Morning & Evening Devotion: The Door By Which All Will Pass
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Bonnie and I just finished our daily devotional and I felt God really stirring in my heart so, I thought I would share it with the rest of you!
Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice privileges.
1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified Redeemer.
2. He shall go in. He shall be privileged to go in among the divine family, sharing the children’s bread, and participating in all their honours and enjoyments. He shall go in to the chambers of communion, to the banquets of love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He shall go in unto the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the secret of the Lord shall be with him.
3. He shall go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the world to labour and suffer, but what a mercy to go in the name and power of Jesus! We are called to bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God; and as the angel said to Gideon, “Go in this thy might,” even thus the Lord would have us proceed as his messengers in his name and strength.
4. He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. Going in and out shall be alike helpful to him: in fellowship with God he shall grow, and in watering others he shall be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not.
Nothing Always Leads to Something
It might sound crazy but, all I want for Christmas this year is absolutely nothing! Why? In honesty, because I truly believe that nothing always leads to something. I started thinking about this probably about a week ago while reading the story of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem in Luke 2:1-7.
It starts by saying that, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town.” Of course this was a big thing for many Jews as many would not be in there own ancestral home towns. The Roman Empire had brought the technologies and road systems which would spread the Jews all around the known world and so it would take them a great deal of time to work there way back to Israel and their own respective ancestral homes.
Mary and Joseph where no exception. It would probably take them several days to navigate and walk all the way from their small village of Nazareth in northern Israel down to the birth place of their ancestor David and the home of the tribe of Benjamin; the city of Bethlehem. It is here where I begin to reflect on the state of nothingness that Mary and particularly Joseph would be feeling.
Mary is pregnant and on the verge of giving birth to their first born son. After being inquisitively held under the judging eyes of their friends, their family, and their fellow neighbors in Nazareth they take the dangerous and long journey down to Bethlehem to register under Caesar’s censes with all that they own on the back of a lone donkey. Tired, sore, and straining to find a place to rest they are confronted by the cold and suppressive shoulders of their distant relatives. There is no room in the inn. No extra space by the fire. And no place for Mary to lie back while going through the labor of Jesus’ birth.
I can just picture Joseph’s anguish! Why? They are not important enough. They are not intellectually, politically, our religiously astute enough. They wouldn’t be able to give an entertaining enough conversation at the supper table. They are not rich enough or they just don’t have the right connections with the right people. I imagine them listening to the whispers behind the closed doors of the city homes as they heard the same adage Jesus would hear thirty years later; “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46) They were worthless and unimportant. They were nothing.
My friend Patrick wrote an article several weeks back on the word ‘Kenosis’. It is a Greek word meaning “nothing” or “nothingness” and he points out quickly the struggles we often face with this kind of state or value. He says, “It’s a curious sort of now because it doesn’t seem quite a Christian value. Buddhists believe in emptying. Christians believe in filling. Buddhists pursue a divine nothingness. Christians the fullness of God. So such a term becomes easy to write off as not being Christian. Only it’s entirely so.” More pointedly we find Paul using this word of kenosis in describing his picture of the first Christmas in Philippians 2:5-7 as being in the character of Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
We go back to our passage, our first Christmas scene (Luke 2:6-7), “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger.” Joseph and Mary that night found themselves completely empty, void, and without significance and yet in the flickering of the torch light, laying there in the straw bed of an animals manger was a tiny baby. A baby which brought a smile to each of them as they knew that even when life seemed empty and without purpose, God would bring fullness to it. Nothing always leads to something.
I would like to borrow the words of my friend Patrick again when he said, “Being emptied is assuming there’s still something, only it has been gutted, poured out. The container remains. The content changes.” Perhaps, you have felt this same sense of meaninglessness or loss of purpose. Maybe you have felt pushed to the side or felt a sense of a numbing nothingness in your life. I offer you the same promise Jesus offered through his Spirit of Christmas; nothing always leads to something. Again, nothing always leads to something.
