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May 18, 2012

Category: Arthur

August 3, 2010

The latest on our explorations

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, Kids, South Africa, Updates — Tags: , , , — 2 Comments

A few family updates to start

Groote Schuur Primary School – the kids have all worked back into the regular rhythm of school life here.  We have moved back in the middle of the SA school year, so AP, Iain, and Mairin have jumped ahead half a year to the middle of 6th, 3rd, and 1st grades.  Academically they are all dong fine, so most of our attention is on making friends, learning new subjects (the Xhosa language, for example), and extracurricular activities like ballet, cricket, and water polo.

House – After much prayer and house-hunting, God has given us the house we have been looking for!  We will move into 2 Devonshire Rd. in Woodstock on 1 September… pics to come then.  We are thankful to have a place in the neighborhood God has put on our hearts, space to have people over, and a place to call home again.

And last – but certainly not least – Arthur Paul turned 12 on 1 August.  He is getting old, and so are we :P   We love and are so proud of Arthur.  Can’t wait to see what this year has in store for him.

exploring:

As you may remember, we returned to South Africa with several pictures on our hearts, all of which are part of the bigger dream to see an amazing movement of God here in South Africa: living/sharing God’s love in our neighborhood, helping people know and experience God in creative ways (esp. those who are often overlooked), mentoring young leaders to be the people God has created them to be, helping local ministries and NGO’s, and being part of a network of local and global Kingdom practitioners.  And of course, we always want to leave room for whatever else God has in mind!  Quite soon after returning, we felt God confirmed that He (and we) desire us to be here in Cape Town.  Now, we are exploring what that looks like.

Securing a house is key to a neighborhood presence.  We look forward to settling in, getting to know the people around us, and seeing what God is up to in Woodstock.

I have been asked to lecture part time at the Cornerstone Institute – a small Christian college here in Cape Town.  I will teach one class starting in September and it looks like there is opportunity for more in the next year.  This should be an excellent opportunity to help shape young local leaders through teaching and mentoring.  I am especially glad to work with many who come from less advantaged backgrounds who often aren’t able to get quality education and training.

I am also spending time at the Warehouse.  I have come to know this ministry and several of their staff over the past several years in South Africa.  They are a great bunch of people seeking to help the local church address issues of poverty and justice.  Right now, I’m just helping out where I can and asking God if this might be a place for me/us to connect with more deeply.

And finally, I’ve been busy meeting up with all sorts of fantastic people here who are serious about seeking God’s Kingdom.  I think there is a need for more intentional relational connection so that all these faithful servants can share, encourage, and pray for one another as part of the bigger picture.  Wherever two or more are gathered…

who/how?

As you can see, we are busy exploring possibilities and seeing how the pictures on our hearts come into focus or adjust.  Like I said in our last update, staying in Cape Town means leaving CRM.  So, another part of the equation is: who will we be part of as we pursue God’s calling here in Cape Town?  This is important for several reasons – two of which are especially worth mentioning here.  First, we don’t want to do this alone.  We want to work with/for others who have similar heart/values as us.  Also, we want the people who support us (financially and otherwise) to know that we are being cared for and operating as part of a legit organization!

Over the next several months, we will be talking with local and international organizations to find the best fit (and yes, we are open to your suggestions here).  We will end our commitment to CRM on 31 October and need to have something in place before then.  We will let you know as things progress.

If you support us financially, please keep giving through CRM until we have notified you of new arrangements.

For now, a few of the things we are doing to make sure we are covered…

  • We have an intercessory prayer team that receives regular email updates and is committed to covering us in prayer.  Thank you to everyone who is part of this team.  And, if you’d like to be part of this group, please email me.
  • We are starting a CARE TEAM.  Beyond prayer, we need people who take the initiative to encourage us, communicate with us, and check on the state of our hearts.  If this is something you enjoy doing, would you consider being part of this ministry to us? Feel free to email me your interest, any questions, or suggestions!
  • We are plugging into local relationships and communities.  A few are mentioned above and we’re busy discerning what we will be part of here in Cape Town.  We also have an older couple committed to helping us process our ongoing heart journeys.

you (yes, you)-

Please keep praying for us
Please keep supporting us
Please let us know if you are interested in being part of our prayer team or care team
You are loved by us if you are reading/receiving this!

