the coffee hangout experience

As a staff, we've been talking about having a third worship alternative for a long time. Each time we do, there is always talk around it being in a coffee shop. Why? Because it's something that everyone knows about....

So here's a few random observations...

-people think they are talking privately. In the hour I've been sitting here, I've heard people talking about relationship/marital issues, work issues and just general comments about themselves that I'm SURE they would never say elsewhere. I'm not trying to eavesdrop either. I could be across the room and deaf and still hear what they are saying. What does that tell me? 1) Coffee shops are the place that people experience care and community. 2) I need to talk quieter.

-Coffee is expensive here but everyone buys it. I had a square and a medium coffee. $5. (I always tip because as Christians, I think we need to be known for being generous not stingy but that's another blog topic) Some people come here every day. So in a month, that's a $100 coffee budget IF it's only once a day. Why do people pay what they could pay for a whole pound of coffee at the store? Because they pay for the atmosphere. It's the daytime equivalent of going to a pub. Or the adult equivalent of 7-11 or the arcade when I was a teen. I pay $5 and I can stay here and people watch all day if I want. $5 for a cup of coffee and a square is a rip off but $5 for an activity is dirt cheap. What does that tell me? Content is important but how the content is packaged and presented is even more important these days.

-There's no dress code or 'way you need to be' to come here. There's two guys in the corner wearing suits. In the booth over, two guys wearing jeans and hats are playing chess. Two moms wearing sweatpants with kids are here as well. And then there's scruffy me with my holiday beard (yes that's what the 'dirt' is on my chin - I'm Asian - give me a break.). But there's no heirarchy or pecking order here. We're all treated the same and more importantly, we all 'feel' the same. That's an important part of the coffee culture because every place has a different feel and the feeling you belong is important. The teaching here for me? Coffee shops do naturally what churches work at forever trying to achieve.

We're doing our java worship experience in mid January. We'll see whether we can have a redemptive coffee experience. Actually, that's not stated right. We'll see whether the coffee shop can redeem many of our church experiences.

evangelical debate

It's pretty fair to say that people don't really care about denominations anymore. Definitely the vast majority of the world doesn't. They hardly notice the difference between a Christian and another religeon let alone all the differences BETWEEN Christians. But even among the church leadership, the divisions between denominations is shrinking. The ministerial here has some good collegiality between the Baptists, Alliance, Anglicans, Pentacostals and us. Needless to say, I'm thankful for that. But there is a divide within our church that seems to be growing - almost as quick as the denominational one is shrinking. The evangelicals or conservatives vs the liberals.

To define it isn't that simple but basically, the evangelicals/conservatives would hold to a traditional, orthodox theology and they would believe that the world needs to be saved through accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Liberals have a much more social action oriented faith rather than a "accept Jesus in your heart" one and hold Scripture as allegorical and metaphorical rather than God's inspired word. Within the Presbyterian Church (and all the other mainline denominations), there's a wide diversity along the spectrum.

To survive within our denomination, you need to learn to be politically correct in certain situations. Sometimes that is very difficult - particularly when the pervading theology is vastly different from your own. What makes it harder though is how quickly our church likes to label and dismiss others as useless because of their theology. It's probably fair to say that we treat people that are on the opposite theological viewpoint much worse than those from other faiths or no faith at all. In many cases, it crosses from prejudicial into hatred.

Make no mistake - I'm an evangelical. The longer I'm in this denomination, the more I'm comfortable with that. But that's not to say that us evangelicals have it all right. Most evangelicals talk too much and live too little. We're overly judgemental and too rigid. Both liberals and evangelicals need to learn from each other and just for once, live in humility under God to trust that God will judge as God judges. Let's just let each other be who we are - standing up for the things we're passionate about WITHOUT putting the other person down for having a point of view different than our own.

Keeping it real

It's been a long time since I've blogged here because...well....i got blogged out from the summer. Random thoughts cross my head all the time but one of the tougher parts of being a pastor is that there are few things that really 'belong' to you. I'll read something and my first thought is, "how can I incorporate that into the ministry at St. A's?" God will teach me something and before I know it, it's off my tongue in a sermon. So part of my discipline this fall was to try and keep some stuff between God and I - to develop some depth to my walk with God. Church ministry is unique in that the work I'm called to do there is directly related to my personal relationship to God. If I'm not growing and staying close, the work suffers. Item 1 on my job description as a pastor is to continue cultivating my personal relationship with God. If I stop growing and sincerely TRYING to live what I'm saying, I hope I quit before I get fired.

But here's the irony. My relationship with God isn't a job. It's a marriage relationship that needs to be as personal and intimate as my relationship with Kathleen. Some things in my Christian life need to be kept between God and I. Maybe at some point, it'll be a sermon illustration, but for now, it's just for us to share. In order for me to reach maturity in Christ, I need to let God's word seep deeply into my heart - not so I can be a better pastor - but so I can be a better disciple, a better person, a better child of God.

Our measure in God's eyes isn't dependent on how well we measure on our job evaluations but how we measure on our faithfulness evaluation. My 'job' is no different. To borrow language from 1 Cor 13....If I preach a thousand great sermons and build a ministry with millions in it but haven't a relationship with God, I'm nothing.

retreats

I think if Jesus were here today, he would be a camp person. He loved crowds sometimes, a certain few more often and sometimes, he would just go away by himself. That's camp. A bit of everything. It's been special this week being up there doing what we feel to be God's work in presenting the gospel in worship. I've been moved to tears almost everytime I sing "how can i keep from singing" because it is just so much how i feel being up there.

Does your life have the same balance? Time with others - including believers and unbelievers? With the intimate few you truly INVEST yourself with? Do you have time by yourself to nurture your own listening prayer life with God? Sometimes the noise has to stop in order for our spiritual lives to start.

Blog about blogging

It's hard to blog about the news when I have no idea what is happening in the news. Being at camp all week this week (with exception to Thursday night which I'll be coming back for the last one!), I've been out of the loop. The year that Wayne Gretzky got traded from Edmonton, I was at camp and didn't even hear about that until a week later! I could blog all about stuff at camp but the connection point for you wouldn't be the same.

That 'disconnect' I'm describing is one of the biggest issues that I think faces Christians today. We're out of the loop. Somewhere, we've interpreted being of the world but not in the world as taking a critical backseat to everything that the world offers - and maybe more importantly, a criticism of the people within it. Healthy criticism is a good thing - as in just being reflective and analytical about what we're taking in and being a part of. But when we just make running commentary on the world and people while having no connection - no relationship - with them, we've immediately lost our audience.

Imagine if Paris Hilton decided to write a book criticizing the inner workings of the church. We'd be in a rage because she couldn't possibly know anything about what us Christians believe! Let alone her lifestyle! It's NOTHING like it should be. She hasn't earned the right to say anything!

