Friends,
Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless you in the final week of school, exams and papers!
Congratulations are due to Michael and William upon graduating. May God's blessings accompany each of you to your various places of ministry. Remember that the Lord who has started a good work in you will bring it to its completion as and when He so chooses.
For the rest of us: let us continue steadfastly in the ministry that the Lord has called us to.
Please note that we are planning to elect our next African Fellowship President in February 2011. I invite you to be praying and thinking about who this will be.
Have a good week.
Robert Magoola
President, Asbury Seminary African Fellowship
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
A Thanksgiving Thank You
A Thanksgiving Thank You Note
To my esteemed African colleagues at Asbury Seminary,
Thank you all for coming to our Thanksgiving fellowship and swallowship yesterday. I am sure you would all agree with me that we had such a great time! First, thanks are due to Pastor and Dr. Gatobu for their wonderful hospitality. Their lovely home was even cozier on account of their warm reception and the presence of many friends.
To all who attended let me thank you for making it such a memorable occasion. To my best estimation I counted more than fifty people last night. Some guests from out of town were such a wonderful addition. It was great meeting new people as well as catching up with old friends. I must point out how proud I am of all our children of various ages. They kept such good manners throughout the evening. Kids: this is a thumbs-up for you. And to the parents, thank you for keeping our African relational values, even though we are far away from home.
Note that this was our last fellowship for the calendar year 2010. Around this time we have already started getting ready for finals and those papers we often save for the last moment. I hope we all do well in our various classes and degrees. May Africa rise and shine again, even through our seminary careers and ministry opportunities.
Calendar
Here is how the Spring Semester is looking so far:
February 7 Classes start
February 19 African Fellowship meets – Catching up, election of new leaders
March 17 Dr. Jim Ault with African Fellowship (potluck dinner)
March 18 Dr. Jim Ault speaks at Estes Chapel
April 15 New Cabinet takes over leadership of African Fellowship
May 20 Semester Ends
[1] I will give you more information about my friend Dr. Jim Ault during our February meeting. Let me give some more information here, though. I met Jim at the February 2010 EMS conference in Chicago. He was leading a workshop on use of media (particularly video) in missions. The videos he showed were from Africa. You can find more at his web site: jamesault.com. During our conversations at the conference and at the hotel I found him to be a very interesting and missiologically valuable man. When I set out to invite Jim Ault at the start of the fall 2010 semester, all I had in mind was the African Fellowship. But being the kind of man that he is, I later thought it best to involve the wider Asbury Seminary community. When he comes in March Jim will spend time with the postgraduate students at the ESJ Missions Seminar, the Beeson leaders as well as with the African fellowship. I am excited to welcome him and am sure you will find him wonderful to relate with. So, please plan to welcome him with me.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
November, What a Month!
Friends,
November us upon us. Save for the usual constraints, it seems the month started well for most. Notwithstanding we keep one another in prayer as usual. God is good and powerful. God will always do great things for His people. Soon the semester will wane to a well deserved short break! Please note a few things for the near future. . .
1. Two of our very own are preaching this week at Estes Chapel. For further details please see the TWAA paper. I ask your prayers for these brothers. If you can make it please attend the services to listen and to offer moral support.
2. One of our brothers will soon graduate. He defendeth his dissertation on Wednesday afternoon - November 10.
3. This month's Fellowship is scheduled for November 19. We will be in Cordelia starting at 5:30 to end around 8pm. It will be great to see you all. As usual we will share a potluck meal. This will be our final fellowship in 2010 so as to make room for the end of semester exams and assignment schedules. We will celebrate Christmas at Thanksgiving and pray for our end of semester and January vacation.
4. The International Leadership Team is planning a Christmas celebration at which gifts will be offered to children (I hope you registered yours, if you have some here). I want to suggest that we get African kids involved in reciting a simple poem that I will provide in the near future. If this is acceptable let me hear an Amen, particularly from the parents.
May God bless you this weekend and always.
Robert Magoola
President, Asbury Seminary African Fellowship
November us upon us. Save for the usual constraints, it seems the month started well for most. Notwithstanding we keep one another in prayer as usual. God is good and powerful. God will always do great things for His people. Soon the semester will wane to a well deserved short break! Please note a few things for the near future. . .
1. Two of our very own are preaching this week at Estes Chapel. For further details please see the TWAA paper. I ask your prayers for these brothers. If you can make it please attend the services to listen and to offer moral support.