Nothing always leads to Hope.
A hope that says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:1-11) Jesus promises that in the authentic expression of even our most deepest emotions we can find hope in witnessing and looking for his kingdom around us.
Nothing leads us to Faith.
I am reminded of a quote which I read from Sam Ervin. He said, “Faith is not a storm cellar to which men and women can flee for refuge from the storms of life. It is, instead, an inner force that gives them the strength to face those storms and their consequences with serenity of spirit.” In other words, faith is to say “the kingdom of God is near” and to truly believe it not because it is written in the bible or even in our heads, but because it is shown through our actions, our words, and our daily activities to which that kingdom has come to be present. It is an unseen power which we have in the simple choice of following Jesus!
Nothing leads to Eternal Life
On that first Christmas, after all that had happened – Mary’s encounter with the angel, Joseph’s dream, their traveling down to the city of Bethlehem – Do you think that while looking into the depth’s of their babies eyes that they would have any clue as to Jesus’ promise of God’s love for this world, “that he would give his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Not even the empty nothingness of death can stop Jesus and his followers from the reality that nothing always leads to something.
All I want for Christmas is absolutely nothing because nothing always leads to something.
Music from the Heart: Just One Touch
Last Saturday at our Expressions Christmas gathering our good friends David & Ana shared this song with us from a cd which he had of a singer from China. It was moving just to hear them sharing something which was both personal and yet reflective of who they are. Anyways, here is the song:
First Communion: A Christmas Poem
It has been a long time since I have written any poetry so I must first make the disclaimer that this might be pretty bad. Never the less, Bonnie and I are hosting Expressions Christmas gathering tonight and I thought for my part I would attempt a poem before celebrating communion. So I suppose without further ado:
First Communion came in a still dark night,
the angel Gabriel appeared and gave Mary a fright.
He spoke “Peace be with you” as the moon light glistened,
and Mary sat at rest and quietly listened.
“You are in God’s favor and shall bear a child,”
“his faith will be as a rock and the religious leaders he will rile.”
“His Kingdom will be great and he shall be called the son of the most high.”
Mary’s heart leaped in the Spirit while she let out a long sigh.
“You will call him Jesus, Emmanuel, for God is with us.”
And at these words Mary became troubled and began to fuss.
“How can this be that a child I will bear?”
“For I am not yet married and the whole town will see this as unfair!”
“The Holy Spirit will be upon you in righteous communion,”
“and through birth he will bring God and man to a great reunion!”
“Every knee shall bow, every heart shall repent,”
“He is Lord! The Son of God who was Missionally sent!”
So Mary bowed her head while saying, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord,”
And after a small quiet pause, “let it be to me within his accord.”
So it is with all who would follow as servants in Spiritual communion,
that we would lift body and cup in remembrance of Jesus and our incarnational union.
An expression of Luke 1:26-38:
”In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, ou will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
The Christian Church, Ideologies, and Some Random Thoughts
A friend of mine posted a great article the other day called ‘One of My Passions’. In a response I commented on his post yet the thoughts continued to role in my head. I realized that my comments might have generated a continuing dialogue so I thought I would post it here as well. Anyways, here it is:
Excellent points Brad! Jesus didn’t just meet the people within a religious liturgical frame work. Rather he met with them “face to face” in a context defined by a personal relationship. I love the beauty in which that relationship blossoms as an individual is willing to engage the word within their own lives and the meaning it brings to them!
Take for example the calling of Peter and Andrew to be disciples. What if Jesus said, “Come with me and I will make you great theologians.”? They probably would have laughed at him and walked away. Instead Jesus relationally engaged them by going fishing with them and then afterwards he says, “Come with me and I will make you fishers of men!”
