Blythwood Road Baptist Church Blog Feed

Just Do It (Justly!)

Webmaster — Wed, 1 Feb 2012 10:55:58 AM EST

One of the greatest things about my job is the constant opportunity to see people who want to truly make a difference at work.This past weekend, Blythwood had the chance to help out in a small way with something called a "Home-A-Thon" put on by the Habitat Campus Coalition – a group made up of students attending local universities and colleges.

Around 30 kids stayed overnight in huts they'd built at Bond and Gould in order to raise money for Habitat For Humanity.Coming in at the tail end as we did, we saw a lot of groggy yet still (somehow!) enthusiastic kids as they woke up, had some breakfast and started tearing down their temporary shelters.

As I stood there with my friend Enloe, he said a something very poignant, calling the whole effort "heartening".In a world where there's a lot to be disheartened by, it was heartening to see these students putting themselves out there in the name of helping people be sheltered.It was heartening to see those kids living out the call to "do justly."

I hope we get to do it again.

Peace and love,
David

Guilt Trip or Grace Trip

Webmaster — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 4:16:44 AM EST

I saw Dallas Willard in a video recently talking about spiritual formation and guilt:

"Spiritual growth doesn't respond well to guilt, period.What we have learned to do is to try to motivate people by guilt, but guilt is not constructive, because it is always something that has a negative impact on the individual.So what they come out knowing is "I ought to do this... I ought to do that... I ought to do the other..." but it doesn't help them find out how!

I think there's a lot of wisdom in this, and the question of "how" is where the concept of grace comes in – the fact that it is God that transforms us.Children get this.I was talking about Joshua 1:9 last Sunday with the kids.Joshua was told to "Be strong and courageous" which is a good message – have courage to follow God and show God's love.But the last part of the verse is the kicker – "for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."This courage isn't something we need to summon up out of nowhere – we find it because God is with us, no matter where we are or what circumstance we find ourselves in.That, my friends, is the "how", and that's grace.

Speak Kindly

Webmaster — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 8:15:42 PM EST

Yesterday a friend of mine posted the following:

     Live simply

     Love generously

     Care deeply

     Speak kindly

So often we have no idea what a kind gesture or word can mean to someone. We underestimate the value of a simple word of encouragement or something like a "Thank-you" card. Last week we got back into our regular schedule at "The Orchard", which is to Blythwood what "Children's Church" was back in the day (and the kids always like it when I talk about how we did it back in the day or do an "old school" song - though sometimes I suspect they're only humouring me!).

At the end of The Orchard last week, the children in our youngest class (pre-school to kindergarten) presented me with a card they had made (pic attached). This card meant more to me than I can even express. I have it pinned to my bulletin board now.

So yes go ahead and speak that kind word. Make that kind gesture. You never know how much it will mean.

Peace and love,

David

No Charge For Love

Webmaster — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 8:35:42 PM EST

One day a farmer was nailing a notice into a fence post."Puppies 4 Sale" the notice said.As he was driving the last nail in, he felt a tug on his overalls.He looked down to see a young boy standing there."Mister," said the boy, "I sure would like to buy one of those puppies.""I don't know son," the farmer replied, "These are purebred pups and they're awfully expensive!"The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out all the change he had – 39 cents."Do you think I could at least take a look at them?" the boy asked.

The farmer let out a whistle and called out "C'mere Molly!"Out of the doghouse and down a small ramp came the proud mother, with four little bundles of fur trailing behind.They all ran down to the fence and began to jump and play around the farmer and little boy.

Just then, a fifth ball of fur appeared at the door of the doghouse.It was smaller than the rest, and not very steady on its paws.It made its way awkwardly down the ramp and began to limp toward the group.

"Oh I want that one!" the young boy exclaimed."Are you sure son?" replied the farmer."He won't be able to run and jump and play like these other pups you know."

At this the young boy slowly rolled up his left trouser leg, exposing a steel brace that ran down both sides of his leg.It was attached to a specially made shoe.

"I don't run and play all that well myself mister," the boy said."I figure that little pup will need someone who understands him."

At this the farmer picked up the runt of the litter and handed him to the little boy."He's all yours son," the farmer said."What do you I owe you mister?" asked the little boy.

"You don't owe me anything son," replied the farmer."There's no charge for love."

Joy

Webmaster — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 8:21:43 AM EST

We often talk about searching for joy.Often it's joy that finds and/or surprises us.I told this story at Sunnybrook last week for the Joy candle of Advent.It's called "Cupcakes and Root beer":

One day a little boy decided he wanted to go meet God.He figured it would be a long trip, so he packed his little knapsack with some cupcakes and cans of root beer.When he was about three blocks from his house, he saw an elderly woman sitting on a bench feeding some pigeons.She looked lonely so he went over and sat down.

Opening his knapsack and taking out a cupcake, the little boy offered it to the lady.She gave him a big smile as she took it.Her smile was so nice he took out a root beer and handed it over.They sat there the whole afternoon, smiling at each other and sharing cupcakes and root beer.

As darkness was falling, the little boy decided he had better head home.Picking up his knapsack, he took not very many steps before he turned around, ran back to the lady and threw his arms around her.She gave him the biggest and best smile yet and he went on his way.

When the little boy arrived home, his mother wondered about the look of joy on his face."Where have you been all afternoon?" she asked."I've been in the park with God eating cupcakes and drinking root beer," the boy replied."And you know what?She has the best smile in the world!"

When the elderly lady arrived home, her son wondered about the look of peace and joy on her face."Where have you been all afternoon mom?" he asked."I've been in the park having lunch with God," she replied."He's a lot younger than I expected!"

Often joy finds us when we least expect it.At Advent we celebrate the joy that is Emmanuel, or "God with us."At the same time, we celebrate the joy we have in each other's company.Wherever people are together being loved and cared for – God is there too.

The Peace Candle

Webmaster — Sun, 4 Dec 2011 8:09:39 PM EST

For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

The second Sunday of Advent we light the candle of peace. This is a story I told at Sunnybrook this past week as we lit the peace candle. It's a true story.

It was Christmas Eve, 1914. Five months into the First World War. Battle lines had been drawn in Flanders, Belgium. British, French, Belgian, Canadian and German troops huddled in trenches within shouting distance of each other. But there was something different that night. Silence. No cracks of rifles. No thunder of shells.

A whistle sounded from the German trenches. It was answered from the other side. Christmas greetings were called out. Some German troops began to sing a Christmas carol. British troops answered with one of their own. Christmas trees decorated with candles began to appear over the top of the German trenches, all along the line. Both sides joined in a rendition of "O Come, All Ye Faithful."

The next morning as dawn broke, the troops crawled out of their trenches and into no-man's land. There they met, exchanged gifts, shared cigarettes. Some men who had been barbers in civilian life offered haircuts. Makeshift footballs were produced and kicked about.

For one evening and day, amidst all the horrors of war, those men showed the world how God meant us to live.

May this same spirit of peace be found within all of us, and between all of us, this Advent season.

Blessings,
David

The Sound of Silence

Webmaster — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 7:12:21 AM EST

In Psalm 62:1 the psalmist writes "For God alone my soul waits in silence."This Advent season at church we're encouraging people to wait on God in silence – especially amidst all the craziness that usually comes with the season.One way to do this is to pray over a verse.Richard Foster describes this in his book Sanctuary of the Soul:

"I suggest you begin with one verse from the Bible... Read over it prayerfully two or three times and then wait quietly, listening for anything the Lord may want to teach you or any experience Godmay desire to give you.It is quite straightforward really.We are simply learning to develop a conversational relationship with God – us talking with God and God talking with us." (124)

The first week of Advent is Hope.Our verse is Isaiah 2:3 – "Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: that he may teach us his ways and that we might walk in his paths."