2. One of our brothers will soon graduate. He defendeth his dissertation on Wednesday afternoon - November 10.
3. This month's Fellowship is scheduled for November 19. We will be in Cordelia starting at 5:30 to end around 8pm. It will be great to see you all. As usual we will share a potluck meal. This will be our final fellowship in 2010 so as to make room for the end of semester exams and assignment schedules. We will celebrate Christmas at Thanksgiving and pray for our end of semester and January vacation.
4. The International Leadership Team is planning a Christmas celebration at which gifts will be offered to children (I hope you registered yours, if you have some here). I want to suggest that we get African kids involved in reciting a simple poem that I will provide in the near future. If this is acceptable let me hear an Amen, particularly from the parents.
May God bless you this weekend and always.
Robert Magoola
President, Asbury Seminary African Fellowship
Friday, October 15, 2010
Are You Still Shocked?
A while ago on television there was an advert with a soldier asking quite authoritatively: "Are you still watching cable?" Then he would go on to advertise an alternative to cable. The question was meant create a sense of intimidation so that the cable watching tv customer would reconsider: should I still be watching cable? Maybe something is wrong with cable? Well, the title question of this message is meant to encourage you in case you are still shocked! Nothing is wrong with shock in a new culture. So, relax and read on. . .
If you are experiencing difficulty adjusting to life in America as an international student, or dealing with a seminary environment an American student, or you are a student planning to do mission work in a culture other than your own in the future . . . you are invited! The Ministry for Global Community Development has organized a Culture Shock Workshop to be led by Dr. Steve Ybarrola, a celebrated professor of Cultural Anthropology in Asbury Seminary's E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission. Date will be October 29th, from 2:30pm–4:00pm in the Cordelias at the Seminary Cafeteria.
Come learn more about culture shock and how to better cope with this reality - don't be shy. Additionally, we will have great fellowship with fellow students and spouses experiencing culture shock in different ways. By the way, there will also be some good food.
Childcare is available if you need it. And the only way this can be arranged is if you make reservations for it before October 21, 2010. Kindly RSVP to gcd.asbury@asburyseminary.edu, or by emailing: stavan.john@asburyseminary.edu.
Are you still shocked? You might be surprised. Let's find out on October 21.
Robert Magoola
Thursday, October 7, 2010
In the Near Future
The semester has picked up full speed. It reminds me of flying in an airplane: we are now at cruise speed in the clouds. This is when you can take your safety belt off and walk up and down the airplane aisles, doing evangelism! Just make sure to keep your ears and eyes open for the safety belt sign and the pilot's voice on the intercom, so you can bolt to your seat bracing yourself for turbulence, oh that turbulence! I hope you are doing well in this part of our journey. Rest assured that turbulence is no match to what our Lord can do. Keep on praying and working hard!
Please note a few upcoming events of which you need to be aware.
Robert Magoola
Please note a few upcoming events of which you need to be aware.
- This month's African Fellowship will be on Friday, October 15. It will be a prayer meeting. We will drop off our children at the nursery in the Student Center before proceeding to the Richard Allen Chapel in BC 114 (in the basement of the Beeson Center, not McKenna Chapel). Parents: please, as we did last time, let me know how many kids are coming by sending their names and ages so we can plan appropriately for them.
- The week following is the Kingdom Conference. Our music practice will be led by Dr. Okello on Tuesdays (and perhaps one other day) and will first meet in the Student Center lobby this coming Tuesday (October 12). We plan to participate in the Monday night International Potluck dinner, evening of October 17.
- Also, for the Kingdom Conference, you can host a table. It is easy to do this. You can collect a few items from your native country or any other (with which you are very familiar) and are able to represent. People will come to sit at your table during the dinner and you can tell them about the country. Some might ask questions and others will only listen. If more than one person from the same country want to represent their country you can work together.
Robert Magoola
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Extreme Hospitality!?
From Genesis 19 we have a rather unusual story of hospitality.
Although he had lived in Sodom for many years, and had constantly breathed in the unbridled toxicity of sin, Lot remained a righteous man. He was attracted to righteousness and its protection. In this sense Lot was a type of remnant (of God's people) in a fallen land. There are people who, like Lot, will stop at nothing to defend the truth and righteousness - even if this should require their very lives. Thank God for such people!
Lot convinced the visitors to stay in his house with him and his family. He insisted strongly that they stay not in the open square but inside the house because he knew what sorts of neighbors he had. Lot knew that his neighbors would stop at nothing to assault any new comer in town, even if that should be God himself! He could not leave the guests outside, at least for his conscience's sake. Lot wanted to protect the town's guests. So he made them his own. Though he did not know them, though they were mere strangers, Lot felt the earnest responsibility to receive them, as 'the least of these' in whom Christ, though disguised, is present.
