Brasov to Sibiu

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I guess I should tell you about the hotel that I stayed at in Brasov. It was a no-frills hotel which up to leave was probably built in the 70s. It was decent and met my needs of having a bed, bathroom, and wifi. But other than that it was pretty sparse. I picked it because it was just a few blocks away on the same street as the hotel I was dropped off at last night. I figured since it was going to be 1030 in the evening I shouldn’t be trying to get lost in the city of Brasov, Romania.

The breakfast this morning at the hotel was typical central European breakfast of cold cuts, eggs, and sausage. I made myself three slices of toast. There seem to be quite a few Asian tourists eating in the big breakfast room that would probably double as a conference room or banquet hall.

After checking out of the hotel and getting them to hold my luggage and their luggage room I decided to head to Mount Tampa for the funicular to ride up the mountain to get close to the Hollywood style letters. After winding my way through the streets I got to the funicular station, where I found out that the funicular opens at 9:30 AM rather than 9 AM as they can’t book had stated. It was 8:47 AM so I decided to try and go back to the town and see the black church.

Unfortunately it looks as though the black church was not open or else they were having a worship service as I heard organ music playing through the walls.

I stumbled upon Rope Street which is one of the most narrow streets and all of Romania. It’s so narrow you can spread your arms out and touch both walls. Couples like to go there to express their love to another. It was originally built to allow firefighters to access adjoining roads.

I decided to head back to the funicular station to catch the sky ride to the top of Mount Tampa. Sure enough they were open and I managed to position my go Pro camera to record the view going up. I shared the vehicle with a French family and the funicular operator. Also on board was a worker at the café at the top of the mountain.

Once we arrived I thought it would be best to try and find the pathway to the Hollywood letters. After taking a wrong turn I finally found them. I couldn’t position myself to take a good Photo of the lettering as the vegetation had built up around the letters to where you could not exactly tell what was being spelled out. Still it was neat to stand beside and iconic landmark. I headed down to go to the black church which I had hoped would be open by now.

Sure enough it was open, but no photography was all out from inside of the church. Position around the church for rugs dating from far back and paintings depicting the life of Jesus.

Unfortunately it’s getting to where all the churches I see are running together. I will always remember the first few churches I saw while in Nürnberg. I’ll also remember the Vatican church and the ornate church in Toledo, Spain. But somehow the other churches that I visit are less than memorable.

I decided to have some lunch while I chose my next adventure. On the Square was a KFC so I decided to eat there. Friends and family get on to me about not trying local food but I figure it’s my vacation I should enjoy myself. I wasn’t sure what I wanted and by the time I finally decided what I wanted the line had become long. I got six chicken nuggets, which in this case are called fillets, and some chili cheese bites. The KFC worker warned me that she could not give me the combo deal which meant fries and a drink. But I am not particularly a fan of the fries and I decided to treat myself with the chili cheese bites.

I decided to go to Saint Nicholas’s cathedral. It was in the south part of the town near the secondary Square. At the Square some young children are playing soccer. Inside the cathedral was nothing to write home about but still it was an interesting find.

Next I decided to go to the citadel which is located on the top of the hill near my hotel. But it is quite a hike up to it and I’m not sure it was worth it. I got lost on the way up there and I asked a man who spoke little English to point me in the right direction. I finally found my way up there to and abandoned citadel with landscaping workers weed eating the first Grass cutting of the season. I could tell because the dandelions are overtaking the citadel. The citadel didn’t look like it was open and the guidebook mentioned the citadel only in passing. It was such a waste to have such a historic building set there without any exhibits.

As I hiked down I saw in the guidebook that a postoffice was nearby so I made my way to it to buy some stamps for postcards. The guidebook and I store owner confirmed that only the post office will sell Stamps in Romania.

As typical and post offices in the United States is saying that the person in front of me always has a huge long transaction to do. The people waiting in line at the post office can never want a simple transaction.

By then it was 2 PM and I figured I had just a few more minutes to visit one other exhibit and I’ll be on my way to the train station. I decided on the history of Brasov, Romania. Most of the exhibits did not have English subtitles so I was at a loss as to what was being exhibited. There was a very interesting tempering serve it detailing how some cities in Eastern Europe were re-named after Joseph Stalin. I had read that Brasov have been renamed to Stalin city. But there were other cities within the eastern bloc renamed to Honor Joseph Stalin. Most of this did not last long as many reverted back to their previous names sometime later. The Exception to this was the city in Albania which did not revert back until 1991.