That's kinda how those in the world feel about us I think. I know that we live by the truth and we can't possibly adopt the lifestyle of the world just to communicate to it. But we can't hide behind that either. Jesus diedto save the world. Maybe it's time we start to love it the same.

Healthy wealthy and wise gospel

The 'prosperity gospel' is what we call the teaching that God wants us to be healthy, wealthy and wise - AND that our ability to attain these things depends on how we pray or the measure of our faith and spiritual growth. This teaching has been around for a long time but has found new legs in recent days. The Secret (which I wrote about a couple days ago) is the most popular mainstream version of it. Perhaps The Prayer of Jabez could be considered the most common Christian version of it.

Often quoted with this is Jn 10:10, "I have come that you might have life and have it in abundance." While even a quick reading of John 10 will show that the 'prosperity gospel' is far from the context of this verse, it should be very true that God desires the best for us. What Father doesn't want the best for his kids? What does Christ's death and resurrection mean for us today? Doesn't it mean we'll have victory? Success? It seems to make sense.

But then Jesus teaches weird stuff. Luke 6:20 and following reads...

"Blessed are you who are poor for your is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude and insult you anhd reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man."

"But woe to you who are rich.....who are well fed now.....who laugh now...when all men speak well of you....."

Maybe our prayers are off base?

Catching up with Science

Almost everywhere these days, there are ads to correct, enhance or supplement the way we are. The vitamin supplement industry is a multi billion dollar enterprise. Almost everyone knows someone within their circle of friends that has had either some kind of 'enhancement' surgery - whether it is cosmetic or corrective (as with laser eyes).

So here's the question. Because we can. Is that a good reason for us to do something?

Is there a line to be drawn as far as what we are willing to do to 'improve' our lives? Most of the time, we leave it up to the individuals concerned. If it makes them feel better about themselves, then why not? But what about the way that God made us? Didn't God make us in His image? Did moles come out after the fall? Should convenience be a good reason for us to mess with something as delicate as our eyes? Do we medicate ourselves for everything just because it's out there and we can?

Those that know me will know that I'm all for the latest fad. I'm not proposing we go back to the Stone Ages. But maybe, we do need to slow down so our theology can catch up with our science.

The Secret

Back in February, Oprah featured a show about The Secret. What is The SecretÉ It is defined as the law of attraction that states that like attracts like. The concept says that the energy you put into the world - both good and bad - is exactly what comes back to you. This means you create the circumstances of your life with the choices you make every day. (from oprah.com)
Basically a spinoff idea from the concept of karma, The Secret has made itself popular by giving people the ultimate self-help formula. The better the energy you put into the universe, the better your circumstances.

It`s all fine and good for someone that is wealthy and rich to pat themselves on the back thinking that they somehow deserve their fortune because of their positive energy giving but I have a hard time imagining a rape victim reading this concept. Who`s going to tell them that they deserve what they gotÉ

It`s part of human nature to try to make life predictable. We want to stereotype people so we can somehow understand and predict what they might be like. We compartmentalize ourselves so that there`s order and predictability to our lives. Deep within us, we want to believe that if we do the right things, say the right things and avoid the wrong people, we`ll be successful, healthy and wise. Our concept of justice demands the opposite for those that do otherwise.

But the true secret isn`t a secret at all. It`s written in the only book the world wants to reject as old and antiquated. Humans, in the image of God, are given free choice. Because of the sin of one man passed down, we are all sinners. That sin perverts the free choice given by God so that some can use it for destruction and brokenness. There isn`t rhyme or reason to most of the anguish in the world. The reality is that it is just there. Waiting for Christ to come back and redeem it once and for all. It won`t happen because of anything we do with our energy or otherwise. It happens because God said it would.

Fast cities?

Last year when we had the opportunity to go to Hong Kong to visit family, we noticed something that we hadn't anticipated. Wherever we went, there was no place to sit. Whether it was the shopping mall or on the street or in an amusement park like Disneyland, there were hardly any benches, coffee shops or other places to just sit and rest for a short while. But after watching people for a while, it became very apparent that people native to that city weren't looking to sit either. The culture in Hong Kong moves very, very fast. There are no people just walking in Hong Kong. Everyone is walking somewhere - and judging from the pace, you'd think everyone was late for an appointment. No time to sit and rest.

Contrast that to west coast Canadians. In Victoria, there are over 150 coffee shops specializing in serving up the stuff. That's not taking into consideration the gas stations, restaurants and other places that also serve it on the side. If you walk anywhere around here, you can't hardly walk 10 steps without bumping into a bench or other place to sit and rest. That alone should tell us something about what we value here as compared to other parts of the world.

made in China

Mattel made a HUGE recall of a couple million toys yesterday after finding out that their products - mostly made in China - were faulty and hazardous to young children. Many if not most of the merchandise that we use in our everyday lives here in North America comes from eastern sources - India, China, and other parts of Asia. In a global economy where profits are the #1 priority, it is important to keep manufacturing costs at a minimum so that a company can make money while still keeping their price competitive.

Undoubtedly, this toy recall will spark new legislation about needing new regulations around imported items particularly from China. The exporting industry from China will undoubtedly change and eventually, the cost of products here will increase as companies must now find other - likely more expensive - places to purchase their materials.

It's alarming to me that with all the talk surrounding this issue, it seems to predominantly focussed around us. OUR costs will increase. OUR safety needs to be the number one concern.

What about the widespread exploitation happening in these countries in order that production costs can be kept at a minimum? In Canada, we have no idea what working environments these countries have in order for us to have our luxuries. Very likely, not one of us would work their long hours in the dark, musty dungeons even if we were paid ten times what they made an hour.
What about the global human cost? What about THEIR safety?

And what a global economy does to us here in Canada - where we have regulated safe working conditions and rules around our labor - is that local small businesses cannot compete with their prices. It's visible everywhere that the big box stores open up. The small competition folds up around them.

It's not only up to the government to stop this from happening. Ultimately the reason that these practices continue is because we hold the value that cheapest is best. We don't care where it comes from or how it came to be. If we started buying from the local people trying to support their families with their small business, we become related to what we consume. And ultimately, isn't that what God wants to teach us?

Caring for the poor

Affordable rental housing in BC is in a crisis mode and has been for some time now. With average and median housing prices in Duncan nearing 350k (Victoria over 500k and Vancouver nearly 700k), there has never been a more crucial time for our government to make opportunities for affordable housing alternatives. Let's say for example that someone wanted to buy an 'average' house in the Valley. Using $300000, let's assume that they managed somehow to save up the $15000 5% down payment. After the CMHC insurance, lawyer and other fees, they take a mortgage out for $295000. At a 6.5% interest rate over 25 years, that would make payments of around $2000/month. Add to that property taxes and heating each month and it's probably in the range of around $2300/month. The ratio that the bank allows for total housing costs is 32% of your gross monthly income. So doing the math, if you need $2300 a month, you must gross nearly $7200/month in order to comfortably make those payments. That is a household income of $86000 / year to start and live in a house right now here in Duncan.

