A Son is Given

Beaumont Community Church Family,

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 | NIV84)

I hope that you have enjoyed the Advent Season this year as we have been focusing on anticipating God and remembering what He has done. Through the Christmas story, God seems to invite us to discover again or anew the way He has entered our story. Over 2000 years ago, the nation of Israel was anticipating something God’s Messiah to look quite different than a baby born in a barn. Even though God had sent prophets to raise their awareness of His plans for His broken and lost people – many were only looking for what they wanted from God. They were blind to what God was doing.

These days I think we are often caught up in the same blindness that the Jewish people suffered from so many years ago. We continue to look what we want God to do for us, and have a very blurry view of what He is actually doing and accomplishing. We want God to keep us safe, make us healthy, give us more opportunities to gain wealth, fix our families, change our circumstances for the better, take away our confusion… These are not wrong things to hope for unless they distract us from seeing how God is carrying out His desires in your life.

I think the words from the prophet Isaiah can help us reflect on the God who has been working around us and in us. He tells us that a child will be given to us – and this is a very special child – Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Do any of these characteristics of resonate in you?

Perhaps this year you have been or are currently in a place of confusion or indecision. Do you need a Wonderful Counselor? You need more than good advice. You need someone who can bring clarity and insight that are beyond what anyone else can give. You need something wonderful – beyond comprehension. Have you experienced this from God in the past year? Reflect and see Him in your story.

Perhaps you have found yourself in a struggle that seems like a war that has pinned you into a corner and you see no way out. Whether you’ve experienced something like this in the past or present, can you see your Mighty God as a valiant soldier in the battle?  Reflect and see Him in your story.

Perhaps you have felt abandoned and alone during part of your journey this year. Wherever you’re at in your relationship with your family, God has invited you into a relationship with Him as your Everlasting Father. He’s invited you into His family so that you are never without a deep, loving, supportive connection as one of His children. How have you experienced God as a caring Father? Reflect and see Him in your story.

Perhaps the turmoil of life has stolen much of the contentment you long for. The prophet says that we’ve been given a Prince of Peace – a strong leader who will bring about, wholeness, harmony and completeness (Heb. Shalom). Isaiah says that the child will be an amazing ruler – “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end… The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:7). This Prince can even give us Peace in the midst of the storm. Have you experienced this divine-eternal peace in your life over the past year? Reflect and see Him in your story.

These qualities are found in the Messiah who is Jesus, born in that stable so many years ago. I hope that you will spend some time reflecting on how you have experienced Him throughout this past year. I believe you will see Him in your story no matter how hard or how glorious it has been. As you reflect praise Him for the way He has been, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace in your life and share these things with your family and friends as you celebrate together.

Remember, A Son is given and He’s entered into your story,

Pastor Bruce.

Why Gather as the church?

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything (sorry about that), but this morning I was reading an article that wasn’t filled with new insightful ideas, yet gave a perspective that I think we all struggle with in our day. Let’s face it we live in a culture that is driven by statements like, “what’s in it for us,” “what we like,” and “what we prefer.” Some of us prefer pizza over hamburgers, while others, given the choice, would brave almost any kind of weather to be outside rather than stay home and play video games.

We’re consumers – plain and simple. We live and breathe the “acquisition of more and better.” Wikipedia has defined Consumerism as “a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts.” How does it make you feel to know that many organizations exist to create, in you and your family, the desire for more? Big business is very interested in what we prefer and will go to great lengths to provide us with what we want – for a price. Of course without the creation of this desire within our society we would be in a significant economic turmoil. We really do live and breathe in a consumer culture.

When this kind of thinking is all around us we can’t help but bring it into the arena of how we feel about gathering as the Body of Christ on Sunday (or whenever you gather). Take a moment to think about why you attend a Sunday Worship Service (or why you don’t)? Are the items on your list filled with preferences that satisfy your needs?

Cathy Little, in an brief article, First Church of the Consumer, asks us why we go to church? It’s a good question. Again, it’s not a new question. Christian Leaders within North America have been trying to address this issue for decades – perhaps centuries. Although I recognize that as the People of God (His Church) we wish to create an atmosphere where people desire Him, I’m concerned that this is often not the primary reason many attend a worship service these days.

Read the article, First Church of the Consumer (full article here), and let me know what you think. I especially like her insight that our worship services are meant to be a place where we offer ourselves to Him.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name (Heb. 13:15).

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce.

Immanuel – An Invitation to God’s Presence

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Mt 1:23 – NIV)

As I’ve read through the story of our Saviour’s birth many times over the last weeks, the message of Immanuel has been speaking into my life.  It’s the season when we celebrate the creator the universe entering the human race as baby.  It seems to be a peculiar way for God to reveal His presence to humanity.  Yet this was the sign that God Himself revealed through the prophet Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Is. 7:14).

As I’ve reflected back on the experiences of 2010 I’ve been opening my mind to the ways God has been with us – Immanuel – as a church family.  Thoughts about some of the things we’ve faced over the last 12 months in terms of losing some people we’ve loved from our weekly fellowship/service times and our struggles financially have caused me to wonder about how God has been present in these situations.  Jesus told us that he would He would always be with us (Mt. 28:20; Jn. 14:18-23), revealing that God has not been absent in these circumstances.  It has caused me to recognize how often I can base my understanding of God’s presence on positive outcomes.