May 12, 2010

Now what?

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, Mission, NieuCommunities, South Africa, transformational gospel, Updates — 6 Comments

As we approach the end of our 10-month sabbatical, you may be wondering, “What’s next for the Stewart family?” Or you may be asking, “What, they’ve been in America for 10 months??” Well friends, let me say a bit about each of those (stay with me, this gets progressively more interesting as it goes). First, our sabbatical has been amazing – restful, memorable, shaping, fun.  We have so much to write about our time that I will start a little “series” tomorrow on sabbatical highlights (in no particular order).  Much of what we have experienced and learned is shaping our sense of what’s next.  And I know that many of you really want those details.  So…

The next 3 weeks

  • We are having a goodbye party this Saturday (15th) in Fresno!  It’s on open house, come by whenever, stay as long as you’d like deal 12:00-5:00.  Here’s the event link on fb or contact me if you want details.
  • We are speaking at Friends Community Church (Fresno) this Sunday morning, then having a birthday party for the boys in the afternoon (including Arthur Paul’s baptism)
  • Next week will be our last week in Fresno
  • We are heading down to SoCal May 22-30. We will be at Foothills Community Church (Pasadena) on May 23. We have some people to visit and a few fun things to do during the week, but if you would like to see us, let me know and we might be able to make it happen
  • On June 1, we are getting on an airplane and flying back to South Africa

June and July

We will spend two months (June and July) discerning God’s call for our family to be in South Africa. This is what we have felt for some time, and now we need to listen together on the ground. Is Cape Town the right place for us now?  We also want to reconnect with lots of friends and colleagues. By the end of July, we will decide if we are staying in South Africa or if there is a better place for us. If we stay, we will be leaving our current missions agency to partner with local people and ministries.  If we are leaving, we will say goodbye to South Africa and join an existing Church Resource Ministries team outside SA.

That’s the pragmatics.  But what is this Cape Town thing all about?  Very simply, we want to see people – ourselves included -  live the lives we were created to live. We believe the God who created and loves us makes this possible as we follow Jesus and allow his Spirit to continually awaken our deepest hearts and freeing us to become the amazing, beautiful, different, yet TRUE US. We also believe that we need each other to help us be different and together make a difference in our neighborhoods and world. This can take place LOTS of ways, so here’s where praying and exploring and asking God: who God has made us to be + our experiences, skills, and desires + the realities and needs of our family + the people and place we think God is calling us to be with = WHAT?

We think it might look something like this for us:

Living in a diverse neighborhood, loving neighbors, bringing people together. We are feeling the Woodstock neighborhood in Cape Town could be the one because of friendships we have there, its urban/cosmopolitan needs and opportunities, and the way we can picture our family living and flourishing

Helping people (particularly those who are often overlooked or left out) connect with, experience, and grow in God – especially in new, different, and “outside the box” ways that help change lives… one-on-one, ongoing groups, events, etc.

Working with local non-profits, ministries, and churches through teaching, training, and lending a hand – we want to help others who are also making a difference

Encouraging and equipping local leaders to have a reaching and lasting impact on their communities, especially through new and different types of faith communities

Participating in a regular friendship with other local and global practitioners – finding ways to collaborate for greater impact and strengthen one another in our journeys of following and serving Jesus

Oh, I could write so much more here, but this will have to do for now.  This was, after all, supposed to be an update – not a presentation! This is what we are going to explore. We will be in the place. We will be with the people. We will see what what God does and says. We are trusting that the specifics and next steps will become clear in the process.

Here’s where you come in!

  1. Pray for us – now as we wrap everything up here (craziness, I tell you) & and as we listen with God there.  We will be updating/reminding you throughout :)
  2. Do it with us – stay in regular conversation, find ways to help, support our family in this ministry with some monthly money, love us.  I feel a little weird asking for these, but know we need them!