I'm praying that God will teach me something about his ways this Advent season – that his paths would ever more be mine.May this be true for all of us.

Blessings,
David

Rejected

Webmaster — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 4:01:59 PM EST

Someone once said that one of the attributes of God that we don't really talk about much is God's humility.God is so humble that he gives us the choice to reject him.Isaiah's Suffering Servant is described as "despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him of no account." (Isaiah 53:3)

A friend of mine just sent me the following words from Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche.As we seek to be beacons of faith, hope, and love – particularly for those who society sees as outcasts – these words are so important:

"Do not be surprised at rejection by broken people.They have suffered a great deal at the hands of the knowledgeable and powerful - doctors, psychologists, and social workers, politicians, police and others.

"They have suffered much from broken promises, from people wanting to learn from experiments, or write a thesis, and then having gained what they wanted - votes, recognition, an impressive book or article - going away and never coming back.

"Rejected people are sick and tired of 'good' and 'generous' people, of people who claim to be Christians, of people who come to them on their pedestals of pride and power to do them good.

"No wonder their hearts are closed to new people.They are waiting for someone who really cares, and who sees in them the light of love and wisdom, who recognizes their love and beauty; someone who will accept them just as they are with no preconceived ideas that they should change.They are waiting."

Jean Vanier

Indeed they are waiting.

Blessings,
David

What We Cannot See And Yet Know Must Be There

Webmaster — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 8:56:56 AM EST

This title is from an article by Vera Rubin on dark matter.Most astronomers believe that 90% ofwhat constitutes the universe cannot be seen.As Ms. Rubin writes, "Most of the universe's matter does not radiate – it provides no glow that we can detect in the electromagnetic spectrum... Nowadays we prefer to call the missing mass "dark matter", for it is the light, not the matter, that is missing."

This got me thinking about something else I'd read about the "Christian social imaginary."For the follower of Christ, there are things we cannot see and yet know must be there.In his book Desiring the Kingdom, James Smith talks about this with regards to corporate prayer:

"We should perhaps try to appreciate how strange this might look to Martian anthropologists, for here is a group of what appear to be otherwise (relatively) normal people engaged in a conversation with someone who seems to be absent.And this isn't like listening to just half of a conversation on a cell phone, where we can, from experience, postulate that there is another human being holding up the other end of the conversation.Rather, the practice of prayer will, to particularly cynical Martians, seem more like the scruffy, bearded guy on the subway platform who is carrying on a conversation with himself." (192-193)

No wonder we hear the charge that Christians are delusional.If you don't believe me just google "Christians delusional" and see what you come up with.Smith goes on though:

" it (prayer) is a practice that makes us a people who refuse to settle for appearances.Or, to put it otherwise, it makes us a people who always see that there's more going on than meets the eye.One might even say that for Christians who pray, the world must be characterized by a kind of enchantment... The practice of prayer banks on God's exceeding our worship space, transcending the confines of place and time, and as the Creator of the universe, being interested and concerned about concrete realities that face us here in our finitude." (193)

Delusional or a people who refuse to settle for appearances?I'll go with the latter.

Peace and good,
David

This grace thing

Webmaster — Mon, 7 Nov 2011 8:13:09 AM EST

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard "Roll Away Your Stone" from Mumford and Sons.Considering we're looking at the story of the Prodigal Son in church, the lyrics are particularly meaningful:

"Don't leave me alone at this time,

For I am afraid of what I will discover inside

You told me that I would find a home,

Within the substance of my soul

And I have filled this void with things unreal,

And all the while my character it steals"

And then later:

"It seems as if all my bridges have been burned,

You say that's exactly how this grace thing works

It's not the long walk home that will change this heart,

But the welcome I receive at the restart"

Blessings,
David

A Syrian Prayer

Webmaster — Tue, 1 Nov 2011 8:56:11 AM EST

I came across this prayer in a book called Desiring the Kingdom by James Smith.I like how it speaks to our utter dependence on God along with our relationship to God and neighbour:

Lord, open to us the sea of your mercy,

and water us with full streams

from the riches of your grace

and the springs of your kindness

Make us children of quietness and heirs of peace;

kindle in us the fire of your love,

and strengthen our weakness by your power

as we become close to you and each other.

Amen.

I'm Gonna Be Iron... Like a Lion

Webmaster — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 7:40:32 AM EST

One kind of strange thing about me that not a lot of people know is that I love ironing.Shirts are mostly what I do and I like to set up the ironing board in front of the tv.It's a whole experience – the smell, the warmth, the line of pressed shirts hanging up at the end of it all.Part of what I like about it is seeing the immediate results of my work.

In an article called "Sowing and Harvesting in Ministry: The Case of Moses"*, William Willimon writes about how Moses never got to see the results of his ministry – the entry of the Israelites into the promised land.This came to him after looking at stained glass Moses that was visible to him and the sopranos in the Duke Chapel choir from where they sat:

"There is a lot of unfulfillment in the church.A great deal of life is spent on the verge, at the door but not over the threshold.Preaching is such a fragile art.Who knows what good it does?For me and for the sopranos, as for Moses, the end of the story is not easily known.They sing, I preach, and God only knows where it all leads, what land of promise will be opened through our ministry.God only knows."

How is one able to continue?Through being able to see the value in sowing:

"A man I know who works with teachers says that the teachers who are best able to keep at it are those 'who are good sowers rather than reapers.'Teachers must be people who find meaning enough in the act of planting the seedand do not insist on the privilege of staying around until harvest."

And of course there's trust in God:

"If we are going to keep at Christian ministry, as preacher, as sopranos, or in whatever service God calls us to, we will do so only by having confidence both that God really does convey treasure through earthen vessels and that God really does put us to good purposes, even though we may not see them clearly, even though we may not enter the promised land of concrete results and visible fulfillment with those whom we have tried to uphold in exodus from here to there."

So in the meantime I'll keep trusting, and I'll keep ironing!

Peace,
David

*Taken from Willimon, A Will To Lead, and the Grace to Follow," Abingdon, 2011

Too Much Perspective?

Webmaster — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:27:23 AM EST

There's a scene in "This Is Spinal Tap" where the band is visiting Graceland and goes to Elvis' grave.After performing a really bad version of "Heartbreak Hotel", Nigel says something like "It really puts things into perspective doesn't it?""Too much!" is the answer he gets.

I've been thinking about this during the field education I'm doing at Sunnybrook.I often say that death is pretty sanitized in our society – right down to the graveside strip of astro turf we place over the mound of earth.In a hospital or long term care setting though, there is no escaping it.We often say "It's not a matter of life and death!", and when it is a matter of life and death, an experience is given a profound meaning that's really difficult to try and explain or articulate for me.It's true though that it puts things in perspective.Trivialities – things that might normally annoy, irritate, or even anger – are seen through a different lens.You find yourself reflecting (theologically or otherwise!) in a whole new way.Too much perspective?I think it's just about right.

I don't mean to be such a downer but that's what's on my mind as the week ends.I'm off to go play something in D minor – the saddest of all keys!