Perhaps you’ve experienced some moments in your life over the past year that has left you wondering about how God has been with you.  I can assure you that He has been with you no matter if the road you’ve had to travel has been bumpy or smooth.  Perhaps you’ve felt like you’ve been kicked in the stomach rather than comforted by God’s presence.  Will you reflect on those times where you felt God seemed absent and recognize his presence through things like: the encouragement of a friend; a prayer offered on your behalf; a timely note that gave you hope; a gentle embrace when you needed it; someone letting you cry on their shoulder; when provision was made during a time of financial strain…  I urge you to take some time in the next days to notice that He’s been around in ways that you may not have recognized in the blur of the moment.

Of course there are times when there is little doubt that God has been present.  I think of the times when I have had the privilege to hear someone share their story of God’s work in their lives.  Baptism Sunday was a highlight when we heard 5 individual stories that revealed God’s presence long before the participants even believed in Him.  God is with us.  I am encouraged when a person recognizes the Holy Spirit’s convicting work in their lives, causing them to repent, confess and be forgiven to live in freedom.  This has happened in many conversations and in public settings and reveals that God is with us.

I encourage you all to take some space in these next days to reflect on how God has been with you over the past year.  Praise Him for the way Immanuel has been experienced in your life.  May it encourage you as you move forward into the New Year.

May you God’s presence and peace be with us all,

Pastor Bruce.

Questions about Dinosaurs Creation and Evolution

In the last several years we have been inundated with movies, books and teaching about dinosaurs.  I want you to know that I don’t have trouble believing that dinosaurs lived on our planet at some point in time.  But I also want to point out to you that I have a serious problem with those who proclaim the Theory of Evolution as truth, and have managed to annex the finding of dinosaur bones as evidence of their theory.  You see, Evolution, although it’s taught and accepted as truth in our schools and in our society, is only a theory.  That is a FACT.  Those who have studied the science of the Theory of Evolution (including those who believe in it) admit that there are many large holes that make it far from being anywhere close to the proverbial gospel truth.

I want you to know that I’m not an expert in this field of study.  However, I am very clear on this fact – the Bible is Truth (Jn. 17:17; Ps. 119:160).  So when the Bible says God created…  that’s what I believe!  Which means that any teaching that tries to suggest otherwise is not true.

In an attempt to understand how to live out the truth of the Bible in a culture that doesn’t accept it, I have read many books and articles on the subject of creation and evolution and listened to some good teaching on the subject.  But when it comes to the vast amount of questions in this debate, I often feel inadequate in my ability to engage in the dialogue.  Part of the problem, from my point of view, is that the belief in Evolution, is just that – a belief, not a proven fact.  But it is touted as reliable science and therefore hard to debate.  As Biblical Christians we are often looked upon as inept thinkers if we choose to believe in anything other than evolution.  Parents have come to me with questions about how to deal with the unabashed teaching of Evolution in our schools and universities.  All of us face this same attitude whenever we engage in conversations with those who don’t believe in the God that we serve.  The reason is that if you don’t believe the Bible, you’ve automatically chosen to believe the only other option touted in our culture – evolution.

I believe it is important for me to share with you some of the resources I have found helpful in this area.  One of the really good resources concerning the Creation – Evolution debate from a Christian perspective is an organization called Creation Ministries International.  In the past we’ve had some people from this ministry come and bring us resources also teach us some of what they have learned in their study.

This week I also had the opportunity to do a little research in this area and found some more good teaching on this subject.  I discovered a video sermon called, “What does the Bible say about Dinosaurs?“, given by Pastor Willie George of Church on the Move, in Tulsa, OK.  You can skip the first 12 minutes of the video if you want to get right to the teaching (you may have to wait a little for the video to load so that you can skip the first part – which is a band playing music).  Pastor George gives some strong points in helping us understand what scripture says about creation.  The teaching is a little over 60 minutes in length, but is worth a listen (there’s a good question and answer time given at the end).  George also mentions some other resources that might be worth a look (I’ve listed these below).

If you have any other good resources on this subject please let me know about them and even post them on this blog.

As always, I appreciate hearing what you think regarding the topics we post on this blog.  Enjoy! Remember Jesus is Lord of All!

Click Here to start video – What does the Bible say about Dinosaurs? Once the page loads – Press the Play Arrow to start video.

Resources

• In Six Days by John Ashton (for children and teens)
• Coming To Grips With Genesis: Biblical Authority And The Age Of The Earth by Terry Mortenson
• Answers in Genesis Website
• Creation Ministries International

Sabbath in the Summertime

I’m on holidays and trying to relax, which usually means not reading emails. But, I received a link to a short article (via email) from our Regional Minister Lynn Dietz, which seemed to tug on my need to release some of my responsibilities during this time that Kathy and I are away. Sabbath is a biblical term that is not easily understood in our culture, and we sometimes mistake it for our own idea of leisure. I encourage you to read the article and take some time to think through how you might practice Sabbath this summer.

Let me know what you think? Pastor Bruce.

COVER STORY:
Sabbath in the Summertime (Source)
By Mark Buchanan

Is it possible to have true Sabbath rest in the middle of water-skiing, barbecues and cross-country camping trips? A challenge to us to rethink what vacation means

Repose. I love that word. Joyful stillness. Dignified calm. Deep-down serenity. It is not languor, nor listlessness, nor sluggishness. There’s mettle here. Hard resolve and sturdy discipline. Repose is being fully awake and yet not moving a muscle. It is being wholly aware and yet not straining one thought.