It's safe to say that you need to be rich to live in BC these days (and arguably most of Canada). If you add to these figures the cost of living in terms of transportation, food, utilities, and education (which is around $5000/year right now at UVIC just for tuition alone), it's clear that BC has become a luxury province where the rich are getting richer only for the poor to get poorer.

In OT Israel, there was a concept of Sabbath, Sabbatical and Jubilee. Among many things, they were designed to help the poor. Being an agricultural/agrarian people, they relied heavily on the weather and land for their living. It was quite common for a particular tribe to have a 'tough year' or two because of one reason or another. But regardless of what happened, everyone knew that every 7th year, the land would grow wild. While this was good for the land, that was only one of the reasons for Sabbatical. It was also so that the poor could eat!
And every 40 years was Jubilee. During the 40 years, land would change hands and certain tribes may become indebted to each other because of rough luck etc. But at the 40 year mark, everything went back to its original owners. That meant no one could be in debt more than one generation!

The way we're going out here, it's become impossible to get a 'leg up' anymore. The latest figures I saw in the Cairnsmore area had the average individual income at just around $25000/year. If you assume two working people in the home both working full time and making the average (not taking child care into consideration either), that is still $36000 short to own an average home right now.

It's more than luck to live here right now. Is that how God would want it?

A change of pace

Blogging every day is a weird experience. Like anything, some days are rich with ideas and content, while other days there is hardly anything that wets the appetite for comment and discussion. Tuesday mornings are especially tough. Today is Tuesday.
Rather than the normal commentary/discussion starter, I thought I'd take the opportunity just to comment on work itself this summer.

For those that haven't heard the Thursday night spiel, the coffee house/blogging idea is an experiment that I've never seen anywhere before but has been milling around in my head for a long time now. Most people in the world (Christian or not) learn their theology from their life experiences and then 'put' it onto God. Left on our own, that almost always results in some weird ideas about God. Most Christians that attend church and Bible studies learn their theology from their Bibles and then apply it into their lives. That usually results in a bit better thoelogy but sometimes the life application is tough and we struggle with how to deal with certain issues we encounter but aren't dealt with explicitly in Scripture (or from the pulpit on Sunday at least). The blog/coffee house idea was an opportunity to hopefully put those two things together. The early church was successful in part because it had handles in the culture and knew the climate of the world it was speaking into. The church today isn't so much a place that the North American church disagrees with. It simply isn't relevant.

So have we succeeded? The dialogue has started and that's good. But even if it ends at the end of the summer, it shouldn't end. The Bible is full of people that wrestled with God. Church history is full of people that wrestled together with God. If we're to become relevant again, we need to learn to wrestle better - with each other and with God.

Fireworks

Once again, to everyone that came to Java last night, thanks for your discussion and for being willing to be vulnerable in sharing yourself with others. That is never easy but others are richer for it. So thanks to all.

If you live in the city your whole life, you never really get to see stars. The visual noise of the city lights drowns out anything natural in the heavens. If you want to impress a city person, name a constellation in the sky - nothing fancy - just any one and they're likely to label you their "astronomer" friend.

This weekend, the annual Perseid meteor shower will be hitting in our evening skies and supposedly it's a good year to see it. God's natural symphony of fire (or Symphony Splash if you are from around here). Go outside and get spoiled by what God has made for us to enjoy and share. See what we can learn about God through His handiwork. There's something intrinsically worshipful about being in God's Creation and witnessing what He has made.

"The heavens declare the glory of the Lord."

Integrity?

If you've ever known anyone trying to get into the RCMP, you'll know how rigorous their screening is. Lie detectors and interview upon interview. Some people I know that would make great cops don't get in simply because they either gave information they probably should've left out or they didn't give information that the lie detector picked up.

It's absolutely appauling that this mountie in Vancouver keeps his job with 12 days less pay for being so unruly. In case you've missed the story, he drove with 2x the legal limit, threw a rock at a bus and verbally attacked the driver, and had a known criminal as a friend (that had picked up a undercover police officer posing as a prostitute and brought her back to his house).
The argument goes that he can still do his job and his personal life off the clock is something different. If that's the case, then why the rigorous screening?

Bill Clinton probably opened the door to this in the most public way back in the Monica Lewinsky days. Gordon Campbell pleaded the same case in the drinking driving scandal. And people in public and private life do it all the time.

When does a person's personal integrity start to mean something? We cannot be people that say one thing and do another. Add to that, people in authority. Teachers, doctors, pastors, RCMP officers, parents, grandparents, elders - basically anyone with authority - should gain and lose respect not just by how they teach but also how they LIVE. 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus talk to pastors about this but it's everyone! "Do as I say but not as I do" shouldn't cut it.

well before their time

Dying is a part of living. It happens to everyone and there really isn't anything wrong with it. Our lives here on Earth are finite and we've been given a relatively short time to leave the world a better place than we found it. Society doesn't like to talk about death - and some cultures have taken it out of their vocabulary entirely for fear that it will bring it on sooner - but truthfully, we would probably be better off if we did. It would take some of the fear away and very likely would help us all to LIVE better - since our death bed is probably the clearest vantage point of our lives lived thus far. We could all learn from that.

However, there is something insiduous and wrong when someone dies before they really even get started living. Our grandparents are supposed to die before us. And so are our parents. As difficult as those things are, it is the natural order of things. But when our children die before we do, there is something very un-right about that. It is hard to feel anything but part of our lives, part of our world has been robbed from us. 'The thief has come to steal and kill and destroy...." and it seems that he has.

These two young UVIC students that died in the house fire early yesterday morning were taken long before their time. Just entering the prime of their lives shouldn't be the time that they die in something as unnoble as a house fire in the middle of the night while they are sleeping. Everyone that knew them commented on how great their potential was and it is not a stretch to say that the world would be a much better place with them in it. That isn't to mention the personal impact - two dads will never walk the aisle to give their daughters away, two boyfriends will never get to see if this relationship will turn into marriage, two communities and families are ripped apart.

There are no answers to this kind of situation. Nothing that we can say to the families and friends that will even begin to answer the deepest questions they have. Only God through His Holy Spirit can do that. It is something unbloggable.

The only thing that I offer here is for us the living that stand arms length to this story but whose hearts are gripped because each time this happens, we relive those past tragedies in our own lives. There is a second part to the 'thief' passage I wrote above. The WHOLE verse reads 'the thief has come to steal and kill and destroy. BUT I HAVE COME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY."

Does sex sell food?

We've all been to those restaurants or pubs where the waitresses are wearing short skirts, low cut tops and flirt their way into the wallets of their customers. In the past, it was generally assumed that it was up to the individual waiters/waitresses how they dressed as long as it complied with their color policies. Today, in some places, those policies include a minimum height at which the skirt needs to be above the knees and how high your heels need to be on your shoes. These restaurants also happen to be among the favorites of the teens and young adults today.

