I love my boys!

Jake was telling me about his prayer a couple of nights ago and how he was praying for a family in our community who was going through a tough time as the result of a hit & run DUI that killed a woman. He went on to say that he prayed for the Penguins (his team) to beat the Flyers (my team).

I said, "Jake, do you think God cares about hockey & who wins the cup?"
He said, "No, but I know He cares about me & I care about hockey & who wins the cup."

Geez, I wish I had the faith insight & God capacity that I once had as a kid.

*** *** *** *** ***

Joel & I were heading into the Y to volunteer tonight when he saw a couple of high school kids dressed in football gear heading to or from a game/practice.

Joel said, "When I grow up I'm going to either be a football player, hockey player or a coal miner."
I said, "Joel, do people still coal mine?"
He said, "Oh yeah! They make like one thousand seven hundred dollars a year!

I'm not sure which book & from which era he had taken his research but to him it seems like a good paying job!

Top Shelf

Jake got his first goal of the soccer season yesterday as he received a pass, went in on the left side of the goal and kicked the ball over the keepers head into the top left corner of the net! His team went on to win their first game of the season 5-2!

We're very proud of Jake, he's doing great in his first season of an organized sport (I'm still trying to figure out all the rules of soccer)!

From a Distance

Life is full but God seems far. He says He's not but I'm not feelin' Him.

I tried to have a conversation with Him about it this morning but, as so often, He didn't say anything.

I spoke at a friend's church in Cochrane this morning so I had 45 minutes each way to hear from "Abba". Nothin'.

How much time does He need!?!

Like the mind of one who's grown up in the church, my mind told me that I need to read my Bible to hear...right.

Shouldn't the God who creatively spoke the galaxy & the mosquito into existence be creative enough to speak to me without me doing the work of looking into a book that sometimes comes across as repetitive, stale and uncomprehendable!?!

I'm at a loss for words - I wish He had some.

Post #150

Had dinner with Darrell, our friend from the Halifax/Dartmouth days on Wednesday night. It was great to catch up. We hadn't spent time together since 1999 when he came to visit in Bermuda.

Found out on Thursday that a girl I work with is getting married by a mutual good friend who will be visiting Calgary on the May long weekend to do the wedding!

Thursday night Berkley & I met up with a new friend, Eric as we moshed it up at the As I Lay Dying show. August Burns Red also played and kicked ace. The venue was small & tight - Berk & I threw a few guys up to crowd surf - it was a good time!

Came home Thursday night & had a short visit with Karen, another visiting friend before Leslie left @ 1 a.m. to take her back to her hotel for an early morning flight. I got to sleep at 1:30 a.m. and got up three hours later for an opening shift.

Friday I carried burdened thoughts over a friend in ministry. I fear there are those in pivotal positions of leadership within my denomination that are concerned more with the brand & distinctives of the denomination than they are with Jesus & His non-conformist creativity. I'm not puzzled and questioning why youth are leaving our denomination - I think it's obvious. More to follow... ..

Friday night hockey with Joel...Saturday morning Soccer with Jake...Saturday evening hockey with Joel...THE FLYERS KICKED MONTREAL'S ASS & OUSTED THEM FROM THE PLAYOFFS - BOOYA!!!

Winding down with a wee post..

Mature Choice

Picked this tidbit up at work this morning:

Growing old is mandatory,

Growing up is a choice.

~Unknown

Life is full

I thought I'd squeeze in a post or two in what has been a very full few days (with little breathing room on the horizon).

sup?

• Early 4:41 am starts (the last 2 months, this early rise has been a big deal for me)
• A second ministry proposal due for Toronto
• An article due early May (which is taking time now)
• Speaking at a buddy's church this weekend
• Volunteering at the Y tonight
• A conference call tomorrow night
• Jake's first soccer game on Tuesday night
• A network of house church planters in Red Deer on Wednesday lunch
• Dinner with an old pal on Wednesday night
• As I Lay Dying with Berkley & a new bud on Thursday night
• My part in a prayer manifesto is due on Friday
• Social w/hockey parents on Saturday night
• Two years ago I contributed to a book I wasn't sure would ever come to be - I found out today (as I was sent a copy to look over) that it will be going to print very soon!
• Of course, watching my Flyers get in the heads of the Habs
• Just finished Head's book - what an incredible man & story

Good times - please forgive my lack of posting!

