Triage

Tags

calling, christian life, first things, john 17:4, prayer request, responsibilities, triage, walking with the father

I’m not medically trained.  I have a brother and sister who are both R.N.s, but not me.  I studied Lit in college.  I never watched the T.V. medical dramas like ER, House, Chicago Hope, etc.  Though I doubt the term triage has to be used much in American hospitals.  Actually, I heard the term in war movies.  It basically means the process which occurs when there are more injured or sick patients than can be adequately cared for in the appropriate amount of time, thus requiring a judging/determining/sorting of who will receive care and in what order.  Simply put, patients are put into classifications such as the following: 

1. Will live no matter what we do
2. Will die no matter what we do
3. Could live if provided the appropriate treatment by the appropriate deadline.

Why do I mention this?  Well, I’ve been thinking that this might be a year of living according to the rules of triage.  I have class from 915-5:30 roughly, 5 sometimes 6 days a week.  I have a family for whom I am responsible and with whom I want to spend time.  I have homework that comes out of those 8 hours of class (pretend like everyday is summer Hebrew, C++, Finance, or some course by Hafemann demanding a good deal of homework).  I obviously need to sleep as well.  I have a handful of folks stateside with whom I need to stay in touch, and a wider group of people to whom I am at least a little obliged to keep updated.  When will it all get done.  I’m not even mentioning the commitment to be in the Word of God and to pray regularly as well as to obey the Lord gladly be gathering with His people!  A little triage might be necessary with all the mounting responsibilities.

Taken from another angle, triage might also serve as a slogan for the Christian life in general.  We are called to be people who aren’t just doing any ol’ thing.  We are commanded to redeem the time for the days are evil!  John 17:4 reminds us that Jesus completed what the Father gave Him to do…there were a million others things He could have done, perhaps millions of sick, poor, and dying, and definitely millions of people who hadn’t heard the good news of the Kingdom yet, but He focused on the things that the Father gave Him…spiritual and vocational triage.  We (or maybe just I) get so caught up in/interested in/sucked into a million good things forgetting that the Father isn’t asking us to do a million good things, but a few specific (perhaps great, perhaps redundant) things.

Well, I could go on, but I really want to ask for your prayers.  That I would be able to classify my responsibilities well.  There will be things that will continue on without me just fine (Class 1).  Some things, even if I gave all of my time to them, would experience no difference.  Their fate is sealed as far as I’m concerned(Class 2).  But, there are some things that need my attention, things to which I am called by the Father to care for and give attention to.  Pray for me.  If you look at my list above, there’s not much, if anything, that can be completely thrown out, but I need to give the right amount of time to each thing.  Thanks in advance.

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Being a Father

Tags

family, fatherhood, parenthood, parenting, raising daughters, raising kids, raising sons, wasting saturdays

A couple years back, I heard a guy share information from the below article that I’m copying in full.  I did not have kids at the time, and yet I knew it was on to something important.  I found it today at http://www.christianitytoday.com/moi/familyman/2004/cmn40924.html, and I wanted to share it with you guys and any readers that missed it the first time around.  –Justin

Marbles Matter by Todd Wilson

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–>Friday, September 24, 2004

Hey Dad,

I‘m not a math guy. I don’t do well with fractions, quadratic equations, or pi. I’m okay with counting, but that about does it. But, here I am writing to you about math and fathering … definitely, a Familyman first. In fact, I’ve been pondering math all week. It all started as I was tooling down the road listening to the radio.

The smooth voice on the other end explained how he was going to place a marble in a jar for every Saturday he had left of his expected life span. Since he was over fifty … it wasn’t a lot. Then, he was going to throw away one marble as each Saturday passed to remind him that his time was running out.

I’ve been thinking about marbles and math ever since. Let’s apply this marble principle to fathering. Say we got a big jar and placed a marble in it for every Saturday of our child’s growing up years (18 years or 900 marbles).

So if you have an 11–year–old (like I do), you have about 350 marbles left in the jar. You with me? 18 minus 11 equals 7, times 50 equals 350. In the case of my son, Ben, the jar is well over half empty.

Only 350 Saturdays are left to spend with him. That sounds like a lot, but it isn’t. And if you have a 15–year–old, you’re down to 150 marbles.

The thing about marbles is that you can only use them once. If you waste one by playing with the guys, being away on business, or spending it doing your own thing … it’s gone.