Sex has sold everything for some time now. You can't watch a TV show or even go to a grocery store without it being right there in your face. Modelling has never been as prevalent as it is today and being able to show sensuality is key to being successful.

The argument goes that those that have it, should flaunt it. If someone was really friendly, shouldn't they use that to chat people up to get a better job or bigger tips? Then why shouldn't someone (guy or girl) that is attractive and has an attractive figure use that as well? They are catering to their strengths. Who doesn't like to be waited on by an attractive man or woman?

The TC article has a strong bias to its reporting. As does all of us that are reading this blog too I'm sure. So I'm going to leave it at this. What's wrong with it? Does the onus lie with us not to look lustfully at a man/woman? Or do we need to do more as a society/culture?

Long weekend break

Thank you to all that came out to Java last night. Sorry if it was different than expected. I wasn't sure what to expect myself. We'll be back to the usual next week!

I'm taking a break for the long weekend so I'm not expecting to blog again until Tuesday. Enjoy the weekend! See you next week.

It's all the same. Part 1.

I'm going to change speeds here for a second and blog about something other than the newspaper because it's something that I think we all grapple with and it has been a part of my reality this week during a visit with someone that was dying.

What do we do with the whole idea of other faiths? We know what the Pope thinks! But with the growing number of people that are believing in 'every religeon is the same' and/or the 'there's no such thing as hell only heaven', how are we as Christians to respond? Some of the people saying these things know a lot more than we do, so do we just accept it and move on?

I was talking to someone a while back about these ideas and basically their assertion was that God judges us only on what we know. We don't have to actually accept Jesus. We just have to NOT DENY Him. If all we know is Islam, then God judges us according to how we live up to what we know of Him through that religeon. And if we know nothing, then we go to heaven because we've never had the opportunity to accept (or deny) him.

So if that is the case, then why do evangelism? Why share our faith? If that was the case, It's the greatest disservice we could do to actually make people accountable by giving them opportunity to choose. We'd be better off not saying anything because then God couldn't judge them for what they didn't know.

I'm not saying that this topic is as cut and dry and simple as some people make it out to be. Ultimately, only God is the judge. But it's also not as vague as most of us wish it was.

We're a bunch of softies.

The news has been talking a lot lately about how soft we are as a country - lax security everywhere, criminals getting off easy, people stealing their way into our country etc.
One politicians reply was that Canadians are not Americans. We don't live with an underlying sense of fear and self-protection. Underneath our skin is trust and grace. (my paraphrase from what I remember)

Grace should never be misunderstood with being a pushover. Being gracious and trusting doesn't mean that we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. There are always going to be criminals that will look for ways to manipulate the system to their gain and our response as individuals and as a society needs to be one of justice and stern discipline.

Grace is defined as 'unmerited favor'. Meaning getting something we don't deserve. The only way that that works is if there is an enforcable standard in place to show what you DO deserve. For example, if someone steals something and we just turn a blind eye to it, that's not grace. If we know that everyone that steals goes to jail but to one person, the judge extends mercy and says that they don't need to go, that is grace.

The reason we know God is gracious is because His law and His standard are clear and strict. Without it, we'd never know that God was gracious. God would be a pushover! So Romans 6!

So Canada, stop being so nice. Tighten up your laws. It's only then we can be gracious.

Letting yes be yes

Thank you for a rich and full discussion yesterday at the Java. It was awesome to have so many out but what made it rich was what each brought to the discussion - vulnerability, honesty and thoughtfulness. I went home praising God for each of you!

We talked a bit about politics last night and it certainly has been all over the news lately with labor disputes and a government under the microscope with an increasingly volatile economy and social system.

Around periods of time like these (where the government is being questioned), it is almost taken for granted that officials will make promises and the public knows to disregard most of it. We listen for campaign promises not because we're excited to see those things come to fruition because we know that little of it will be. We've learned to listen to 'intent' and 'direction' of the promises. What are the priorities? Do the values held within these promises echo values that I hold?

In the 10 commandments, one of the ones that is most well known is the 3rd one - You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God (use the Lord's name in vain). Frequently, we quote this verse to talk about language and swearing. While I'm sure God isn't happy with us throwing out his name in cursing, that isn't the original intent of that commandment. It had to do with not making promises/covenants/testimony before others and swearing by God's name to tell the truth but doing that without proper thought. When we go to court, we swear on the Bible to tell the truth. That's the intent of this commandment. Don't make promises under God with no intention of keeping it. Don't throw out things like "I swear to God!" too lightly.

Jesus echoes this in the sermon on the mount by saying "let our yes be yes and our no be no. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one." The commandment (and Jesus' teaching) is about taking God lightly and misusing his name. As Christians, people need to know that our word means something because we are ambassadors of Christ. When we speak, we're speaking on behalf of our government. And that MUST mean something more than just good intentions!

hugging trees.

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. Kevin and I had a trip up island to make and it took a little longer than expected...

Be stewards of the Earth. Or in more modern language, be caretakers. Look after the Earth as God's representatives. Are we doing that?

The Bible is clear that we're to use what's here. In some translations, we're to have 'dominion' over it. Certainly, the fact that we name the animals implies that they are under our care and for our use/benefit.

Like anything else, culturally we've taken some extremes. On one side, we exhaust and plunder the Earth stripping away vast amounts of resources for immediate monetary gain and to suit our own desires. We pollute creation with toxins that come from our excessive lifestyles in the interest of simplicity, economics and in many cases, just plain laziness.

And on the other side, we have the environmentalists that all but worship the earth. Leave everything alone. Don't touch it or use it. Nothing can happen without a protest. The earth has as much right to be here as we do. Humanity is evil and the earth is the only thing truly good and pure.

The Psalmist writes that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Everything belongs to God. So it's God's to choose who gets to use what and for how long. Elsewhere in Scripture, it says that if God wants to make something special to be savored and something else to be exhausted and used up, that's His choice. (my translation) Our job is to figure out which is which - not for our benefit but for God's. God is the provider of our lives AND the earth. We are meant to worship Him - not the earth - and certainly not ourselves and our affluence.

Security at the border

Lines at the border have been absolutely terrible this summer with numerous reports of 2+ hour waits because of tightened security. While we all remember the days of crossing the border with little more than a drivers licence and answering a trite question (like our favorite restaurant while we were visiting), those days are no longer. Passports are the item of the day now and maybe soon, an enhanced driver's licence that may contain a chip with all our personal information embedded within it.

George Bush, following the attacks on 9/11, said that we must move on and show the terrorists that we will not allow their acts of terror to continue to hold our countries hostage. Looking at the world events unravelling over the past 6 years and I would venture to say that we haven't moved on. Speaking only of North America, it is safe to say that 9/11 has defined much of our society this decade and many continue to live in response to that perceived threat.

