Broken.
I can think of no other word more appropriate for how I felt after church yesterday.
Studying the Lord's Prayer has been far more challenging than I ever expected. This week we looked at "Give us this day our daily bread," and the implications this has for us as individuals and as a faith community. Note that we are to pray not just for our own needs (Give me this day my daily bread), but for our brothers and sisters as well. Give us...
What does us look like when I have a fridge full of food, a freezer nearly packed full, and the ability to go to a restaurant anytime I want? Furthermore, can I pray with integrity for those who don't know where their next meal is coming from if I am not willing to share from my excess? And what about those two empty beds in the spare room that could give someone shelter for a night? Tough questions.
Our pastor received a letter this week from the director of an orphanage in Zimbabwe that we support. In the letter, the director says:
"We are safe but very much starved as a nation. Today as I came to the office I met ****** ****** ****** (BICC Zimbabwe) standing in a queue of more than 50 people to draw Zimbabwe$50000 that can not buy him a loaf of bread. Jokingly I said to him "****** you need not be here” He retorted "this where the people are I shall be here until my turn come”, of course until the next 49 or so people are cleared before him". I tell you it is not easy here.
Exchange rate : 1US$ = Z$95 000 a loaf of bread cost Z$100 000.
At the bank you can only draw per day Z$50 000.
Salaries of most civil servants is + or - Z$100 000 per month.
God is great you still see people going to work with the hope that one day things will change."
Wow. How am I to respond to that when there is food in my fridge rotting because we bought more than we can use? Acts 2:42-47 talks about how the community of believers sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need...and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. Verses like this leave me with more questions than answers. Questions that keep me up at night. Questions that prevented me from singing I Surrender All at the end of the service.
There are no easy answers to these questions, but then, Jesus never said following him would be easy.
You can hear the entire message here.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
John Bul Dau
If you don't think refugees need or deserve our help, just watch this video of John Bul Dau on The Hour last night.
You can also read this interview with National Geographic.
You can also read this interview with National Geographic.
The Will Of God
I hear a lot of people these days talking about the will of God, as in...
"You lost your job? Well, just pray for God to show you His will for a new direction."
Sounds great doesn't it? Just sit tight because God has a specific new direction He's taking you in and you don't want to miss out on it. I've had a hard time responding to this kind of statement but have been unable to really put into words as to why until today. Our church has been going through a series on the Lord's Prayer; this week we are up to "Your will be done..."
The message our lead pastor gave on Sunday (listen here) confirmed something I had been thinking about for quite some time: God may not have a specific will for each and every person on the planet. In fact, I would argue that the will of God is perhaps far more broad than we realize and has far less to do with our personal happiness than we realize too.
I do believe particular people are called to a specific life (can you imagine Billy Graham working in an accounting office?), however, most of us can be "in the will of God" regardless of where we live or what career path we are in.
And what is that will? To be the hands of feet of Jesus wherever I am...proactively love my neighbours, help new Canadians learn english, support an orphanage in Africa, speak out on behalf of the oppressed...the list is endless. Ultimately, I can do God's will no matter where I am. Sure, I'd like to find a job where I am happy, where I can pursue my passions and find fulfillment, but in reality, that has very little to do with the will of God. I can still do the will of God working in a marketing office or on an assembly line, scrubbing floors or marking term papers...or even being unemployed.
So while my job hunt continues, my anxiety at making the right decision to ensure I am in God's will is gone. I'll find the right job soon enough, but in the meantime, I'll just keep on striving to do God's will regardless of where I am.
"You lost your job? Well, just pray for God to show you His will for a new direction."
Sounds great doesn't it? Just sit tight because God has a specific new direction He's taking you in and you don't want to miss out on it. I've had a hard time responding to this kind of statement but have been unable to really put into words as to why until today. Our church has been going through a series on the Lord's Prayer; this week we are up to "Your will be done..."
The message our lead pastor gave on Sunday (listen here) confirmed something I had been thinking about for quite some time: God may not have a specific will for each and every person on the planet. In fact, I would argue that the will of God is perhaps far more broad than we realize and has far less to do with our personal happiness than we realize too.
I do believe particular people are called to a specific life (can you imagine Billy Graham working in an accounting office?), however, most of us can be "in the will of God" regardless of where we live or what career path we are in.
And what is that will? To be the hands of feet of Jesus wherever I am...proactively love my neighbours, help new Canadians learn english, support an orphanage in Africa, speak out on behalf of the oppressed...the list is endless. Ultimately, I can do God's will no matter where I am. Sure, I'd like to find a job where I am happy, where I can pursue my passions and find fulfillment, but in reality, that has very little to do with the will of God. I can still do the will of God working in a marketing office or on an assembly line, scrubbing floors or marking term papers...or even being unemployed.