Peace,
David

The Less I Know

Webmaster — Fri, 7 Oct 2011 9:16:15 AM EST

One of the things about getting older is the diminishing need to frequent vintage shops – some of your old stuff is now vintage! Another is the questions you’re asked by people who assume you’ve picked some wisdom up along the way. Not many months ago a friend of mine who was graduating said to me, “As someone who is a little further along the path than some of us, what’s the one piece of knowledge or advice you’d pass along?” I thought for two seconds and came back with, “The older I get, the less I know.”
Henri Nouwen writes about this much more eloquently in his book Reaching Out:
“It is not difficult to see how those who ‘know it all’ can kill a conversation and prevent an interchange of ideas. Poverty of mind as a spiritual attitude is a growing willingness to recognize the incomprehensibility of the mystery of life. The more mature we become the more we will be able to give up our inclination to grasp, catch, and comprehend the fullness of life and the more we will be ready to let life enter into us.” (74)
He talks about this in the context of preparation for ministry:
“To prepare ourselves for service we have to prepare ourselves for an articulate not knowing, a docta ignorantia, a learned ignorance. This is very difficult to accept for people whose whole attitude is toward mastering and controlling the world. We all want to be educated so that we can be in control of the situation and make things work according to our own need. But education to ministry is an education not to master God but to be mastered by God.” (74)
I love this guy! An “articulate not knowing”! As I always say – embrace the ambiguity.
Peace,
David

God at Work

Webmaster — Sat, 1 Oct 2011 3:56:39 PM EST

Yes I suppose you could say the title is a veiled reference to the Australian band of “Down Under” fame. I do like those 80’s refs. Bear with me while I preach for a minute. Ephesians 2:10 talks about us being God’s handiwork, and God preparing good works for us to do long before we were ever around. I heard once that Celtic missionaries took this verse to signify that God was at work in places long before they arrived – and part of their calling was to be able to recognize God at work and participate in more of the same.

A big prayer of mine these days is to ask to be shown where God is working and to ask God to enable me to participate in this work. In the midst of a lot of painful situations, I’ve seen God at work all over the place. I’ve seen it in friends caring for and comforting a neighbour who’s lost a parent. I’ve seen it in people sitting with family members and loved ones who are in palliative care. I’ve seen it in families being assisted with housing to break the cycle of poverty. I’ve seen it in a group of people of faith getting together to talk about why and how we should care for the poor.

I’m seeing God’s hand everywhere.

It’s wonderful.

I pray that the eyes of all our hearts are opened to see God at work.

Peace,
David

"I wonder"

Webmaster — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 4:06:31 PM EST

Last year my friend Amanda had the kids at church make a poster called “I wonder” with things that they wondered about heaven.

I took a look at this poster recently and it’s both incredibly funny and amazingly poignant and moving at the same time – one of those things that could make you laugh and cry. Here are some of the thing they wrote:

“Does God preach in heaven?”

“What kind of jobs are in heaven?”

“When will I be a ghost?”

“What kind of food will be there?”

“If heaven brings us snacks.”

“If heaven has free food.”

“If it is a happy place.”

“What will God look like to us?”

“What will we look like?”

“If heaven has funerals.”

“If some people have disagreements in heaven.”

“Do people have children and get married?”

“If heaven has school.”

“Do people get to meet other people?”

“Do people get a certificate?”

“Why and when will God come back to earth?”

I love serving with kids.

Blessings,
David

I can hardly wait!

Webmaster — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 3:20:20 PM EST

According to an article in The Toronto Star (2011 09 12) a web site in Germany—hirtenbarometer.de—allows parishioners in that country to rate their priest or minister online. "Hirten Barometer—Shepherd Barometer, in English, takes the pulse of about 10,000 priests from four denominations across the country." The article goes on to say that an English version of this web site is being prepared and may reach Canada as early as next spring. I can hardly wait.

What would you think if your pastor's average rating was less than the score you had assigned? Maybe he's not as good as you think he is. What criteria would you use to evaluate your pastor? You see him or her on Sundays, when you decide to attend worship. Is his or her "performance" at worship the only criteria you would use in your evaluation?

I am reminded of something I saw years ago called The Perfect Pastor.
The perfect pastor does indeed exist – you’ve never met them, but you know they are out there. This is a sure-fire way of guaranteeing that you will be served by the perfect pastor, should you have enough faith to do what is necessary. First, just in case you have never dreamed of the perfect pastor, he/she must be defined:
….The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes. The perfect pastor condemns sin roundly, but never hurts anyone’s feelings.
….The perfect pastor works from 8 a.m. until midnight, and is also the church janitor.
….The perfect pastor makes $100 a week, wears stylish clothes, drives a new car that reflects well on your church, buys ten excellent books each week, and donates $80 a week to the parish.
….The perfect pastor is 29 years old and has 40 years’ worth of experience.

Above all, the perfect pastor is very attractive.
….The perfect pastor has a burning desire to work with teen-agers, and he/she spends most of his/her time with the senior citizens.
….The perfect pastor smiles all the time with a straight face because she has a sense of humor that keeps him/her seriously dedicated to the parish.
….The perfect pastor makes 15 home visits a day and is always in the office to be handy when needed.
….The perfect pastor always has time for parish council and all of its committees. He/she never misses the meeting of any parish organization, and is always busy evangelizing the unchurched.
….The perfect pastor is broken enough to understand all people, but perfect in mental, emotional and physical health.
….The Perfect Pastor is always in the next parish over where your friend attends church.

If your pastor does not measure up, simply send this notice to six other parishes that are tired of their pastor too. Then bundle up your pastor and send him/her to the parish at the top of your list. If everyone cooperates, in one week you will receive 1,643 pastors from which to choose. One of them should be perfect. Have faith in this letter – it works. But beware! One parish broke the chain and got its old pastor back in less than three months.

You Can Handle the Truth

Webmaster — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 6:44:41 PM EST

We're recognizing our post-secondary students this week at Blythwood.One of the things these young people are going to hear (or have heard) is the post-modern contention that there is no objective truth.Here's why I'm ok with that (from The Passsionate Intellect by Klassen and Zimmerman):

"...to a Christian , truth is first and foremost relational.It is not something one can hold at a distance and look at with supposed objectivity.Christians pre-eminently locate truth in a person: Jesus is the truth.Probably the most important implication of truth as being located in a person is that if a person who is true makes a promise, then you can count on the person to make good on his or her promises.For the Christian, truth has the character of trust.So the concept of truth is personal and the implication of this concept is relational.Indeed, the idea of a concept as something factual, clinical, disembodied becomes secondary, if not contradictory.Sacred truths are not things like bits of unidentified compounds lying on the laboratory counter." (30-31)

Pilate famously asked "What is truth?"I like to think that the reason Jesus doesn't give an answer is because he's about to show Pilate what truth is.

And I'm very ok with that.

Peace and good,
David

Keep your word

Webmaster — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 7:15:57 AM EST

People are looking for ways to make the world a better place. There's a new organization called People For Good. Their manifesto is to make the world a better place one good deed at a time. I discovered one of those ways recently.

I had picked up a new area rug for our dining room which meant that I was now the proud owner of the eight foot long hard cardboard cylinder around which the rug had been packed for transportation. I was almost certain the material could be recycled and equally certain it would not be taken if simply left at the curb with the blue box on a Friday morning. So I took it to the local recycling depot.

Yes, it could be taken, but it was too long for the compactor. It would need to be cut. "I've got a small saw," I said. "How about if I leave it here and come back with the saw? I'll be back in ten minutes." Yes, that would be okay.

Away I went, found the saw in the garage and returned to the depot. A minute later the cylinder was cut in half and on its way to the compactor. The attendant thanked me, overly much I thought. And then I realized she had assumed I was not going to come back, not going to keep my word. I believe I helped her day go a little bit better simply by keeping my word.

We can all do that, and make our world a better place.

Don't You (Forget About Me)

Webmaster — Fri, 9 Sep 2011 6:19:42 AM EST

Remembering is very much on my mind these days.I've been thinking of a quote from one of my favourite writers/pastors, Frederick Buechner:

"When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind even though countless years and miles may stand between us.It means that if we meet again, you will know me.It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my voice and speak to me in your heart.