It was getting near 3 PM which was my personal cut off time to start heading back to the train station to catch my train to Sibiu. After retrieving my stored luggage at my hotel, I got detailed directions from the front desk gentleman on how to catch the bus to the train station. I purchased my ticket and waited on the bus. When the bus came it was crowded but the amount of people who got on the bus made it overwhelming. I held onto my wallet and hoped that I would not be pickpocketed while riding the bus stops to the train station. Honestly I did not even count the number of stops. Everyone was getting off at this particular stop so I figured it was the train station, and sure enough it was the train station.

The train station itself was very dilapidated. It looks like it was built in the 70s and not refurbished. Pigeons were flying around inside of it. I noticed when hopping around on a stub of a foot. I felt sorry for it and wondered what happened to make him lose his foot.

On platform 4, I waited for my train. The train was coming from Bucharest and I knew what time it was supposed to arrive and what time it was supposed to leave. When it initially I arrived it had signage on it stating it was going to Vienna. There were sleeping cars on the train itself and I almost didn’t get on the train. I show the train agent my ticket and he confirmed that this was the right training and pointed me in the direction of the wagon I was wrong. The seating arrangement on the wagon involved train seats facing each other in groups of four. I found a young woman sitting in my seat and motion to her that I had a ticket for that seat.

At first I thought this young lady was traveling with the older couple in the seat facing us but apparently she was traveling by herself. With in the car itself was a loud group of middle schoolers playing games on their phones. They stayed loud through the most of the trip. I Finally put on my headphones to try to drown out the noise but listening to 60 minutes podcast. At some point in the journey we stopped in the middle of nowhere for about 15 minutes. I was really worried that the train was in a state of disrepair and I have to send a new engine. But we started moving and eventually arrived a few minutes late to our destination.

I made my way to Casa Luxenberg, which manages Heut residence. The receptionist was very nice and showed me to my room. However in the process of checking in she charged my credit card which made for a double charge. I had paid through booking.com.

I went out and got a domino’s pizza and a large bottle of Sprite and Milka chocolate.

Tomorrow will be a day of exploring the town before I leave for Sighasoura. I would mitt that are usually don’t go back and reread my blog post about vacation. I guess it’ll be good to do whatever I get old and getting a static about being able to travel in my younger years.

Nashville to Bucharest

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I had been watching my flight from Nashville to Washington Dulles for a little over a month noting when it was late, which happened periodically. One time the flight was cancelled altogether. Not so the time when it mattered.

At one point the air on the plane cut off. I asked the stewardess sitting next to me on the very back row on the jump seat. She said sometimes the terminal cuts power to the plane and not to worry.

She was eating a chicken sandwich from Wendy’s. I asked if she had to get it herself and she said the pilot got it for her. It’s nice that the pilot will take care of his crew.

When i asked her how to transfer terminals the stewardess went above and beyond and searched on her phone for answers. Very nice of her.

We arrived at Washington Dulles right on time. Transferring to a different terminal was a breeze. There is a very large bus which can transfer many passengers at once. No need to got through security again unlike Ohare.

On my flight to Munich from Dulles, I thought I had a row all to myself, but a young woman came in on her phone. While on her phone she cursed, which pretty much made me write off as one of “those” people. I didn’t offer her my salad (probably because of the cursing; and probably because it is awkward).

I watched Argo and Downsizing on the plane. I wondered if I was being hypocritical being offended at my row mates’ cursing language while I was watching r rated movies.

I had seen Argo before and still enjoyed it multiple times around. Downsizing started off good, then got a little too preachy with a girl with a fake Vietnamese accent. I’ll pass on future showings.

At the Munich airport we didn’t clear customs and were instead rounded to different terminals. I changed clothes and found a place to charge my phone. I had been unable to charge my phone completely on the plane using the USB port.

My flight to Bucharest loaded early and sat on the tarmac for a while. We were told it was because Bucharest airport has only one runway and another plane needed to land ahead of us.

We landed without incident in Bucharest. After clearing passport control I had hoped to pick up Burger King at one of the gates. But this was impossible because of the layout.

I found an ATM to withdraw cash. Romanian money is made of plastic and can’t be torn easily.