Repose is rest on purpose.

Hyphenate the word – re-pose – and it means something else again: to pose once more, to take your position over.

Most of us need to re-pose into repose.

Dogs can do this, and cats, and oxen, and birds. Dumb beasts are the perfection of form when it comes to repose. They have a rhythm and instinct for it. Travelling once with a small group, I came across a pride of lions in the savannahs of Africa – nine felines stretched beneath a canopy of acacia branches. Each was a sculpture of repose. None slept. There was not even a hint of drowsiness in their demeanour. But neither was there a hint of anxiousness.

Each looked as if, at any moment, it could coil and spring into pure ravenousness, a wild terror of tooth and claw. Each appeared completely aware of our presence, just indifferent to it. They were lions at rest, not lions at war, and nothing at that moment was going to change their minds about that.

Yes, animals are good at this. Humans, not so. Our pose is mostly two things: headlong busyness and mindless collapse. We live between the hurricane and the doldrums, but rarely in the zephyr.

If I’m not careful, my days fluctuate between rush and sloth. The rush is not fruitful, the sloth not restful and each pushes the other into a downward spiral of exhaustion.

So I must re-pose, and repose. This has a biblical name: sabbath.

Reclining With Jesus
I have a new Bible hero of late: Lazarus. Mary and Martha’s brother. Most of his story is told in John 11 – Lazarus’s sickness, Jesus’ (reposeful) delay, Lazarus’s death, Mary and Martha’s upset with Jesus, Jesus’ own upset (“Jesus wept”) and, then, the pièce de résistance: Jesus’ command to a corpse, “Lazarus, come forth!” What follows is a miracle of power and wonder: a man four days dead, pungent with rot, rouses to the voice, obedient even in death. Death must loose its grip and give up its prey. Lazarus comes forth. That’s the story most of us know. But it’s the story after this that I’ve cottoned onto. Afterward, next time Jesus is in Lazarus’s town, the family hosts a banquet in His honour. As they should. It is a gala event, a hullabaloo of food and festivity and, I should think, endless and dramatic retellings of the story – “and then Jesus started crying and I thought, ‘Oh no, what could this mean?’ But next thing He’s standing up above that sepulchre like Moses on the mountain and in a voice like thunder….” Everyone wants to be there.

And not just to see Jesus. They want to get a peek at Lazarus too. Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him. (John 12:9-11) I think it was Nietzsche who said that if Christians wanted him to believe in Jesus they’d have to start looking more resurrected. Well, Lazarus is looking more resurrected, and it’s having its effect.

People want to see Lazarus every bit as much as they want to see Jesus, and some want to trust in Jesus every bit as much as Lazarus trusts in Him, and some want to kill Lazarus every bit as much as they want to kill Jesus. Lazarus has become a kingdom magnet, a firebrand evangelist, a holy menace.

That’s why he’s my hero. He’s what I aspire to be. Lazarus does all that by doing nothing. By repose.

Watch: Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. (John 12: 1-2)

What kind of a God do your neighbours see when they see you? A God who invites His children to rest? Or do they see, in the blur of your coming and your going, a Pharaoh-like god, driving his subjects under the watch of taskmasters to make more bricks, more and more, to gather your own straw? A god who never lets you stop?

If we want them to believe in Jesus, we’re going to have to start looking more resurrected. And maybe the best pose for that is repose, simply reclining with Jesus. It made Lazarus dangerous enough.

Restless Leisure
It’s summer, and a good time to start. By which I mean to stop. But as earth warms and sky shimmers what’s needed is something besides the pursuit of mere leisure.

What’s needed is Sabbath.

My definition of Sabbath is simple: Imitating God in order to remember we’re not God. God was the first Sabbath-keeper, the first to step back from His work and simply relish it without making more of it or brooding over it. And God invites us to go and do likewise.

Leisure, on the other hand, is rest without God. We neither imitate God in our leisure nor remember we’re not Him. That’s why so much of our leisure, whatever else it may be, is seldom restful. It’s seldom reposeful. It’s often as tiring as our work. Indeed, the very word we’ve chosen to describe our seasons of leisure reflects this: vacation. Meaning: to vacate, evacuate, create a vacuum. Vacations are not about being present and full. They’re about being absent and empty.

So the re-pose and the repose I speak of is not mere leisure, not just an extended time at the lake cottage or more barbecues on the sundeck. Such things are fine, but such things can easily become a mere vacating, where the one thing needed is the one thing missing: God-centredness. Sabbath is not just rest. Sabbath is reclining with Jesus.

Who Runs the World?
I wrote a book on Sabbath called The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath (Thomas Nelson, 2006). I was at pains writing it to avoid two things: a pharisaical legalism, where the glory of Sabbath gets ground down to a dust pile of rules, and a post-modernist vagueness, where the practicality of Sabbath and how it can change our lives gets lost.

Along the way I made several discoveries, both theological and personal, but this was the keystone: Sabbath-keeping is rooted in and gives rise to a conviction that God is sovereign. Either God is in control or He’s not. If He’s not – if I am, or you are, or the prime minister is, or the UN and the World Bank are – then who can rest? We ought to be worried, and very, very busy.