Fear is a powerful tool that politicians and insurance salesmen know how to use very well. As human beings, it is easy to become incapacitated by the 'what ifs' in life. It can paralyze us from doing even the most ordinary things because we're afraid that something will happen. When we aren't simply paralyzed, we can react in a couple other ways. Known as the 'fight or flight' response, we can choose to face the fear and fight it or we can run and hide. In life, there is a time for both. Neither one is right all the time. But in response to 9/11, we've been led into fight mode. We're in Afghanistan and Iraq hunting them down. We're putting structure into our society to try to eliminate the unpredictable (like passport and airport regulations).

The truth is that we'll never get there. We'll never take unpredictability out of life. No matter how many regulations and structures we put in place, there will always be room for the the unplanned for. So fear will always be a part of our lives and safety is an illusion that we'll never attain. That's IF we continue to choose to trust in ourselves - our ingenuity, our capacity to think, plan and create.

There's only one way to take out unpredictability. Jesus. Life remains unpredictable for us. But nothing in our world catches God by surprise. While we will never understand it, God knows and at times allows stuff to happen to us and those around us. I'm not sure why. But God knew our pain enough to send Jesus to redeem it and bring life out of death, light out of darkness. While it is our responsibility to take reasonable precautions in life, ultimately our answer doesn't lie in our ingenuity, our trust of the government or anyone else. The only answer is Jesus.

Brian Doerksen wrote the songs Hope of the Nations and You shine in response to 9/11.

Jesus, hope of the nations
Jesus, comfort for all who mourn
You are the source of heaven’s hope on earth
Jesus, light in the darkness
Jesus, truth in each circumstance
You are the source of heaven’s light on earth
In history, You lived and died,
You broke the chains, You rose to life
You are the hope, living in us
You are the Rock, in whom we trust
You are the light
shining for all the world to see
You rose from the dead, conquering fear
Our Prince of Peace, drawing us near
Jesus our hope
Living for all who will receive
Lord we believe!!

Harry Potter mania

The final Harry Potter book is out at midnight. I have a confession to make. I've read none of them. I started to watch the first movie and fell asleep about 10 minutes in. I know nothing of the characters and outside of the title and the author's name, I know nothing about what makes this series such a cultural phenomenon.

But I have read many articles by Christians about why to boycott this series. "It's witchcraft in disguise." "We're taking the spiritual realm too lightly." "It's from Satan."
Let's get something straight. It's a novel. And while I am the first to agree that we (meaning Christians) don't acknowledge the spiritual realm enough in our everyday lives, not EVERYTHING out there is from the devil. Sometimes, things that are popular out there in society are neutral or good in and of itself. I know the verse that says that anything that is not for God is against Him. But before you quote that, have another look at what it says and who it's written to. The church generally jumps all over anything that is popular in culture. (but that's another blog altogether)

Imaginations are a great thing. CS Lewis understood that and used it well. So did Jesus in his teaching. They are a part of us that unfortunately we lose when we "grow up". But imaginations are precursors to dreaming and dreaming is a precursor to hoping. Let's take God seriously but ourselves lightly. To think that there is a world bigger than ourselves is quintessential Christianity. Why don't most of us understand heaven? Probably because we've forgotten how to imagine a world beyond what we can see and touch.

JK Rowling isn't writing Scripture. It's just fun escapism. But it puts us in touch with a God given part of ourselves that is unique, exciting and made in the image of God - our imaginations.

developing trust

"Police charge Scout leader with sexually assaulting boy" is the headline in the T-C today.

With increasing regularity, these headlines seem to be in front of us. It's hard to know whether these awful occurrences are more common today or are just more publicized and public. There is probably a bit of both.

Children are so innocent. So willing to trust others and give of themselves. They assume the best in people and assume that everyone likes them until told otherwise. They are special and know that what they bring to this earth is different than anyone else out there. There's a marvel that children have at the world around them. A spider web is as mysterious and awe inspiring as the grand canyon. They simply take life as it comes.

That's why it's so hard for us to read these headlines. Someone has robbed these children of their innocence. They will never see the world that way again. Instead, they will see the world as a dangerous place and see the negative in other's they meet. The wonder of everything will be replaced by fear. And heaven forbid, these children grow up with the worldview that people can be exploited and its every person for themselves.

How do we as Christians regain our childlikeness when the world - or others - have robbed us of our innocence and trust? Does the new creation that God promises for us in 1 Corinthians mean that we can can regain the simplicity of a child? Can our hearts become that soft to God again?

Grey matters

Big surprise! Canada is getting older and older and BC is one of the retirement meccas in Canada. I don't think any of us needed a census to tell us that society is getting older and the number of children per family has decreased in the last 20 years. The average woman now lives 82.5 years and man 77.7 years. Add to that the migration of elderly into Canada (particularly out west) where the climate is mild and you can see why our median age is 40.8.

That doesn't sound far off from our church demographics. As a church we complain about how our congregations are aging and children aren't as prominent as they once were. But that's society at large! We say that we have to offer more ministry to seniors because they are more prominent than they once were. That's society as well!

So here's a couple questions I have. How do we do ministry in a culture of recreation and retirement that we have here on the island? With people generally marrying later and having less children (or having them later in life), does the church need to provide for more inclusivity to singles, marrieds without children? (the church is VERY geared around marrieds and places a high value on families and if you ask an adult, single, childless person, they will tell you that the language and activities of the church can be quite exclusive!) Does seniors ministry need to change/improve? How do we provide better opportunities for a mixing of the ages? (not only has our average gotten older as a society but our age range has also greatly increased!)

What are we about?

Thrifty Foods got sold yesterday to Sobeys. The deal was worth 260 million dollars but the amazing part of this story is that Thrifty's is owned by 1 guy - the guy that started the company 30 years ago. Most of the time, sales of corporate companies makes headlines. But the general public doesn't usually care. But Thrifty's being sold has generated a lot of public conversation because, among many things, Thrifty's was well connected into the community. Ask anyone about Thrifty's and what they are about and they'll tell you that the stores are clean, they have good friendly service and they are always helping out the community.

When the first store opened, they're business plan was "to create a store built on service, selection, catering to community needs and committed smiling employees." The two owners mortgaged their homes and gave personal guarantees to investors and bankers. Today, there are 20 stores throughout the Island and Tsawwassen and has roughly 50 percent of the grocery business in those locations.

Is it a coincidence that the general perception of the store is the same as their initial goal? I don't think so. These two guys put their whole lives on the line for it and insisted that it would be a focus for everyone involved in the company - from tellers to management. Even their balloons remind the people what the store is all about - a "smile in the aisle for you".

As a church, shouldn't we be better at this than they are? They love the community at least partially because it betters their bottom line. We love the community because God does and told us to. They are friendly and hospitable because they get paid to do it. We are because this is our church and we are God's ambassadors.

Two questions come to my mind. Do we know what we are all about? From top to bottom, are we clear what our purpose is? If so, are we committed to it enough to give our homes, our lives for it?

Afghanistan part 1.