Right now, I’m holding a marble in my hand; it’s this Saturday’s marble. It holds a lot of promise. My kids long for this coming marble … I mean Saturday. They’re hoping for a backyard campout … but I might be too tired or the timing might not be good.

That’s the thing about marbles. We dads hold them in our hand. We decide what we’ll do with them, how we’ll use them, and then, when we’re done; we reach in the jar and toss them away.

That’s why I work so hard to remind you of what’s most important, because it all boils down to a jar full of marbles. I’ve set a jar of marbles on my desk to remind me that marbles matter.

Dad, let me encourage you to do a little math, and count how many marbles you have left with your child. And then make this “marble” a good one.

You ‘da dad! [Todd]

Teach Bible/Theology Internationally for 1 week or more

Tags

international seminary, teach bible, teach bible school, teach greek, teach hebrew, teach overseas, teach seminary, teach theology, theologians without borders, train global leaders

First, Drew, let me say about your post that their were structures in place for Paul to go in and get the Gospel to people…Mars Hill, the diaspora synogogues, etc.  In our day, those don’t exist…places of public discussion on religion, unless you are outside of the States and Europe, that is.  So, if we need to create gathering places to get the MESSAGE out, let’s do it.

Secondly, guys, I wanted to pass this on to you and whoever is reading this blog of ours:

Greetings, especially to new subscribers and those added to this mailing list because they are teachers at seminaries or Colleges in different parts of the world.
 
In a Tweet, Theologians Without Borders (TWB) is an initiative in Christian partnership in which theological teachers go as volunteers and at the invitation of seminaries or groups of churches who have issued a ‘Macedonian Call’—‘Come over and help us!’ The assignment is completely the responsibility of the teacher who funds the visit (travel and visa) while the receiving institution provides free of charge transport from local airport to the teaching centre, a room and daily food. More info here (although for privacy reasons new info is being sent by email rather than posted on this public Internet site).
 
It is encouraging…
…to see a woman from England teaching Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in Malaysia and then offering to teach intensives in two Colleges in India who do not have a specialist OT teacher
…to hear a steady trickle of teachers saying, “I’ve got a sabbatical coming up in 2011/2012/2013…are there any seminaries asking for teachers?”….
…to see two Aussie pastors tacking onto the end of their family holidays some training input at a Church Leader’s Conference in Indonesia…
…to get a growing number of graduate theology students putting up their hand to teach intensives as part of their service, to hone their cross-cultural gifts, to build their teaching experience and to help discern their calling.
…to know that Rev Josué Fonseca, formerly a Professor in Santiago, Chile and now pastor of a church in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, is assisting in the coordination of requests to Theologians Without Borders (Teólogos Sin Fronteras) for assistance from those in the Spanish-speaking world. Josue’s email address is:
josuefonsecamolina@yahoo.com. Translation: Es alentador saber que Rev Josué Fonseca, pastor antes un profesor en Santiago de Chile y ahora de una iglesia en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Islas Canarias, está ayudando en la coordinación de las solicitudes de Teólogos Sin Fronteras para obtener ayuda de las existentes en el mundo de habla española.la dirección de Josué correo electrónico es: josuefonsecamolina@yahoo.com
 
Requests in Brief
Some of the current requests include…
…Theological teachers for China in 2011 who can teach one week modules in a variety of theological and biblical disciplines (interpreter provided if you are not fluent in Mandarin)
…A school in Thailand among the displaced Karen has an urgent need for two teachers during this semester (September—December 2010 and possibly 2011)…
… Parlez-vous français? A Pastoral Institute in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that prepares pastors for ministry within rural churches seeks volunteer French-speaking instructors/professors in several disciplines in their three year programme especially from the summer of 2011 to the summer of 2012…
…Teachers requested to teach in a new Masters course in Indonesia from January 2011…
…Spanish-speaking teachers for seminary in Columbia.
…Visiting teachers for a College in Myanmar/Burma.
…Teachers for a seminary in Nigeria who might teach intensive courses in Greek, Hebrew, Theology, Missiology, Christian education, Conflict Resolution, Development, Technology and Ministry and English Language.
RSVP

I will supply more information where I can or put you in touch with the person or institution requesting. If you haven’t already, do send me a completed Expression of Interest form as a first step. Sing out if you are part of a seminary or group of churches that would appreciate a teacher/trainer coming to assist you.
 
Further, do forward this letter to colleagues and others who may be able to respond to one of these requests.
 
Sincerely

Dr Geoff Pound
Coordinator, Theologians Without Borders.