Is the Bible enough? I agree that on one hand the embodiment (Incarnation) of the man we know as Jesus in the gospels comes from a relational, contextual, and deeply personal interaction which we have with him through the practice of holistic spirituality and God’s word. It is definitely something more then just the Bible. However, something which has been bothering me lately is the question of whether certain groups or individuals might take that too far. How do we avoid our faith from becoming a conceptualized ideology (ultimately leading to idolatry)?
I have been reading Bob Goudzwaard’s book ‘Hope in Troubled Times’ and he has been spelling out six phases which most ideologies go through. In short: Conception, actualization, (re)construction, domination, terror, and dissolution. His point is directed towards world crises situations such as human rights, environmentalism, ecological issues, and economy. However, my problem arose in that while reading it I began to get a picture of the church and its role as an ideology! Has the church become so enamored by its need for liturgical practices that it has conformed to the realities of a human ideology rather then the truly intended Kingdom of God? And if so, what can we offer as followers of Jesus which can replace that ideology? I need to spend some time blogging on this myself I think!
I need to be honest with you Brad. I realize your intentions with regards to the practices of the “average laymen” reading scripture but, I disagree with your summery. In some cases yes, we need to remain grounded with the historical implications of scripture interpretation however, many “new believers” have profound insights on its meanings and practices and we need to do whatever it takes to encourage the exploration and dialogue of those relationships (check out our core values at ‘Expressions’).
Let me tell you where I’m coming from before you end up judging me too quickly. Unfortunately, to often many people end up getting plugged into a church pew where they are generally indoctrinated with church “garbledy goop” and as a result draw fairly solid borders between that which is sacred (anything related to the church) and that which is deemed secular (my everyday job, family life, friends, and daily life practices). We can preach unity all we want but unfortunately this divide of sacred and secular continue to exist and in some cases grow wider. There is little engagement with God’s word because one, it has little to no relevance to my daily life and two, isn’t that your job? We need to bring the two closer together until we realize that the secular is the sacred and vis versa. I am hoping you don’t label me as a heretic after this!
Anyways, how do we do that? How can we practice the unity of the sacred and the secular? Missional theology and practice brother! But, I’m sure you will get lots of that on the Shapevine link I sent you. You might want to check this article out to:
http://www.allelon.org/articles/article.cfm?id=381
Beyond that, maybe you and I can meet up for a cup of coffee some time in the near future. Just give me a call and I hope this didn’t turn into to much of a book for you! Blessings!
Heart for Home Mission
Some good friends of ours posted a video of there last trip to Haiti in the last month. We watched it last weekend at ‘An Evening in Haiti’ where they shared there hopes for the future as Heart for Home Missions looks to be a long term missional presence there within the next year and a half. Our Hearts are with you Ricot & Mandy!!!
Missional Training Network: Cam Roxbrough and a Vision for the Future of Canada
I spent most of this afternoon in the basement of Gateway International Church where Cam Roxbrugh and a group of about forty of us sat and discussed a vision for the future development of a Missional Network Training center for the Calgary region. I say center meaning that of what its function and vision would be and not at all in the sense of a building or location. Actually, in truth, the location gathering point brings up an interesting memory as Gateway was not really wheelchair accessible so I ended up being carried down the stairs for the meeting. On one hand, I missed the prayer time before the meeting. However on the other hand, I spend a good portion of the time being carried down and up the stairs in deep internal prayer (“Lord, don’t let them drop me!”). All kidding a side, I am glad and feel very blessed that I still have friends who are willing to rip the roofs off of houses in order to get me in!
Cam’s vision for the next six months was quit exciting as he drew a diagram on the white board which was similar to Alan Hirsch’s five point radial illustration around the value of “Jesus is Lord” (Click Here). As we discussed each briefly we realized that we would need a great deal of more time to reflect on each position. That was the point! Once a month for six months we would gather to explore each value in an in depth and practical way. As per usual, I am jumping the gun and starting to hash through them already! Here are some first initial thoughts that have come to mind in my review:
Missionality
To large extent this was pictured as a center hub which was detailed as any and all conversational dialogue relating to its definition. Definement which itself, I think, is still being pieced together as we put it into practical action. What does it really mean to be missional?