If matters are in the hands of anyone other than God (or in no one’s hands), then there is no rest, not just for the wicked but for the righteous, too. There’s just no rest altogether. The only sensible pose in such a world is wariness and fretfulness and Mad Hatter franticness.

That is if God is not God.

But if God be God, then there’s time enough. If God be God, then in repentance and rest is our salvation, in quietness and trust is our strength (Isaiah 30:15). Philip Melanchthon once said to his friend Martin Luther, “Today, Martin, you and I will discuss God’s governance of the universe.” To which Luther replied: “No, Philip. Today you and I are going fishing, and we’ll leave the governance of the universe to God.”

Poems, Axe-Heads and Flint Knives
But let’s get practical. How do we practise the sovereign presence of God and learn to leave the governance of the universe to Him? Here are a few ideas.

Write a poem. I’m not kidding. Poetry forces attentiveness – watching, listening, reflecting – that forces a slowing down. In this, it’s akin to prayer. Paul says in Romans that we can know the sovereign nature of God – “his eternal power and divine nature” – simply by paying attention to “what has been made” (Romans 1:20). The person who rushes through an art gallery will never learn to appreciate the artists’ genius; likewise, the person who never stops to behold a leaf or a child’s ear will never delight in God as Maker and Ruler of Creation. Such beholding goes deeper and further when we shape it into a psalm or song or poem. So writing a poem (it doesn’t have to be a good one, and no one else besides you has to see it) is a lovely Sabbath practice, a way of “being still and knowing” God (Psalm 46:10).

Dwell in the company of those who can make axe-heads float. An Elisha story, terse and cryptic, is narrated in 2 Kings 6. Elisha heads up a school of the prophets who undertake a building campaign. In the course of hewing wood at river’s edge, one of the men loses an iron axe-head. “Oh no, my lord!” he exclaims. “It was borrowed!”

I see in this story a reverse image of Jesus’ parable about the man who wilfully, defiantly, buries his talent, his “borrowed” thing, and returns it unused. In the Elisha story, the “borrowed” thing gets buried in the using of it. This happens, I think, more often than the other. For every fool who buries his talent there must be 10 faithful servants who lose theirs by using it: the singer who sings herself silent, the teacher who teaches himself dry, the caregiver who cares until she’s numb.

Now what?

In this story, Elisha – “the man of God” – cuts a stick, tosses it into the water and the axe-head pops to the surface. Strange. Yet maybe not. The unnamed man dwells in the company of those who, by some holy alchemy, can make leaden things buoyant.

Much of our week is spent using our gift to the point of fatigue, until it gets loose in the socket, dull at the edge and very, very heavy. And then it just flies off the handle, hits the muddy water and sinks out of sight. Unless we dwell in the company of those who, by their closeness to God and by their compassion for us, can make heavy things buoyant, it might just stay lost.

It is worth noting here that Jesus, to the dismay of the religious leaders, thought the Sabbath an ideal day for being this kind of community – those who lift stumble-prone oxen out of pits, who restore withered hands to wholeness, who make blind eyes bright, who unbend bent backs.

It’s a good Sabbath practice to dwell in such company.

Get circumcised beneath Jericho’s shadow. God has a fistful of strange battle tactics – ordering Moses to stand all day and night with his hands aloft, making Jehoshaphat’s choir go before his infantry, stripping Gideon’s militia down to an unarmed raiding party. Maybe the strangest tactic, though, is His counsel to Joshua just prior to invading Jericho: take a flint knife and circumcise all the warriors (see Joshua 5:1-9).

“Okay. So what you’re saying is, in view of the battle line, I’m to reduce my fiercest soldiers to a colony of limping, groaning invalids?”

God orders it anyhow, saying he’s rolling back “the reproach of Egypt.” Among other things, that must mean God intends to reform the slave mentality Israel acquired under the rule of taskmasters. The world of slaves is narrow and precarious: Trust no one. Rely only on yourself. Watch your back.

But now Israel must learn a different way: Trust God completely.

Depend fully on Him. Keep your head high. Rely utterly on the Almighty. Sing God’s praises.

But this will require an object lesson to drive it home. Try this: circumcise all the fighters and make them lie down in the presence of their enemies. Make them be still and know God is God.

What has this to do with Sabbath and summer? Simply this: we don’t really learn to trust God until we trust him at the edge of Jericho. When life is comfortable, safe, abounding in good things, our faith is sometimes no more than a will-o’-the-wisp.

It’s when finances are shaky, health is uncertain, the church is in conflict, our business is sputtering – it’s then that faith shows its mettle.

Some of you are camping so close to Jericho this summer you won’t even enjoy a moment of it for all the anxiety you feel.

Is that how God would have it? Writing Psalm 23 Maybe all this comes together most vividly in the life of King David.

Ever wonder when David wrote Psalm 23? What was the occasion? I have a theory: the day his son Absalom overthrew the kingdom.

It’s a wild guess to be sure. But there are two clues that David turned Absalom’s overthrow and his own forced evacuation into Sabbath.

The first clue is in Psalm 23, verse 5: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

In the presence of enemies, with an insurrectionist son sitting on his throne and a bitter old rival throwing curses and dirt on his head (see 2 Samuel 16:5ff), could David have reflected back to those early days of shepherding and remembered that even here, especially here in the valley of the shadow of death, God watches and protects? That God puts goodness on his tail and leads him finally to something far better than an earthly palace: the very house of God?