For as long as you remember me, I am never entirely lost.When I'm feeling most ghost-like, it is your remembering that helps remind me that I actually exist.When I'm feeling sad, it's my consolation.When I'm feeling happy, it's part of why I feel that way.If you forget me, one of the ways I remember who I am will be gone.If you forget, part of who I am will be gone.'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." the good thief said from his cross (Luke 23:42).There are perhaps no more human words in all of Scripture, no prayer we can pray so well."

Remembering someone is a sign of an ongoing relationship.When we remember someone together, whether it is a memorial service or the Eucharist, we are signalling that a relationship exists between us and those we are remembering.Is it any wonder then that at the last supper, Jesus commanded his followers to "Do this in remembrance of me?"Sharing the bread and the cup not only points to who Jesus is, what he has done, and what he will do, but it also signals our own desire to know him more.To remember him.

Peace and good,

David

Pardon the Interruption

Webmaster — Fri, 2 Sep 2011 8:47:15 AM EST

I haven’t been doing this job very long but already I’ve found that some of the most meaningful “work” I’ve done has come when I’m being interrupted. Henri Nouwen talks about this in his book Reaching Out:

“While visiting the University of Notre Dame, where I had been a teacher for a few years, I met an older experienced professor who had spent most of his life there. And while we strolled over the beautiful campus, he said with a certain melancholy in his voice, ‘You know... my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruptions were my work.’”

How true is that? It kind of reminds me of someone else who was constantly getting interrupted – people following him shouting at him to save them, a woman who wanted to touch the hem of his robe, children who wanted nothing more than to crowd around him.... How much of his ministry was the result of interruptions?

So yes, please feel free to interrupt me anytime!

In Memory of Jack Layton

Webmaster — Thu, 1 Sep 2011 9:34:01 AM EST

The letter of the Honorable Dr. Jack Layton to Canadians, released the day of his death, August 22, contains a great declaration of faith.

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

Let us pray.

O God of power, give us love. There are so many in our world filled with what they claim is righteous anger. There are churches filled with anger toward those who need instead to know that you are the giver of grace and forgiveness. There are mosques filled with anger toward all those judged to be heretics or political foes and the solution to the problem is sought with a bombing of people whose only fault is to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. We need your love, O God, not the sentimental emotionalism of a Disney movie but rather the strong love that seeks do nothing else but the very best for the one who is loved.

O God of life, give us hope. Fear grips the hearts of many. The TSX and the Dow rise and fall; the job market looks precarious at best; we worry about the kids even when they have become adults; the doctor called Friday and wants to see us Monday—that can’t be good news; what’s happening with the church we love and in which we have invested the better part of our life; and even the drive to the grocery store is now cause for anxiety as traffic gets worse by the week. We need hope, O God, the hope that is stronger than passing circumstance, the hope that is grounded in the conviction of Easter people, Christ is risen indeed.

O God of faith, give us optimism. Despair threatens to overwhelm our lives. At the heart of it is often a sense that no matter what we do it doesn’t matter. One tyrant is defeated; another waits to take his place. The guns are silenced in one war zone; conflict breaks out in another. We help those struggling with AIDS; famine threatens the very same people. We need optimism, O God, the optimistic spirit that believes Jesus did start the ball rolling for your kingdom and that every step we take toward justice, righteousness and mercy is an important step in the right direction.

So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And in God’s name let us change the world. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Thank-you

Webmaster — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 8:46:28 AM EST

I’ m reading a book right now called Transformational Children’s Ministry by Ivy Beckwith. In a section on teaching children to pray, she has the following:

...years ago as I was preparing for a workshop on teaching young children to pray, I remember reading that it might not be the best idea to ask young children to name the things that they are thankful for to God in prayer. This suggestion was not advocating unthankfulness in children. What the author was saying was that young children might not “get” the abstract concept of being thankful to God for all things. However, they can tell you the things the things that happened in a day that made them happy or the things they did that were really enjoyable. After asking them to name those things, then pray, saying thank you to God for the chocolate ice cream cone or the trip to the zoo. With young children one always needs to start with the concrete and move to the abstract. (65)

This I believe is great advice – and why stop at children? I think this is excellent advice for any of us at the end of the day. At the end of the day look back over the things that made us happy, that we enjoyed and say thanks to God for them. I think doing so would make us more prone to looking for things to be thankful for as we go through our day!

Crazy Love

Webmaster — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 4:49:31 PM EST

In John 13: 34-35 Jesus gives his followers a new commandment – “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.”

In other words, those who follow Jesus are going to be enabled to love others – are called to love others to the point that people notice. The question I think we need to be asking ourselves is this “What would it look like if we were loving others to the point that people are noticing?”

In his book Soul Cravings, Erwin Mcmanus describes the kind of love Jesus showed – the same kind of love he’s calling us to live out:

“Love searches for you.

Is it possible this is why the story won’t go away? Two thousand years later and somehow it is still strangely compelling.

On a cross, Jesus of Nazareth hung naked and beaten for love.

Talk about rejection.

It would be easy to conclude that God made a fool of himself.

What was he thinking to die for love?

He gambled everything on the power of love. That love was more powerful than hate. That love was more powerful than death. What was he thinking to die for us, to give himself for you and for me, knowing that we might just kiss him in the face and then walk away.

Love’s just crazy like that.”

What would it look like if we were to love like this?

God's Priority List?

Webmaster — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 8:28:59 AM EST

I'm reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace right now (and it's going to take me a while, it's over 1000 pages!).At one point Wallace writes an extended riff on various things you might come to realize in a substance-recovery halfway house. One of these things is:

"That God might regard the issue of whether you believe there's a God or not as fairly low on his/her/its list of things s/he/it's interested in re you."

This got me to thinking about the way God loves us.At first blush the quote above might make you think of God as distant and uncaring – a being who has bigger fish to fry, as it were, to be concerned about whether someone as insignificant as you or I believe in God.

But the quote made me think of how God loves us.God's love for us is unconditional.It's not dependent at all on whether or not we return the same love – either to God or to others.This is not something we're used to is it?One aspect of God's nature that we rarely talk about is his humility.I heard a prof say once that God is so humble, he gives us the freedom to reject him.

The amazing thing is that he loves us anyway.So yes, in terms of God's unfailing love for us, whether or not we believe in him is fairly low on his priority list.

When we're open to God's leading in our lives, he enables us to love others the same way.Unconditionally.Without wondering about "What's in this for me?"

To love the way he does.This is an amazing truth.

New Beginnings

Webmaster — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 9:24:51 AM EST

As a new chapter of my life is starting, I’ve been thinking a lot about new beginnings. When we look at the Bible, we see that God is constantly coming up with new things, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 21:5 – “See, I am making all things new.”

Every day is something new, and I came across the following morning prayer in book called Celtic Fire by Robert Van de Weyer. I’ve put it on my bulletin board in the church and think it’s a great way to start each new day:
This morning, as I kindle the fire upon my hearth, I pray that the flame of God’s love may burn in my heart, and the hearts of all I meet today.

I pray that no envy or malice, no hatred or fear, may smother the flame.

I pray that indifference and apathy, contempt and pride, may not pour like cold water on the fire.
Instead may the spark of God’s love light the love in my heart, that it may burn brightly through the day.
And may I warm those that are lonely, whose hearts are cold and lifeless, so that all may know the comfort of God’s love.

Amen

Have you had this experience?

Webmaster — Tue, 1 Jun 2010 10:16:44 PM EST

Have you had this experience? In an unexpected way and at just the right time God gets a message to you that you needed to hear. I read this while finishing up my morning coffee and browsing on the web site of Redeemer Church, New York City.