I suppose in my own sense of the word it means to practically and contextually engage within the community you find yourself in with the intent of embodying the mind set, spiritual focus, and physical actions of Jesus. Whew! That seemed like a mouth full and in truth I sometimes find it difficult to put into practice. Let’s face it, when I am cut off on Deerfoot Trail by a lunatic who is trying to kill me my mind set usually goes out the window!
Missionality however seems to envision a reality founded in our journeying together towards a common reality. “The Kingdom of God is near.” We are close but, we are not there yet. I suppose you could say communally we are on a Mission. The mission of realizing the Kingdom presence which we have in each one of us and the realities it brings to the art of potentiality!
I suppose though the greatest question we need to look at is in asking, “What does it really mean to be a church within our specifically called communities?” “What does a functioning Missional community really look like?”
Passionate Spirituality
We pose the question within the context of our individual communities, “Do they experience the living presence of Jesus?” “Does the character and persona of Jesus exude from us as individuals? As groups? As communities?” These can be tough questions! Maybe not in our ability to answer then but, in the answers we have. I am sure in many cases we find connecting points where we can say “Yes, I think they do.” but, we might also find huge gaps where individuals or even groups just don’t seem capable of meshing together as one body in Christ.
Denominationalism is probably one of my favorite “Holy Discontents”. If we are so enamored with the unity Jesus embodied and the love which he shared in the acceptance of all, why do we struggle so hard in unifying as one community, one body? It seems to me that every time I tell some one that I am a follower of Jesus (a Christian) or I go to a large forum gathering of Christians the first question which is always asked of me is “What denomination are you?” Forgive me but, every time I hear that my first immediate response internally is “What does it matter?” Why are we always trying to box each other into neat little categories to which we can whip our hands clean of having any kind of personal and relational connection with each other?
Perhaps the question of “What is Spirituality?” is far more important to a person’s faith then “What church do you go too?”
Incarnational Living
in•car•na•tion \ˌin-(ˌ)kär-ˈnā-shən\ noun
(14th century)
1 a (1): the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form
(2) capitalized: the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ
b: a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept; especially: a person showing a trait or typical character to a marked degree 〈she is the incarnation of goodness〉
2: the act of incarnating: the state of being incarnate
3: a particular physical form or state: version 〈in another incarnation he might be a first vice-president —Walter Teller〉 〈TV and movie incarnations of the story〉
Merriam-Webster, Inc: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. Springfield, Mass., U.S.A. : Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993
I don’t know about you but I have always felt like this was self explanatory! However, in my maturity I have come to see the value of incarnational living becoming less and less appreciated. More and more I see people limiting their beliefs and responsibilities to a “manageable” level. Manageable in that they have little to no communal responsibilities and faith has become more about themselves then about how they care and build relationships with one another. I won’t say much more then that right now but I will leave it with a favorite quote of mine from Kathleen Noris:
“One so often hears people say, ‘I just can’t handle it,’ when they reject a biblical image of God as Father, as Mother, as Lord or Judge; God as lover, as angry or jealous, God on a cross. I find this choice of words revealing, however real the pain they reflect: if we seek a God we can ‘handle’, that will be exactly what we get. A God we can manipulate, suspiciously like ourselves, the wideness of whose mercy we’ve cut down to size.”
Intentional Community
I suppose I find it difficult to know what it is that Cam meant by ‘Intentional Community’. What do you think it means to be an Intentional Community? On the one hand, I can see a need or a calling for the community to move outwards by intentionally building relationships with those who might be considered outside of it. Building into these relationships with the intention of witnessing the kingdom of God coming from within them and being made visible through the rebirth of communal practices.