More to come, but figured this would give you a little to chew on for now.
with love,
Arthur for the Stewarts

March 27, 2010

An Undivided Heart

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, Bible, heart journey — Tags: , , , , — 1 Comment

Re-posted from a piece I wrote for today’s CRM Lent Devotional

SCRIPTURE READING – DAY 39 (March 27)

Psalm 86:11-12

Teach me your way, O LORD and I will
walk in your truth; Give me an undivided
heart, That I may fear your name. I will
praise you, O LORD my God, with all my
heart; I will glorify your name forever. (NIV)

MEDITATION

Our world lives under a curse that is so pervasive in our lives, we seldom recognize it. I call it the curse of the divided heart. In me, it manifests in good intentions not being as noble as I think, well-made plans that are fatally flawed, and words or actions that betray what is deep inside me.

We all, from our first ancestors onward, are torn between good or evil, black or white, today or tomorrow, win or lose, me or you. These are the polarities we find ourselves between, often faced with choosing one or the other. The tricky part is these choices are not nearly as extreme or obvious as they might seem. Deep down, our heart struggles with itself, because it wants to choose or do more than one thing. In Romans 7, Paul compares this to a war within ourselves.

David—Israel’s greatest king—anguished over this dilemma himself. We know his life was full of people and opportunities that could—and did—pull him in different directions. The Bible recounts his victories and travails, often the result of choices he made from his heart. We also find his honest wrestling with this condition throughout the psalms.

I join David in crying out, “Transform me Lord! Your way is different than ours—beautiful, mysterious, holy.” If we could only learn this way, we could live differently, better. I could get out of this struggle I have against my own self. I could live the way he created me to be. The key, as David knew so well, is our heart. But the wholeness he desired can only be given by God. We can’t will it; our hearts must be healed by One far greater than us. This is more than just learning to do right instead of wrong. This is a heart transplant!

David is asking for a heart like God’s. If we were to possess one, we would know God deeply, fear and honor him, praise him with all our heart…forever. It would resonate with God’s, sing to it, dance with it. This is what we all want because this is what we were made for. Our hearts are meant to be undivided and eternal, connecting us to our Creator at the deepest level possible.

Jesus shows us what it can and should look like. I’ve often asked how Jesus chose who to heal (or not), where to go, what to say. Maybe he didn’t choose. Perhaps he knew because his heart was not divided but completely given and bound to the Father. Indeed, the way, truth, and life is the One we join with David in seeking. He is the One with the power to transform our hearts, not simply by instructions or actions, but by perfectly living out the heart of God and making the way for us to do the same.

Teach me your way of undivided love; wholehearted for all, no internal struggle, no favorites—this is true and eternal life. Free me from this curse of needing to choose, except to choose you. Join me with your limitless heart of love, changing mine to be like yours. May it be so, now and forever. Amen.

REFLECTION

  • Re-read the psalm several times slowly. What divides your heart? What might God be saying to you about these things?
  • Take some time to picture what life with an undivided heart would look like for you.
  • Write out a prayer in response to God.

March 20, 2010

the wellspring of life

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, God, heart journey, Melissa, sabbatical — Tags: , , , , , — Leave a comment

A heart is a fascinating thing -
It can be hard or strong or bitter.
It can be tender or soft or generous.
it can be several (or all?) of these at the same time!

Do you also find hearts to be complex, mysterious, even confusing?  Certainly true when it comes to others.  Often true when it comes to ourselves…  What I do know is that my heart is important.  It’s the core of who I am and it’s the only one I’ve got.  In the Biblical book of Proverbs, it says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (4:23).  I’m learning to do this.

Most of my life, I have guarded my mind.  I have fed it, trusted it, protected it.  This is a very important part of who I am.  However, I have often neglected my heart as a result.  In a way, I have not allowed my heart to do it’s job.  And, I haven’t guarded it well.  I don’t think “guard your heart” means to build walls around it.  Guard, in that case, sounds defensive and reactionary.  Seems like if you do that, it can’t be “the wellspring of life.”  How can a well nourish anything if it’s all walled up?  I am speaking from a bit of experience on this…

Rather, I think that in this case, “guard” really means to watch and protect.  Watch and protect your heart, for your life flows from there.  Watch for the things that would harm your heart – people, situations, etc.  In my case, I have been reflecting on the untrue things I sometimes believe that “attack” my heart.  And, how can I prepare myself better to deal with them?  Personally, I need to remember who I am so I am not easily affected by other messages that come my way and can be ok with my own limitations.