Jesus of Suburbia - Jamie's comment

Jamie made a comment on my previous post - his comment is worthy of a stand alone post especially if there may be those that skip comments and could miss it...

As someone who lives and serves in an inner city community, I couldn't agree with you more. I am a very strong advocate for increased Christian involvement in the inner city, but only because that it the context to which I am called and can see the need. However, I am not blind the broader needs.

I have said it many times before, but it is worth saying again: Suburbia is a far more challenging context in which to be truly missional than the inner city in so many ways. While the problems in the inner city are many, they are also largely out in the open for many to see. Further, because so few Christians genuinely engage the community missionally, there is a freedom to explore and experiment with creative ways of serving God and our neighbours.

In suburbia the culture of respectability and privacy means that the very real problems are often hidden behind a veneer of manicured lawns and smiling faces. Further, the culture is less forgiving about innovation in ministry. All this to say that, while many people pat me on the back for living and working in the inner city, my heroes are those who genuinely contend with the culture of suburbia for Christ without abandoning it or compromising within it.

Great comment Jamie!

Jesus of Suburbia

If you haven't heard, our community found out early yesterday evening that someone was found dead in their home between 4 & 6 p.m. that same day. The home is literally a hop, skip & jump from where I live.

As details unfolded today the woman found dead was strangled to death and it's a good possibility it was her husband who did it. It's sketchy but it sounds as though following the killing of his wife he drove out on the highway and took his own life as he drove into oncoming traffic.

Sad but not surprising. Prior to watching the 11 p.m. news last night I joked that people would be saying, "I can't believe it!" "I'm shocked." "Not in our quiet community, others but not ours." "They were good people, quiet, kept to themselves."

Sometimes in the church we're led to believe that real problems & real ministry happens where the obvious, visible issues are - downtown, inner city among the down & out ("that's where Jesus would be"). I don't dispute that there are some real needs among the homeless & the substance addicted, those people are close to Jesus' heart & He would be found among those marginalized. I know too that the greater church community has far too long been much too comfortable, complacent and neglectful of the less fortunate.

That said, there are issues in suburbia. Issues of: substance abuse and addiction, pornography addiction, debt, uncontrolled rage, many kinds of abuse, not the least of which is domestic violence - and the list continues. Add to that single parents, both male & female (but mostly single moms), attempting to raise healthy children without support. Plus the overwhelming sense of loneliness & isolation that many feel especially in a city like Calgary where many have left the comfort of close family support in other parts of the country to seek employment in a city & province bursting with opportunity.

Suburbia has issues that are close to Jesus' heart too. I believe you'd also find him here pulling up a chair at the table in the home of someone in Bridlewood.

The church isn't doing so well in Suburbia either. We live next door to people we don't even bother getting to know. Church is something we do on Sunday & we drive to get to it - away from real life in our immediate community and into the little 'once a week' compartment we've reserved for God, church & something we refer to as ministry.

There's a bigger world out there people. Someone in your neighbourhood needs a friend as much as you do - give it a whirl!

As I call it...

The Flyers owned Montreal tonight, playing very well and providing every assurance that they can win this series.

What happened?

Here's what I saw:

1) an obvious high stick on a goal that the refs chose to count instead of calling it truthfully as a high stick (probably for fear of not getting out of Montreal in one piece).

2) a bogus call with 1:05 left in the third period that put Montreal on the power play (six on four) in the dying seconds. It was neither a kneeing infraction nor a tripping infraction (as was called). Richards put his shoulder into the Montreal player, there was no kneeing motion. And, who calls a penalty in the last minute of a playoff game?

On another note, Bell Centre fans are rude, disrespectful & ignorant. They boo during the U.S. anthem, they boo opposing team super stars, they boo the home team when they are displeased and what's with showering the opposing team with beer when he's helplessly in the penalty box?

What a bunch of clowns!

On the iPod

I have 3500 songs on my iPod, 1 book, a dozen podcasts, 20 talks, pics - and still, it's not even 25% full! Amazing, I love it!

Getting lots of play in the buds lately is SOAD's "Mezmerize" - it has to be one of the best recordings of all time. P.O.D.'s new album is delish as well with the return of original guitarist Marcus Curiel.