In 1836, Charles Simeon retired after fifty-four years of ministry at the Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge, UK. There he had been engaged in a ministry of expository preaching that had sent several generations of young Christian leaders out into British society. He had accomplished far more than 99.99% of ministers ever do. Yet a friend discovered that this elderly man was still rising at 4:00 a.m. every morning to light his own fire and to spend time reading the Bible, praying, repenting, and spending time with God. His friend thought this was over-kill. “Mr. Simeon,” he pleaded, “Do you not think that, now that you are retired, you might take things more easily?” “What?!” replied the old Charles Simeon, “Shall I not now run with all my might when the winning-post is in sight?”

I am neither a young man nor have I completed fifty-four years of ministry, but I needed the jolt of encouragement found in this true story. For the retirement years are clearly within sight and do not want to be found in any sense "coasting" toward that mark. I need to stay in the race with all my might.

Do you need to hear a word from God? Hang in there. Continue to read the Bible. Pray. Tell God what's going on. And then listen. I believe there will be a word for you too!

B

Israel/Jordan Thoughts

Webmaster — Sat, 29 May 2010 9:29:31 AM EST

Since we got back from our trip, a lot of people have asked me what the highlight was. It seems like a bit of a cop out to say I’d have to make it a top five (maybe more), but it’s awfully difficult to single things out. Having a worship service on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee was definitely one of the top five. So was looking at the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo in Jordan – the same view that Moses would have had all those years ago.

Overall though, I would say that just seeing all the places where God worked out His purposes was what struck me. From a 4,000 year old gate that Abraham likely walked through in Tel Dan, to all the other Old Testament Tels, to Bethlehem where Jesus was born, to Nazareth where he grew up, to Capernaum, to Jerusalem, to Caesarea where Peter and Cornelius showed that the gospel story was for Gentiles too, and Philip told the story to Greek and Roman officials, soldiers, and sailors, and where Paul stood up before Felix and Festus and King Agrippa…… you get the idea!

Below is a link to most of our pictures. Check them out if you have a chance.

click here for our pictures

Peace and good,
David

P.S. School-wise I’m taking two courses this summer. One is the Israel/Jordan trip – I just need to write a couple of papers on it before the end of July. The other is an online course I’m doing through the Toronto School of Theology called “Celtic Christianity”. It’s great so far and I hope to have some things to share over the coming weeks.

We're in Jordan right now, getting ready to go see Petra tomorrow.

Webmaster — Fri, 7 May 2010 2:53:04 PM EST

Greetings and shalom to everyone! What an amazing time Nicole and I are having in the Holy Land. I can't describe what it's like to be in places that I've been reading about for so long, and to stand in (or at least near) spots where the events that shaped our faith took place. We've been through Caesarea, Galillee, Capernaum, Nazareth, Hazor - the list goes on and on! Right now we're in Jordan, getting ready to go to the ancient Nabatean city of Petra.

I've attached a picture of our group in a synagogue that was built in Nazareth. It gives you an idea of what the scene looked like in Luke 4:18-19 when Jesus went back to his hometown and made his famous statement

¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Peace and good!

David

Next Month In Jerusalem

Webmaster — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:08:30 AM EST

Finished off the winter term at the beginning of April and got through Systematic Theology 2 (trust me it’s not at all as bad as it sounds) and Preaching Preparation and Delivery. The latter came in handy as I preached my first Sunday morning service at Blythwood as well as my first supply preaching “gig” at Weston Park Baptist in April. Everything went well and as I told people at the time, it’s all been so affirming (to say the least) in terms of the path I’m on. I discovered a preacher/writer by the name of Frederick Buechner this past term. He’s a Presbyterian from New York and just an excellent excellent guy. Here’s a quote from him that talks about why he decided to go to seminary. It resonated so strongly with me I thought “I couldn’t have put it better myself!” Seriously though I couldn’t have put it better, the guy is a complete wordsmith:

"I wanted to learn about Christ – about the Old Testament, which had been his Bible, and the New Testament, which was the Bible about him; about the history of the church, which had been founded on the faith that through him God had not only revealed his innermost nature and his purpose for the world, but had released into the world a fierce power to draw people into that nature and adapt them to that purpose….No intellectual pursuit had ever aroused in me such intense curiosity, and much more than my intellect was involved, much more than my curiosity aroused. In the unfamiliar setting of a Presbyterian church, of all places, I had been moved to astonished tears which came from so deep inside me that to this day I have never fathomed them, I wanted to learn more about the source of those tears and the object of that astonishment."

This summer I’m doing an online course from Toronto School of Theology called “Celtic Christianity” which starts May 15th. The other bit of exciting news is that Nicole and I leave on May 1st for a two week tour of Israel and Jordan. It’s been organized through Mcmaster Divinity and I can’t express how much we’re looking forward to it. If I have the chance to post something during the trip I will.

Until then or until we come back,

Peace and good,
David

The Call Up

Webmaster — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 1:47:06 PM EST

This weekend I’m preaching for the first time ever on a Sunday morning. I’ve been speaking at our Open Door services, but this is the first time in “the big room” as I’ve been calling it. Too busy getting ready to post much, but I wanted to share something with you from a book I have called “A Quest For Better Preaching” (I’m sure it will be most useful for me!) by a guy called Edward F. Markquart. It’s from his foreword:

Given the text,

Given the people I know and love,

Given the world in which I live,

The important question is:

“Lord, what is your message for this

Sunday in this time and place? What

do you want me to say? Give me the power

the words, and the courage to say it.”

I love that. I’m going to make it my own prayer too.

Peace and good,
David

�I�m With Stupid�

Webmaster — Wed, 3 Mar 2010 9:26:14 AM EST

Growing up the youngest of 5 kids, there were two words that you just didn’t use in our household. The first one was “stupid” which you might say if you got a little mad. The second one was “idiot” which was pretty much the worst thing you could call somebody in my young mind (the innocence of childhood!).

Anyway, I want to talk about the first word here. The 2010 Winter Olympics are all over the news of course. Last week, I came across the following article about Dutch speedskater Sven Kramer:

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Gold-medalist-Sven-Kramer-to-NBC-reporter-Are-?urn=oly,220576

“Ok,” I thought, “Not really a good way to talk to someone but maybe it’s a language thing. Still…..ehhhh not good!”

A few days later, I came across another story concerning Sven:

http://www.canada.com/sports/2010wintergames/Coach+cost+Kramer+gold/2606692/story.html

Why was I so happy about this? Wasn’t this wrong? Hadn’t I just preached a sermon on “The Love Imperative” in 1 John? I don’t believe in karma but if I did, this would be a perfect example.

To his credit, Sven is not dwelling on the mistake and plans to continue with the same coach. Good guy.

And I still think it’s wrong to go around calling people stupid.

Peace and good,

David

The Love Imperative

Webmaster — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:44:52 PM EST

My brother recently remarked how many of my blog posts start with “I’m sorry I haven’t updated in a while” – so I’m not going to do that here. The first three months of the year are generally crazy, so here’s an update on what’s going on:

School resumed really early this semester on January 4^th. I’m in school Monday afternoons for a change, doing Systematic Theology 2 and Preaching Preparation and Delivery. Some very good, interesting stuff (ask me about Augustine and his three ways of understanding the identity of the Holy Spirit sometime!) and as always I’m feeling it’s a real joy and privilege to be able to do this whole MDiv thing. One good thing about being a mature(er) student is that you certainly tend not to take things for granted. If I only knew what I know now back in the ol’ undergrad days…..