The next clue is in the account of the overthrow in 2 Samuel 16:14: “The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted. And there he refreshed himself.” And there he refreshed himself.

This was arguably the worst day David ever had. But in the throes of it, he didn’t simply collapse. He refreshed himself. The word in Hebrew for refreshed is nephesh. It has another meaning: the soul. Literally, David restored his soul (see Psalm 23:3).

David, I think, did more than take a shower, put on fresh clothes, barbecue a steak and play a game of pool.

David, I think, practised the sovereignty of God. And maybe, just maybe, he wrote a poem and left the governance of the universe to God.

Mark Buchanan is a pastor and writer in Duncan, B.C.

Burning Questions

On January 15 at about 9:40am as I was watching the Olympic torch relay from my office window, I was momentarily gripped by a wave of intense emotion…which surprised me. I’ve always considered myself immune from scripted media events that hope to rouse patriotism or Canadian pride and so I had already dismissed the whole torch relay as just another one of these attempts. But there I was…looking from my third story perch at the flashing lights, the rows of people lining 50^th and hearing the noise of the loud speakers and crowds…and overcome with emotion.

However, it wasn’t pride or elation that I felt, but a deep sadness bordering on grief. I remember joking about the whole event with Jenn (who had also elected to remain behind in the office) but still conscious of a deep seated pain in my heart. Where was that coming from? I could understand why people lined the streets, why school kids were being excused from classes to take in the event, why it was such a big deal…as humans one of our thirsts is to be part of something significant. And the Olympics are definitely a big deal…over six billion dollars and the participation of most countries for a winter sporting event is significant. So why sadness?

As people began to head back to their vehicles, I wondered if they were changed because of the event…had it fulfilled their desire for significance. The Olympics have always held out the hope of changing the world; of bringing peace to all nations. The founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, invented the Olympic symbol in 1913, the five inter-locking rings representing the five peopled continents coming together. Current commercials for the 2010 Olympics echo that ideal with five athletes pulling on ropes to pull all the five continents together. Ironically, even Hitler claimed that the event “doesn’t separate, but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. It also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That’s why the Olympic Flame should never die.” But then, his invention of the torch relay for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin was part of Nazi propaganda trying to link the Aryan race with classical Greece, and had nothing to do with peace.  Was I sad because of the overt political agenda attached to virtually all Olympic Games (the various boycotts, lobbying, bribes, doping, terrorist attacks, etc.)?

But that wasn’t the reason…if anything, anger would be a more reasonable emotion when we see such political shenanigans and observe the marketing madness that is usually associated with Olympics…over priced mascot stuffies and Coke trucks following torches. Six billion for playing winter games…the amount seeming all the more obscene in light of the Haiti earthquake that had just occurred the day before. But anger wasn’t the emotion troubling me…the sadness persisted…

Those people walking and driving home, going back to work, heading back to school…having observed the torch run by…would they be different? Would they be better brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers? Would they love more, lie less, trust deeper and live more generously? The desire that brought them to brave the cold wind and line 50^th street to be part of something big, something important, and something significant that would…might…change the world; would that desire be fulfilled? And now I began to understand my sadness because I realised that nothing would change…at least, not in the way everyone hopes things will change. The countries of the world aren’t any closer to world peace…in fact the 20th century has seen an increase in wars, terrorism and political instability. The latest Olympic Games in Beijing opened on the same day that the South Ossetia war between Russia and Georgia erupted…even though athletes form both countries were represented at the games. To be honest, I don’t think the majority of people actually believe that the Games will deliver on what they promise, an irony lost amidst all the commercials for the 2010 Games asking us to “Believe”. And that is where the sadness lays; so much effort, money and hope placed on something that is powerless to change the human condition.

What if we pursued Christ with the same passion that compels us to line streets for torch relays…or causes us to clear our schedule for Hockey Night in Canada…or drives us to work overtime to get enough money for two weeks at Disney Land? What if we chased Christ with the same intensity we chase the things of this world? My sadness was not so much for people being excited about the Olympics, but about you and I willing to invest so much on so many things, none of which can ever deliver on what they promise…and for our unwillingness to trust in the promises of God.

Don’t get me wrong…I don’t think the Olympics are a bad idea…I’m really looking forward to some hard-core curling and hockey action. And I don’t believe that rituals such as the torch run are a waste of time…I confess they do have an immediate power to ignite the human imagination for great things. But as Karl Barth has famously stated – even though God can speak through dead dogs and Communists, he might not choose to do so. God can use the Olympics to accomplish his will…if he chooses to do so…the jury is still out on that. But he has promised to accomplish his will through his son. Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” But do we believe enough for it to cause us to change our habits? Is it enough for us to want to invest in Jesus as much as we are willing to invest in our other pursuits? Will I ever get to that place where I recognize that all those things I chase after cannot give me what I hope they will? God said “I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security” (Jeremiah 33:6). May our lives reflect our belief in that statement.

HAITI: How Can We Respond to Disaster?

If you’re like me you have been overwhelmed by the news of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti a few days ago. Quite frankly I have nothing in my experience that practically relates to the pain and misery that so many of our fellow human beings are facing in this impoverished country. I’m sure that disasters like this bring up many questions for people, including “Why would God allow something like this to happen?” I’m not sure that question can be answered, but I do know that God calls us to respond to situations such as this in parables like the Good Samaritan, where Jesus doesn’t give the reason why a man was robbed in the story, but simply asks us to respond in love (Lk. 25:37). It’s quite clear that Jesus’ perspective on loving our neighbour as ourselves requires something from us. Initiative, sacrifice (time and resources), and compassion. To do nothing would be to miss Jesus’ desire for those who follow him.

