Back in the Groove

I have been back to work now at Shelter Rock for three weeks now and it is good to be back. Having been away I have truly come to appreciate who I work with and the privilege of the kind of work that I do.

A surprising highlight of being back was preaching at a nursing home. It is sort of a captive audience but it was a whole lot of fun telling them about my trip abroad.

I also enjoyed preaching at Hicksville. It is a much smaller venue but it has an intimacy that makes it unique.

The challenge will remain getting everything that needs doing done but there is no doubt I was born to this stuff.

Good to be back.

Sabbatical comes to a close

It is now the last week of my two-month sabbatical from Shelter Rock Church. It has been a good two months. I have visited 15 churches, traveled to Mongolia, taken a seminary class (with all the accompanying reading and writing) and enjoyed a week of rest at a beach home that was offered to us. It was a busy sabbatical but the change of pace was great.

I look forward to preaching again at Shelter Rock Hicksville Saturday and Manhasset this Sunday. I also look forward to attending the Leadership Summit this week in Syosset.

I was asked recently, “What did the Lord say to you while you were on sabbatical?” Great question. As I pondered the answer I had to say that he revealed many things about myself, the church and the nature of who the Lord is. What I need to do now is process the many things He has taught me.

Lasting Friendships

This Sunday I attended both services of my former church Parkview Community. It was great to see that the church is doing very well but what made the day special was reconnecting with friends. I felt like working the door and greeting each person. One of the great things about the community of faith is that there is every reason for friendships to last. My only regret was not having Michel nearby to share the moment.

I also drove up to Michigan to visit an old Amtrak friend who recently had bypass surgery. It was great to spend time with him and hopefully encourage him. He is not a believer and he has been a good friend for 23 years. I continue to pray for and with him.

As I am writing I am sitting in my class (not yet begun) here at Trinity in Deerfield Il. I am looking forward to a week of learning and anticipating what the Lord will teach me. This class challenges us to evaluate the church we are at for being Biblically rooted and healthy. In my preparation I have had to pause several times to thank the Lord for what he is doing at Shelter Rock. Leaving Parkview to come to Shelter Rock was not the loss of friends but the addition of new ones.

Getting Stretched

Today I was inspired and stretched. I visited 4 churches. I expected to attend 2 but as I was driving I was led to visit 2 others.

The first church was North Shore Baptist Church in the Bayside area. The service, according to the web, was to start at 9:00AM. When I arrived, I saw they were bringing all their chairs out to the front lawn. They were having a 4th of July outdoor service to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in this country. I saw my friend, Pastor Ed Moore, and enjoyed the service with about 350 people. As I sat there worshiping, I was mindful that 1st Baptist of Flushing planted this church in 1933 and our church in 1943. It is great to see both of these “planted” congregations thriving and reproducing.

I then hopped on my scooter and headed to the “mother” church, 1st Baptist of Flushing. On the way I passed the Assemblies of God on Sanford Avenue. I could not resist taking a peek so I stopped and went inside, met the pastor, and stayed for part of the worship. This church is not doing as well and I used the time to pray for them. I then headed for 1st Baptist and was able to stay and enjoy the whole service. The church is unique in that it is a church with Spanish, Chinese, and English congregations under single leadership. God is continuing to bless this diverse church.

I thought I was done for the day but as I was heading home, I noticed on the corner of Utopia and Northern Blvd was a synagogue with a permanent sign advertising a meeting of “Living Faith Community Church” at 12:30 PM. I could not resist so I went in and found a vibrant PCA evangelical congregation of about 150 people meeting in a beautiful auditorium.

This morning’s Newsday talked about how synagogues, strapped for cash, have been opening their doors to churches and the same day I read about it, I get to visit one that is thriving. My mind once again was moving. Several years ago, 1st Baptist planted several churches and we are the fruit of those plants, synagogues are opening their doors for churches to meet in them – can you see where my mind is going? At SRC, we are always looking for the next door the Lord will open for us and perhaps today He offered a glimpse of our future.

It was a full but great morning – Lord, keep stretching me.

Church, Church and more Church

Well, we made it back safely from Mongolia and China. Unfortunately jet lag is with me. I have been waking up at 4:00AM for the last three days. Today is the first Sunday since I have been back, so as part of my Sabbatical, I went to visit other churches. Today I hit the 8:45AM service at Lighthouse Tabernacle in Central Islip, the worship service alone at Living Faith Christian Church (Formally Wantagh Baptist) and I caught the whole service at Crossroads Church in Farmingdale. Each church had a unique flavor. In the first and the last I had the chance to talk with the pastors and in the first church the pastor used me for the greeting time by saying “Don’t sit down till you have greeted Pastor Tomlinson” (I will get him back if he ever visits Shelter Rock) and the last church asked me to close the service in prayer.