On the other hand, intentional community can seem to point towards the strength we can find through communal social action. We intentionally act as a community towards bringing the Kingdom of God near through non-violent practices. I remember a comment made last weekend at the Global Citizenship Conference where it was said, “There are two remaining super powers in the world. The United States and the General Public.” Maybe it is true and maybe it’s not however, we can recognize a great power to which we have in acting as one community, one body!
Transformational Discipleship
Discipleship it seems as a traditional point was practiced with the intent on “winning them to our side”. The transformation was more about whether they were going to heaven then are they living a Christ centered life today. This kind of discipleship seems out of balance. Yes, the churches are filling up Sunday morning but a good number of the people there do not recognize how their attendance relates to what they do throughout the rest of the week.
Even more so, discipleship seems to be projected more as a question of “How much of the Bible do you know?” rather then “When was the last time you went and fed the power?”, “How is it that you show your neighbor that you love them?”, or “Where is it that you seek justice?” Perhaps, that is where we can find the discipleship of the future!
Radical Stewardship
Global Warming. Environmental Catastrophe. Extinction. Social Insecurities. Poverty. These are some of the words which I think of when I consider the lack of stewardship we still demonstrate towards God’s creative genius. Let’s face it, the world is full of beautiful things and yet we seem intent on destroying it all in the name of ”My Rights!” My right to prosper over that of others. My right to self preservation over the life of others. My right to build into my own ego at the exclusion of everyone else. Does this seem “right”?
I think God calls us into a radical relationship which embodies social equities, environmental responsibilities, and holistic realities. I am sure it can be said that you can add to my list. What do you see in a “Radical Stewardship”?
The Trials and Errors of Seeking Social Equity
The past two days I have been in deep thought while attending a Global Citizenship Conference put on by the University of Calgary. The key speaker being Paul Loeb, an analyst and social activist from the United States. I could probably go on about the uprooted deep reflections which I have had regarding Imperialism, social construction and reconstruction, and the differences I have noticed when it comes to Kingdom language and ethical formation with regards to Paul’s “core values” (narratives and metanarratives) however in truth, it is not what is on my heart right now.
This morning amongst the hustle and bustle of settling into a prepared state for theological and political debate I had a random encounter with a missional calling. Wheeling into the hallway of the church which the conference was being held in, I began looking for the gentleman’s restroom. Upon entering the door I was confronted by a scruffy bearded elderly gentleman maybe in his late fifties who for some reason began telling me of his over night stay at the church while I washed my hands.
He apparently had traveled to Calgary from a small town in British Columbia in order to receive radiation treatments for health issues. Once arriving however, he was unable to afford to return home. For that reason he had spent the night sleeping outside of the church building. Now I could immediately begin to feel the shock of that as it has been dropping to below -15 degrees Celsius her in Calgary for the last week! I quizzed him, “Why didn’t you go to the drop in center downtown?” In a forth right answer he explained a dramatic incident of mistaken identity resulting in his being banned for entering the facility.
Now I have spent enough time serving and working with the homeless to know many of the questionable stories however, the tragedy in this gentleman’s state left me with a deeper calling in heart. That is why I felt a great disappointment in myself when I rushed him off in order that I might get to use the restroom before the mornings activities began.
As I entered the conference room hall and took my seat, I glanced over at all the food which was set out for us and thought, “Erik, you idiot! Why didn’t you offer the man some breakfast? Wouldn’t Jesus of brought him to the table?” The guilt just kept on piling as I listened to the Parhed administrator detail the latest building endeavor and I replayed in my mind over and over Brian McLaren’s call to bridging the equity gap by dismantling the social bubbles which alienate rich from poor and the upper classes from poor classes (I just finished his latest book ‘Everything Must Change’!). I bowed my head and began praying silently. I prayed for the older gentleman; for his health, safety, and ability to return home. I prayed Jesus would forgive me for my slowness in wisdom and ignorance to opportunity. I prayed he would make me wiser for the future in the chance that I might have another encounter like this.
