direction to run down, so that another one can establish itself.”

All of this is to say that I had a wonderful time during the past week doing nothing. I feel refreshed, renewed and ready to help God bring the kingdom of Heaven to Richmond again.

So much— for doing nothing!

Ralph

Today, May 21, 2011, the world was predicted to end. Every few years someone (usually a fundamentalist religious person) will predict the end of the world. However, you and I are still here! But, for some people their time on earth did end today. The sobering fact is that our lives are brief and we need to choose carefully how we will use our time and what we choose to love. Actually, there is only time for love. I like these words written by Pedro Arrupe entitled, ‘Falling in Love’:

“What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love. Stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

One of the joys of my vocation is getting to work with a pastor and team of ministers who love what they do, and really want to make a difference in the world.  This week we are going on a staff retreat to re-imagine what the kingdom of Heaven might look like if it were to arrive in Richmond, Virginia. For the next three days we will share our ideas and dreams for our ministries and how we can better love people in the Spirit of Christ. Most of us tend to love only the people who look and sound like us. So, we hang out in our circles with people just like us. Mother Teresa’s expresses it well with these words, “The problem with the world is that we draw our family circle to small.” Most of us have experienced being in groups that have drawn their circles to small. But, we can help change that. Today is a new day. We have another chance to open our eyes and embrace people who might be a little different from us. These are people who really need our love. Everyone needs love!

For most of us on this planet the world did not end today. But, life is fleeting and our day of departure will come. Someone has said, “Maybe we should greet every person as if it were the first time we met them and the last time we will ever see them.” In order to do that we will need to live life like Erwin McManus. Erwin is a filmmaker, activist, innovator, author, and pastor of Mosiac church in Los Angeles. I love to read anything written by Erwin McManus.

In his book, ‘Wide Awake’, Erwin says, “We need to live wide awake because there are diseases killing millions and we need to find a cure, famines leaving multitudes starving and we need to provide food, economies leaving families homeless and we need to create opportunities for work and wealth, genocide that must be stopped, slavery that must be ended, water wells that must be dug, children who need to be loved, relationships that need to be healed, elderly who need to be cared for, beauty that needs to be created, futures that need to be saved, and dreams that we must not let die or go unfulfilled.” McManus continues, “There is a future that needs to be created, and it is waiting for you and me to wake up and get out of bed. The alarm has sounded, and it is time to shake off the slumber.”

Today we are still here on this planet. If you have been sleepwalking, it is time to wake up and start dreaming wide awake. Let’s make the world a better place! May each breath we take be an inspiration from God. It’s time to live, to create, to imagine, to dream. It’s not to late!

Let’s fall in love!

Ralph

Remember Leo Buscaglia? I came across one of his books hidden away on my book shelf last week. Sadly, he died back in 1998, but, his books and video lectures continue to impact the lives of people around the world. His full name was Felice Leonardo Buscaglia and he was born into an Italian immigrant family that moved to the United States when he was a boy.  Leo became a professor at the University of Southern California and was a popular author and lecturer. He was a big hit among students for teaching the first ever Love 1A class at the university. His talks were some of the most popular ever featured on PBS television during the 1980′s and 1990′s.

I want to share with you an excerpt from one of his lectures that caught my eye from his book, ‘Living, Loving, and Learning’:

“You can make the decision tonight to drop these crazy, self-defeating ideas, and to be all that God intended you to be, which is the least thing you can do for God. How dare you die without becoming all that you are! And you can do it by making the decision to do it. It’s as easy as that. That’s the way change occurs, and change is always possible….But I warn you that if you decide to take full responsibility for your life, it is not going to be easy, and you’re going to have to learn to risk again. Risk— the key to change.