As I visited the various churches I found my own emotions going all over the place. There was the joy in meeting other Christians, jealousy of buildings better than ours, pride in thinking we have a better service, followed by repentance for my pride. Each of these churches has a place in the Kingdom of God and they are all meeting a need in the community. I also find myself craving to preach. At one point I was hoping one of the pastors would ask me to preach (I always have a message ready to go). I am hoping that over my sabbatical, as I see the many varieties of churches, I will be challenged yet refreshed. Reaching Long Island for Christ cannot just be about Shelter Rock Church but must be about all churches doing their part.

There and Back Again

Temple of Heaven

All right, I’ll admit it, for the last two days it has been fun to be a total tourist here in China. We have over the last two days visit the Great Wall of China, The Ming Tombs, a silk factory, a jade factory, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. We also just walked the streets and experienced a slice of Chinese culture. One of the things we enjoyed was that people would just come up to us and ask to take our picture with them. We also, over just two days met interesting people on our tours and also about a dozen missionaries, some secretly in China and others just passing through. I have a habit of telling people I’m a pastor visiting missionaries in Mongolia and that is when missionaries start identifying themselves. Michel and I have been so blessed over this whole trip. The adventure of going to Mongolia, seeing Duya and Jargal in action, and now experiencing Chinese culture has opened our eyes to so many things.

Tony, Andrew, Katelyn, Pat, Michel & Steve

As we prepare to go home, though, we look forward to seeing our children again, Faith’s graduation on Friday, and good old-fashioned home cooking. I don’t look forward to the long flight again but it has been worth it. Some of the best things of life we experience happen when we step outside of our comfort zone. Unusual food, airplanes, and strangers are not on the highest list of fun things Steve does, but they lead to exciting adventures and many of those strangers become friends. Yes, it is good to be heading home but heading home by way of the God-voyage I want to be on.

Goodbyes and Hellos

Final picture with Duya and Jargal

Yesterday we said goodbye to Duya and Jargal and said hello to China. We had a blessed trip to Mongolia. During our flight to Beijing we met a young missionary, Erin, who was part of a Christian sports camp right where we also ran our camp. God continues to pour out his love on the Mongolian people.
We arrived in China safely and had dinner at the Sizzler – yes, the same one as in the states. We walked down the main mall in the center of the city and saw all kinds of interesting sights. Ever have scorpions on a stick? Can’t say I tried it.

Scorpions on a stick

As I walk through the city I pray for the Chinese people. I can see a church from our hotel room. The Christian community has grown here over the years here but my mind goes back to when I was a teenager and was so moved by a song written by Randy Stonehill – China. It has been going through my mind…

A billion hearts are beating Far across the water China…
And when the sun is shining Their land is cloaked in darkness
China…

Silent eyes watching the western world Guarded hearts hidden like
precious pearls Who can reach you, China

All the ancient wisdom Passed down through the ages
China…
Still has left you thirsting For something that can heal you
China…

Public mall with Micky D's

Laboring under the crimson hand Countless wheels turning at each
command
Praying for you, China

Some recall the story Told by distant strangers
China…
Whispered like a rumor The King of Hearts is coming
China…

Hands of love knock at your mighty wall All your tears Jesus has felt them Fall
He’s calling to you, China Praying for you, China
Who can reach you, China

Jesus is answering that prayer

Trains, Planes & Automobiles

The train arrived in Ulaan Baatar bringing the students home from camp and they appeared none the worse for wear. Mongolian passenger trains can be seen coming from miles away. One of the old Russian engines is usually billowing black smoke to the degree that you think that there is a fire burning in the distance.

Smoking train

Mongolian freight trains though are different. They have modern diesel engines and, from what I understand, they are Chinese-made and are of good quality because of the economic need.
Mongolia is a lot like those two engines. Some of Mongolia is modern, like the Nomin supermarket we shopped in today, and other parts, maybe most, are old and worn but the people are vibrant. The capital city is filled with cars, some nice, others not so. There seem to be few traffic laws and it has been fascinating watching Jargal drive us around. He offered me a chance to drive but I was only willing to do it in rural parts of the country, particularly as the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car although driving is (predominately) done on the correct side. If he did not have an SUV, I don’t know how we would have gotten anywhere.  Mongolia also places reminders all over of the dangers of driving there.

Watch your speed!