As I lifted my head up again, sitting in the back row I glanced over at the open doors. I saw him! Walking slowly by with his walker; all bundled up in a warm jacket, gloves, scarf, and a hat. They must have thought I lost it or something. In the middle of the administrators speech I through my lap top (which was square on my lap) over the back of the chair in front of me and raced for the door with the small hope of catching him before he got outside! I glanced at Paul Loeb as I rushed by him sitting by the door and thought “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
I quickly grabbed the gentleman’s attention and asked if he wanted to come in and grab some breakfast. He reluctantly agreed and followed me back to the doors. As I entered I looked back. He seemed to hesitate at the doors, unsure if he should enter. I waved him in and as he approached the table I asked what he would like while pointing at the muffins and fruit. Sadly, he quickly withdrew and said thanks for the offer but he should really go.
Perhaps it was nerves and the fear of standing out or perhaps it was the radiation treatment affecting his appetite. I wasn’t sure. I was a little disheartened however and wondering to myself; would it have made a difference if I had brought the food to him at the door? When it comes to us seeking equity and the reconstruction of a Kingdom society, how can we find a balance so that not just those who are “prosperous” can respond more readily but also that those in need will find greater courage, acceptance, and familiarity with an equality and right to presence? I keep hope, faith, and I pray that in future I and others might be able to find an answer to this question soon.
“For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”
Loving Jesus is the Core of Who We Are
Last Sunday Bonnie and I had the excitment to share our Expressions group with my three little cousins from northern Alberta. It was a small group this Sunday but that is ok. God still showed up! I video taped it so that my Uncle and Aunt would be able to see their expressions when they returned from San Antonio and their 20th Anniversary. I thought I would share it here too.
Remembrance Day : Seeking Out the Kingdom of God
I spent the day today touring the Calgary Military Museum with my three little cousins. It was very moving as I reflected on the costs that war and violence has had and is having on our country and on us as humans. I pray that we are soon able to find peace and rekindle the fires of what it means to really build the Kingdom of God here on earth where the guns will no longer be firing, bombs will no longer be blowing, and neighbors can embrace one another as sisters and brothers. May the real Empire take shape in our hearts and minds rather then the political conceptualizations which we have made it out to be. I hope you find peace this Remembrance Day!
“If You Go God Will Show…a New You!”
“Cure yourself of the condition of bothering about how you look to other people. Be concerned only…with the idea God has of you.”
A few weeks back my dad had invited me out to a four day conference being held at Southside Victory Church called ‘Rivers’. I agreed to go but to tell you the truth, I was pretty nervous about actually attending. See Southside Victory is one of those “Holy Roller” churches and I am a Holy Roller for sure, just in a different way (I am after all in a wheelchair:). But, I did go!
So there I am sitting in the third row from the front (I think my dad had us up front on purpose) and they began to worship with lively music. People were shouting, dancing up and down the isles, jumping and waving their brightly colored banners (it was actually quit elegant and beautiful), and of course “slain in the Spirit” laying and rolling on the floor in the open spaces at the front. One guy runs by me a few times and then grabs my hand and try’s to pull me up to the front. I smiled and politely said no thanks.
Then this couple, probably in their mid fifties, takes out these three to four foot long ram horns from under their seats and start blowing them as hard as they can right in front of me! I thought, are those things real (I later on asked them and sure enough, they were)! So here they were blowing these things for all they were worth, cheeks ballooned outwards, their faces getting redder and redder, and this strange kind of “ahhuuuga” noise coming from out of the horns. I got this big smile on my face as I thought, “No wonder these guy’s are getting slain in the Spirit. Their passing out from lack of oxygen!”
