Thursday, December 06, 2007

Tales of the Tryons

(August, 2007)

“...for those who leave homes...for my sake and the Gospel's shall be blessed one hundred fold.”
(Mark 10:24)

This Scripture hit me like a thunderbolt a few months ago. It's time to go!

After years of preparation, we are following the call the Lord challenged us with at Urbana 1976. We have been officially accepted as members of Operation Mobilization (OM).

Operation Mobilization is an international faith-based evangelical missions agency that began 50 years ago with the prayers of George Verwer and a few fellow college students. Today there are 4000 OM missionaries serving in 110 countries and on three literature ships. OM's ministry is supported by both churches and by tax-deductible donations from individual people.

We will be serving in the United States home office of Operation Mobilization, which is located south of Atlanta in Tyrone, Georgia. Chuck has been doing short term projects at the headquarters for several years, but now we will be going there to work full time. Some of the many ways in which we will be working are:

  • Computer and technical support for missionaries in the US headquarters and on the field
  • Facilitating communications for the 200 member central office and others around the world
  • Participation in fervent prayer as we keep up to date with newest developments from around the world
  • Hosting missionaries and conference speakers from around the world
  • Participation in short-term mission opportunities in other countries as opportunities arise

As you can imagine, we are up to our necks (and further) in things to do and details to work out before we can actually leave for Atlanta. Our most important task is developing a Partnership Team -- a team of people who commit themselves to regularly pray for us and give to OM for our support. As is the case in any army, it's the people behind that lines that make the ones out front effective.

Here's a way that you can help us RIGHT NOW. We need a lot of prayer every day. Look at some of the mountains we need to see the Lord overcome before we can go:
  • selling our house
  • wrapping things up with our respective jobs
  • packing, sorting, giving away “stuff”
  • time and energy to do everything
  • developing our Partnership Team
  • seeing the Lord fill the gaps at church that our leaving creates
  • moving, and finding the right living arrangements in Georgia.

In this day and age of email and electronic communications, it's still nice to receive a piece of paper and a canceled stamp on an envelope delivered by the US Mail service once in a while. However, there are also some advantages to using the Internet, such as speed and the efficient uses of resources. If you would like to participate with us in this vision, please send us back a note, and include either your phone number or a mailing address.

In spite of the mountains, we are excited about finally moving forward into this new stage or our lives together. We invite you to be a part of our ministry too.

We're looking forward to hearing from you!

Chuck & Sue Tryon

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Free-fall

Well... I've finally finished my assignment at Xerox, so I am now in "full time" Partnership Development. It's a step of faith, to be sure. Up until now, I've been able to depend on my income from my Xerox job. Now, I really have to get serious about getting to the goal of 100% support.

I sort of feel like a sky-diver who has jumped out of the plane and suddenly discovered that he can't find the handle to the rip-cord, only to remember that he's strapped into a double harness with the instructor, and the INSTRUCTOR is the only one with a rip-cord. So, I guess I'll be in free-fall until He decides it's time to deploy the 'chute..... ;-)

Thursday, November 01, 2007

The Difference...

What's the difference between a Sinner and a Saint?

The difference is that the Sinner looks at the saint as he walks by and says, "I could be just like him."

The Saint on the other hand, looks at the sinner as he walks by and says, "I could be just like him."

"There, but by the Grace of God, go I."

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Stories from a Different Age

One of the most wonderful memories I have of growing up was my father reading to us kids (6 of us) after dinner. Every night as we were finishing up dinner, he would read first a couple of chapters out of the Bible, and then a chapter or two, or three if we could plead with him, from some other book. He picked different books, mostly from missionary biographies, or stories about great Christians from the past, or from various fiction works from authors like C.S. Lewis. I think we went through the entire 7 book series of the Chronicles of Narnia, THREE TIMES. I don't even remember him using particular voices or anything, but I can remember being able to see those stories in my mind's eye as he would read them. From the works of Paul Brand and "Ten Fingers for God" to "Through Gates of Splendor", to "Hammered as Gold", that's how I learned to look beyond my small world to the far corners of the earth that Jesus has sendt us to.