I'm getting really stoked about heading to the As I Lay Dying show next week. I saw them a couple of years back at the dome & they were awesome. This time around it will be a smaller venue which always makes for a better show with this kinda band. All of their stuff is getting it's fair share of play also. Good stuff - yeah!

Most Dedicated Player

Joel's hockey team had a wind up party over the weekend that I missed. Joel received highest honors on his team, the "most dedicated player" award! I'm so proud of him for working so hard every game. He had great hockey sense for his age - he seems to know where his teammates are and is very unselfish with the puck as he is a great passer. He skates hard, plays his best and comes off the ice every time with wet hockey hair - the sign of a hard worker!

Congrats Joel - bring on Atom!

In action!

Check out the practice jersey (unfortunately he's switched to Penguins).

What's important?

Sylvan's Request

"Will you color with me?" asked Sylvan.

"Not right now, I'm going to go do..."

something important.

I went to do something I needed to do, didn't I?

Oh no.

What a glorious invitation I passed on today.

I could have colored!

I never color anymore.

I saw I wasn't good at coloring, so I stopped.

Growing up is dangerous like that.

It's so easy to forget that playing isn't competing,

so easy to confuse the serious with the important

or the skillful with the valuable.

Sylvan wanted to color while Leo played in a cardboard box

and Violette carefully balanced a pillow on her head.

How silly they are.

How wonderfully, worshipfully, beautifully silly!

But me?

Well, I had to do something important.

~Nathan Bubna

I almost passed on an opportunity to play ping pong with a kid while volunteering on Monday night. I had already played ping pong with this kid and he left the family center for what I thought was the night. I picked up a book and started reading and then he showed up again about fifteen minutes later wanted to play again. I said, "I'm going to read for a bit." Then I took a look across the room at the kid having to sit there and watch the kids on the ddr. I felt bad and decided to take him up on the game. I kicked his butt!

Kids are worth putting time into. Sometimes we may think we have better things to do. More often than not that may even be true. But when we consider the privilege of being invited while they are still interested in playing with us...that's priceless.

4 & 0!!!

We were in Edmonton this weekend for Joel's final hockey tournament of the season. The team played unbelievably winning all four of their games: 11-7; 9-1; 7-1; 9-1!

Congrats Bullets!

After a slow start in the early part of the season the team began playing as a team - working together, communicating, passing the puck, great defense (puck off the boards & out), great goaltending - and it was obvious in the results.

Great job coaches!

Joel got the hard hat in the first game with 3 goals 2 assissts! He had 9 goals & 8 assissts in four games for the tournament! He also had a penalty for his Gordie Howe hat trick in the third game!

Booya Joel!

(Pics to follow)

Predators & Porn

I was invited last night to travel to Red Deer & deliver a speak on porn.

Porn is a topic that catches & keeps peoples attention while at the same time causing them to squirm. It's an issue not spoken of enough in the church yet it is has a huge hold in the lives of church people, including pastors.

Each time I talk about porn is an opportunity to speak to internet safety. I have three young kids of my own & a parent can never be too safe. Worse still is to be naive in thinking "my kids don't have a clue about porn". Stats say that 9 in 10 kids 8-16 years old have experienced porn at least once usually by accident while doing homework.

Here are some resources to check out:

Resources, stats, help - xxxchurch.com
Free accountability software - x3watch
Inexpensive filter - safe eyes
Addiction help - pureonline
For Parents - safe families

No Dr. Pepper for Slash

Rolling Stone says, "While we all wait endlessly for Axl Rose to release the long-delayed Chinese Democracy, the makers of Dr. Pepper are being proactive. The soft drink announced they will provide a free can of the soda to everyone in the U.S. if the album drops this year. “It took a little patience for us to perfect Dr Pepper’s special mix of 23ingredients, so we completely understand and empathize with Axl’s [quest] for the perfect album,” said a Dr. Pepper spokesperson."

And here, "Axl Rose has responded to Dr. Pepper’s offer to give everyone (except Slash and guitarist Buckethead) a free can of soda if Guns n’ Roses finally release the long-awaited Chinese Democracy this year. In a press release, Rose says, “We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr. Pepper with our album Chinese Democracy, as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time. And as some of Buckethead’s performances are on our album, I’ll share my Dr. Pepper with him.” Slash will still have to buy a can, apparently. Still, we don’t think we’ll be hearing Democracy anytime soon, unless Gn’R goes all Raconteurs on us."