Haiti was the poorest in the Western Hemisphere long before it was struck by this recent earthquake. I believe we need to consider how God might be asking us to participate in lovingly helping the suffering people of Haiti. God’s desire is that we “learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” (Is 1:17 – NIV). For me this clearly relates to the current crisis in Haiti. It is also about being the kind of “people” God has called us to be.

I’m challenging us to respond to this great need, FIRST by praying for the people of Haiti in the following ways (taken from our Denomination’s response to the crisis):

• for the people of Haiti, for the many families in their bereavement
• for our sister church in Haiti, and all God’s people as they seek to respond to the needs around them
• for our Haitian congregations in Canada and the larger Haitian community
• for our government and the governments of other nations that the aid will be judicious and generous
• for restraint of violence and looting (for peace and compassion)
• for the safety of workers
• for weather conditions conducive to rescue efforts and for the cessation of aftershocks
• for effective and efficient distribution of food and water and medical care
• for the meeting of immediate needs
• for generous response to appeals for funds and help
• That the Lord would teach us how to respond and give us the boldness to act

NOTE: If you can, I would encourage you to join me on Sunday Night (Jan. 17) at 7:00 p.m. at the church for a time of corporate prayer for Haiti.

SECOND, God may be asking you to contribute some resources to the tremendous needs befalling Haiti at this time. Here are some suggested ways you can give that will make a difference.

EMCC World Partners (our Denomination’s Missions Agency):
Please send cheques to: Haiti Disaster Relief, 130 Fergus Ave., Kitchener ON N2A 2H2. We will decide on where to respond with donations as information becomes clear (this will likely be with medical aid).
(Online donations – Be sure to designate your contribution for the Haiti Relief Fund)
Donations will be matched by the Government of Canada

Compassion Canada Haiti Disaster relief Fund

Samaritan’s Purse

Perhaps you have some other ways you believe God is asking you to respond to this crisis. I would love for you to comment about those ideas and perhaps encourage others to participate with you.

I know that God will be honored as we participate with Him in supporting the Haitian people experiencing this disaster. May His peace and power be upon them.

Pastor Bruce.

Finding Faith in the Blur of the Season

It’s getting close to Christmas and I’m sure that many of you are attending to last-minute details in your hectic schedules to hopefully prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Saviour. Would you admit that it’s hard to keep our focus on this truth as we are impacted with blur of activity comes upon us during this season? And that sometimes non-Christian views about Christianity and Christmas inhibit you from keeping your focus on God sending His Son to earth? Most everything you read and see during this season points to fulfilling a need for something that might soon become unneeded in a culture that teaches that we have a right to almost everything we want. We need help to keep our faith alive.

It’s awesome to find people who publicly and boldly speak the truth about the Christmas season in our consumer driven culture. Michael Coren did just that in a column he wrote called, Have a Little Faith, (view source) which my wife cut out for me this morning. Perhaps it will help you allow Faith to boldly Grow on your journey toward Christmas.

My last column before Christmas, so I thought I’d give the fanatical Christian-bashers a reason to rush to their keyboards.

But spare me those childish arguments that Jesus probably wasn’t born in December, that it’s really a pagan holiday and that he didn’t exist in the first place.

It possibly wasn’t in December and the first people to admit this are serious Christians. We know too much about first-century Palestine, about astronomical conditions and about the work of shepherds in winter to fully embrace the date. As for the pagan argument, in fact pagans may have taken the date from Christians. It doesn’t really matter.

That Jesus existed does matter. And there is not a credible thinker, expert and author — including militant atheists — who deny this. What is disputed is whether he was and is the son of God.

There is plenty of evidence, but in the final analysis the choice is open to the individual. That is what love and freedom are about.

You see, if God had made himself so obvious that nobody could fail to recognize him, we — his creatures — would have no freedom of choice and God would be a controlling brute rather than a loving father.

He is abundantly findable if we want to do so, but in his ultimate love he gives us the choice to reject him and spend eternity without him. This is called hell and it’s not God but we who send ourselves there.

But, people argue, why does the all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing God allow bad things to happen to us? Actually bad things happening to good people is a problem for atheists, not Christians. We believe that real life has not started yet and that our 70 or 80 years on Earth are a mere preparation for the world beyond. God doesn’t guarantee a good life, but a perfect eternity.

Awful things do indeed happen to lovely people. This is in spite of and not because of God and, as Christians, we know that reward will be given to some and punishment to others. Ask the non-believer why children suffer and saints are slaughtered.

But, critics argue, there are other religions that also claim to have the truth.

Yes, but so what? I don’t hear liberals, for example, arguing that they can’t really be liberal because conservatives also claim to be right. They assume that their rivals are wrong. Similarly with faith. I may respect other religions, but I can also believe them to be flawed.

Many of them do, in fact, contain elements of truth because the ripples of God’s message influence them. But the full, total answer is in God’s final plea to humanity in the giving of his beloved son, Christ Jesus.

Yes, but there are abusive clergy and bad Christians. Of course there are. And abusive hockey coaches and bad parents. It doesn’t mean that hockey is evil and parenting invalid. We are fallen and broken and do terrible things. All the more reason for why we need salvation and God.