I think that's one of the things I wish I had done with my kids when they were growing up. (*sigh*) A different age.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Hard Pressed on Every Side, But Not Crushed

2 Corinthians 4:7
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us."
The passage in 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, where Paul recounts the many forms of suffering that he and his team had gone through -- pressed but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned -- is certainly a familiar one. All of us can relate to Paul's statement at some level or another, though I don't know if there is anyone who has gone through all of these difficulties to the same extent that Paul had. However, it is a great comfort to see how Paul was subject to each of these difficulties and persecutions, but never to the point of breaking. We are reminded of another passage written earlier to the same church, in 1 Corinthians 10:13, where he reminds the church that,
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
However, sometimes I think we forget the opening of the paragraph. Paul's emphasis was not on the deliverance which he had experienced, but rather on the fact that JESUS had intentionally orchestrated these circumstances in order to show to Paul, and to anyone who saw him, that it was not Paul's great strength of character, or Paul's wisdom, or even his ability to deliver the message that was the source of the power of the message he was bringing. The persecution and trouble was not something that Paul had to get through in order to present his message. In a way, the persecution was the message itself. In addition to the proclamation of verse 4 from above, he continues in verse 11:
For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.
Paul saw himself as a jar of clay, holding a message of such power and glory that he did not want in any manner to get in the way of it, or to attempt to "borrow" any of its glory for himself. All that he could think of was that the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus be what people saw in him. For the Corinthian church in particular, he could see how his suffering would bring many to a knowledge of Christ, and that it would "cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God."

Of course, Paul didn't work to artificially manufacture this suffering. At times, Christians have tried to create their own suffering, either in Martin Luther's self inflicted beatings, or the dour faces of Christians who believe it is a sin to enjoy anything in this life. Suffering for suffering's sake isn't going to bring any Glory to God, and I don't think Paul was any great fan of suffering itself. Rather, "we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake," and the persecution followed as surely as thunder follows lightning. Some things, such as the storm at sea as Paul was traveling to Rome, were the consequences not of outright opposition or persecution, but rather of other people's poor decisions, and the workings of God's finger on the forces of nature. However, Paul took each of these in stride, choosing to see God's hand behind the circumstances rather than the circumstances themselves. He never forgot that he was jar of clay -- one with an eternal future to look forward to, but clay nonetheless. In a way, it might seem to be darkly humorous that, after recounting all of the horrible things he had gone through, Paul would simply refer to them as "light and momentary troubles," but the secret is in the perspective that he kept:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Passage at Bible Gateway

Friday, April 06, 2007

Why Can't We Just Get Along?

Why can't we just get along? All around us we see the signs of intolerance. In Northern Ireland, religious intolerance has led to a long history of strife between Catholics and Protestants. In Western Africa, racial intolerance has led to tribes that have been killing each other for hundreds of years. In the nations of the Horn of Africa – Ethiopia, Somalia and the Sudan – ethnic cleansing are still leaving thousands dead. In Iraq and Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, Sunni and Shia militias are killing each other every day.

In our own country, there are plenty of signs of intolerance. We can point to signs that we are overcoming the evils of racial prejudice, but our inner cities and schools are still starkly segregated as minorities struggle to overcome the traps of poverty and crime. Our political debates often descend into shouting matches, or “shock jocks” spewing hatred, whether it be Abortion, public health care, conservative vs liberal or the growing anti-war protests.


Amid the din of the screaming and yelling people call for tolerance. “Why can't we just get along?” “Live and let live!” Can't we just put our differences behind us and live together?

What is tolerance really? It is the act of ignoring our differences in order to accomplish another goal. Often that goal is simply peaceful coexistence. At other times, it might be an economic goal. We may overlook (tolerate) the inhumane working conditions imposed by a trading partner, if that partner will provide with cheaper goods and services than we can obtain from someone of higher ethical standards. We imagine that, if we would just be tolerant, then we could live with each other in wonderful peace. After all, no two human beings look at the world through exactly the same set of eyes. Marriage is a prime example of the need for tolerance. Does it really make that much difference if the toothpaste is squeezed from the end or in the middle, or if the toilet paper roll comes over the front or down the back?