Read a good book for school by a guy called Michael Wittmer called Heaven is a Place on Earth. Good book (even if he did rip off Belinda Carlisle) about a Christian worldview that takes into account both this world and the world to come.

We’ve been continuing with “The Open Door” every third Saturday at Blythwood. This month’s is called “It Must Be Love” and we’re looking at 1 John 4 and the love imperative. I think “The Love Imperative” is a great name for either the sermon or the praise band – I must run that by them (JP and the Love Imperative?).

I hit the big 4-0 on February 4^th and am currently in the midst of a birthday celebration that’s taken on the length of a 1^st century Palestinian wedding feast! Thanks to all who made it/are making it/will make it so special!

I also had the chance recently to take part in a fundraiser for an orphanage in Haiti called “Welcome Home Children’s Centre” that is run by a friend of ours that I work with. Marjorie (who some of you will remember from The Deaconettes) sang and I played “Ain’t No Sunshine” and a Miley Cyrus tune called “The Climb”. It was a good night and if anyone is interested in checking out their website it’s www.welcomechildren.org

Finally, Nicole and I welcomed Mrs. Micas back from Greece. It had been a while since she was with us and it’s good to have her around again! See pic below for a shot of Mrs. Micas and Mrs. Thomas comparing stories J

Peace and good,

David

Something New

Webmaster — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 4:56:23 PM EST

Another apology for not having posted in a while.The semester ended for me on December 9^th and I figured I'd take a little break.In my mind there's no better time than Christmas to get together with family and friends and I'm happy to report that we did a lot of that!As usual there was so much going on around the church and it was just a wonderful celebration of God not only with us, but also (as our pastor pointed out) for us and in us.

With 2010 nearly upon us I've been thinking a lot about new things – the way we value and celebrate "newness".Whether it's a new year, a new decade (!), new life, new friendships, a new car, or even new clothes, we love new stuff.Nicole and I just bought a new car and I (who am in no way a car guy) am so concerned with keeping it pristine that I won't even park it next to somebody if I have a choice!This is all right and fitting (I mean our valuing newness, not necessarily my parking thing) when we consider how the newness that we experience echoes the newness found in God's story.We have the new creation in Genesis; the promise that "I am doing a new thing" in Isaiah 43; the new thing happening in the Christmas story when God came among us (and the angels freaking out in Luke 2 – they had not seen Him do anything like that before!); and finally the vision of a new heaven and a new earth in Revelation 21, where God says "I am making everything new!"How joyous is that??As we go into 2010, may this vision of Christian hope be always before us. One day everything will be made new, and we won't have to worry about things breaking down or getting worn out!

And so I wish everyone a happy and blessed 2010.It's been a blessing for me to have this outlet through which to share my thoughts, and I hope you'll stick with me as the journey continues.

Peace and good,

David

2009 - 2010

Webmaster — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 4:54:49 PM EST

Last night my wife and I watched the movie "Last Chance Harvey." It's a story that revolves around two characters, Harvey Shine and Kate Walker, played by two talented actors, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. As the movie begins, we hear that Harvey, a jingle writer for an ad agency, has one last chance to nail down a contract with a client or he will be let go. The concept the movie truly revolves around is that out of a chance meeting at Heathrow airport in London, Harvey and Kate are looking at a last chance for love.

I wonder if 2010 is going to bring our world any last chances. Were you surprised when you heard about the attempt to blow up an airplane on its approach to Detroit on Christmas Day? Thankfully the attempt failed. When I thought about it, I realized that I had hoped that after September 11, 2001, terrorists had realized killing innocent airline passengers would not further their aims. Some much for my optimism.

Then on December 30 I heard the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan say that 2010 would see the tide turn against the Taliban as the additional 30,000 troops promised by the United States took their places in the war zone. He also said the area where Canadian forces are stationed would see some of the heaviest fighting. Will this be our last chance to make a difference in the lives of people in Afghanistan? Is this the way to make that difference? Is this primarily a political conflict with religious overtones or a religious conflict with political overtones? Paul spoke about overcoming evil with good—what would the apostle have to say about our strategy for meeting the challenge of Muslim extremism?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions. But I do know this. As Canada gets closer to the day when our combat troops are pulled out of Afghanistan, we need to talk about what role we want our armed forces personnel to play in our dangerous world.

William Norman

A Fresh Perspective

Webmaster — Tue, 1 Dec 2009 11:33:47 AM EST

I came across the following in a review for the Coen brothers' new film – "A Serious Man":

A Serious Man is about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a middling Jewish physics professor in 1967 in an unnamed midwestern town not unlike the suburban Minneapolis where the Coen brothers spent their childhood. Things are not going well for him. His wife leaves him for a fat windbag. His daughter steals money for a nose job. One of his students is threatening to sue him if he doesn't get a better grade.

Exasperated, Larry goes to several rabbis in search of counsel. The rabbis are portrayed with a mixture of condescension and affection. Their advice is played for laughs, but the funny thing is, the advice is actually incredibly wise. Or at least it's the best summary of my life philosophy I've heard.

The first rabbi is an earnest twenty-something rabbi in high-waisted pants. Rabbi Scott tells Larry that he needs a radical reframing of reality.

"I mean, the parking lot here," says Rabbi Scott. He points to a drab parking lot outside his office window. "Not much to see. But if you imagine yourself a visitor, somebody who isn't familiar with these autos and such, somebody still with a capacity for wonder, someone with a fresh perspective... You're looking at the world through tired eyes... Things aren't so bad. Look at the parking lot, Larry."

http://www.esquire.com/features/the-screen/a-serious-man-movie-review-1109#ixzz0YMEhXWMp

This article reminded me about something that's been on my mind recently.We've heard the Christmas story a million time, and sometimes I think the details are so ingrained we take the whole thing for granted. My prayer for this Christmas season is that we regain our capacity for wonder and view the Christmas story from a fresh perspective.May we be awed once again by the wonderful mystery of a man who is both fully God and fully human.No matter how many times we've heard the story, may we once again be struck by the depth of love that God showed by "pitching his tent" among us.Things won't seem so bad at all.

Peace and good,
David

There is no pleasing everybody.

Webmaster — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:15:56 AM EST

Every year around the beginning of November I pull out my Messiah compact discs. Messiah, by George Frederick Handel, is certainly the best known choral work in the English-speaking world and, while some would debate whether this prominence is deserved, all would agree that it is a unfailing source of inspiration and awe. At times, I have thought the music somehow divinely inspired. Handel began work on the score on August 22, 1741 and finished it September 14, an astonishing 24 days. Listening to Messiah never fails to lift my spirits and give me a sense of gratitude for the gift of God in his son, Jesus.

Not only do I pull out my own copies of Messiah, I also look to the library for any new recordings. Last year I purchased a recording made by "Mr. Christmas" himself, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers. Earlier this year I saw a new recording had been added to the collection at the Toronto Public Library and I put in on hold. It's done by Harry Christophers and an English choral and instrumental group called The Sixteen. The music is wonderful. To my untrained musical ear I think the job they did on the finale, "Worthy is the Lamb" and the "Amen" is the best out there.

If you love the music or even if you just know the great esteem in which it is held, a story told in the booklet that accompanies the discs is worthy of your attention. Handel, of course, is known as the composer of the music. Charles Jennens is the man who chose the various texts of the scriptures which would tell the story of Christ's birth, life, death and resurrection. So what did Jennens think of Handel's efforts?

"He has made a fine Entertainment of it, tho' not near so good as he might & ought to have done." There, the next time you are worried about trying to please all the people all the time, just remember at least one person thought even Handel's Messiah was not as good as it could have been.

