Skip to main content

Year End Review 2007


At the end of every year, I try to read my both my private diary and public journal from the previous year, reflect on my vocational calling in the next season of life, and put a bookmark in on the pages of life's journey before starting a new year.

Now in my second year as a blogger, I have found that I enjoy keeping a public journal of my travel notes, social commentaries, personal reflections, and mission updates. As an added feature at year’s end (for family and friends, but mostly just for my own pleasure), I have summarized activities and accomplishments over the past 12 months, and provided links to the narrative on my blog:

http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com

January
New book release: Partakers of the Divine Nature http://inside.fdu.edu/fdupress/07012501.html

February
Began teaching Drew college course on “Faith-Based Approaches to Ending Poverty and AIDS
Rebecca and I led retreat at Kirkridge based on the book we published: Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen
http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Direction-Wisdom-Long-Faith/dp/0060754737

March
Mission trip to Malawi:
http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html

April
Finally finished installation of waterfall for pond, thanks to George, the master mason
Rebecca and I visited Korea to led Methodist Pastors’ Retreat on Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen see http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html

May
Produced CHI documentary on Food Aid in Malawi “Alphabet of Needs”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBI9Roher_c

June
Led retreat in Nashville on Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen
Drew DMIN summer term, taught Henri Nouwen course on Spiritual Direction

July
Sabbatical Year Ends http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html

August
Family reunion vacation in McCall, Idaho
With Christensen clan and Lairds

September
Labor Day weekend road trip to SF Bay Area,
To Toronto for Henri Nouwen Society Meeting, 11th anniversary of his death
http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

October

November
To Forth Worth for Church and Society conference
Mission Trip to New York City with church youth group
Shalom Announcement see www.communitiesofshalom.org
Homecoming at Point Loma Nazarene University and AAR
Thanksgiving with family in San Diego and celebration of my Mom's 80th birthday

December
World AIDS Day chapel at Drew
http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com/2007/12/world-aids-day-chapel-at-drew.html
To Baltimore to open new Shalom zones: www.communitiesofshalom.org

If you enjoy what you read here, I hope you will consider subscribing to my blog in the New Year:
http://michael-christensen.blogspot.com

shalom
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Liberation Spirituality: Henri Nouwen and Gustavo Gutierrez in Dialogue

Liberation Spirituality: Henri Nouwen and Gustavo Gutierrez in Dialogue Lecture Notes: Presented by Michael J. Christensen, Ph.D.,  Associate Professor in the Practice of Spirituality and Ministry,  Drew University;  and  International Director, Communities of Shalom, The United Methodist Church Introduction “There is a little man in Peru, a man without any power, who lives in a barrio with poor people and who wrote a book.   In this book he simply reclaimed the basic Christian truth that God became human to bring good news to the poor, new light to the blind, and liberty to the captives.   Then years later this book and movement it started is considered a danger by [the USA, or Rome], the greatest power on earth.   When I look at this little man, Gustavo, and think about [the President of the US, or the Pope], I see David standing before Goliath, again with no more weapon than a little stone, a stone called A The...
Read more

First Generation Lambs Club Reunion

Fifteen of us gathered Saturday night at the Lambs Club for a 35 th year reunion of those who helped start the Lamb’s Church in Times Square in the mid to late 1970’s, including: Rev. Paul S. Moore , Founder of the Lamb’s Church of the Nazarene, and his wife, Tamara Dr. Michael J. Christensen , charter member and former associate pastor, and his wife Dr. Rebecca Laird Fr. William (BJ) Webe r, former Associate Pastor and Director of the Lamb’s Residency, and his wife Sheila who lived at the Lamb’s Jim and Dustee Hullinger, who were on staff together and made the Lamb’s their home for over 25 years Effie Canepa , who was the church pianist under 3 pastors, and her husband Peter Shirley Close, who attended the Lamb’s in the late 1970’s while studying, performing  and teaching music and voice Carl "Chappy" Valente , former associate pastor Rev. Bob DiQuatto , lead singer of the Church’s “Manhattan Project” and staff member of the Lamb’s, and his son Jason Rev. Gab...
Read more

Not Afraid of Death by Julia Esquivel

In reading your blog, Michael, I immediately think of these two poems is poem by Julia Esquivel, from Guatemala, whom I had the pleasure of meeting years ago.  Un abrazo, Ada Maria I AM NOT AFRAID OF DEATH I am no longer afraid of death I know well Its dark and cold corridors Leading to life. I am afraid rather of that life Which does not come out of death, Which cramps our hands And slows our march. I am afraid of my fear And even more of the fear of others, Who do not know where they are going, Who continue clinging To what they think is life Which we know to be death! I live each day to kill death; I die each day to give birth to life, And in this death of death, I die a thousand times And am reborn another thousand Through that love From my People Which nourishes hope! THREATEN WITH RESURRECTION They have threatened us with Resurrection There is something here within us which doesn’t let us sleep, which doesn’t let us rest, which doesn’t stop the pounding deep inside. It is t...
Read more