Notes from Nepal

My father sent this e-mail to me late last night. He is teaching in a seminary in Nepal and witnessing some pretty crazy things. I imagine that all the years of reading about Baal in the Old Testament has conceptualized for him in these days. I'm not sure of their choice of worship-but seemingly it is the same.

Deuteronomy 4:15-19
15 "Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven

Carol and Amanda,
Just a small email to let you know that we made it to Kathmandu and things are going well. The filights went so good and the hospitality is off the charts. We are going to Cimara by small plane this morning to the place where we will teach the pastors.We went to a Hidu temple last night and watched Hindu people cremate the bodies of their loved ones. It was an eye opener. IN China the temples and altars were numerous but there wasn't a lot going on there because these where just museum peices and not real places of worship. Communism had taught the people that there is no God so tourist come and spend money to see these places but no real worship is going on there. Here they have the temples and the incense burning but it is not a show. They are serious about their paganism. I have so much to say that I will share when I get home. Keep Nepal in your prayers.I love you all and will email again soon.loveKen

I responded to Dad saying that these people may bow down and worship these things, but this is what we do as well. Ours is disguised in boats, clothes, ornate buildings, celebrities, and so many other material things. We do not bow down and literally worship-but we hold these things above God and allow ourselves to worship them by taking our attention and time away from God and the things important to God. It causes me to question what may be a crutch in my life.....