Samaritan Woman, Stay Away From Me

Webmaster — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:04:03 AM EST

In preparing for the next Open Door (that's Saturday November 21^st at 8pm!), I've been reading a lot of stuff on the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John 4.One of the turning points in the passage comes when Jesus mentions the Samaritan woman's past (her succession of relationships, presumably failed ones) and the fact that the man she is currently living with is not her husband.The problem I'm having is that a lot of commentators seem to come down rather heavily, almost judgementally, on the woman.

This got me thinking how we sometimes look at the failings of biblical characters.Are they there to make us feel better about ourselves?As Paul would say, "By no means!"I think that often, they're there to remind us that we're all prone to falling short of the ideal, and we're all in need of grace.The Spirit convinces me on a regular basis that some of my actions and attitudes are missing the mark.The Samaritan woman goes back to her village excited, inviting her neighbours to come meet a man who knows everything about her – and loves her anyway.That's good news for all of us!

As a follow up to my posting on road rage, check out the following story:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/crime/article/722722--road-rage-blamed-as-car-sails-off-cliff

I had said something like "well, you know how it goes" when these type of confrontations get out of control.Well this one went upside down into the Humber River.The craziest thing is that upon reaching the riverbank, the road-rager swam back to the car to get something.

We really need to learn to let things go.

Peace and good,

David

Why Fall Is My Favourite Season

Webmaster — Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:41:12 AM EST

My apologies for not posting an entry last week. Things get a little crazy and it seems the blog is the first thing I put aside. I’ll try and do better!
Fall is my favourite time of year. I’m mainly a moderate temperature type of guy and I love the way the late afternoon sun hits the trees and just makes everything golden. I was thinking about this and it reminded me of a quote from a Kierkegaard anthology my dad gave me. I went and looked it up:
“The reason why I far prefer the autumn to the spring is because in the autumn one looks up to heaven – in spring at the earth.”
That’s from The Journals. Apparently a lot of SK’s work was reaction against rationalism and its effect on Christianity. As the introduction to this anthology puts it – “...the ‘reasonableness’ of Christianity is treason to Christianity because it subjects the self-revelation of the infinite God to finite human standards.”
Isn’t it true that we don’t follow a God that fits into neat rational boxes? There are so many tensions within Christianity – the already/not yet of the Kingdom of God, Jesus being fully God and fully human, an infinite God existing in finite time. He just doesn’t fit into rational boxes.
Would we want it any other way?
Peace and good,
David

A Soft Answer Turneth Away Road Rage

Webmaster — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 7:34:32 PM EST

I was reading James this morning (a part of my Biblical Interpretation and Application course, fittingly, is reading a great deal of the Bible!) and came across the following verses in chapter 1:

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

These verses reminded me of an experience I had recently coming home from work. Nicole and I were driving along a side street on our way to Jarvis St. to head north. As we’re going along, a guy in a crossover SUV appears at the entrance to an alleyway. Our car is pretty visible and he’s inching his way out (can everyone please stop with the inching). When we’re about 10m away, the guy decides to come out! I slam on the brakes and give the wheel a good turn to the left in order to avoid the guy. As I’m sitting there recovering, we look over and the guy is yelling out his window at us. Nicole rolls her window down and I say “What’s going on man?” or words to that effect. We have the following exchange:

“I was coming out!!”
“Yeah, and I’m driving along the street?” (I’m mystified and strangely calm)
“I was coming out and you were speeding!!”
“I wasn’t and have the right of way. You’ve got to try and be a little more careful dude!”

At this point I’m more bewildered at the guy’s reaction (if anyone had the right to start yelling out windows it was me) and it must have shown. We drive off and make our turn onto Jarvis, talking the whole time about how crazy that was. I’m checking the rear view and see the guy changing lanes to pull up on my left. He’s yelling again! I roll down my window thinking “What now?!” and the guy is holding out a hand saying “I apologize – I’m sorry…” I said to him “Don’t worry about it, it’s ok…” to which he replied “No really - I’m sorry.” and that was the end of it.

I’m not telling that story to prove how righteous I am (though there was a time in my life it might have gone quite differently), but I wanted to share it. One maxim I try and live by is “don’t let situations get out of control”, especially in the city where “out of control” can quickly go from raised voices to getting out of cars to weapons to…. well you know how it goes. This whole “reverse road rage” experience showed me just how true passages like the one above (or Proverbs 15:1) are. What could have been an ugly incident turned out to be something quite different.

"What I know...so far"

Webmaster — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:22:09 AM EST

One thing I know is I am concerned about this growing trend of no-iron 100% cotton dress shirts. More than 30 years ago I decided I liked the feel of 100% cotton shirts and like any modern male I learned how to iron. I could have also learned how to drop my shirts off at the dry cleaners, but I'm too cheap for that.

Now I hear advertisements for 100% cotton shirts that supposedly come out of the dryer looking as if they have just been freshly ironed. I hope it's not true. I hope it's a passing fad and that both manufacturers and consumers alike will realize a cotton shirt must be ironed before being worn again.

And even if this misuse of technology turns out to be true, I will buy ordinary 100% cotton shirts as long as possible. Here's the reason: it's one of those things that can truly be completed. I press that shirt. I place it on a hanger. I button the top two buttons. There it's done. Today I have accomplished something. So much of what I do has an unfinished feel about it. No sooner have I preached a sermon when I realize it could have been so much better if I had just done... But that shirt is ready. The crease on that sleeve could cut soft butter. Something has been accomplished.

A senior member of our congregation told me recently about one of the things that keeps him as active and involved as is possible for him. He sets about every day to accomplish at least one thing. So the next time you see me check the press on my shirt. They're not sent out. It's me that gets that done.

Bill

Grace and Gratitude

Webmaster — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 4:15:03 PM EST

I came across a line recently attributed to Thomas Erskine which goes “Religion is grace, ethics is gratitude.” It’s been very much on my mind as we’ve been celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada this weekend. It seems right and fitting to set aside a weekend in which we take time to share all we have to be thankful for. We learn from our earliest days how important it is to give thanks to people (everyone remembers a parent asking “What do you say to _____?” after someone gave you a present).
This is why Erskine’s quote has been so much on my mind. Think about what God’s grace has meant. He made us in love. He provides for our every need. He’s the creator and sustainer of all things and he calls us His children. His son came down to where we are, to be our example, our redeemer and our friend. He sent the Spirit to comfort us, to give us peace, and to unite us with Him and with each other. Thanks be to God indeed!
When we are confronted by God’s grace, the question for us becomes “What constitutes a reasonable response?” I’ll leave it up to you to answer that one. Sometimes though, it can be something as simple as sitting back and saying “Thank you God, for loving me.” I like the response that Bob Dylan prays in his song “What Can I Do For You?”:
You have given everything to me
What can I do for You?
You have given me eyes to see
What can I do for you?
You have given all there is to give
What can I give to You?
You have given me life to live
How can I live for You?
May we grow deeper every day in the knowledge of what it means to live lives full of gratitude!
Taking a page from the Guthries blog, I’m going to list some of the many things I’m thankful for.   I hope you’ll add your own thoughts in the comments section!
     • Nicole
     • Loving family and friends
     • The chance to devote one whole day per week in school
     • Music that’s from the heart in all its forms and expressions
     • The fact that He brought me through another day

Peace and good,
David

Shameless Plug

Webmaster — Tue, 6 Oct 2009 8:53:54 PM EST

I barely got around to sending an entry this week – things are getting a little crazy for me school-wise so I’ll have to ask you to forgive me for being a couple of days late.

This is going to be fairly short entry and I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about a new ministry that’s starting up at Blythwood. It’s called “The Open Door” and we’re going to hold it every third Saturday of the month at 8pm in the Friendship Room at Blythwood. The idea is for a fairly informal/relaxed evening of praise, prayer and Word. We want to testify and talk about who God is and what He’s done.