Hearts are precious.  I think they are a primary way we reflect the God who created us, and are the places we most deeply connect with God.  We have given our lives to helping people find/uncover/unbind their hearts and encouraging their development and expression.  That’s not a bad way to describe what we’ve been doing the past several years in South Africa and why we are preparing to head back.  It’s also what our sabbatical has been all about: reconnecting with our own hearts and giving them room to breathe and re-ignite.  I thank God for this opportunity to focus on this all-important process.

We appreciate all of you who have prayed and encouraged our hearts so much in this season.  Our hearts, and those of our children, feel more healthy.  These eternal hearts are important to me and to God.  Your heart is important too.  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

March 11, 2010

Seeking the Giver

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, God, marriage, Melissa, prayer, South Africa — Tags: , , , , , — 2 Comments

My wife Melissa is demonstrating an amazing amount of maturity these days.  I am both in awe and frustrated!  Here’s why…

As many of you know, we are finishing up our sabbatical.  Entering our last months, we are making multiple decisions – big ones, small ones, and many that open up a multitude of other decisions. These decisions relate to where we will be, what we will be doing, when… little things like that :)   So, important stuff.

And the PROCESS of these discussions and decisions is as telling as the results.  We are giving some of the work we and God have been doing in our lives and marriage a pretty good exercise.  How is our intimacy, how is our trust, can we say what we think, can we hear things we don’t like from one another, can we apologize?

I have to admit, I am a little more anxious than Melissa to get these conversations and decisions happening.  And although I wish we knew everything yesterday, I am proud that she is committed to waiting until she is confident in some things before moving forward.  Frustrated a bit, but proud.  She is bringing her strengths of thoughtfulness and discernment to our shared process.  And as I was telling a friend on the phone the other day, in watching her process I am reminded of a very good maxim… Seek the Giver.

back-story: when I was growing up in church, one of the principles that always came up when talking about spiritual gifts (those ways God supernaturally empowers people to serve) was, “don’t seek the gifts, but the gift-giver.”  In other words, don’t get overly-fixated on these specific gifts God can give (essentially a self-centered approach). Instead, seek God, and let His Spirit give gifts as God deems appropriate (see 1 Corinthians 12).

This came to mind as I was saying how one of the ways Melissa is discerning God’s desire is by being involved in a local Bible study on Jesus.  She isn’t only sitting with God and asking, “should we move to X?” every day.   Instead, she is connecting well with God, for the sake of their relationship alone.  I’m pretty confident that as she does, God is and will speak to those specifics because God loves her and knows they are important questions.

Thank you beloved for this reminder.  So glad to be doing this with you!

February 16, 2010

changing habits

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, God, marriage, Melissa — Tags: , , , , — 2 Comments

Melissa and I have never been one of those couples who consistently spend time praying together each evening.  Don’t panic!  Yes, we pray – together and alone… often.  But it’s never been a scheduled every day practice for us.  Anyone else out there in this category??

It’s been one of those areas that both of us have wanted to change.  And for years we’ve talked about it, tried all sorts of different ideas, and remained frustrated with ourselves that we couldn’t do what we actually wanted.  However, like a lot of other areas in our lives and relationship, we’re taking advantage of our sabbatical to make a change.  Change takes time to sink in, but it requires us to make consistent decisions one day at a time.

During Lent (the Church season leading up to Easter), we are committing to doing a short meditation together each evening.  We are using a resource produced by Church Resource Ministries (our missions organization).  We think this will help us establish a new rhythm, a new habit, that we want to be part of our lives.

