Now is the time...

Since birthing our small group into three separate groups in January, the one that Yvonne and I lead hit 15 people last night! It’s absolutely amazing how God has wired us all to long for life in community and yearn for truth in our lives.

We continued our study through the Scriptures in James. Our encouraging verse for the night was “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishe" (James 4:14) We discussed how we devalue the time that God gives us. How from God’s perspective there are no unimportant moments in our life. Every moment must be treated as sacred. We all have dreams and visions, but the challenge is not letting the future cripple us and allowing the future to rob us of the God-ordained present moment that we do have.

Is it possible that some of us keep ourselves so busy with knowing more about what God’s will is in our lives – just to avoid doing what we already know is on God’s heart?

It is finished...

I’ve finally completed my last major paper. Here it is, on missiological ecclesiology. I have no idea what that really means either, but it sure sounds cool. I stumbled along two excellent books in my research. Spontaneous Expansion of the Church by Roland Allen (Which Alex McManus had also recommended reading) and Shaped by God’s Heart by Milfred Minatrea. Underneath all the boring systematic theology and research, the gist of the paper was arguing for the necessity of a missional church, anything less being unbiblical.

In other important news the pope passed away and I bought a playstation2. What a wretched person I am. I’m sure there’s enough commentary bombarding media and the web regarding the pope. But for the record, from the little that I do know of him, he rocked. His ecumenical push, continued boat-rocking in reforming the papacy, and humanitarian voice has been a blessing to this planet. We discussed in class last night, how he refused to relinquish the papacy, not out of pride, but to show the world an example of a life refusing to rest. That even in his frailty God could use him. This reminds me of when Augustine declared, “My heart will not rest until I rest in Thee’.

So the Lord led me to buy the ps2… yeah right. It was actually the completion of a long unfulfilled boyhood dream of owning a game system. Yvonne really wanted the “Karaoke Revolution” games, and that helped pushed the decision over. Now if only I could come up with a way to use this for ministry purposes…

Here’s a secret. I’ve never been a very special person. I was born as ordinary as it gets. Embarrassed even of the name that I was given. I lived with mediocrity by finding a way to be the best at it. But something changed along the way.

Today, I stand amazed at the things that I have accomplished, the risks that I have taken, and the dreams and passions that burn within me. They are a direct result of the love of God working through the people around me. Whatever hint of goodness and greatness that I’ve discovered within my soul is because people inspired it out of me. None of it was my own doing. I am so very thankful to the countless people who have prayed for me, encouraged me, and told me that 'with God I could do it', both people that have been close and those who have reached me from a distance. I’ve never lived a life deserving these gifts, wonders, and precious relationships, and now I find myself with them in abundance.

This morning I woke up with a single phrase echoing in my head. I'm awake! The Lord must want me to live today!

Chasing lights in the dark

It's been an incredible journey the last while, I haven't had time to post. Which is great in a way, since for the most part we really should be more busy living than busy writing about living. Some amazing interactions the last week with different people, spoke at a workshop for Teen’s Conference, completed some long overdue goals, wrapping up an online class with Erwin and Alex McManus this week, and knee deep in papers again.

Some solid updates coming soon. I think God likes working in the dark...

Faith...

This week our small group continued our journey through the scriptures, stopping over at James 2:14-26, the popular faith and works passage. What is amazing about James is the way he bluntly hammers out the truth, breaking out the type of faith that Jesus actually died for.

So often, faith is equated with an emotional experience. That if we just work up the emotional excitement and feel passionately about it, then we have faith. Or on the flipside we reduce what the scriptures mean by faith into merely being informed or believing the right stuff about God. Although our feelings and our understandings regarding God are highly affected by what faith is, they fall short of what God really intends by faith.

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he replied that it was to love God and to love others. It wasn’t because Jesus couldn’t count and responded with two commandments, it was because he was conveying that that the two were dynamically inseparable. A faith in God must be translated into actions specifically in relationship to other people.

It’s a generalization, but I can tell what people believe by what I see. When confronted with statements like that, our souls cry out because we do not think people see all of who we really are. They do not understand the great intentions and the passions that are bubbling beneath the surface. The truth is that God only counts what we truly believe, by what emerges out of our lives as an expression of worship to him.

James thrusts what we casually express as faith to another echelon. Faith at its most base level is one that is rendered into action. When James says, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:18). He almost taunts us, challenging us that the reality of our faith only exists in our actions.

There are many things that I can profess that I have faith in, but if these invisible declarations are not translated into a visible reality they are worthless before a God who sees faith as inextricably tied to my actions. God does not call us to work for our salvation, but to “work out our salvation” (Philippians 2:12) through living out our faith.
Faith is trusting in a God who does not just deposit his Holy Spirit, that it may be internally housed within us, but that unleashes it to impact every realm of our lives.

Faith demands risk. We diminish faith to trusting in a God who is great and sitting on our hands, when faith must include trusting in a God who dares us to move and accomplish the great things that are on His heart. What do I really believe…?

Lesser desires / a PhD in Erwin

Our economy is driven by keeping the average person discontent. Marketers and advertisers are tasked with creating in us a dissastifaction for what we have, or at the very least, a nagging desire for what we do not need.

There are so many things that I want. I have longings that I could have sworn were there since the day I was born, and now simply piqued as I am validated by the purchases of others around me and as 'reasonable' prices dangle before me.

