Geri and I returned from the Ukraine today after a week of training over 100 IFES staff working on university campuses throughout the 12 countries of the former Soviet Union (e.g. Russia, Kyrgystan, Belarus, Tajikistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Ukraine, Khakistan).
The culture was unlike anything we had ever experienced.

While most of them had read Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (translated into Russian a year and half ago) and done the workbook, we were unprepared for how clueless we were regarding the culture. I had read of their history but that was quite different from hearing their stories.

It was only in 1861 that the slaves were set free. That included 70%-80% of the population at that time. The Bolshevik Revolution began in 1917 when most of the middle/upper classes were killed and communism began under Lenin/Stalin (1921). Stalin killed 30-35 million of his own people over the next 30 years. WW2 then killed another 20 million. When the miracle of the former Soviet Union collapse happened in 1991, 12 different countries resulted (now called Eurasia).

The pain, grief and scars of their stories run deeper than anything we have heard. A sadness and sense of suffering hovers over the culture. As one Russian told me, “The entire system was set up to annihilate our humanity and suppress our feelings. And you think we are just going to explore our anger and sadness?” Incarnational listening reminded one participant of a KGB interrogation! And distrust of authority after years of deception (that was us in this case) contributed to their cynicism towards us as Westerners. Initially, I initially found them resistant and was ready to pack up and go home. Translating everything through a translator into Russian also complicated contextualizing EHS to their context.

It wasn’t until our fourth day that God broke through quite miraculously. Part of this related to us hearing and understanding their stories. Imagine a young woman sharing with us from her genogram that 90% of the women married in her extended family were kidnapped against their will (Kyrgystan). Three of the women from Kyrgystan then sat us down for lunch to tell us the incredible stories of what life is like for women in their country, asking if we could help train the pastors so this horror could be stopped. It was hard to believe.

The economic poverty was also surprising (2nd World economies). Clearly a long road is before them. One staff shared that Moldova had 5 million people 2 years ago. Now there are only 3.5 million. The rest have fled for a better life in the West.

It was amazing that EHS is being used in places like Siberia and the Ukraine. We heard wonderful testimonies of changed lives. We also were deeply moved by the power of Christ in the lives of so many. We were particularly impressed with some who witness and serve under repressive political situations. Two staff shared with me that their phones are tapped by the government. Another city has a university group of 100 students that gathers under the guise of birthday parties! Their willingness to sacrifice comforts in order to bring Christ to others challenged us.

Like the Israelites coming out of 400 years of slavery, so the church in Eurasia is slowly emerging. There is an enormous in this part of the world. Training coaches and trainers for pastors is critical. A Russian publisher was at the conference who will hopefully translate The Emotionally Healthy Church (2010 edition, Zondervan) and the Church-wide Kit of WCA.

We return touched by God and having fallen in love with the people. Will we go back? I am not sure. It is evident that Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is a powerful paradigm for the church in places like Eurasia. The question will be to discern the particular parts of the world where God has raised up people who desire to take this message to their particular culture and context. Hopefully we at NLF and EHS can then serve them and the larger church.

Thank you for your prayers.

The Rule of St. Benedict teaches us about the value of  stability, that is, staying in one community over the long-haul. I have been in the New Life Fellowship Church community in Queens (www.newlifefellowship.org) for over 23 years. A lot transpires in 23 years. I have wanted to quit the community more than once and run. I am glad, by God’s grace, that I did not.  My failures, weaknesses, mistakes and sins over these years have all been lived out in our fellowship. I love and am grateful for the opportunity to learn and to be part of such a rich, wonderful group of people. The following is a short video of our past year that we showed at our annual meetings of members last Sunday afternoon. I thought you might enjoy it:

NLF Highlights 2009-2010 from New Life Fellowship Plus on Vimeo.

Reading broadly is foundational to growing and providing good leadership. I love reading and am usually in 3-6 books at a time. They inform my development and preaching. The following is my answer to the question I have often been asked:  Where do you find such unique, different kinds of books to read?

The following are my 10 top sources for books:

1. Magazines and newspapers that review books – e.g. Books and Culture, Sojourners, NY Times Book Review, Oprah, USA today, Time, Newsweek, Atlantic Monthly.  A Books and Culture article, for example, led me to read 2 books on prisons recently that profoundly impacted me.

2. Bookstores – Used and new, anywhere and everywhere.  I love walking around, looking for anything that strikes my interest.

3. Libraries. I wander the aisles, looking at new arrivals, history, biographies.

4. Friends, mentors, therapists, other leaders – I ask them what they are reading and what has impacted them. For example, a counselor friend recommended the impact of neuroscience research on her work a couple of years ago.  This led me to a number of works.

5. Evangelical, Catholic and Orthodox publishers. I scan what they are publishing, particularly IVP (formatio), Brazos, Zondervan, Nelson, Ascension Press, Ignatius Press.

6. Monasteries. They carry unique kinds of books, and are often reading things very different from my tradition.  For example, Father Dominic from a Trappist monaster  recommended to me the works of Joseph Pieper on Thomas Aquinas last fall and I am on my third Pieper book.

7.  University and Seminary publications which recommend books.  Between the seminaries I have been associated with (Fuller, Gordon-Conwell, Eastern) and colleges my daughters attended (Messiah College, City University of NY, SUNY Buffalo), I get a lot of very good ideas for books. I am about to take Andre Agassi’s autobiography out of the library due to a prof’s review of the book. 

8. Geri, friends, fellow-staff, and mentors. Geri is a reader. Scott, a friend of mine, has recommended more than one great church history text to me. I look at syllabus’ from courses people take in D. Min and Masters’ programs – regardless of the field, be it theological, leadership, public health, MBA programs, economics, sociology, or psychology.

9. Footnotes from books I enjoy. I actually look at the sources for good writer’s information and then read them. Leighton Ford’s book, The Attentive Life, for example, led me to Simon Weil on attentiveness.

10. Novels from libraries, friends and my extended family.

There are certain topics which I am always reading about – reconciliation, application of monastacism to the 21st century, emotional health/marriage/sexuality, spiritual formation, church history. But ultimately, I seek to be sensitive to God and His leading into my reading.

What other sources might you add to my list?