Anne Rice

Jamie recently had opportunity to interview Anne Rice on his blog:

Jamie: From your years of living outside of the church, especially given the genres you most commonly wrote, I am sure you have faced your fair share of "critique" at the hands of Christians. what advice can you give Christians about how we can better love our neighbours outside the church?

Anne: Loving our neighbors and our enemies is the core of the Sermon on the Mount, the core of Christianity and I think we have to approach our critics, both Christian and atheist, with immense patience. We have to demonstrate that we are Christians by being people who know how to love. Love trumps judgment. Our Lord will do the judging. Satan does the accusing.

We have to regain our credibility as people who know how to love in the name of the Lord. And some times our worst test comes from another Christian. Again, we must forgive, and love, and reach out to all. I think many people despise us because they don't think we follow the commands of our founder. They don't think we love others. This is tragic. To love all is one of the hardest things we have to learn how to do. And we must never give up trying. Christ's most radical demand is that we love all in His name.

Continue Reading...

Redemption

There is hope.

I know I'm a better parent than my parents were to me. My saying that is not disrespectful arrogance. I expect my kids to take the parenting they've received from me and be a better parent than I was to them. Take the helpful while leaving the not so helpful.

Beating a child is never acceptable. I don't care if that is how you were parented; I don't care if that's all you know from your experience as a child; I don't care if that was the generation you came from (and you use the excuse that it was more acceptable). It's not acceptable in any generation, in any culture, in any situation to beat a child.

Someone has to be man or woman enough to say, regardless of how I was parented, how my child acts, or what my experience has been or whether or not my generation/culture deems it acceptable - it is not acceptable to me & I will not abuse my child(ren) in that way.

Be man or woman enough to end the violence!

TGFS

easter atonement theologies

thursday

is for friends,

honestly. OK, honestly betraying, honestly bad praying, honestly

take, eat,

this is my body

(atonement in community)

friday,

is for Passover,

liberation rescues us

crossing seascape, crossing sandscape

Kingdom coming

(atonement as liberator)

saturday

is for pain,

honestly. In, Darfur and in child abuse, God why have you

abandoned me, him, them

gone God

while innocents die

(atonement as crucified God)

Thank God for Sunday - Resurrection, new life & an invitation to partner in God's redemption strategy!

More than Personal Salvation

Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who's there

~ Depeche Mode

Remade recently by Johnny Cash & Marilyn Manson, Personal Jesus is a song originally by Depeche Mode. However, the thought process is one that dates back to the 19th century when revivalists like Charles Finney, D.L. Moody & Charles Fuller introduced the mercy seat, altar call & the invitation to accept a personal saviour.

Though I believe I recognize something of the intent, I see two issues with the invitation to accept a personal saviour:

1) Short sighting God's eternal purposes for humanity. Surely God has greater plans for humanity than just redeeming/saving individuals. Add to this the pressure of the eschaton and you miss out on the beauty of friendship & journeying together with someone respective of God's timing. Potential friends become potential kingdom projects and that's wrong. Have we forgotten to befriend someone for sheer companionship & enjoyment?

The first plays into the second:

2) Stunting the expansion of Jesus' Kingdom through individualistic ritual. If we focus on Jesus as a personal saviour we miss out on the deeper meaning of relationship as exemplified between Father & Son; and also, Father, Son & adopted sons & daughters (you & me). Salvation is meant to be an enjoyed corporate relationship among friends who share in Jesus life together while inviting others into that community!

I'm not saying Jesus doesn't want to redeem people. Nor am I saying evangelism is unimportant. Jesus does want to redeem & evangelism is important. However, God has so much more planned for the redeemed and it includes what He died for in the here & now! As well, when we focus on Jesus instead of evangelism, our methods & outlook will more accurately resemble the early church instead of stale religious obligation.

Cockburn

To be held in the heart of a friend is to be a king ~Bruce Cockburn

A great lyric.

I'm thinking of Leslie today & I feel like a king.

I hope you are held in the heart of a friend.

Think fondly & thankfully of those who love you today.