That’s when it happened. A moment and spirit of spontaneous unity that I did not expect. My father reached over, grabbed my hand and raised it in worship with his hands. It was in that moment that I two very real realizations. First, there is great Joy in real worship. No fluffy acts of trying to fulfill the requirements of performing a religious theatrical or professional presentation to the theme music of the day and no fake acts of trying to guard against the feelings of “what will they think of me if I do this?” The pure unadulterated and unrestrained spirit of Joy! And second, my father has faith in a mighty awesome God! But, if I did not go God would not have shown me that!
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”
Jesus told his disciples, “Go your way…” Not Peter’s way. Not James or John’s way. Go your way! It seems clear that throughout history and time God values human free will more then anything else and Jesus makes no hesitation in imparting that free will to his disciples when he sends them on ahead of himself. He wants their destinations to be set by their own dreams, goals, passions, and inner stirrings. Peter and Andrew were fishermen so maybe they would head for the fish markets and coastal communities. Matthew was a tax collector for the Romans so perhaps he might head for the Roman communities and military postings. In any case they were going where God was showing their dreams and aspirations for the Kingdom of God here on earth.
More importantly Jesus was telling them to go! This was like that moment (for those of you who have seen the movie ‘Transformers’) when the beat up Camero had sped up to them, its door flung open, and Jesus was turning to them saying “Fifties years from now when you are living in the safety of your comfy, white picketed home; are you going to look back at this moment and ask yourself, ‘Why didn’t I go?’”
What if Simon turned to Jesus and said, “If they want to go that’s o.k. but, I think I will just stay here with you Jesus where I know that it is safe.” Jesus would be like, “I am offering you the riches of life in its fullness and wonderment. Why would you just want to stay here and settle for the scraps? Nevertheless, the Kingdom of God has come near.”
Don’t miss the boat! Don’t recognize the call to move in upon your calling, your dreams, your hopes for a better future, a better you and not act upon it! Listen closely to that inner voice and when Jesus says go, then go!
It was the fall of 1993 and I distinctly remember walking down one of the side streets close to my best friend’s house when I had one of those moments of being called to go somewhere. It was as though someone was asking me “How would you feel if you were in a wheelchair?” Looking back I can recognize it as God speaking with me. I answered with what seems now like a lack of complete understanding to what I was being asked. Being in a wheelchair would be great. It would make me unique, I would stand out from others, and I would be special. And it did! I just didn’t count on or expect all the challenges that would come with it.
There was another time several years ago that I had a different calling to go. It was to the Mustard Seed and the homeless people of Calgary. While I was down there God showed me something I will never forget. It was a cold February evening. A number of the college students and I had been down there since early morning serving, cleaning, and walking/wheeling the streets while visiting the homeless beggars on 8th Avenue. The sun had pretty much set and the only light was coming from the street lamps and the natural aura from the moon.
We had lined up with the rest of the homeless outside of the Seed’s main building and were waiting for them to open the doors and allow us to come in for dinner. A couple of the students and I were chatting about the days events while shivering from the cold and jumping up and down with the anticipation to getting in where it would be warmer. Then I noticed a scruffy and some what dirty native man a little ways off looking over at me. When he walked over we chatted for a few minutes and then he asked me if I would mind if he prayed for me! I was a little taken back by the faith of this homeless man but I of course said, “Yes, of course you can!”
I will neither forget that moment nor the face of this broken, native, scruffy, homeless man as he kneeled down and put his hands on my knees while praying for me. God called him to go and he listened and God showed up! I didn’t walk and nothing supernatural happened but a miracle did in fact take place that night sitting and shivering in the cold with this homeless man. The miracle of human unity. The miracle of my brotherhood with this man and his faith. The miracle when realized that when God calls, if I go God will show a new me!
If you go God will show… a new world to you.
If you go God will show… great character in you.
If you go God will show… changed lives because of you.
If you go God will show… transformation within you.
If you go God will show… a New You!
Expressions of Epiphany: Taking the First Steps
O.k. O.k. It has been awhile since I have had the chance to blog!!! In truth, I have a good reason! Actually, an excellent reason!! Expressions has been a dream Bonnie and I have had for some time and we are finally taking the first steps in making it a reality.