Today we leave for Beijing. It has been a great week here in Mongolia. Duya and Jargal have been wonderful hosts and they served food that even a wimp like me could eat. As I prepare to leave I am thinking of the wonderful privilege it has been for me to visit with the Believers here. I asked Jargal today how he came up with the name “Transformation Mongolia” and he explained the story. In his youth, he was a wild man and those in town knew him to be that way. On his arm is a scar from the knife wound he received when he tried to keep someone from stabbing him in the heart. After Duya led him Christ, he became a totally new man. The people in the town could not believe the changes that took place. It was the mayor of that town who said to Jargal, “You have been totally transformed.” As time went forward and Jargal felt the call of God for planting churches he realized “I want all of Mongolia to be transformed like I was” and “Transformation Mongolia” was born.

A Vision for a Nation

The good news is, as I board my plane, that is exactly what is happening – people are being transformed. At the church I preached in yesterday, 99% of the men have been delivered from alcohol. Young people are being empowered by vision, churches are being planted, the Good News is being preached to the poor. It has been a good trip. Yes, I look forward to some good old American fast food and dinner at “On the Border” (not a lot of Mexican food here) but the trip has been worth it. That smelly old Russian train pulls a precious cargo of Mongolian people – more and more of whom are meeting Jesus.

Birds, Yaks, & Something to Preach

Buddhist Prayer Pole

We were driving to Dulankhan, about 35 miles from the Russian border, when Duya pointed out poles covered with blue silk scarves with piles of rocks around them. They were places where people would pray for good luck while driving. We started noticing them everywhere. It seemed that if there was a high hill there would be a pole, rocks, and blue cloth. It reminded me of the Old Testament description of Ashera Poles. We passed a gated compound and were told that this was the place that a Buddhist could lay out the body of their loved one to be eaten by the birds – a method of decomposition considered desirable for a practicing Buddhist.

We finally passed some yaks and stopped the car for pictures and it was a relief that it was for something as lighthearted as a funny looking animal. Duya said Mongolians call yaks “cows with skirts”.

Free-range Yak

As we were driving, Duya said, “When my grandmother died my family wanted to lay her body out to be eaten by the birds and I said no – even before I was saved. I thank God all the time that I am no longer Buddhist – that Jesus saved me. I am free.” That has been the theme of this trip – the hope found in Jesus. During the time of Russian domination there was officially no religion here but as soon as the Russians left, about 20 years ago, people returned to Buddhism and Shamanism. Duya, because she knew English, had the chance to meet American Christians at the university who told her about Jesus. She then had the privilege of leading her whole family to Christ including Jargal, her husband who started Transformation Mongolia.
Today is Sunday morning and I am about to preach in “Central Church,” the first of 9 churches they have planted. I asked the Lord what I should preach on and I felt Him tell me – preach on Jesus – the One who brings you all together.
I don’t think Long Island has any place to lay out your dead relatives for the birds and there are not many, if any, poles on hills with blue silk but we have people worshiping money, sex, and entertainment and the same Jesus that is bringing victory here is offering victory at home. Yes, I am going to preach JESUS – the One for all nations.

Preach, Pray or Die

Preaching to kids on the river front

Just got back to Ulaan Baatar, the capital of Mongolia, from our trip to northern Mongolia, spending an overnight with kids at the first Royal Rangers camp ever held here. I would love to report that it was all fun but I hate camping. I have successfully avoided camping for 35 years but I found myself in a tent in Outer Mongolia with 100 others. No bathrooms, no mess hall – we ate the fish we caught that day in the river. Obviously this trip is not about me and so it was a great trip and we learned much. We had prayer meetings in gers (yert or tent homes), we visited local pastors, we had the opportunity to understand some of the darker aspects of Buddhism and we witnessed the Gospel being preached to the students.
During one afternoon Jargal asked us if we wanted to go on a canoe ride on the river. Sounded like fun so we said yes. It turned out to be a Russian made rubber craft and Michel and I were just passengers while a Mongolian, with no English rowed the boat while every mosquito in Northern Mongolia decided to eat American that day. All in all it was fun but the surprise was when we arrived at the beach. There were a bunch of kids there swimming (not part of the Royal Rangers camp). As we were blowing up the boat, Jargal says to me, “Let’s preach the Gospel to them.” I thought, “Great, I will see Jargal in action.” We lined up the kids and then I turn to Jargal to watch and he says to me, “All right, start preaching and I will interpret” and I said, “What, I thought you were going to preach?” So he said, “Go on” so I started telling the kids about Jesus, my love for Him and how He came to save them. I was not very good but I trust God took care of the rest.
We thank you for your prayers. We are being stretched, encouraged and also having a lot of fun blessing and being blessed by the local Christian community. The name of Jesus is being lifted up here.