I always tell, and write about it, and many of you heard this a thousand times, but I love it so much. It was in Love class one night when a girl said, ‘I know why I’m so despairing all the time. It’s because I want to be loved by everybody, and that’s a human impossibility. I could be the most delectable, the most delicious, the most wondrous peach in the world, and I could offer it to everybody. But there are people who are allergic to peaches. Then they may want me to be a banana.’ And so often we become a banana for other people who want peaches. What a messy fruit salad. Isn’t it all right to say to them, ‘I am sorry I cannot be a banana. I would love to be a banana if I could for you, but I am a peach.’  And you know what? If you wait long enough, you’ll find a peach lover. And then you can live your life as a peach, and you don’t have to live your life as a banana. All the lost energy it takes to be a banana, when you’re a peach!

I have thought about all the times in my own life when I tried to be something that I wasn’t just so I could be liked. But, I was always at my best when I was just being me. Maybe that has been your experience, too?

Buscaglia closes his talk with the following: “To keep you hidden, to lose you because of self-defeating ideas is to die. Don’t let that happen. Your greatest responsibility is to become everything that you are, not only for your benefit, but for mine.”

I miss Leo Buscaglia! I miss his spirit, his transparency, and the courage he showed in just being himself. Some of us are bananas and some of us are peaches. Maybe we should all relax and just be ourselves. Perhaps this is what God really wants most from us.

Cheers!

Ralph

p.s. Should Richmond’s First Baptist Church offer a class like Buscaglia’s Love 1A!

Easter is here and just in time! No matter what our religious perspective, everyone needs a new beginning. I need Easter. Most people need to be reminded from time to time that they are loved, valued, and forgiven. Maybe you have been chasing hope and are eager to begin again with your life. Maybe you need Easter as much as I do. Easter gives me hope! The Easter event reminds me that I am not alone and that my Creator believes in me and blesses my humanness and very personhood. Knowing that I am loved provides me with the foundation for joy and strength! But, I often need to be reminded.

About 2000 years ago the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8).” If we believe that is true then you and I should live our lives with a little more courage and joy. Of course, as humans we sometimes lose ourselves chasing after all kinds of illusions this world offers. It is so easy to be fooled. We pursue things that are so fleeting and false. And, we are often tempted to create for ourselves a pedestal so that we can feel extra special, or be noticed by others. But, sooner or later, we discover that our needs go deep, that what we have is not enough. We still feel empty. We seem to be on a constant quest for more and more. Eventually, our lives become so frustrating that we find ourselves in a similar situation as the two young brothers in Jesus parable of the Prodical Son (Luke 15).

In some ways my life seems simpler now. Yes, I like to be affirmed from time to time. But, I don’t have a need to be president of anything, elected to any political office, or to become rich and famous. I have known a few people who have enjoyed that kind of success. And, I have known others who could have used a little bit of ego transformation. What I most desire is to live life fully alive. My biggest challenge is to discover the strength within myself (with the help of God) to become a more loving and grace-giving person.

If you are feeling flat or disillusioned this Easter, I invite you to remember that the One who knows you the best, loves you the most. This Easter is the perfect time to begin living with a transformed heart and a new vision. There is something very freeing about knowing that we are loved by our Creator just as we are— whether we ever change or not. That really is good news!

In the Christian Scriptures there is a beautiful symbol called ‘baptism’. It is for followers of Christ who have decided that they want to love the people Jesus loves—which is everyone. It is the practice of being lowered under water (death to old ways of seeing and doing) and being raised up out of the water (a new way of seeing and doing) into a new life. Because of Jesus’ resurrection from death, baptism is a celebration for Christ-followers that signifies new life—the resurrected life.

Today marks a new beginning.

May His grace become an event for you, too!

Practice Resurrection!

Ralph

Every Sunday thousands of sermons are preached in churches throughout the world. Many of those sermons inspire and challenge listeners to act or respond to some need in the world. But, the vast majority of sermons preached everyday are not from the pulpit of a church, but from the lives of ordinary people living and working in their communities and neighborhoods. Perhaps you have heard this phrase, “The best sermons are lived, not preached!”

