My Cup Runneth Over

The next time you feel like your life really sucks, visit this blog. Today at the Mission, is a new discovery for me, but it is fast becoming one of my favourite blogs.

One of the entries from May 30:”I’ve been keeping an eye on our milk supply, watching it dwindle. During dinner tonight we ran out. Just as the volunteer turned to me and said, “We’re out of milk” — at that precise moment — the manager of a local grocery store appeared at the kitchen door with 20 liters of milk in a crate.”

I’m reminded of the story from 1 Kings where God provides an unlimited supply of olive oil and flour so that Elijah, a widow, and her son do not starve because of a famine. The ability of God to miraculously provide is awe inspiring.

At this moment, I am so thankful to God for the blessings that He brings into my life. I am speechless when I consider the fact that I am not a wealthy man by North American standards, but the fact that I live as I do means that I am far wealthier than the majority of citizens on our planet.

I realize that the reality of the homeless situation is that many of those who are homeless choose to live that way due to mental illness. However, when I reflect on what the Iraq War has cost, and is costing US taxpayers, and the sponsorship scandal that is rocking the government here in Canada, I cannot help but consider the fact that an imbalance exists.

By the way, as I write these words it is Memorial Day in the United States. I am concerned that the Iraq War was started under dubious circumstances, and I wonder at what benefit the American people will derive from this massive expenditure of their tax dollars. However, I firmly believe that the soldiers serving their country deserve our utmost respect and admiration. To those who have served so that I have the freedom to write these words, I say thank you.

Digression ended.

Here in Saskatoon, they are encouraging us to refrain from giving our spare change to the homeless people begging downtown. While I respect those who hold seats of power on our city council, I am unable to comply with this request.

Are we becoming blind to the suffering of our neighbour? Have we become so deeply enmeshed in our day to day life that we are unable to see the suffering occurring right in front of our face? Christians are just as guilty of this behaviour as anyone else in our society. Has the focus on a personal salvation that exists in our churches today, caused us to only be concerned about what personally affects us?

As some choose the homeless lifestyle, others are forced into it by the circumstances of their life. Regardless of how they ended up in that situation, it is incumbent upon us to assist the less fortunate as much as we can if we are to call ourselves a civilized people. Let alone disciples of Christ.

The next time a homeless person hits you up for a quarter so that they can buy a coffee, why not help them out? Better yet, buy them a coffee and maybe something to eat.

Comments? Email Me

Emergent in Tennessee

“Let’s drop the battle axes, learn from other churches (even Catholics) and enjoy the adventure of discerning God’s message in this strange world called the 21st century.”

The quote above comes from this article in the Tennessean (thanks to TallSkinnyKiwi.com for the link) about the Emergent Church national convention in Tennessee.

Some other quotes from the article:

“Emergent” folks are Christians who are impatient with rigid megachurch formulas and noisy doctrinal in-fighting. They want to nurture a “vintage Christianity” that promotes the love of Christ for the emerging (non-churchgoing) generation. They’re hammering out a theology that’s friendly to ancient faith practices (contemplative prayer, labyrinths, hospitality) in a postmodern world of quantum physics, 24/7 media and coffee-house culture.”

“So Emergent worship evokes spiritual imagination (using candles, darkness, art work on curtained walls). It is interactive (some churches have couches, not pews). It engages the body (a Minneapolis congregation offers yoga and massage therapy). Emergent leaders value Holy Communion and Bible reading.”

This seems almost too good to be true. It’s like they have taken everything I’ve been thinking for the last few months and verbalized it.

If there is one thing I’ve learned, many times, when things seem too good to be true, they are.

Often movements begin with great intentions and ideas. After a while, the movement becomes stagnant, no new ideas are introduced, the old ideas become dogma, and slowly it loses relevance. The emergent church could easily go down this same road, however I hold out hope that it won’t.

If the emergent church remains fluid, having more questions than answers, and remains friendly to Christians (and non-Christians) of all stripes, I believe the emergent church will not only survive, but thrive. As long as the emergent church doesn’t take itself too seriously, it will be able to continue to grow and expand. The Bible must remain the centre of the emergent church. It must be approached with respect while trying to understand the truths that have been hidden within it by millennia of dogmatic interpretation.

Above all the emergent church must be known for it’s love. When this happens, they will truly become disciples of Christ.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35 NIV).

I can’t help but be excited about what this movement promises. The future of the faith has the capability, and the possibility, to be very exciting. Those who have turned away from Christianity because of the hypocrisy they have seen, may feel a call to come back. People who have never attended church in their life, may feel comfortable to come into a worship space that isn’t intimidating. This new language of Christianity, could speak to millions who have become deaf to the voices they have heard too many times.

Now, that would be very exciting indeed.

Comments? Email Me

Faith, Hope, Love

In this age of nihilism, and consumerism
We live in man made prisons, built inside our minds

Our idols aren’t golden calves
They’re glass and steel,
bricks and mortar
A tribute to our new world order

Where the almighty dollar, is the god we prize

Day after day, our heros show the way
and our hard earned cash rewards their lies

You should be …

(just like me)

Isn’t it time you bought …

(a piece of the fraud?)