So if you’re around and free on October 17th I invite you to come join us. Bring friends, family, the kids etc. etc.. We’d love to have you come worship with us!

David

Staying Connected

Webmaster — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:09:43 PM EST

Yesterday Nicole and I spent a great deal of the day trying to figure out how she can send text messages to my cell phone via email (we’re generally what the marketing people call late adopters and not really “up” on a lot of this stuff). We (and by “we” I mean “Nicole”) figured it out in the end and it’ll be a good way for us to keep in touch – especially when I’m in Hamilton all day. It’s amazing what we can do with technology today. I hate to sound like an old guy but I remember writing letters regularly back in the day. Now we have iPhones, Blackberries, Kindles, social networking sites, Twitter, blogs (!) etc. etc. This got me thinking about an article I read in Adbusters recently. It was called “Obsessive Branding Disorder” and here’s part of it:

In 1985, the General Social Survey (GSS) asked participants to number their “close friends.” Respondents were likely to claim three – often noting that these relationships were based in their neighbourhood or local community. In 2006, the American Sociological Review published the survey’s most recent findings, which showed a three-fold increase over the past two decades in the number of Americans who didn’t have anyone with whom to discuss important matters. Specifically, the GSS found that nearly one-quarter of the 1,500 participants claimed they had no confidants at all...For all the advances in communications...cellular phones, the Internet, instant messages, email, chat rooms, social networking sites – we now feel more isolated. (Conley, Lucas. “Obsessive Branding Disorder.” Adbusters 83 (2009) 23.

I’m not going to go on some kind of luddite rant here. I thought it was really cool to be able to send my mom an email from a coffee shop in Santa Cruz with Nicole’s iPod. I think technology is like most things – neither good nor bad in and of itself, it all comes down to how it’s used. I will say, however, that too often it seems there’s almost a kind of dehumanising “The Machine Stops” kind of thing going on with us. Let’s not ever forget that nothing can replace getting together to talk, eat (this seems to be a recurring theme with me), laugh, cry, sing, pray – whatever it is. In Acts 2 we read about the early church getting together all the time. I think they were definitely on to something there.
In the spirit of the above Nicole and I were at a birthday lunch for a colleague and sister in Christ today. Many happy returns Marjorie!
Peace and good to all,
David

Music Makes the People Come Together

Webmaster — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 7:28:49 PM EST

I went back to school this week, officially starting my “second” year (10 courses under my belt thus far). I was slightly dreading it, seeing as I had over two months of “just work” this summer, which for me these days is as good as a holiday. With the first day out of the way though I feel back in the swing. I’m trying a new thing this term – three courses while working full time. This might be crazy but we’ll see how it goes. I have met people who did five courses at seminary while working full time so maybe three won’t be too bad?! Looking over the syllabi, no assignments seem to be due at the same time, which will be a plus. Everything happens on a Wednesday with two classes in the morning (Ministry Practice and Formation & Biblical Interpretation), chapel in the afternoon, and my last class at night (Christianity and Culture). In any case, it was good to be back, good to see everyone, good to have most of the 2008-2009 chapel band (see pic) back and good to see some new faces too. I really love those guys!!

"2008-2009 MacDiv Worship Team"

There’s nothing like music for bringing people together (maybe Madonna was onto something in “Music”). On our trips to Bolivia, it was amazing to see how music transcended cultural/language differences. This past trip it was great to play bass at First Baptist in Cochabamba with a Brazilian drummer and Bolivian guitarists and keyboard players. I always say “I never turn down a chance to play guitar!” and no matter who I’m playing with, there’s always a bond there. There’s a great line in Mere Christianity where C.S. Lewis says something like - for many, music is the closest we can get to grasping the idea of eternity. I couldn’t agree more – oftentimes I’ll be playing with a group, united in giving praise to God and thinking “Man I could do this forever!” That kind of experience always reminds me of the line from “Blessed Assurance” – “Oh what a foretaste of glory divine.” Amen and haste the day!

Peace and good to all,
David

Reunions

Webmaster — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 7:24:43 PM EST

Reunions have been very much on my mind this week. Labour Day has come and gone. Students are back to school this week, seeing friends that they haven’t seen all summer. On our recent Short Term Mission trip to Bolivia, our team was reunited with the Guthries (who had visited our church earlier this year) as well as the many friends we met back in ‘08. Last weekend my family was over at our place for our annual get-together - it was good times!

I had a prof once who started each class with the words “It’s good to be together!” He was right of course, and being together is even better when there’s food involved! This Sunday Blythwood is celebrating “Back to Church Sunday”. Many members of our church family have been away for the summer and our September reunion is always highly anticipated. I think it’s so fitting that we’ll be marking the event with two meals – the Lord’s Supper and lunch following our service. There’s just something special about breaking bread together. I’ve often thought this is part of the reason the Bible uses language describing people taking their place “at the feast in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29) and why John writes of the “wedding supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). This kind of imagery is the best way we have to express the inexpressible future that awaits. May we be reminded of that ultimate get-together each time we gather!

"Getting together at our usual spot in Villa Tunari"

____________________________________________________________

Last night we had the first screening of “Pray the Devil Back to Hell” at Blythwood. The film is a 2008 documentary which describes the efforts of a group of Christian and Muslim women in Liberia to end the civil war there. To say the film is inspiring or moving does not do it justice. I was a bit ashamed that I hadn’t known more about what was going on in that war-torn country and it made me wonder “What am I wasting my time on exactly to the point that I wasn’t aware of this?” The film is playing again at our church on September 20th and I recommend it to anyone in the Toronto area who’s free that night.

To learn more click here.

Comfort Zone

Webmaster — Sat, 5 Sep 2009 7:22:14 PM EST

During our visit to Chipiriri, we took a side trip to a place called La Jungla. La Jungla was basically a playground for grownups that had been built in the middle of nowhere. As monkeys prowled in the treetops, we climbed up onto a walkway made of ropes and wood about 5 metres off the jungle floor. The first challenge we encountered was a zip line - no big deal. The next was something else altogether. The idea was that after climbing up to a 15m high platform, you sat on a type of swing made of two pieces of wood attached to a cable, placed a “safety rope” under your arms and jumped off! Of course we had to try it.

After the first adrenaline fuelled rush of fear, the feeling was one of pure exhilaration. The next thing to do was try the one that was “mas alto” – 18 metres! While there was a safety harness involved this time, the feeling of looking at the jungle floor from that height is not one that I’ll forget. Someone said that it was a good thing my wife wasn’t with us (Nicole was feeling the effects of the Chapare flu) and she could hardly believe it when I told her what I’d done. As I told her later, “When these kind of opportunities present themselves, you’ve got to take them!”

This had me thinking about our own personal comfort zones as we seek to serve the Lord. Often we’re called to step out of them. The Bible is full of characters who doubt their ability to take on the task God has laid out for them – from Gideon protesting that he was the “least in my family” (Jgs 6:15) to Moses wondering why anyone would listen to someone “slow of speech and tongue” like him (Ex 4:10). Rather than giving in to their fears they “jumped off the platform”, trusting in God to use them for His purposes.

Where in our lives is God asking us to step out of our comfort zone? Do we trust Him enough to take that step? The Apostle John wrote that “perfect love casts out fear” (John 4:18). I pray that the kind of love that John is speaking of will be found in each of us.

Writing this blog is putting me a bit outside of my own comfort zone. I hope you’ll join me on this journey, sharing your own thoughts and experiences along the way.

Peace and good to all,
David