However, there are times when the differences are just too big to ignore. Perhaps the most obvious example of the failure of tolerance and was that shown by the governments of Britain, France and Italy in the Munich Agreement of September 1938. Rather than recognizing Hitler and the threat he posed, the leaders of the day decided to tolerate his actions as he began to re-arm Germany, if only he would promise to be nice. When Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, the British Prime Minister Chamberlain was still not prepared to take the country to war over “..a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing.” As a result, Hitler drove all of Europe, and ultimately much of the rest of the world into the horrors of World War II.

I remember a time when drunk driving was tolerated by our culture. Sure, people knew it was “wrong”, but for the most part, people treated it as a joke. Then, along came Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. They were MADD, and they were no longer going to tolerate the slaughter of their children! Between MADD and other organizations like that, they shook up our nation, and changed fundamental attitudes in our culture about drinking and driving.

We can think of Civil Rights leaders throughout our own history – heroes who would not stand by and tolerate the evils of prejudice and segregation, risking their lives to fight for justice and equality. Martin Luther King was not a “tolerant” man. Rosa Parks decided she would no longer tolerate being told to go to the back of the bus, and almost ignited a war, but in the end, her action proved to be a turning point for an entire nation.

There are some evils that we cannot turn our backs on and pretend they do not exist. If it's just the toothpaste, then the value of harmonious living far outweighs the value of having the tube squeezed the “right” way. In other cases, it is simply the realization that beating someone over the head is often counterproductive, and more can be accomplished by reasonable discussion. The Crusades were a short victory, but ultimately accomplished few lasting results, other than creating a deep seated hatred between Eastern and Western cultures. However, there are still things worth believing in, and even fighting for.

The reason why intolerance causes so much of a problem in society is that it usually degrades first of all into a “Us vs. Them” attitude, and from there into a hatred of those who are different from us, or those who have different purposes and priorities than we do. Intolerance is often based on ignorance.

If tolerance in itself is not the answer then, what is?

The first thing we must do is determine in our own minds what is important to us, and what isn't. What we stand for, and why? We must understand though, that almost all issues are complex, and do not lend themselves to simple black and white solutions.

But then, once we know what we really believe in, we still need to hold on to the basic dignity of each human being, even when they disagree with us on those important things. In part, it is a matter of respect. If I believe something, then I must, by definition, believe that I am correct. However, we must understand though, that the issues we struggle with are complex, and do not lend themselves to simple black and white solutions. I must also realize that I don't know all the answers, that I don't even know all the facts, and I could be wrong. Even if I'm not wrong, there is still an opportunity to learn from that other person.

For example, I call myself a Christian. I believe in the literal life and work of the man Jesus Christ, and the factual accuracy of the Bible. This is a belief that I would die for. However, that doesn't mean I cannot tolerate the presence of other religions. This country was based on the concept of religious freedom, not because the founders thought that religion was not important, but because they believed in the basic dignity of the individual, that truth is not found through intimidation, threats or coercion, and that each man and woman must seek this truth on his or her own.

There is an old proverb, attributed to Native American tradition, that you should never judge a man until you have traveled a mile in his moccasins. Many raging arguments would take on a decidedly more peaceful tone if the two sides would take a moment to look at the issue from the other person's perspective. It is an interesting exercise to try to debate a topic... from the other person's point of view. It forces you to look through the other person's eyes. It might not be enough to make you change your mind, but it can give you a respect for where the other person is coming from.


There are so many things which make us different as individuals. In many cases, we can learn to appreciate and enjoy those differences, though sometimes we may have to learn to just ignore them in order to be able to live and work together. In some cases though, the differences will be significant, and cannot be glossed over. However, even in these cases, we can still learn to respect one another. If we take the time to overcome ignorance, and try to understand the issues from the other person's perspective, then even in our struggles for the truth, we can learn from each other, and all be wiser for the experience.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

A Tribute - AmyElizabeth

Yesterday, we had a going away lunch for a member of our software team at Xerox. AmyElizabeth had been with the group for around four years, but she wasn't able to dodge the latest expense cutting measure. :-(

The group asked me to "say a few words", so I dug through some of the many pleasant memories I had of the time AmyElizabeth was on the team. I thought it would be good to write the speech down while it was relatively fresh in my memory. On further reflection, I've added a couple more comments here in addition to what I actually said.