I only say part 1 because I know this won't be the last time I post about the war. The only reason I've waited until now to post about this is because I'm not sure where to start and how to tackle this complex issue.

What is peacekeeping? Canadians have had a reputation in the past of being the world's peacekeepers. But we do that by bringing guns over to another country and shooting people. That doesn't sound like peacekeeping to me.

But make no mistake that the Bible does condone battle in its pages - especially in the Old Testament. Interestingly, the Israelites were fighting in a "holy war" - on behalf of YHWH. Their understanding was that it was judgment time against the enemies of YHWH and that God was using the Israelites to increase God's kingdom and bring a theocracy to the earth (theo = God so theocracy is being ruled by God).

Our battles overseas are for, among many things, defending our future and liberating the native peoples in those lands to bring democracy. But does anyone really think that our future is safer? And do we really believe that democracy is the only way that a country can be governed? The basic understanding behind a democracy is that the land belongs to the people and so should be governed by the people - by majority and representation. People living in a democracy have personal rights and freedoms.

While I will never agree with their methods or their rationale, I find it interesting that our enemy right now considers themselves fighting a holy war. They hate North Amercian self-centredness, pride and affluence. They claim to be fighting in the name of their god. They are willing to sacrifice their own rights to living for that purpose.

I love my freedom here in Canada. I'd personally like to shake the hand of every soldier that is on the front lines. But the politics of this war we have to admit at times are suspect. And it seems that we are just reinforcing to them how prideful we think we are trying to impose our truth/our government against theirs.

4 billion

4 billion dollars is how much BC made last year in its budget. After projecting 700 million surplus, we made 4 billion. Knowing the very little I know about Carole Taylor, I'm sure she knew that her tight fisted budget would bring a windfall much bigger than she advertised. Good on her though. It's a refreshing change from the usual press about cost overruns and overspending which is the usual government rhetoric.

I, like many of you I'm sure, read headlines like this and feel somewhat like I do when I find $5 in my back pocket or shoved between the couch cushions. That means we're doing well as a province. That means our economy is booming. There are jobs. People are spending. Now the government has more money to spend on infrastructure and making our money work for us.

I'm not sure though that as Christians we should feel that way. BC is 9th of the 10 provinces in terms of how we care for the least, last and lost. Our social advocacy for the homeless, low income, single parent, sick and addicted has become very poor within our province. While I would never wish we could go back to the days of NDP overspending, it seems that we've gone the other way in terms of our social programs. How are these people supposed to get ahead anymore? Universities and post secondary education has become priced out of the range of most except the privileged few. Affordable housing is at a crisis. While there are many jobs out there, how many of them pay well enough to afford to live here? Health care is becoming harder to get for those that need it most.

This is a complicated issue and I don't want to oversimplify it. But status quo is never what God asks of us. Carole Taylor needs to loosen her grip a bit on our taxpayer dollar.

Multi-isms

Inclusivity is in. Closemindedness is out. At all costs, we are to validate people as equal regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs, socioeconomics, sexual orientation, personal interests - you name it. It is NOT popular to talk in language of absolutes today. Do that too many times in public and discover quickly who your real friends are.

The Pope yesterday declared again that Catholicism is the only true church. While I obviously don't agree with him, I admire the strength he has to say what isn't going to be worldly popular and actually stand up for something he believes in while in a very public office. It would have been easier to soften his language and throw a bone to the Protestants, Orthodoxes, and perhaps even the other major faiths in the world. That's what any good politician does. That's what anyone that wants to be accepted and liked does. But that is hardly Jesus. And NOT the God of the Old Testament.

Last week at coffee house, we talked briefly about multiculturalism, pluralism and just the general idea of Canada. Should we be melting everyone in Canada together or should we be celebrating our differences to the point of segregation?

It got me thinking about the Jews in exile during the OT. The military strategy of the day after defeating an enemy was assimilation. They would take the skilled people from the land and bring them back home. And they would take some of their people and put them into your country. Over time, you intermarry and forget about what it was like before. So instead of having a country always waiting to rebel, you simply enhance your territory by assimilating people.

For fear that it is sounding Borg-like, I'll stop. But consider this. Is the enemy destroying the church in Canada by our multi-isms?

I'm not sure why I can't leave titles anymore but truth be told, I hate coming up with titles to anything. The pressure to come up with something catchy and all...

So interest rates finally went up today to curb inflation. And the Canadian dollar is at a 30 year high. Our economy is booming and people are spending like there was no tomorrow. Jobs are relatively easy to come by these days and the appeal to education is half what it used to be because tuition prices are through the roof and there are many well paying jobs to be had with little to no post secondary education.

But more is better right? If we can get stuff cheaper, that's better because then we have money for other things. If we can make more money for the same amount of work, that's better as well. And if we have more, then we don't have to worry about money and that will make us happier right? And happiness is what we all strive for on Earth.

What does the Bible teach about global economy and capitalism? It seems to me that the Bible teaches a lot about having less and very little about having more other than to say to be careful of it. And happiness? The Bible is very clear where that comes from!

The new smoking in public rules. If you smoke, you hate it and feel picked on AGAIN. If you don't smoke, odds are, you love it and feel that finally you don't have to smoke second hand anymore. Personal freedom vs corporate freedom. What seems to always be at the forefront of our minds in North America is the concept of choice. The rule that governs us here seems to be "do whatever you want, believe whatever you want as long as it doesn't interfere with another person's ability to do the same." For example, people should have the freedom to choose to smoke - regardless the consequences - because what they do is their business. But since their smoking in public areas takes away my choice for clean air, you shouldn't be able to do it. As a society and culture, we've stopped asking if there is a right thing to do. It's personal choice at all cost. Where has the concept of TRUTH gone in our society?

Coffee House last night

Well, we did it. Our first meeting. Thanks to everyone that attended. It was a rich time for me personally to hear you all share as you did. Hopefully those that couldn't be there will consider coming next time or sometime in the summer.

Instead of the usual blog from the newspaper, I thought I'd share a thought that crossed my head last night about ONE of the many reasons that it was so good.

Paul warns Timothy in his charge in 2 Tim to be prepared to preach the Word because there will be a day when people won't listen to sound doctrine (or "TRUTH"!) but instead will gather around them people that will say what they want to hear. In other words, instead of pursuing what's right, we're just going to find people to justify what we already think or do. Instinctively, we are all like that. We don't tend to spend time with people vastly different than us. We tend to be with people that already think somewhat similarly to us.

But as I looked around the table (and as I think about the concept of church), we are all very different! I wasn't sure what others were thinking about what I was saying. Several times, I was aware of the fact that not everyone was agreeing with what was being said. Some of it was far from "what my itching ears WANTED to hear". But we were together searching for God - searching for sound doctrine - truth. And that is bigger than my opinion or anyone else's - except God's.

I've never seen iron sharpen iron before but I'm sure it's quite a sparkshow.