So while my job hunt continues, my anxiety at making the right decision to ensure I am in God's will is gone. I'll find the right job soon enough, but in the meantime, I'll just keep on striving to do God's will regardless of where I am.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Ride For Refugees
We had a great time on Saturday volunteering for the Kitchener-Waterloo Ride for Refugees at one of the rest stops along the route. Over 1600 people participated across the country with 920 of those on the K-W ride. Over $600,000 was raised to support refugee and immigrant services provided through International Teams!
Watch this year's promo video:
Watch this year's promo video:
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Things To Do In Denver
Last time I was in Denver (my favorite American city), I took a whack of photos and posted them to Flickr. Out of the blue I received an email last month saying I was a finalist for the Denver edition of Schmap, an interactive online guide to some of the world's biggest and brightest cities. Well, the results are in and I'm a winner! I don't consider it a great photo, but if it's good enough for the Schmap folks, it's good enough for me. Click here to see my photo of the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Denver.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
I Am A Christian
I saw the following poem attributed to Maya Angelou posted on someone's desk at church the other day. As it turnes out, the poem is not actually written by Maya Angelou but by Carol Wimmer (see Snopes for more info) but the sentiment it communicates is bang on. Being a Christian does not mean I am strong or better than other people but that I am weak and need God to see me through.
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it
When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name
When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved
Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught
When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it
When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name
When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved
Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Quote of the Day
I'm reading The Rabbi's Heartbeat by Brennan Manning and just had to share this amazing quote:
Our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh when we learn where others weep. (pg. 55)
Wow. As always, Manning says far more eloquently than I ever could how important it is to put ourselves in someone else's shoes before casting the first stone.
Our hearts of stone become hearts of flesh when we learn where others weep. (pg. 55)
Wow. As always, Manning says far more eloquently than I ever could how important it is to put ourselves in someone else's shoes before casting the first stone.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
We Are Not Doing Enough
I've been reading quite a bit today on how the world is doing in meeting the UN's Millenium Development Goals that were established in 2000. If you are not familiar with them, the goals are:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria, and other disease.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
As we have now reached the half-way point, various reports have been issued examining just how successful we have been in meeting these goals. Great strides have been made in reducing child mortality, the number of people living in extreme poverty has been reduced by 130 million, overall incomes have increased as has life expectancy. While there has been some very encouraging progress made, it would appear that the progress has been far from uniform as the growth in some countries has far outweighed the growth in others (See the UN Millennium Project website for more information.)
More troubling is the failure of the G8 nations to live up to their commitment to double their aid to struggling nations by 2010. According to World Vision's ChildView Magazine, the world's richest countries are only 14% of the way toward meeting that goal. With the recent economic turbulence around the globe, it is unlikely that we'll see much progress made until world markets stabilize again.
As I read an article on global poverty in The Link & Visitor, a Canadian Baptist Women's magazine, one line in particular jumped out at me: "Clearly, we are not doing enough." Will we ever do enough? Can we ever meet even one of the millennium development goals? Will we ever see a day when no man, woman, or child has to beg for food? It would seem to me that the human race has been dedicating itself to these issues for a very long time, and while the MDG's have made a significant impact, as has the work of everyone from field workers "in the trenches" to celebrity spokespeople, I don't know that it is "enough" or that we will ever do "enough." All of our efforts, all of our awareness campaigns, all of our pleas to feed the world will fall short without a fundamental change in the human heart.
Frankly, we cannot force people to care about their neighbours, to share from their own wealth, to do all they can to improve the lives of others, without mercy and compassion being planted deep in the heart. And I know of no other way to do that then to introduce people to Jesus and the love that He offers. All of our human efforts will eventually fail, but with a heart full of compassion, those who ask the question "who is my neighbour" will eventually be led to the answer found in the parable of the good samaritan:
"Now which of these three would you say was a neighbour to the man who was attacked by bandits?" The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same." (Luke 10: 36-37)
May we who call ourselves Jesus followers not fail to demonstrate what it means to be good neighbours, whether they are next door or on the other side of the globe.
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Achieve universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV and AIDS, malaria, and other disease.
7. Ensure environmental sustainability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
As we have now reached the half-way point, various reports have been issued examining just how successful we have been in meeting these goals. Great strides have been made in reducing child mortality, the number of people living in extreme poverty has been reduced by 130 million, overall incomes have increased as has life expectancy. While there has been some very encouraging progress made, it would appear that the progress has been far from uniform as the growth in some countries has far outweighed the growth in others (See the UN Millennium Project website for more information.)
More troubling is the failure of the G8 nations to live up to their commitment to double their aid to struggling nations by 2010. According to World Vision's ChildView Magazine, the world's richest countries are only 14% of the way toward meeting that goal. With the recent economic turbulence around the globe, it is unlikely that we'll see much progress made until world markets stabilize again.