Oh, fair warning is that there are plenty of inside jokes, as one would expect from such a tribute....
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How many of you have read the book, "Peopleware" by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister? I still consider that to be my favorite book on Software Development, or on almost any other topic. Rather than focus on the technological aspects of software projects and why the succeed or fail, they looked into the personal dynamics of writing software. What aspects of a development team make one succeed and another one flop?

One of the core concepts that DeMarco and Lister introduced was the idea of a "gelled team". More than just a group of people on a project, a gelled team is knit together as a single entity with a common goal. The success of the individual is tied to the success of the team. If you succeed, then I succeed. There is no challenge too great, no mountain too tall to climb. Nothing can stop a gelled team.

Now, many managers try to build "teams". They stage "team building events" until they are blue in the face, but until the team itself takes ownership of the bonding, nothing happens. The team is gelled by the actions of the members, and the bonds that they develop themselves. The best managers recognize the kind of people who tend to create gelled teams, and cultivate them.

Now, we have a lot of really good people here in this team, from top notch engineers, to "Big Picture" software architects, to managers who "get it", but we've also had something else. We've had a magic ingredient.

Now, it's not altogether clear what it was that AmyElizabeth did to create this magic. Maybe it was the vending machine birthday cakes that she always remembered, or the hair drier in the morning (when the power went out). It could have been convincing Wayne that that it really was his 50th birthday, or sending out three separate "meeting" invites to convince two different people that the get together was a surprise party for the other guy, when it really was for both of them together. Maybe it was, "I need penguins... I need lots of penguins," (all 756 of them). I'm sure the Zero Year cakes (complete with gummi-worms) had something to do with it, along with delivering 50 birthday balloons one at a time. Then, there were the sushi outings, the Pink Flamingo divas, and the Real Chet Yoder. I'm sure that walks around the buildings went a long way in helping us keep our sanity.

I'm sure AmyElizabeth has been accused of many tricks and "decorations" for which she was not responsible for, but then there are a few that I know of that were never figured out. However, it's not surprising that she developed a reputation for being behind most "disturbances" in the group. Any time there was something going on, be it in a hallway or at the Summer Picnic, chances were good that you'd find AmyElizabeth in the middle of it.

Now, most groups have a practical joker, but AmyElizabeth's teasing always had a different feel to it. Many practical jokes are meant to embarrass the victim, or there is a subtle put-down hidden in the laughter, leaving people feeling smaller. However, with AmyElizabeth, you were always left with the feeling that people were laughing with you, not at you. It was to draw people together, to let every individual know that he or she was noticed, important, a part of the family. It was important to remember and celebrate your birthday, even if she had to make a cake out of vending machine cupcakes or animal crackers. Creativity was a key, as was doing the unexpected. These were the kinds of attitudes that brought us together and made the team jell.

AmyElizabeth, now you are heading off to something new and different. I don't claim to understand the whys and wherefores, and I must say that the timing of this is change is uncomfortable to say the least, but I am confident that God has wonderful things in store for you out there in the future. Know for sure that you leave this group with our fondest memories of the time you have spent with us, and with our earnest hope for your bright future. Go with our blessings, and with the certainty that you still have a lot of friends back here to keep in touch with.

God bless you AmyElizabeth. We will sorely miss you.

Time to Come Together

I've often noticed that it's at times like funerals and workplace going away lunches that we finally take the time to get together with friends and family -- people whom we've often not seen for years. I used to think that was a pretty sad commentary on humanity, and the way-too-busy lives we lead, but I don't know if that's really true. If you think about it, those are the times when we've lost someone (even if it's just the relatively short term loss of not seeing someone on a day to day basis of a working relationship), and we are reminded of just how much we are dependent on each other. We are lonely, and we come closer to comfort each other.

It's times like these that we are reminded that we should take a moment to slow down and think about our friends and family. The world rushes by so fast, and before we know it, some situation or circumstance moves us apart. Maybe it's our children graduating or getting married and moving away. Maybe it's a friend passing on, or a good friend getting laid off at work, or making a change in their career path. They're here, and then in the blink of an eye, they're gone. Maybe it's not a permanent separation, but it's not the same as it was before. Don't let it catch you with regrets.