Back to the Source

Been a while...

2007-01-27T09:03:00.000-08:00

So, I have a number of blogs going on now and I need to merge them. For the whole first half of January I was traveling Eastern Europe. It was quite an amazing experience. You can read about all the details and see pictures here... www.taylorisbaptized.blogspot.com

The reason for the trip was the European Taize Prayer Gathering in Zagreb, Croatia. More than 40,000 young people traveled there for the annual meeting hosted in a European city. It was the first time I had experienced anything put on by Taize and the it was amazing.

I think this somes up what the meetings are about... "an invitation to go to the sources of the Gospel through prayer, silence, and searching.' Also called 'a pilgrimage of trust on earth', they aim to nourish our hope." And a good article... http://www.taize.fr/en_article4330.html

I had enough money to travel for a week in Eastern Europe, but somehow that money lasted more then 2 weeks! It became a real pilgrimage of trust for me. I met several really kind people, at the gathering and I was able to stay with many of them on my way back to Germany. The generosity and trust in the Christian community in Europe is alive.

We have a lot of cool stuff going on here. Christmas was really busy. I helped with and participated in 5 services on Christmas Eve! I don't know how pastors can do that every year.

Teleconference

2006-12-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T15:39:00.001-08:00

More to come...

http://picasaweb.google.com/taylorrjohnson/Thanksgiving

Letter to MLCers

2006-11-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Greetings MLC!

Many of you know that I have been living in Lutherstadt Eisleben, Germany for the last month and a half. The Lord has been working in amazing ways here and so far it has been a spectacular experience. I am writing this letter on November tenth, the 523 anniversary of Martin Luther's baptism. Just a few hours ago we finished a baptismal remembrance service in St. Peter-Paul, the very church Luther was baptized in 1483.

The remembrance service was wonderful and with only 40 people, it had a very intimate feel. We wrote our names on a piece of cloth and tied it together to form one band. Pastor Claudia, one of the American pastors I am working for explained that we are all tied together in the body of Christ. I got homesick as I thought about the church I was baptized in and where my faith was nurtured.

I have been keeping busy here in Eisleben with a couple of outreach ministries. I teach English lessons four days a week and am starting a website class. I’m meeting a lot of youth and just moved into a new flat. My flat is conveniently located and a great place to meet with youth. I have a spare room that I would like to make into a worship space.

The youth group is going very well. We have about 25 youth and usually 15 come to our weekly meetings. During the day I help the pastors with a lot of the day-to-day church work.

I will be doing a live presentation/conference call Sunday Dec. 10th right after the fellowship hour. I will be speaking on life in “Luther Land” and our ministry here.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for our ministry. Remember… in the name of Jesus Christ, "ich bin gertauft" – I am baptized.

Rockin' and rollin' out,

-Taylor

Martin's Baptism and Martinstag

2006-11-13T13:44:00.000-08:00

New gallaries (each photo links to a seperate gallary)...

Martin Luther's Baptizmal remeberance service...

The base of this fountain was the very one Luther was baptized in.

Click the photo below for more pictures of Martinstag...

Carnival

2006-11-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

Today, at 11:11am marked the start of the "Carnival Season." It is called the Fifth Season and runs until Ash Wednesday. Carnival is has Roman Catholic roots and it is celebrated in many different ways across the country.

Here is an interesting article about it: http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/6-3-15/39319.html.

Pictures from the Eisleben market square this morning...

Lantern Walk

2006-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Birthday Service

2006-11-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Luther's birthday in St. Peter-Paul. It was an ecumenical service for the kids. The youth put on a great skit. The church had more then 4 times as many people on a regular Sunday. It was wonderful.

Happy Birthday Martin

2006-11-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

I am about a stones throw away from the birth house of the man who started and fueled the reformation. Martin Luther was born exactly 523 years ago on November, 10 1483 here in Eisleben. Living amidst such history still hasn't settled with me. Yesterday also marked another very important day - my sisters birthday. Oh... and the 17th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

I looked at apartment yesterday, but it will cost more then I expected. It is the least expensive one listed and it will not be ready until the end of next month. It is one room and has a perfect location down town. It comes with a bunkbed... so whoever wants to come visit get on a plane and you have a place to stay in Germany.

I finally bought battiers for my camara and will post pictures of the festivities that will be taking place this weekend.

More to come next week about the English lessons I am doing...

Rockin' on and out,
-taylor

Running

2006-11-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

Things are busy here in Eisleben. Scott and I where able to get in the high school last week and he spoke to a class about poverty. I was able to get the info out about my English lessons and they are giving me a classroom at the school. The students seemed to be very excited about the lessons. I am also hoping to start a class on website design after the English lessons get rolling.

A couple weeks ago we had vacation bible school. We had about 40 little kids under 12… it was a lot of fun. I acted as a jungle jim for most of the days. It made the paper too… I will translate it and post the article on here.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the thrown of God.” –Hebrews 12:1-2

The imagery is fantastic in these versus… I can see myself running the long distance race of life in a gigantic amphitheater with all the heroes of the past cheering me on. I have left all my sin and baggage behind. My eyes are constantly fixed and my life focused on Jesus. To live like him is my ultimate life goal and objective. He is the perfector of our faith, having already overcome life – my supreme example. Jesus endured the cross so that we all may to be saved. I choose to endure as Christ did. The joy set before me is far greater then anything found in this world.

In Christ,

-Taylor

What is 180 degrees?