As I read an article on global poverty in The Link & Visitor, a Canadian Baptist Women's magazine, one line in particular jumped out at me: "Clearly, we are not doing enough." Will we ever do enough? Can we ever meet even one of the millennium development goals? Will we ever see a day when no man, woman, or child has to beg for food? It would seem to me that the human race has been dedicating itself to these issues for a very long time, and while the MDG's have made a significant impact, as has the work of everyone from field workers "in the trenches" to celebrity spokespeople, I don't know that it is "enough" or that we will ever do "enough." All of our efforts, all of our awareness campaigns, all of our pleas to feed the world will fall short without a fundamental change in the human heart.
Frankly, we cannot force people to care about their neighbours, to share from their own wealth, to do all they can to improve the lives of others, without mercy and compassion being planted deep in the heart. And I know of no other way to do that then to introduce people to Jesus and the love that He offers. All of our human efforts will eventually fail, but with a heart full of compassion, those who ask the question "who is my neighbour" will eventually be led to the answer found in the parable of the good samaritan:
"Now which of these three would you say was a neighbour to the man who was attacked by bandits?" The man replied, "The one who showed him mercy." Then Jesus said, "Yes, now go and do the same." (Luke 10: 36-37)
May we who call ourselves Jesus followers not fail to demonstrate what it means to be good neighbours, whether they are next door or on the other side of the globe.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Jesus Is My Friend
Sure, this video seems to be making the rounds of late, but it's the funniest thing I've seen in a long, long time. Zap!
And if you're really a fan, you can download the whole Sonseed album here.
And if you're really a fan, you can download the whole Sonseed album here.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Politics
A few quick thoughts I just posted at Christianity Today...
As I read the comments on here, a great deal of them remind me of why I question the level of involvement Christians should have in politics.
By their very nature, political campaigns are divisive, pulling apart families, communities, and the church. Yes, it is important to vote for the candidate and party which you feel most aligns with your personal convictions, but it is MORE important to maintain unity within the body of Christ and within the community at large. For this very reason I do not ever put a political campaign sign on my lawn for fear it will isolate me from my non-Christian neighbours. It's more important that they know Christ than that they vote for the 'right' party. And if my support of one side or the other becomes a stumbling block, then I have put my politics ahead of my faith instead of being all things to all people.
I've wanted to blog about this for a while and hope to delve into the question more deeply very soon.
As I read the comments on here, a great deal of them remind me of why I question the level of involvement Christians should have in politics.
By their very nature, political campaigns are divisive, pulling apart families, communities, and the church. Yes, it is important to vote for the candidate and party which you feel most aligns with your personal convictions, but it is MORE important to maintain unity within the body of Christ and within the community at large. For this very reason I do not ever put a political campaign sign on my lawn for fear it will isolate me from my non-Christian neighbours. It's more important that they know Christ than that they vote for the 'right' party. And if my support of one side or the other becomes a stumbling block, then I have put my politics ahead of my faith instead of being all things to all people.
I've wanted to blog about this for a while and hope to delve into the question more deeply very soon.
Monday, August 04, 2008
An Intuitive Sense of Reality
Reading an online post today by Philip Yancey describing how he was drawn "kicking and screaming" into the Kingdom of God by reading C.S. Lewis, much in the same way Lewis himself was. What I found particularly fascinating was this quote from William James that Yancey cited:
"… in the metaphysical and religious sphere, articulate reasons are cogent for us only when our inarticulate feelings of reality have already been impressed in favor of the same conclusion."
As Yancey then goes on to state, "In other words, we rarely accept a logical argument unless it fits an intuitive sense of reality."
An intuitive sense of reality...that's a phrase I've been searching for, for a very long time. Despite periods of doubt or questioning, my intuitive sense is that there is more. More than just here, more than just now, more to call "home" than what we now know. In a sense, I think we are all longing for home. Not just a nice house in the suburbs, but our real home where we will be loved unconditionally, and all of our fighting against the darkness of the world around us and the world within us will cease.
I'm looking forward to being home.
Home... I can't say where it is but I know I'm going home...that's where the heart is. (U2, Walk On)
To read the complete article, click HERE.
"… in the metaphysical and religious sphere, articulate reasons are cogent for us only when our inarticulate feelings of reality have already been impressed in favor of the same conclusion."
As Yancey then goes on to state, "In other words, we rarely accept a logical argument unless it fits an intuitive sense of reality."
An intuitive sense of reality...that's a phrase I've been searching for, for a very long time. Despite periods of doubt or questioning, my intuitive sense is that there is more. More than just here, more than just now, more to call "home" than what we now know. In a sense, I think we are all longing for home. Not just a nice house in the suburbs, but our real home where we will be loved unconditionally, and all of our fighting against the darkness of the world around us and the world within us will cease.
I'm looking forward to being home.
Home... I can't say where it is but I know I'm going home...that's where the heart is. (U2, Walk On)
To read the complete article, click HERE.
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