If you are like me, it’s easy to over-plan, over-commit, and give up too soon.  That’s why I like having something we are both excited about that is do-able.  Wondering if you have things you would like to be [more] part of your life?  Doesn’t have to be something spiritual.  Can you start with something small like we are?  Would love to encourage you any way we can, so feel free to send us a message and let us know!

btw, if you are interested in CRM’s Lent devotional, you can signup online to receive the daily reflections via email here – http://www.crmleaders.org/lent/

February 4, 2010

Arthur Paul’s Amazing Song Project

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, Kids — Tags: , , , , , — 2 Comments

A while back, Arthur Paul and I came up with a creative assignment for him. He chose songs for each person in our family, then wrote about why he chose the song and how it connects to them. Sort of a creative way to express love and affirmation. I did not help him except to suggest they types of things he might want to consider in choosing a song – a highly abstract yet personal task. After long hours spread over a few months, he got it all finished and shared with the family. It blew us away. Lots of laughter and tears. Here’s what he came up with (video of the song + what he wrote to each of us):

Mairin

Mairin, I chose this song for you because you are a pretty carefree person and not many people get to experience what is listed in the song, but you’re experiencing things as adventurous as this like: chasing butterflies, sliding on ice, living in a house that we got smoke out of, and lots of other things.
The tempo makes you feel like you’re in a flowery garden or a rain swept forest, a perfect place for a girl like you to explore!

Love your older bro. A.P.S. III

Iain

http://www.theparlotones.net/

The meaning/words mainly affected my choice for your song because the words/meaning is about people’s imagination in many different ways from Dragonflies to Astronauts. The tempo and feeling just reminds me of you in sooooooooooooooooo many different ways. Like the times you pretend to be a puffle, my dog, even my cat. It connects with you because you just have such a colossal imagination and it feels like the singer is talking about you.
Love, your older bro.
A.P.S. III

Melissa

http://www.aradhnamusic.com
(this is a beautiful sanskrit worship song about Jesus)

The line “Full of delightful qualities, yet beyond comprehension.” Reminded me of you because you have the great qualities such as: patience, love, compassion, focus, never ending energy, and of course you being a great cook!
The tempo is slow, but speeds up like the events happening in your/our lives.
I think it connects with you because these are all adjectives describing the person you help people to know.

Love, your oldest son
A.P.S. III

Arthur (dad)

http://www.itsmorrisseysworld.com/index.php

The tempo makes me feel like if you had a guitar solo it would be like this
I think this song connects with you because like in the song you have parts of you from different cultures.
Your oldest son,
A.P.S. III

Great job Arthur Paul.  We all felt love and valued by the time and heart you put into this on our behalf.

February 1, 2010

A plethora of writing coming???

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, sabbatical, Updates, writing — 1 Comment

I have a number of things I have half-written recently.  These include insightful cultural observations, humorous anecdotes, heart-warming family moments, what I’m learning, what we’ve been up to, and updates on what’s next for us.  I really want to get a bunch of these posts/articles/emails finished because they are important to me (and I think to many of you).  But…

  • I usually have my best ideas either in the shower or at the gym – both places where I can’t write anything down as it crosses heart or mind
  • I have talked about aspects of all of these with enough people that I don’t want to sit down and recap for everyone else
  • I can be a bit of an idealist/perfectionist, so I want to consider every angle and put in every thought related to what I am writing about
  • I’ve been struggling to sit and write – too many other things to do!
  • I only have self-imposed deadlines, so it is easy to keep putting them off

BUT, I  want to get some of these off my to-do list AND really do need to get some of this on paper – for my sake and yours!  So, you can help me, dear reader, by sending me a message/email/comment along the lines of, “I would really like to hear about…” or “what was that thing you mentioned related to…”  Yes, I am asking for a bit of external motivation :)

thank you!

January 20, 2010

In Between

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, God, heart journey, Kingdom of God, sabbatical — Tags: , , , , , — 1 Comment

I’m learning to live better in the time/space between… aka “now.”  This is a strange place for me.  I tend to clarify and plan for what is ahead, then move toward that.  “Without a vision, the people perish.”  Generally, this is an acceptable practice.  However, I find that I can be too focused on what lies ahead, ignoring or minimizing the present (especially when it doesn’t fit with the future I see).  Further, it is easy for people to become secondary to plans.  Never my intention, but too common when I get so focused on the future that  achieving it becomes my only aim.