That is where my time has been going. I have been writing and developing a website for Expressions (Click Here) with the aid of my good friend David. As well as planning for the coming month and kickoff of our group starting this weekend. With that in mind, I am looking forward not only to the kick off this Sunday but also to hearing Brian McLaren speak at the First Christian Reformed Church here in Calgary on Saturday (Click Here for Details).
It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t mention the excitement of having been able to see the Blue Man Group a few weeks ago. Bonnie got us tickets for my birthday and we both agreed that it was possibly one of the best shows we have ever been too. I could also really see what Leonard Sweet meant when I heard him speak on the effective ways in which we as a church can communicate with one another as the Blue Man Group communicated with the audience.
This past weekend I spent sometime at my Dad’s “Holy Rollers” church. I guess I was rolling in my own way (Ha, ha – if you know what I mean). In honesty, it was a great time of seeing what it really means to experience the joy of the Spirit! It reminded me of a poem a friend gave me along time ago.
“When God puts us back together again; (with the aid of our willingness to cooperate); this great church will be marked by; the dignity and scholarship of the Anglicans, the order and sacraments of the Roman Catholics, the warm fellowship of the Methodists, the Presbyterian desire for good preaching, the Lutheran respect for sound theology. There will be the Baptist concern for individual salvation, the congregational respect for the rights of lay members, the Pentecostal reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Quaker appreciation for silence. We will find there the Mennonitesense of community, the social action of the Salvation Army, the social justice of the United, and the Reformed love of the Bible, all wrapped in Orthodox reverence before the Mystery of God.”
Pictures of Before and After: A Continuing Journey to Walking in Another’s Footprints
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The word faith has always been in my life. Not that I have always listened to it or really understood its meaning. It was always a good Sunday practice to go to church with my mother and step-father provided I could do whatever I wanted once I got home. Church was a practice of image (mostly self delusional) rather then an honest relational interaction between myself and a divine living entity.
Life has a funny way of dramatically altering the course journey to which Jesus had planned for me. Needless to say that journey is not yet over. It is simply a continuing daily practice of striving to embody the existence of Jesus as he creates his image between the words in the gospels and interweaves it with the fabric of my life.
I no longer think faith is a matter of work related, image driven, self delusional garble. I instead have become enthusiastic towards striving to see the end result and ecstactically enjoying the journey along the way with the great freedoms Jesus has brought me!!!
A Theologian at Heart
Not sure what to think of this but…
 |
You scored as Jürgen Moltmann, The problem of evil is central to your thought, and only a crucified God can show that God is not indifferent to human suffering. Christian discipleship means identifying with suffering but also anticipating the new creation of all things that God will bring about.
Which theologian are you? |
Questions to the Contextualization of the Scriptures: How Does it Relate to Evangelism and Discipleship?
In Alan Hirsch’s and Michael Frost’s book ‘The Shaping of Things to Come’ they quote Charles Kraft’s four principles of contextualization in the Bible. Reflecting on their value I am left curious as to how they relate to evangelism and discipleship. What do you think?
“They are:
- The Bible goes considerably beyond revealing merely intellectual truth or information. It demonstrates how truth is conveyed. Says Kraft, ‘Our God… is mainly a God of dialogue who interacts with us.’
- God’s communication with humanity is depicted in the Bible as coming to humans in familiar, expected ways (though the message itself was often unexpected).
- God’s method of self-disclosure is demonstrated to be participatory.
- We observe God’s revelatory activity in the scriptures to be situation-specific.”
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Expressions
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years By Donald Miller
Eternity in Their Hearts By Don Richardson
Follow Me to Freedom By Shane Claiborne & John Perkins
Journey to Significance By Neil Cole
Organic Leadership By Niel Cole
Forge Canada
Friend of Missional
Missional Apologetics
The Missional Network
Verge Network
Recent Comments