Not long before bed time, the townsmen came true to their character. Lot's fears were confirmed, perhaps not surprisingly, when the townsmen demanded 'a copy' of the visitors. But Lot, being careful to protect his guests, was adamant to reject the unseemly request. Apparently, though Lot had chosen to live in a town whose morals were less than desirable, he had nevertheless not lost his righteous edge - repeatedly acting as judge to the towns people (see also 1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Refusal to allow them the deviant pleasure of assaulting recent guests was his last major act of judgment to the town. They pressed hard against the door in order to force their way into the house and sexually harrass the visiting men.
Notice how Lot offers his daughters in stead of the guests! To many people this is beyond comprehension! How dare he make such a promise?! Is Lot out of his mind? And I have a question for you too: would you offer your beautiful girl child to be harrassed by a gang of roudy and self centered men from the neighborhood? Or could it be that he is extremely hospitable to his guests - so hospitable indeed that he was willing to do the unthinkable? Let me leave this for you to answer because I see no direct response to this question in the text. But let me mention here that the biblical cultural setting was similar to many of today's African cultures. How do Africans receive guests? How do you receive your guests?
When the angels reached out to blind the men at the door, a couple of things happened. To the men at the door, the blinding had a double effect: abating a delicate situation and punishing their sins. Beyond that, however, the angels reached out to Lot's rescue and to the rescue of his family. I am reminded of the fact that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble," (Psalm 46:1). God came to Lot's rescue because Lot chose to stand on God's side. Though outnumbered, Lot had God on his side. This should encourage us to seek righteousness, justice and the good of all. For, the eyes of the Lord range to and fro throughout the whole earth that He might show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to him (2 Chronicles 16:9).
So, to what is the Lord calling us today? The Lord calls us to receive strangers in our midst, to receive one another in the Lord, and to keep good relationships amongst the people with whom we constantly interact. My prayer is that this word of God will be an encouragement to you and your walk with the Lord.
Robert.
Although he had lived in Sodom for many years, and had constantly breathed in the unbridled toxicity of sin, Lot remained a righteous man. He was attracted to righteousness and its protection. In this sense Lot was a type of remnant (of God's people) in a fallen land. There are people who, like Lot, will stop at nothing to defend the truth and righteousness - even if this should require their very lives. Thank God for such people!
Lot convinced the visitors to stay in his house with him and his family. He insisted strongly that they stay not in the open square but inside the house because he knew what sorts of neighbors he had. Lot knew that his neighbors would stop at nothing to assault any new comer in town, even if that should be God himself! He could not leave the guests outside, at least for his conscience's sake. Lot wanted to protect the town's guests. So he made them his own. Though he did not know them, though they were mere strangers, Lot felt the earnest responsibility to receive them, as 'the least of these' in whom Christ, though disguised, is present.
Not long before bed time, the townsmen came true to their character. Lot's fears were confirmed, perhaps not surprisingly, when the townsmen demanded 'a copy' of the visitors. But Lot, being careful to protect his guests, was adamant to reject the unseemly request. Apparently, though Lot had chosen to live in a town whose morals were less than desirable, he had nevertheless not lost his righteous edge - repeatedly acting as judge to the towns people (see also 1 Corinthians 2:14-15). Refusal to allow them the deviant pleasure of assaulting recent guests was his last major act of judgment to the town. They pressed hard against the door in order to force their way into the house and sexually harrass the visiting men.
Notice how Lot offers his daughters in stead of the guests! To many people this is beyond comprehension! How dare he make such a promise?! Is Lot out of his mind? And I have a question for you too: would you offer your beautiful girl child to be harrassed by a gang of roudy and self centered men from the neighborhood? Or could it be that he is extremely hospitable to his guests - so hospitable indeed that he was willing to do the unthinkable? Let me leave this for you to answer because I see no direct response to this question in the text. But let me mention here that the biblical cultural setting was similar to many of today's African cultures. How do Africans receive guests? How do you receive your guests?
When the angels reached out to blind the men at the door, a couple of things happened. To the men at the door, the blinding had a double effect: abating a delicate situation and punishing their sins. Beyond that, however, the angels reached out to Lot's rescue and to the rescue of his family. I am reminded of the fact that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble," (Psalm 46:1). God came to Lot's rescue because Lot chose to stand on God's side. Though outnumbered, Lot had God on his side. This should encourage us to seek righteousness, justice and the good of all. For, the eyes of the Lord range to and fro throughout the whole earth that He might show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to him (2 Chronicles 16:9).