Like lambs to the slaughter, we follow without thought
Forgetting we were created in the image of Almighty God

Is this what we were made for?

I won’t buy into this lie!

“There must be more than this!”

is the faithful’s cry

The truth is scarier than you could ever imagine

Life isn’t really about how much you can cash in

The truth is

To love and to laugh
is the mission you’ve been given

Remember:

Faith, Hope, Love
and He is risen

Amen

Renegade or Conformist?

“Christianity over the past two thousand years has moved from a tribe of renegades to a religion of conformists” Erwin McManus – The Barbarian Way

Renegade or conformist? What exactly does it mean to be a renegade Christian? Does it mean that you put up signs like this, going out of your way to offend people in the name of Jesus? I can guarantee you that the pastor who put that sign up considers himself to be a renegade. In fact he is quoted in the article as saying: “I knew that whenever we decided to put that sign up that there would be people who wouldn’t agree with it, and there would be some that would, and so we just have to stand up for what’s right.”

Maybe a renegade Christian is someone like Fred Phelps (honestly, I chose one of his least offensive websites to link to). Standing in his pulpit, week after week, showering hate filled diatribes on his congregation. He seems comfortable talking about who God hates, does he ever wonder who God loves?

I propose that Christians who respond to those around them in this manner, are in fact the least renegade and most conforming of believers. Why do I say this? When you react to those who do not fit within your paradigm with derision, you are acting in the flesh. You are behaving in a way that will win you praise from those who hold your world view.

The real way of the renegade is the way of love and respect. You are a renegade if you take the time to learn what and why people believe, or to learn about their life experience. A renegade invests themselves into relationships with everyone around them, not just those who hold to a sectarian world view, or who fit into a certain lifestyle. To share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone, is a renegade lifestyle.

The renegade lifestyle will cost you. Friends may become enemies, a congregation may turn on a pastor.

The way of the renegade is the way of the cross.

Comments? Email Me

Persecution & Prayer Alert

What the Hell?

I finally picked up Brian McLaren’s newest book The Last Word and the Word After That. This book is the conclusion of his new kind of Christian trilogy. I have really enjoyed this series (especially the first book, which ranks as one of my all time favourites), and I’m excited to get into this book.

After reading the introduction and the first chapter, I can see that the general theme of this book is going to be to examine Hell and our understanding of what that place exactly is, and who will be spending eternity there. While it is nothing new to hear a scholar say that we have misinterpreted the original Greek or Hebrew, therefore losing the true meaning of the passage. I am wondering if our understanding of Hell has been flawed all along. The teachings of Jesus on this subject do seem pretty clear. Still, I am open to new understandings of ancient ideas, so I will keep an open mind.

I searched my Zondervan NIV Study Bible for references to the word Hell. I found that the word that has been translated as Hell is ge’hinnom in the Hebrew and Gehenna in the Greek. If you translate these words literally into English it comes out as the Valley of Hinnom. This valley was a place used for pagan worship in which children were sacrificed in fire. Later, it became a garbage dump that appeared to burn perpetually (sounds kind of like the Springfield Tire Fire).

Why is it that I am uncomfortable with redefining our understanding of Hell? It feels like I’m treading into territory where I don’t belong. Why is this area different than any other area I have studied, and sometimes come up with different understandings than the stock Christian stance? I have a feeling that this anxiety stems from the fact that we are all a little anxious when it comes to discussing Hell. Lets face it, none of us wants to end up there!

I’m sure I will be writing more on this subject as I get further through this book.

Comments? Email Me

Life In the Matrix

Welcome to the Matrix. Where everything is not exactly as it seems. Depending on your beliefs and prejudices (or lack thereof), when you look at the man across the street, you either see a brother or an enemy.

The Matrix is a combination of your hopes and fears, beliefs and unbelief. Everything you see is coloured by your perception. You have two choices, the blue pill, or the red pill. Which will you take?

If it is the blue pill, you will continue on just as you are. Blissfully unaware of all that is really happening around you. Your world view is safe, your beliefs are unshakeable, and you will be free from challenge.

Take the red pill on the other hand, and everything will change. The sinner, your enemy, suddenly becomes a human being and someone you call friend. Instead of being able to fit everything into nice little categories, us and them, saved and unsaved, everyone becomes an individual. Someone who needs to love and be loved.

Just like the fictional Matrix, there are battles to be fought. Just like the fictional Matrix there is a chosen One here. There is a difference though, unlike Neo this hero is real and the only way to win the battles that you will fight, is with love.

So which will it be, the blue pill or the red pill? Don’t make this decision to quickly, the choice you are about to make will effect the rest of your life. It’s the difference between the status quo and the courage to grow. Your eyes will be opened, for the first time you will really be able to see. Unfortunately, you may not always like the view.

Right now you are probably wondering what colour I chose. I’ll give you a hint. Nothing is the same. Everything is new. My beliefs, my very foundation even, have been shaken to the point of destruction. Amazingly, after all that, they came out stronger than they were before.