Our "generosity"

Christians are known for our giving. It's surprising that as much as society wants to separate "church from state", the society is quite happy when the church picks up where the state leaves off. Where would our world be without the church doing the social programs that we do? Where would our court system and political structure be without the church questioning the moral fabric of why we do what we do? Canada should be thanking the church because without us, our taxes would be double what they are in order to do half of what is available.

What's the rush

Before I start, I need to confess that I'm probably the last one that should be writing about this because, besides one other person I know here (who shall remain nameless), I have probably the heaviest foot in Duncan. It's getting better but it takes time to take Vancouver out of a man.
So now that that's out of the way...

One of the hallmarks of a Christian should be rest. That's what Sabbath, Sabbatical and Jubilee days are about (Lev 25). When we were created on the 6th day, guess what we did first? We rested. God's last day was our first. When Israel went to exile, how long did they go for? The number of years of missed Sabbaths. There are many many more verses and theological ideas to this but it's not by accident that its one of 10 commands that God includes in Ex 20.

Do people know us as a rested person? Or do we fly over the Hat as one of those "40 over" people? Do we know rest as a gift from God and not something we have to earn? Or are our identities tied to what we do?

watching sports

If you watch the news lately, it's hard not to know about the Under 20 World Cup being played in Canada right now. In case you don't know, the World Cup is the biggest sports event worldwide second only to the Summer Olympics. The Under 20 world cup basically showcases the talent of the up and coming soccer stars. In just about everywhere but North America, they would have no problem filling a stadium of 60000 for this event so perhaps rightly, this is a big deal.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the live fans on July 1st. After the frustration of standing in line and missing the first few minutes of the game, I was one of the people gripped by the level of play on the field. I'm not a soccer player and I don't think I've ever really watched a full game before but I must admit, this was pretty awesome. To be there watching it live with soccer fans all around is an experience I'll never forget. In my quest to see every sport played at its highest level, this is one I can cross off my list.

What I like about amateur sport - and this was no exception - is that it is so pure. Real genuine teamwork. A heart and passion to leave it all on the field each game. The line between success and failure is a matter of inches. Each goal that is scored is the best single moment in any athlete's life. Every defeat brings out a hunger to make it better next time (after the tears are wiped away). It's about as real human as we get.

In contrast, church can be so different. So phony. So individualistic. No one wanting to take a risk or a chance. No one talks about real life. No grace or forgiveness to help one another up to go make good next time. It can be so artificial, so routine, so sterile. When a goal is scored in any game I attend, I can't help but jump out of my seat screaming and looking for a high five. There's no worry about who's there and what I look like. So how come I don't do that during a baptism? This person has accepted Christ and crossed from death to life! The best I can do is a half hearted smile? What means more?

One of these days, if I get the guts, I might just have to preach with my face painted in God's colors.

Kieran King

If you don't know who he is, he's the kid in Saskatchewan that questioned his teacher about what they were teaching about marijuana. He went and did a bunch of research and ended up suspended at the end of the year because they felt he was advocating for it. In the end, he failed a couple exams because he couldn't be there to write it.

I've read some of the research on marijuana and while I'll never agree that it should be okay for the public to have free access to it, I do have to applaud this kid for being willing to think for himself. He didn't just rebel and do nothing about it. He actually went and did his own research.
That should mean something - and that something shouldn't mean zero on his exams.

God gave us all the capacity as humans to think, rationalize and choose. Since we are the only part of God's creation to have that ability to the extent we do, it could be argued that this is the part of us that is God's image in us. We don't have to just react in a reflex action but we can actually stop, take in facts and choose what we WANT to do based on the information. Although that can be harmful, I'm glad we have that option. Our actions then become our own and we can't blame the circumstances that caused it. We all have a choice how we respond and what we do.

Covenants part 2.

Maybe it's cause I'm a pastor but I like reading about wedding/birth/death announcements. I like to know who's coming and who's going. Those seem to be the only times in our lives when everyone looks their best.

I'll never forget the time that I was in a grocery store and talking to a girl behind the counter about the huge sparkling ring (that she was clearly taking a while getting used to) adorning her finger. When I asked her about her fiancee, she said, "we've been living together for 5 years and I was going to break up with him the same night he asked me to marry him." Weird? Yeah that's what I thought. Basically, she said she wasn't getting anything out of the relationship and that the ring was a sign that he was going to change and things were going to get better. Grocery stores are not the place to do counseling. I left with a good luck. (hope I didn't sound too sarcastic.)

I wonder what their ceremony was like. I wonder if their vows were about what they were expecting to get rather than receive. Instead of the "I promise to's", I wonder if they said, "I expect to have...". Everyone seems to feel so entitled these days. The world and everyone in it owes them. So when life doesn't pan out, they're goners and God is to blame. Here's an irony. People don't believe in God. But they have no trouble blaming Him when stuff doesn't go their way.

Making deals with God

Being in a union labor province, we're always reading about labor disputes in the paper. Very seldom do they go smoothly and it's often arduous, long and nasty with both sides leaving unhappy. But that's what it takes to get a good contract in our province right?

The Bible doesn't use the word contract ever. But it does use covenant language. And understanding covenants is crucial because it is miles apart from what our BC understanding of contracts are.

If we think of covenant as the same as contract, then we need to stand up for ourselves and protect our own interests - trying to get the most for the least from the other person - knowing that they are doing the same thing. The contract protects me from being taken advantage of and if the other party breaks their end of the deal, then the whole thing is off and I am free to do whatever I choose. Apply that kind of thinking to our walk with God and you'll see how we can get ourselves in trouble.

Thankfully, God deals in covenants. The covenant doesn't protect the individuals. It protects the relationship. A contract defines a relationship where there wasn't one already. A covenant exists to deepen and cement a relationship that already exists. Contracts are about ME. Covenants are about US.

We keep covenant with God to maintain our relationship not to cause it and not to hold it over His head when we don't get our way. Thankfully, God doesn't hold it over ours when we mess up.

So when's the coffee house? And other stuff....

So when's coffee house gonna happen? Thursday nights at Java World. We'll start July 5th from 8pm-9pm. It'll be lowkey and just a chance to chew the fat around some of this stuff. I'll be preaching on one of these themes on Sunday. It might not resemble the blog but the idea will come from something we write/talk about and I'll do my best to see what God thinks about it in the Bible.

"Everyone said how lucky I was" is the title of the article about a girl that fell 25 feet onto a creek bed and survived with minimal injuries.

My son tells me a lot that he doesn't believe in luck. But I actually do. When we play tetris and no long straight pieces come when we need it, that's bad luck. The computer has an algorithm that randomizes the pieces that will fall. I don't think God moves the dice around so I always end up going to jail while others land on free parking. That's bad luck.

But when this girl fell and survived, that's providence. And a miracle. They are around us all the time. We slide on black ice through an intersection and there's no accident. Our car breaks down and someone stops with just the right tools and skills to fix it. We run out of money and mysteriously a cheque comes in the mail or we find some under the couch. Not luck. Providence.