Last Wednesday evening I spent almost two hours with Julie and Warren Pierce at Panera Bread. We shared our dreams for our ministry and the ways we could help our new American friends from Nepal. We discussed how we could continue to help them feel loved and nurtured by the Christian community of Richmond’s First Baptist Church. It was almost 10 p.m. when we left the restaurant. As I walked to my car I had an overwhelming sense of fulfilment from my conversation with Warren and Julie! It is always refreshing to be with people whose mission is to help others feel loved and valued. Warren and Julie’s passion and love is contagious! I am reminded over and over again how this ministry is impacting the lives of our new American friends and even their families in Nepal. But, it is also impacting the lives of people right here who volunteer to help our new American friends—people like Julie and Warren.

Julie and Warren have been married for 24 years. They confess that they have had their share of challenges in life. But, they are people of faith. Some people complain about the world. Warren and Julie have chosen to do something about it. They live their lives loving and helping others. Their willingness to get involved with the new Americans has endeared them to the Nepalese community. Warren and Julie say that they have never been more excited about their lives! They are examples of how church is at its best when people are released to live out their passion for life and ministry.

For the last two years they have spent almost every week recruiting volunteers, collecting and distributing clothes, furniture, and appliances. They have been in the homes of numerous families celebrating special occasions like birthdays, new babies, and family celebrations of one kind or another. They have helped adults to find jobs, and have planned festivals, and community gatherings. On Sunday mornings they share the gospel stories of Jesus and have conversations with the Nepalese about their culture and religious beliefs.

The following is a brief sketch of a portion of my conversation with the Pierce’s at Panera Bread:

Ralph: What do you love most about the new American ministry?

Julie: I love the way it makes me feel!

Warren: I love the people!

Ralph: And, what would you say that this ministry has given you?

Julie: Joy!

Warren: A sense of purpose! It has driven home to me how blessed we are as a nation and as a people.

Julie: How free we are!

Warren: How extravagant we are!

Julie: How incumbered we are with all our stuff! I don’t think I have ever received more unconditional love!

Ralph: Yes! Our Bhutanese friends know how to practice hospitality!… You have been helping transport our friends to church for a couple of years now.  How do you think the new American ministry has impacted Richmond’s First Baptist Church?

Warren: It has forced some people to step out of their comfort zone….We are just trying to be their friends and help them navagate their way as they become Americans. It is gratifying to celebrate their successes and to see them do well…and, to know that we had a part in that…that we helped to make a difference in their lives. … We haven’t done much—just being their friends. Seeing them happy, seeing their pride as they learn new things, and watching their families grow…they are figuring it out!

Julie: I want to say again how much this ministry means to me… There is nothing better! It has strengthened our marriage. There is nothing better than being able to work alongside one’s spouse with common goals and sharing a common ministry.  We experience frustration and joy together as we work with the new Americans. We are in it together!  This ministry is just like marriage! We help each other get through the challenges. We encourage each other! Most of the problems we have are petty problems. We really don’t have any problems!…We wish more people would share in this blessing! The heartbreak is that many people are missing these blessings!

During the past couple of years Julie and Warren Pierce have given countless sermons! Not from the pulpit, but from the neighborhoods where they serve and love others. Julie and Warren remind us that ‘the best sermons are lived, not preached.’ Wasn’t it St. Augustine who said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel, and if necessary use words”?

Blessings,

Ralph

p.s. the photo above is that of Warren and Julie with a lovely Bhutanese lady, Tika Ghimirey, who spent most of her life in a refugee camp in Nepal. She lives in Richmond now with her family and is now employed at a local hospital.

Please note: The Bhutanese are originally from the country Bhutan but were forced to leave because of persecution. Approximately 100,000 Bhutanese have lived in refugee camps in Nepal, many for over 18 years. They are resettling in countries around the world. We call them our new American friends!