I found my van driver taking me to Brasov. He had actually texted me while I was in Munich. We weren’t leaving for a few more minutes so I decided to get some snacks at the Carrefour supermarket.

So right now I’m writing this blog post on my way to Brasov.

More to come later.

Playing Favorites

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1 Corinthians 1:11-13 New International Version (NIV)

11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[a]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?

I start off with that verse which harkens to Bible times when early Christians thought they were better off than others depending on which team they followed.  And it is still happening today.  Each time I see a church bumper sticker I remember this verse…as if we are competing against one another.

It was brought up in an adult Bible class which I attend.  One person remarked “I am so glad we don’t play favorites!”  And in the back of my mind I thought, but we do play favorites!

Favoritism happens anytime a high school graduate announces what college they are going to and what major they’re perusing. Going to the designated Christian school that your youth minister / pulpit minister went to?  That’s a gold star.  Bonus points applied if your major is Bible.

However if a high school grad goes to a state school, it is frowned upon….even going as far as some treating state school freshmen as those who will ultimately being lost spiritually.

And whether or not this favoritism is intentional or subconsciously subtle, it is wrong.  Not everyone is made to be Bible majors, Bible teachers, or youth ministers.  Some want to quietly minister behind the scenes at church in their own way while perusing a secular career.

And realize this: Those who choose a secular career are given much more opportunity to minister to the lost compared to clergy.

We need to refrain from playing favorites, from gasping when a young person pursues a secular career.  We must come together as the body of Christ without respect to one’s alma mater or career.

Taking God’s Word Seriously

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Over the past week I am become increasingly aware that people simply do not take God’s word seriously anymore.

For example I was in an adult Bible class.  During class time I look over and the two guys sitting next to me appear to be texting on their phone throughout class.

That same night in a different setting I was reminded how many people would rather socialize loudly outside in the church foyer rather than going in a spend time in devotional studying God’s word.  And this is a chronic problem.

It breaks my heart.

I realize that we are all at different levels spiritually.  Some may not take that much stock in the Bible, nor have much faith outside of their Christian social circles.  But somehow I think even in non religious settings it is common courtesy to listen in class (even if the class is boring) and be quiet when a religious gathering is taking place.  Both adults and young people have this ineptness with common courtesy.  Our only hope is that the next generation is retrained to show respect to teachers and those around them.

On the Sunday After Easter

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When the early Christians gathered on the Sunday after the resurrection, were there some who were absent who had stopped believing?  Jesus was still with them and would continue to be with them for 40 days after the resurrection.  I’m positive this is the case.  Even Jesus’s disciples lost faith and sinned when being with Jesus.  Take Peter and Judas for example.  Both turned their back on Jesus with contrasting outcomes.

Certainly there were those back then, as their are today, who fail to attend church services regularly.  There are people at your church who will not show up for services for the rest of the year and into the next until Easter the following year.

And I also think that there are people who attend church who’s hearts aren’t into it.  They are there to punch their card, be seen, and leave with a clean conscious.  I’ve been at that mentality before and it is disheartening, to those affected and to those around them…and worst of all disappointing to God.

We all need that excitement and special feeling we get each Easter knowing that He has risen.  We need to remember that Christ’s resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith and the most important event of human history, as it proves Christ’s divinity.

But it can be difficult for those of weak faith due to environment or circumstances.  I wish there was a way to gleam faith like one harvests wheat on a vast farm in Kansas.  But unfortunately faith doesn’t come that easy.  It can take years.  And I’ve found I’m still growing my faith and still will be many years into the future.

Easter on Saturday Night?

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What is wrong with these pictures?  The recent generation may not see anything wrong with it.

Many people just feed on whatever their preacher or pastor says without cracking open their Bible to see if it is true or not.  This is the case here.

Saturday night worship services in lieu of Sunday morning services are not shown as an example in the New Testament as to when Christians gathered together to worship.  See Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2

The reasoning for this is that Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday.  See Mark 16:9, John 20:1-2.

To preach that it is ok to have a Saturday night worship service in lieu of a Sunday morning service goes against Biblical examples.  It is a very loose interpretation of scriptures and more or less for convenience sake…that is people prefer to sleep in on Sundays….or in the case of Easter Sunday, they prefer to be with their families on Easter.

Yet the Bible says…

“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:26

That is, the love for God should be so strong that it could be interpreted as hate toward one’s own family.  In other words any one who puts their family first over God, cannot be Jesus’ disciple.