Just a start, but one worth thinking about this Christmas. Have a good one and, perhaps, one that is worth the name.

May we all keep our Faith in our Saviour at the center of our celebration.

Is It Really Time for a Change?

After almost 20 years of pastoring you’d think I’d have gotten used to it by now. I’ve seen it happen more times than I want to talk about. People who have been faithfully part of a church feeling the need to move on. I’m not saying that there aren’t legitimate reasons for this at times. I just wonder if far too often people’s motives for moving are based on an apparent boredom and the constant need our culture places on us for something new and better. We live in a throw away culture that knows little about staying with something for the long haul, including things like marriage, job, houses, etc. It seems like we are constantly looking for something new and better believing that what we hold dear today will become irrelevant or even a barrier to what we need tomorrow. I know that I am in conflict to write about this because of my role as a pastor. I hope you’ll forgive me if you find my views somewhat skewed and perhaps one-sided. Remember you always get the opportunity to comment!

THE DESIRE FOR “MORE” IS NORMAL
I always become curious when I hear people talking about a sense of wanting more. I always believe that longing is something God places in each of us – it is given as a hunger for a deeper relationship with Him. So wanting MORE is a good thing. For some this can seem like a feeling of dryness and emptiness in their church experience, although initially they have trouble understanding what this is all about. Unfortunately many soon come to the conclusion that the church they’re part of is no longer meeting their needs. The logic seems to suggest that if the church was meeting their needs, why would they feel this way? We truly believe the old adage: “A Change as good as a rest/holiday.” We don’t like what we’re feeling or what we’re “not” getting, so we assume it must be time for a change. While this may sometimes be true I would suggest that it is often not the case at all.

First of all, I believe that these kinds of feelings (seasons) of dryness and discontent are “normal” in the Christian life. Although we often don’t recognize them as such, they can be Holy Spirit promptings to help us move deeper in our relationship with God. He created this desire within us to help us move out of our comfort zone and take deeper risks to become more intimate in our relationship with Him. These initial promptings can seem confusing when we aren’t expecting them – and can cause us to be in a state of despair (desolation) for a time believing we are losing our connection with God and other believers around us.

In my experience seasons like this are often faith and character building times in our lives that can accomplish greater depth in our spiritual journey. We see this in scripture (e.g. James 1:2-4; Ps. 42:1-5) and in Christian literature given to us over the last two millennia (e.g. The Dark Night of the Soul, St. John of the Cross; The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer). Our belief that “the dry times” aren’t normal, causes many to mistake them as a calling from God to jump ship for the next phase of spiritual development at a different or (so-called) better church (Again, because we assume that the church must not be meeting our needs). Many people who do this time and time again – are often trying to find a quick and easy answer to a feeling they don’t believe they should ever experience for long periods of time.

DANGEROUS IS SPELLED – “E-A-S-Y”
In fact, God’s call for “something more” in people’s lives is usually never that easy or comfortable. The call to maturity is not about trying to find the nicest or easiest road. It is about making difficult and sacrificial choices that lead to the refining work of God in your life. Why else would Jesus use language that conveys extreme cost and self-denial when describing those who say they want to follow Him? (Mt. 10:37-39; Mk. 10:21; Lk. 9:23-24; 14:25ff.)

Friends, by assuming that the staleness in your life is a call to try a different church, you may miss the very thing that God is trying to transform in you. Yes, if you end up going to another church, you may get the initial feeling of something new and different – that may cause you to believe you’ve made the right decision. But you will likely be missing the call to a deeper intimacy within a group who already knows you. God’s call to deeper levels of transformation involves a process that a new group of people may not be able to help you with for some time because you have to start from scratch with your story and their stories. By moving, you may be able to hide from the very issues that God desires to address in your life.

Let me state this again for emphasis. If our initial response to “a season of feeling that we need something more in our lives” is to go and try to find “it” somewhere else – I believe we may be making a very dangerous and unhealthy choice. Instead of moving deeper in our spiritual lives we may actually be choosing a shallow road with a little different scenery. It’s a decision that may miss the Holy Spirit’s calling and work in our lives entirely.

May I suggest that these feelings of angst in our lives are more often than not indicators that Spirit is asking us to go deeper with Him, rather than a gauge to move from your current fellowship. While there is the possibility of growing closer to God in a different setting, people of faith over most of Christian History didn’t have the same options we do today. They had to find ways of walking through these times of spiritual upheaval within their fellowship – seeking help from the people who they had been living life with in the good times. In fact I believe that when you are having feelings of stagnation/dryness, leaving your fellowship should be your last option rather than your first.

I think that before you leave it is vital that you ask yourself some questions:

• What is God trying to say (you may need some help trying to discern this)? Is He calling you to move on?
• What is my responsibility regarding these feelings?
• Does your current church have potential processes to help you grow?
• Are they open to helping you work through the desires God has placed in you?
• How have life situations (work, family, health…) contributed to these feelings?
• Do you assume that “better” means it should be easier?
• How have you contributed to the dryness or lack of hunger for God in your life?
• What things do you believe the church is responsible for in your growth toward maturity?
• In what ways do you believe that the church should be taking responsibility for things that are actually your responsibility?
• In what ways have you tried to engage your current church family for help and guidance?