Part of what makes my sabbatical so good for me is the necessity to live in the now.  Yes, this time will end and we will move into the next season soon enough.  And yes, we will have to do certain things – even make a few plans – to begin the next adventure.  But for now, I am living where I am.  Spending lots of times with my wife and kids.  Seeing friends.  Reading.  Resting.  Getting caught up.  I believe all this and more will indeed prepare me for what’s next.  But I’m not doing all this SIMPLY TO GET READY, as if this is only a means to an end.  It is all good for what it is.

Hear me – I’m not just biding my time or waiting until something better comes along.  I am enjoying each day for what it is.  True, it’s not my dream place or situation.  But there is so much I CAN enjoy.  I am reminded of when Jesus ascended to heaven in Acts 1 and his disciples were looking into the sky where he had disappeared.  Two men in white (angels?) appeared to them and said, “men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?”  In other words, get on with life.  Not because Jesus isn’t coming back.  He is.  But there’s a lot of life to be had in the meantime.  Don’t just wait around for the future to arrive.

Every day matters:

  • a habit can change
  • a word can lift someone’s spirits
  • an accident can be prevented
  • something big can be accomplished
  • decisions can be made that affect everything else
  • a million moments take place that will never come again

God wants us to live now.  Yes, there’s forever too.  But it doesn’t start when we die.  It’s starts now.

January 11, 2010

Out with the old, in with the new

by arthurstewart — Categories: Arthur, God, heart journey, sabbatical — Tags: , , , , — 1 Comment

Doing anything new with the start of 2010?  On one level, I am looking at this year as an opportunity to start everything new…. moving to a new city, loving my wife and children as if for the first time, new ministry.  But on the very specific level, I am committing to read the Bible through again during the year.

I am severely restricting the making of new plans for my life because I generally do that too much.  I make plans.  I have sets of plans, often overlapping.  I have so many plans that I take a stab at several and succeed at few.  And they are all good plans!  Then I feel bad that I am not following through with all my good plans…

Furthermore, I am realizing how much I lean toward always adding new things, never stopping negative things.  I have a friend who says that all of life is starting some things while stopping others.  The Bible describes this as putting off and putting on (Ephesians 4).  I like the putting on part – fits with planning.  Problem is, you can’t keep adding and adding without making room AND getting rid of the stuff you don’t want.  It’s like having a bucket with some sediment in the bottom, and thinking that if you keep adding more and more of what you want, it will push the bad stuff out.  It doesn’t work that way though!  You have to get that crap out – my mechanic calls this a system flush.  You can’t just keep adding radiator fluid.  At some point, you have to clean out the whole system to eliminate the dregs.

I know this, but I don’t do it enough.  I need to.  In a way, this is one of the things God is doing in my life during this sabbatical – helping me clean out all the junk.  Not just adding new good stuff, but doing the hard work of rooting/tearing out what needs to go.  Sometimes painful – yes.  But cleansing and good.  I think this is one aspect of “working out your salvation” as the Apostle Paul calls it (Philippians 2).  There is work to be done – work of making ourselves available to our loving God to change us.  And often this change means getting rid of the things that get between us, Him, and our destiny.

I see it with my children more easily than myself.  I can see what they need to stop doing in order to start doing the better thing.  I am learning to better identify this in myself, and respond to others who help me to do the same.  I am sad that this doesn’t come more naturally for me, or that I don’t more readily embrace the input of others.  God has put so many people into my life that can aid in the process, and I still seem to resist at times.  But I am growing.

I am also facing the disconcerting (frightening?) truth that the great joy in life I have always craved doesn’t come through my schemes, but through a much more simple, humble, unassuming life.  This would seem to require cleaning house, wouldn’t it?  So for now, this is what I am committed to.  Yes, God has put a few pictures into my mind, and I am excited about what is ahead.  But I am holding these loosely and avoiding working out all the specifics…. at least for now ;)

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