And there's more. With all the talk about why God allows bad things to happen to good people, have you ever wondered why MORE bad things don't happen MORE OFTEN? I was sitting with some acquaintances the other night and each one of them was sharing horror stories about when they drove drunk. Do a search on the internet and you'll see there's all kinds of crazy, weird people in the world. You don't need to look to Al-Quida for that. They're everywhere! With all the pesticides, chemicals and junk we're putting into our food and our bodies, it's a miracle that the average lifespan is as high as it is. Those things aren't coincidences. They are providence. I have no idea why some people seem to get the short end of life's stick. But don't complain about not getting grace because we all get it. Can you imagine the world without it?

THE issue

The Anglican Church had its big vote yesterday about THE issue. The one that has become the forerunner in the Christian church debate this century so far. The blessing of same sex unions. Most of us have talked about it in one late night conversation or corner of a room at some point. We've read strong feelings about it from both sides. But strangely, or maybe not, most preachers avoid it like the plague from the pulpit.

As an evangelical church, we've done a somewhat decent job looking at the Biblical text. Evangelicals quote Leviticus 18 & 20, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and Romans 1 as clear teaching against homosexuality. They say that the Bible clearly teaches its wrong and therefore, God doesn't create gay people. It's a sin and an action and so gay people need to stay celibate and pray for healing. And the research is being released now about just how dangerous some of that teaching is in the emotional psyche of someone that is gay.

Most mainline denominations take a different slant. They look at the humanity - the people behind the issue. A good majority of the research about homosexuality suggests that people aren't "choosing" to be gay. They just are. There are gay people that have good relationships with their parents. They had a "normal" childhood and upbringing. But for whatever reason, they are attracted to the same sex. Mainliners say that the Bible doesn't say much about homosexuality (as compared to the love of money or hospitality etc.) and that what it does say, is contextual to the day - just as the teaching about women or the food laws or slavery. We probably all know someone that is gay. And if we don't, we're probably one of those people that they hide it from. But because they are nice people and because they maybe are born that way, doesn't mean we can dismiss the clear teaching there is IN Scripture. We don't read the Bible picking and choosing what we like and don't. Either it's the Word of God or it isn't!

So what do we do? I don't know. And that's why I don't preach about it. But here's what I do. I try my best to love everyone as much as I possibly can. If there is a gay person being picked on, I sure hope I'll be the first one to stand at their side. I'd love more than anything for our church to be known as the insititution that stands up against the discrimination and hatred in the world. (But I think sometimes the world knows us more for what we OPPOSE than for what we STAND FOR!) I don't know what God asks of gay people but I do know what God asks of me.

Here's my guess. If we as a larger Christian church had done this rather than saying things like "AIDS is God's punishment on gays." and being the perpetrators and instigators to some of the prejudices, they might be a lot more open to hearing what our Bibles had to say on the subject.

As a pastor and as a Christian, I need to do more though. Not in how I act or think. But in how I pray. The Bible may not say much about homosexuality but what it does say is pretty clear. Those that interpret it differently do some pretty interesting linguistical gymnastics with the text. If I'm not going to scrutinize the texts I like - the ones that are easy and make me feel good - the same way, then it seems the theology is clear. And if that's unsettling for me as a Christian, then that's something I take to God and wrestle it out in prayer.

There's one thing I'm sure of. If Jesus was on earth today, he'd be a lot closer to the gay pride parade than most of us evangelicals are.

a new creation

What does it mean that in Christ, we are a new creation? We know that it guarantees us a new start. We'd heard that when our lives are given to God, we're forgiven for our sins and given a fresh start. "White as snow" is what we claim to be because of Christ's blood covering us.

The news has been featuring a number of criminals lately that are out of jail after serving their terms. Some of them are "high risk to reoffend". Some of them aren't. But regardless of who they are, I've found myself thinking like I'm sure many of you do. "I'm glad they aren't in my neighborhood!" "We've gotta tighten up our laws so these people never get out!"

As Christians though, shouldn't we be the first to advocate for second chances? Since we've experienced Christ's true forgiveness, grace and mercy, shouldn't we understand - more than anyone else - how important it is to have a fresh start and how lost we are when we don't.

we'll start light.

Since no one is likely really reading this right now, I'll start light and save the really heavy, serious stuff for another blog.

"The Island doesn't exist" says Facebook.

I have a mild addiction to Facebook. It would probably be safe to say that most people I know under 30 have some kind of addiction to it. Basically, it's a network website where people can connect, reconnect, and meet new people on the internet. You post your profile and join networks that you are interested in. Others join those networks too and then by looking through the names and connections, you find people. I joined my high school network, my old camp network, PYPS, and a few social groups I've been a part of. Through that, I've reacquainted with people I haven't even thought of in 20 years. It's crazy. And hugely popular.

According to the article, there are 11000 people on Van Isle wanting the Island to become a separate network. It will legitimize where we live and allow people to search for others that are local. At least 11000 people care enough about that to petition the administrators. There are also countless others (like myself) that think while it would be cool for it to happen, don't want to bother petitioning for it.

So why do people care so much? And why is this site so popular? Ask most teens/young adults today and they would tell you that they'd rather live without a TV than a computer or cell phone. Why? Because this is their community. This is their connection to the world. This is how they find their own identity and discover who they are.

One of the greatest images for the church is the family of God. The community of believers. So why is it that this generation is flocking to the internet community to find it's identity and leaving the church in droves? (that is, IF they were ever there in the first place). How can people find greater intimacy with those they know electronically than those in church that are supposed to love them and help grow them in Christ?

As a church and institution, we've always blamed the culture, the society, the world and called it shallow. But maybe it's us that have it wrong. Just maybe Facebook networks ARE more intimate than church friendships. At least 11000 people certainly seem to think so.

What this is about

Well this is the first post. For those that aren't well acquainted with the art of 'blogging', it is basically a place to post thoughts on the internet for all to read. A 'blog' is short for 'web log' or a kind of online diary. So before we get started, I'll put out a couple ground rules so that we're all on the same page.

What this is:

-an open forum for ideas, thoughts, comments.
-the place where I will post daily reflections from what I read in the paper and see on the news for discussion at a coffee house meeting and 'ammunition' for Sunday morning sermons through the summer.
-provocative. It's designed to generate discussion.

What this isn't:

-the truth. Only the Bible is that. Neither the coffee house nor Sunday mornings is about what either of us think necessarily. It's about what God thinks. Let's open our Bibles together!
-a place to share deep personal things. This is the internet. Anyone can read it. Please don't post anything that you don't want just anyone reading (ie. no personal info, gossip etc.)

So with that said, post away! I'll start the official blogging tomorrow and it will be there every day throughout the summer. Feel free to reply here or just make notes and bring it to discuss at coffee house. Hope to see you there!