2006-10-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

180 Degrees is the new high school youth ministry created by the pastors and youth of Eisleben. I cut a video in the worst program ever to show what we are about. It is in English and you can download it by clicking here. We also have a website... http://www.180grad-eisleben.de/

We are not your typical high school youth group... we are an outreach that is essential to allowing Christian youth, be confident with their faith in this extremely secular region of Europe. We meet weekly for Bible study, go on retreats... all with a very strong focus on relational ministry. We have two rock bands and do everything we can to reach out to the community.

Getting busy.

2006-10-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I went to church and the only thing I understood was a word play Claudia did on gabe (gift) and aufgabe (task). I was able to get more out of that sermon then most of the ones I understand because the whole time I thought about what they mean. I find it especially pertinent to my year here. I have been blessed with an amazing gift an extraordinary opportunity, but I must remember I have a task and a job here.

After church I went to Martin Luther University in Halle with a student from the congregation and she showed me around and introduced me to all of her housemates. Most of the students I met are studying theology and it was fascinating hearing their testimonies. It is a constant battle being a Christian in E. Germany. Many of them are the only Christians in their family and are constantly ridiculed by their peers. Very eye opening to me because in the US it is difficult not to be Christian. Scott is trying to get a Bible study started so I will get to head out there with him at least every week.

Band practice on Monday… they met for the first time this year and are working on some new covers. One of them being, “For the Moments I Feel Fain” by Reliant K which is sweet because that song was a stepping stone for me five years ago.

I started my first German lesson with my tutor. She is Russian and very sweet. I made the mistake of asking for more homework then she assigned and got it! So, I have been working a lot on my German.

We have Jegend Geminde (youth group) every Tuesday evening with the high school age kids. It is a little different each time. This week we had a good discussion about passive and aggressive responses and I of coarse shook it up and advocated the idea for the need to respond aggressively if, the situation warrants it. Jesus was no wimp and didn’t let people walk on him. Let me know if you would like to discuss further…

Today, we are having our first website design meeting. We are trying to decide who we are going to make sites for. I am kind of in charge and need to see what all they know and what I need to teach.

You are probably wondering who Scott and Claudia are by now… they are the two super rad pastors I am working for and currently living with. They are married, both ELCA (Lutheran) pastors from the US and fluent in German, English and a few other languages. Claudia was born here in E. Germany. I am staying with them on there flat until we find a permanent place for me to go. There is a possibility that I may be able to move into a small room downtown for free, but that hasn’t worked out yet.

If I can’t get into that flat I will move into a section of an old Augustinian monastery where Martin Luther lived. The church refuses to put me there because of the condition, but I think it is awesome. Who wouldn’t want to live and study in the very room that Luther did! The only issue is that it has been pretty untouched since Luther lived there. A few additions where put in place under the former DDR: a hot water heater you have to light manually, a few electric lights and a heater that you pour oil in by hand. So, some money and time would have to be put into it.

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” –Hebrews 12:7

Keep it real, -Taylor

Introduction and Arrival

2006-10-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Eisleben last Wednesday on the 3rd of October. I had been staying with my family in Niederhall and didn’t sleep the night before because I was so filled with doubt and hesitant about jumping into ministry. On the train, in the typical way the Lord works (some call it irony - I stopped believing in irony last summer) I finished a book I have read twice before and the second to last chapter “The Adventure” struck my heart where I needed it most. To sum it up…
“Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life; gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life.” –Oswald Chambers

I dropped out of a university where I was completely happy, doing well and guaranteed a job. My friends where pretty mad at me for even mentioning the idea of leaving because I was one of the biggest proponents of our school.

I walked through my dorm with all my stuff the night of my class’s commitment dinner. My classmates walked through the hall in the opposite direction wearing nervous looks and tidy blue service dress. I was so attached to the academy and my friends that I nearly cried that night (if I did it was only like half a tear). The only reason I had the strength was because of my conviction in my calling and that I planned on coming back. I still hope to go back, but…

“To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth.” –Oswald Chambers

In the last three months I have been on three trips, each an adventure of a lifetime. From Japan to Germany I have wondered and learned. My first trip started last July and the first stop was Eisleben. I ended my travels two nights ago right here and retired to the same bed it all started from. I am thankful to the Lord for my travels and they confirm my decision to go on mission. Even though I am settling in Eisleben till June – the last three months have taught me that I cannot live without adventure, uncertainty and the Lord.

This blog has already exposing more then I planned… your reading the unedited dairy of a missionary. Complete with adventures, successes and failures. My heart goes out to you for taking the time to read it… feel free to write comments on the posts.

“I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” –Philippians 4:13

Blessings, -Taylor

The other side ot the world...

2006-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

The beginning of this blog finds me awaiting a military flight to Tokyo. I am on a tour of the Pacific because I just dis-enrolled from the Air Force Academy and could not pass up the opportunity of free flights! For the last week I have been "stuck" in Hawaii trying to get to Asia. I have been camping on the beach and airport terminals... meeting and ministering to people in ways I did not expect.

Hanauma Bay
There is something about being on a public bus with a backpack equipped with everything you need to live on, that makes open to conversation. People that normally would not talk, ask questions and want to hear about where you have been and where you are going. I have meet several Englishmen, a charming couple from Albuquerque, an amazing Latvian, Hawaiians, a group from the Laguana Beach area, and the list goes on...

To catalogue my previous travels and my travels while I in Europe I have decided to open a new blog. The blog will tell the story of "my dirty backpack" (a red Ospry backpack that travels cheap thus getting dirty... I guess it's a bad name if you have to explain it). Check it out: http://www.thedirtybackpack.blogspot.com/

Honolulu from Diamond Head