If you haven’t noticed it already in this article I need to inform you that I have a High Value of commitment to a body of believers. For me it’s not about things being easy or hard. It’s about growing together in Christ. The increasing number of options for fellowship in our culture have allowed us to become people who tend to believe that if we are not getting what we want we can and will find it somewhere else. May I suggest that it’s going to be very difficult to become united (Jn. 17:21-23) and mature if we continually focus on ways of getting our individual needs met.

CHANGE IS SPELLED “O-P-E-N”
There is need for a change – but does it really mean moving to a different venue? I’m concerned that our understanding of change is actually bold-faced consumerism – plain and simple. It suggests that community and perseverance are of little value in the journey of faith. Rather, the change that needs to happen is a deeper seeking of God with the help of those around us. It’s being vulnerable enough to admit that we are dry and empty and in need of a fresh and deeper relationship with God. And that we need the help of our fellow believers to discern the next steps for encouragement and accountability. Let’s not assume that the change required is always about the venue.

I welcome your thoughts knowing that I’ve described only one of a variety of reasons for a change.

The Blessing of Uselessness

I haven’t written anything for some time.  Sorry.  Sometimes my pace of life needs some “slowing” so that I can spend some more time reflecting on what God has been doing in me and around me (believe me He’s working!).

This week I came across an article that really stopped me in terms of how easily I can relate “value” to what I believe I’ve accomplished.  I first saw this article on a weblog (Persecuted Church) but it comes from a book called “The Gospel According to Job” available through Voice of the Martyrs.  It challenges me about how I think concerning the relationship between what I “do” for God and how I “perceive He views me.”  Take a look and let me know what you think.

Uselessness

“Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,
When God’s intimate friendship blessed my house.” (29:4)

Suffering, like the enemy who causes it, is a many-headed beast, and one of the heads is called Uselessness. A sufferer’s existence can seem so pointless, so stagnant and unworthy. Little wonder that Job’s mood in this chapter is one of intense nostalgia as he longs for “the good old days” when not only was he blessed by God, but when God’s blessing enabled him to bless others. Such feelings are perfectly human and understandable. We all want to be useful and productive. But one of the things we learn from the many set-backs of life is that God, in His wisdom, has a use for uselessness. The Lord Himself seems to be fond of standing around and doing nothing. When we imitate Him in this, the Bible calls it “waiting on the Lord.” But just think of how God waits on us! For thousands of years He has waited for mankind to turn to Him. Right now it is just as though He were standing on a street corner outside our home, hands in His pockets, whistling a gospel tune, waiting for us to keep our appointment with Him. Are we too busy with more pressing matters? Being useless, it seems, is not an important enough activity for us, and so we leave it to God.

Of course it is true that, as Jesus taught, “My Father is always working” (John 5:17). But to our human eyes God’s work often looks like idleness. His methods can appear so lackadaisical, so they involve pain on our part. Suffering puts us out of commission (at least from our perspective), so that we can no longer work, no longer contribute, no longer do much of value. Without this intense feeling of uselessness, suffering and even dying might not seem half so bad. Perhaps it is even true that the very soul of suffering is not so much pain itself, in all its forms, as it is the simple humiliation of having all our plans brought to a standstill, the indignity of being made to stop and wait.

How interesting it is that when the Lord appeared to Moses, and later to Joshua, to each of them He said the same thing: “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5; Josh. 5:15). Why should you take off your shoes in the Lord’s presence? Because without shoes you are not going anywhere. You might try to walk, but you will not get very far, especially in the hot sand and sharp rocks of the wilderness. Taking off one’s shoes may not be quite as drastic as cutting off one’s feet, but it amounts to the same thing. Barefootedness means immobilization, and so it is a symbol of submission. Being immobile (in other words, having nothing better to do) is a prerequisite for worship, and worship is the prerequisite for all activity, all service.

Many churches today are eager to mobilize for the Lord, but without paying much attention to the prior and greater work of immobilization. We need to learn how to kick off our shoes and discover that the place where we are standing is holy. When Daniel saw a vision of the Ancient of Days on His throne, “ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.” And what was this multitude doing? Not much. All we are told is that “the court was seated, and the books were opened.” And without anyone moving an inch four powerful empires were destroyed (Dan. 7:10-12). In Heaven, apparently, they know the meaning of the saying, “Don’t just do something—stand there!”

The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, and the soles of their shoes never wore out. Why not? Because they only moved at the Lord’s command. In many ways they were disobedient, but in this one point they were constrained to obey because pillars of cloud and of fire were hanging over them. If today we find our souls (pun intended) wearing out, it may be because we are running around doing a lot of things that the Lord has not told us to do. We want to be fruitful. We want to work for our church and contribute to our society. We want to do something, not simply believe. When circumstances are such that we cannot do anything, we get restless and squirm, and just like Job we think back on our full and productive days and we long to see them return. We long to go back, not just so we can feel good again, but so we can get on with our “real work,” get on with making our contribution.

But listen to the words of Catherine Doherty: “If you want to see what a ‘contribution’ really is, look at the Man on the cross. That’s a contribution. When you are hanging on a cross you cannot do anything because you are crucified.”

I especially like the part of this article where it says “Many churches today are eager to mobilize for the Lord, but without paying much attention to the prior and greater work of immobilization. We need to learn how to kick off our shoes and discover that the place where we are standing is holy.” It is a word to me about how I need to realize that God is present with me in all things.