Monday Christmas Cheer

CHRISTMAS IS COMING

Can you believe it?

Yesterday - and all of last week for that matter - was wild and crazy.

I still cannot believe that both major Bangkok area airports were have been shut since (was it?) Wednesday? I would never have believed it.

I still cannot get over the fact that gunmen went into various buildings all over Mumbai just killing as many people as they could shoot. And that it took two full days to get rid of them.Here are some things that happened yesterday (most of which were great).

Here are a few things that happened yesterday...

1. We didn't have a coup. I was so surprised. I thought for sure it would happen late Saturday night or early Sunday morning not only bringing down the government but also messing up church. Didn't happen.
2. We experimented with two morning worship services. We went from one relatively traditional worship @ 10am to one reasonably contemporary one at 9am and one slightly more traditional at 10:30am. Our evening service went as usual on Sunday night at 6:30pm.
3. The experiment went well. This was probably the worst Sunday in my 4 years in Bangkok to try to add a second morning worship. With all the uncertainty in the air and my guitarist stranded out of the country because of the airport closing. But at 9am there was good energy. Expectation for what God would do and general Spirit. Our new friend David jumped right in and played guitar.
4. The 10:30am worship rocked too! We had a brass quartet play and they were great.
5. The 6:30pm rocked too too. We had about 30 people there from 14 different countries.
   
6. At the 6:30pm service I got to see my old friend Rendell. Rendell is partly responsible for me being in Bangkok in the first place.
7. Our Christmas Carol boat trip sold out. This is good and bad. It's neat to see the demand. It's sad to have to tell people who wanted to come that it's full. About four years ago we started a tradition of renting a boat and singing Christmas Carols up and down the river. We leave at 4:30 before it gets dark and arrive back around 7pm. So we are singing carols as the sun goes down and the lights of the city come up. It's pretty cool.
8. Our Christmas Eve worship service is NOT sold out. We're not even selling tickets. Although last year we ran out of hymnals and bulletins. Christmas Eve is at 7pm this year @ Bangkok Christian College. You might want to come a little early to ensure a seat!
9. Someone told me yesterday morning that the sermons on tithing prompted her to align her financial life with her religious beliefs. That's cool!

In the midst of all this the protests and bombings and general pandemonium continue in very isolated areas in Bangkok. There are still coup rumors. Everyone is waiting to find out what happens on Thursday when the court is to rule on the legality of the ruling party (among others). We are also all looking forward to Friday (the King's birthday) when we'll likely hear from His Majesty.

What a time to be alive! God bless.