So, to what is the Lord calling us today? The Lord calls us to receive strangers in our midst, to receive one another in the Lord, and to keep good relationships amongst the people with whom we constantly interact. My prayer is that this word of God will be an encouragement to you and your walk with the Lord.
Robert.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Fellowship and Swallowship!
Friends,
Thanksgiving:
Wonderful! We had such a lovely time last night. At least 18 adults attended, more kids than the adults were present. Thank you each and all for your contribution. The food was good, fellowship was lovely and it was great to meet our new African members. Reuben made challenges seem easier than they could be filling our baskets with laughter!
I am so excited about the African Fellowship! This is the best it has been so far, for as long as I have known it. Thank God for this positive growth! This fellowship has such great potential to rise and shine above our wildest expectations. The chief ingredients are the unity of the body along with the catalyzing presence and blessing of God. These aspects are interdependent: unity breeds blessing and blessing enhances unity (compare with Psalm 133). We want to stay within the confines of that beautiful spiral. . .
Future:
The structure of our leadership will quite likely change in the near future. Please join me in prayer for God's great guidance as I work with a few others through the logistics of this change.
Following Fiona's suggestion and the rest of last night's conversations, I would like to make our next fellowship a time of worship and prayer. We will still have a swallowship component. I am yet to work out the details of this. So, please watch your email inbox and the blog. . .
In the mean time, let us continue as before: each loving the another and responding to one another's needs and concerns, along with our usual informal fellowship on campus and elsewhere. I ask your continual benefit of the doubt for each other and the winsome love that God has commanded us to share.
Invitations:
Monday - we have been invited to lead in a time of worship and praise at the Global Community Development Center (Cox's Garage). I will be leading this and I need some of you to please join me with songs and prayers from Africa. We will sing and pray as we send off the people, then we will stay behind in prayer and supplication for those who work elsewhere. This Monday we have will have a team visiting local widows, and another team working on a local community beautification project.
ESL (English as a Seventh Language) - ESL has been made available to us. Please contact me for further details.
Prayer Needs:
Please pray for my best-man, the Rev. James Ssebaggala, who will be consecrated bishop of Mukono Diocese (Anglican) tomorrow in Uganda. The story http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/732328 is incomplete but it is, nevertheless, informative. I am sure more news will be forthcoming here in the near future.Consecration of a Bishop is a major undertaking and I am particularly interested in James as a personal friend. So, please pray for him and his parishioners.
Thanksgiving:
Wonderful! We had such a lovely time last night. At least 18 adults attended, more kids than the adults were present. Thank you each and all for your contribution. The food was good, fellowship was lovely and it was great to meet our new African members. Reuben made challenges seem easier than they could be filling our baskets with laughter!
I am so excited about the African Fellowship! This is the best it has been so far, for as long as I have known it. Thank God for this positive growth! This fellowship has such great potential to rise and shine above our wildest expectations. The chief ingredients are the unity of the body along with the catalyzing presence and blessing of God. These aspects are interdependent: unity breeds blessing and blessing enhances unity (compare with Psalm 133). We want to stay within the confines of that beautiful spiral. . .
Future:
The structure of our leadership will quite likely change in the near future. Please join me in prayer for God's great guidance as I work with a few others through the logistics of this change.
Following Fiona's suggestion and the rest of last night's conversations, I would like to make our next fellowship a time of worship and prayer. We will still have a swallowship component. I am yet to work out the details of this. So, please watch your email inbox and the blog. . .
In the mean time, let us continue as before: each loving the another and responding to one another's needs and concerns, along with our usual informal fellowship on campus and elsewhere. I ask your continual benefit of the doubt for each other and the winsome love that God has commanded us to share.
Invitations:
Monday - we have been invited to lead in a time of worship and praise at the Global Community Development Center (Cox's Garage). I will be leading this and I need some of you to please join me with songs and prayers from Africa. We will sing and pray as we send off the people, then we will stay behind in prayer and supplication for those who work elsewhere. This Monday we have will have a team visiting local widows, and another team working on a local community beautification project.
ESL (English as a Seventh Language) - ESL has been made available to us. Please contact me for further details.
Prayer Needs:
Please pray for my best-man, the Rev. James Ssebaggala, who will be consecrated bishop of Mukono Diocese (Anglican) tomorrow in Uganda. The story http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/732328 is incomplete but it is, nevertheless, informative. I am sure more news will be forthcoming here in the near future.Consecration of a Bishop is a major undertaking and I am particularly interested in James as a personal friend. So, please pray for him and his parishioners.
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