It’s not always easy though, some days it feels like I’ve taken that pill for the first time again. I will make one guarantee, no matter how hard the journey is sometimes, it’s one hundred percent worth it.

Well my friend, the time has come for you to make your choice. What colour will it be?

Comments? Email Me

I’ll Take a St. Peter Iced Coffee Please

This, is a really cool idea.

A quote from the article: “As part of that process we have completed a feasibility study for a fair trade cafe that will be built on the grassy area between the two sets of stone steps on the East side of the building, facing Central Park. The cafe will provide barista/restaurant management/entrepreneurial training for new canadians [expanding our current program/ministry], have culturally diverse entertainment in the evenings and, on Sundays, we will offer cafe-style [or cafe-based] worship.”

First of all, it is exciting to see faith communities thinking of new and exciting ways to help newcomers to Canada get training and assimilate themselves into our way of life. Having culturally diverse entertainment will enable the people running this cafe to meet people from all walks of life and build relationships with them. Then there is the cafe style worship.

I have to be honest, I had to do some research on what exactly cafe style worship is. I know that it is an alternative form of worship that has become popular in the emergent community. Basically, it is an informal service held in a cafe setting. There may be some music and a video or speaker will be used as a conversation starter. Then the people in the cafe will dialogue with each other. Questions are asked, answered, and the congregation instead of being “churched at” become active participants in the service. It allows people to worship God with body, soul, and mind.

While I believe that conventional worship services will always play an important role in Christian culture, I think that alternative style worship services are going to be an exciting part of the future. They allow people who are intimidated, or uncomfortable, in traditional worship settings to still “do church.” People who have become bored after years of attending conventional church services will be energized by a new experience. Those who are actively involved in, and still have a deep love for, traditional church styles may even enjoy the opportunity to do something differently every once in a while. The coolest thing is that seekers will have questions answered immediately in non-threatening environment.

This is one of those things that when I read it, I get inspired and excited. I feel like the future is going to be very exciting. I look forward to being a part of it.

Comments? Email Me

The Courage to Believe

“Religion is the opium of the masses.” – Karl Marx

Karl Marx compared religion to hallucinogens. My friend the atheist will tell you that you believe because you are afraid.

I say it takes a lot of courage to believe.

It takes courage to admit that you, as an egocentric human being, are not the centre of the universe. It takes courage to admit that not only is there something greater than yourself in the universe, but that something greater has the right to judge you for all you do wrong. But most of all, it takes courage to believe in love.

Many remake God in their own image as a capricious and vindictive being. Bent on reducing you to a pile of smoldering ash for the sin you commit. This is an easy God to believe in because it allows you to reduce humanity into two camps. In and out. Saved and unsaved.

The redeemed and the damned.

Just like a clique roaming the halls at your local high school, people get a sense of security from being saved. When you can point your finger at the “sinner” before you, suddenly you are better than them, and if you can see that you’re better, surely God will. As your chest puffs out with pride at your perfect church attendance and diligent service, deep inside you know that your thoughts are wrong. As guilt creeps in, you scan the horizon for even worse sinners than before to regain your place of importance. This is an exhausting exercise that ultimately proves futile.

There is a better way. The way of courage.

Day after day, as you pick yourself up, admit your failures, and choose to keep going, believing that the love of God is bigger than your faults, you choose the way of courage. When you can say with Paul “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God —through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:24-25)! You choose the way of courage.

When you decide to love yourself, and your fellow human beings, as Jesus does, you are courageous indeed.

Comments? Email Me

Risen? Indeed!

I just finished watching the 20/20 episode about the resurrection of Jesus. It was really quite well done. Surprisingly for me, it seemed that the show came down on the positive side for the resurrection being a real event. Granted, this may be more about the reality of not wanting to alienate the powerful religious right in the United States than anything else, but still I expected to hear a lot more opposition to it.

The show interviewed a variety of scholars to get as many perspectives as possible on the different beliefs surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. I enjoyed hearing the different perspectives (even the ones I disagreed with) and I came away with an interesting observation.

Bishop John Shelby Spong is someone who I often find more to disagree with, than agree with. However, he impressed me with his statements on this show. He talked about the incredible love of God, a love so deep that it continues even through the crucifixion. As much as I disagree with a lot of Bishop Spong’s theology, I believe he gets the essence of the Gospel. As he wrote in this article on Beliefnet: “There is always the possibility that we Christians are deluded–but I do not think so. I trust the God revealed to me by Jesus as the source of life, the source of love, and the ground of being–and I shall worship this God by living fully, loving wastefully, and daring to be all that I can be now and forever. When I do so, I will know the truth and power of the resurrection.” Amen.

My favourite part of the show? The end. They showed Christians of all colours and traditions celebrating the resurrection in their own way. Seeing this outpouring of joy, this celebration of the same event, conducted in so many different and beautiful ways, I was deeply moved.

Is He Risen? Indeed!

Comments? Email Me