Never Eat Alone

someone once told me that you should never eat alone in a restaurant…
when i asked why- they said: “well, when i see those people, i always feel bad for them- it’s depressing.”
ha-

i thought about that, as i sat and had lunch by myself- yet again. moving to a new city, affords you a lot of such opportunities. the funny thing however, is that it is not all that depressing. i quite enjoy being out in public alone. it gives me time to think, observe life, and pray.

soon enough, i will finally be settled in my new place (one more day) and then i hope that i can find a little bit of a regular rhythm. doing things like cooking and being able to have my own space to get some work done at home. in the meantime, i have become an expert at finding free wireless in this city and trying to hammer out some of the day in and day out stuff of email- budgeting- etc.

so here i sit, in one of my new favorite places in berlin-steglitz called chacaron coffee. i think this time i might chat up the barista and find out how they are doing/surviving. they are in a ‘high-street’ area right across from a shopping center, so it might not be super relevant to us. but every bit of info helps. always working here-

*hasler

It’s Time to Write Again

it has been since the end of the august that i last updated this blog. what has come of me?
with all of my domestic travel and adventures in preparing to move to berlin, it was really difficult getting into a writing rhythm. but now that i am here in berlin, fully landed and starting to get settled- it is my hope that i can keep up with some of the amazing things that are happening along the way. up to this point- twitter has served me better- in getting out some of those quick hit thoughts and happenings. but it is here, at the end of the day, that i really want to dig in a bit deeper into the things that God is doing in my life, heart and time spent in germany.

so here are a few initial reflections…
the one thing that i have tried to do in this whole process of moving to berlin to serve God and be faithful to the calling that He has put on me for this project, is ‘arrive well.’ so often, people have moved to places with thoughts and ideas and not taken into consideration the history, landscape and environment. so the first few weeks and months spent here, it has been and will continue to be about relationship building. i want to meet and talk with as many pastors, church planters, faithful believers as possible. and this is not to ‘pitch’ the project, rather it is to learn and absorb from those that are already here. it is to hear the histories of great success and great failure. it is to experience the hopes, fears, faith and doubt of those following Christ and building the church in this city. if i were to not do this, i would be neglecting the spiritual heritage in which i am being grafted.

in the end- with a spirit of love, humility and joy- i hope to be able to break into the mix and begin to unpack the project in a patient, yet intentional, way. by arriving well- it is my hope and prayer that God will honor that submission and posture of humility to open up the path He has prepared- and that any opposition that is encountered is from those that are offended by the Gospel- and not by me.
for there is no promise of success, and no fear of failure- there is only faithfulness. (hebrews 11)
and it is with this confidence, that God will be glorified through me and this project, that i begin.
the ever-growing worship of Christ in berlin is the only goal that lies ahead.
that is surely enough…

*hasler