 

Easter is a Lie

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“It’s a gimmick” I thought to myself as I saw this sign on my way to work.  Why would a church post a sign stating “Easter is a Lie.”  Yet in smaller letters it shows “What if…” totally negating the statement.

It’s a gimmick because it tries to bring in the skeptics, the uninformed, the casual believer into the flock on Easter Sunday. Every church does it.  Some churches play the card harder than others.

But in some ways, Easter is a lie.

I did some searching and found Ēostre pagan Germanic goddess was the namesake for Easter.  It happens frequently throughout history. That is…replacing a pagan holiday with a Christian holiday while keeping some of the same traditions to keep everyone happy.  Easter and Christmas are a few examples.

So the pagan goddess of Easter is a lie.  I’d prefer if we called it resurrection Sunday.  Although as a member of the church of Christ I have to point out that my congregation celebrates the resurrection every Sunday, not just one time a year.

I’d like to say that the church’s tradition of holding one Sunday above another Sunday is a false teaching.  Something I can’t exactly pinpoint.  Certainly the early church remembered the death, burial and resurrection every Sunday through the Lord’s Supper.  But I can’t comment on if they had a yearly celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection as I don’t have the facts in front of me.

The decision whether or not to use a gimmick to attract followers depend on who you want to attract.  If you use flimsy slogans which will pass away once the next big thing comes to fruition, then they will attract weak faith congregants. Whether or not that congregation and strengthen their faith is up for grabs.

Me personally would prefer to attract knowledgeable people who are thoughtful in their faith and not dragged around by every whim of doctrine.  But all souls are important, even those with fickle belief systems, so I am at a quandary…..which souls to attract to worship…and what tactics to use.

Certainly the simple truth of the Gospel should be enough for those sincerely searching for the mystery of salvation.

On Mission Trips

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It’s that time of year when we hear of mission trips during Spring Break.  This year, as with many years in the past, my congregation is no exception to this yearly rite of passage for many of our young people.  I too experienced this when I was unemployed between jobs in 2003.  I’d describe it as a trial by fire.  I didn’t catch the mission bug and doubt I will ever catch it again.

I decided to do a web search on if mission trips do any good and came up with the obligatory Odyssey Online essay of “Why Going on a Mission Trip Is Nothing to Be Proud of.”

The Odyssey Online is everyone’s favorite college essayist blackboard for opinion pieces. I’ve seen it used before with uplifting essays from Freed Hardeman college acquaintances.  The only problem is that this particular author comes across as a huge hypocrite for begging others to contribute to stateside service without mentioning her own service endeavors.  Sure, it could be that she put in her time stateside, but we really don’t know.  And this is why I am hesitant to criticize those who go on mission trips (although I do feel as though many of the younger people have alternative goals)

I put in my time in 2003 in El Salvador and I’m perfectly fine not going back.  I applaud those who go and do real work, rather than turning it into some Spring Break feel-good-about-yourself trip.  There are people who work; preach the word; go door to door having those multiple Bible studies with adults.  Others play soccer games with the youth, which is fine to an extent, and probably serves a purpose.  Although I would argue that doing real work as Bible studies reaps the real fruit.  Others who play soccer and do VBS’s with the kids are sowing seeds.  No doubt many of these seeds will flourish, but there’s not scientific study over who’s seeds flourish.

Why wouldn’t I go back?  Probably about 10 years ago I would have said I don’t felt as though I fit in adequately.  Now, it’s that my personality has changed so much is that I’m even more introverted than before and I’m sure it would not be a healthy environment mentally for me.  Maybe that’s a cop out, but I’m fine with that.  Somehow I’m fine not having close relationships with fellow church members over fears of being hurt.

Pay for play: Olympic Style

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As I was watching the Olympic opening ceremony’s parade of nations, the commentators were commenting about particular athletes. Seems that many citizens of first world countries will compete for 3rd world countries.  Some of them have ties to those countries like a parent or even a spouse from that country.  Others have no ties.  Azerbaijan has embraced naturalized citizen athletes in hopes of winning gold.

Sub-sequentially many have wondered how ethical is this?  I understand the prestige of being an Olympic athlete, but is it truly ethical to send ringers in to compete?  Isn’t the purpose of the Olympics for each country to show the best athletes from that country?  And aren’t these results skewed when you have an athlete from the USA skiing for Mexico?