The sad truth is that much of these desires were put there by someone else. A stranger that has no idea who I am and sees me only as a contributor to their agenda. I feel violated just thinking about it. The genius is that the world that surrounds us crams these yearnings so deep into our hearts and minds that we think we came up with them ourselves.

How many of us have pursued things that we think might bring freedom only to have become enslaved by them? We have not only bought into the propaganda, we sponsor it from the deepest places within us.

In my moments of clarity, there is no price tag to what truly brings freedom. Beneath the layers of the things that we are told we want, there are even deeper passions in the fabric of our being, deposited by our Maker. Passions that we have spent our lives ignoring because they seemed too wonderful to ever be fulfilled. A burning in our souls that almost demands genuine love, meaning, and destiny to truly live this life as it was intended. I am discovering all of this in Jesus.

May we not settle for lesser desires. May we discover our God-given passions and a life worth living.

---

I once heard Erwin McManus talk about how he was speaking at a seminary and they introduced him as Dr. Erwin even though he didn't have a degree. He felt that it was because the religious leaders could not tolerate having a less educated person teaching them about the ways of God.

It appears that Erwin has started his own Doctoral program sponsored by Bethel Seminary. It's a 3-year program on “Creating an Entrepreneurial Ethos, Developing the Art of Improvisation, and Discipling Innovation”. What else would you expect? Besides the personal mentoring, it also involves publishing a book as a cohort. Even more interesting, in the prospectus is Erwin's list of resources and emerging churches that participants are to research.

Better get in before it becomes institutionalized.

Back from Yurting...

I just figured out how to make a photoset in Flickr. A few more pictures here.

Also, many more pictures, from Ray, a much better photographer here

Beautiful...

Niagara falls was beautiful... not so much the breath-taking waterfalls crashing down, but the excellent time away with even more excellent company.

This weekend we're going yurting. I've never heard of it either. Leave it to crazy Canadians to trying to find creative ways to have fun in the winter.

Our new small group community met up last night, we've been slowing making our way through James. Discussing through the section on favoritism reminded me of a conviction that came to me during the Christmas holidays last year.

It's something that happens often to all of us i'm sure. I was walking with family and passed an owner and their dog. We immediately gathered around the cute little animal and started playing with it, but I accidentally locked eyes with the owner. Right then, it shuddered through my soul, how my heart went out more to a dog then the human being right next to it. We subtly devalue people. We do it when we see babies all the time as well. Maybe because we've been hurt too often by big people, or we know that dogs and babies won't judge us. But in fact, it's we who've judged others.

Our judgements and assumptions of people are intricately tied to the way we treat them. I sometimes ignore people because I see them as less than that. Less than God's wonderfully divine creation. Less than the broken image of God longing to be restored. Less than beautiful. Maybe we'd act differently if that was the only judgement we make as we encounter the world.

Profiling...

I love this image, pulled off of leadershipvision - Despite being cramped on a moving train - not allowing circumstances in life to dictate the person you were designed to be and the impact that you can create.

I just finished taking The Gallup Organization's Strength's Finder (You need to purchase one of their resources in order to get the code to take the test). My major themes are - Futuristic, Connectedness, Woo, Includer, and Ideation.

For Myers-Briggs Type Indicator I am an ENFP. I've taken at least a half-dozen spiritual gift tests (More tests, tests, and tests) over the years, my recurring gifts seem to be Encouragement, Pastor/Sheppard, Teaching... Administration is also somewhere in there for some reason, but I don't believe it.

With all this though, nothing comes close to what I've learned about myself through my journey with God and life with my wife. This weekend I'm off to take my bride to Niagara Falls...

New Template...

Co-inciding with the converging dates in history, i've decided to redesigned the site template... that and the old site was getting old... This was my first time delving this deep into html. This is what I came up with after copying off other sites and with plenty of trial and error.

I'm really liking Google Maps. Here's a list of churches in my block, none of which I go to. How odd.

Here's someone having a bit too much fun with a webcam.

After years of my life savings sitting in my bank account, i'll finally be seeing a financial advisor today. Hooray.

Randoms...

Two new messages out of Mosaic. This one is classic Erwin, as they launch a series on the Barbarian way, coinciding with the new book. This second one I found particularly interesting because it was very pastoral, addressing only their leadership staff. Sounds like God's blessing them with 20 acres. I pray they don't ever settle and that this really is going to be a platform for the city.

Interesting article on worship as evangelism here.

Just started perusing through Follow the Rabbi with Ray Vander Laan, a follower of Jesus who decided to take Jewish studies at Yeshiva University. I had heard that when he went there in the 80s there wasn't a single person who didn't have the entire OT memorized. His ministry has really helped put context into the Jewish world the Jesus entered. Rob Bell seems to get a lot of his material from here as well.

National Church Planting Congress coming to Toronto in November. I'll be there for sure. Any joiners?

House Church, Malcom X, Closer...

One major structural reformation that "Houses that change the world" has been suggesting is the renewal of cell/city churches. Wolfgang Simson suggests that our many current congregational-type churches are structural compromises, much like a marriage between a mouse and an elephant.

The church for the first three centuries after Christ flourished in homes, that allowed for an organic place of belonging and accountability. The house churches also gathered together for city-wide celebrations to hear apostolic teaching and encounter prophetic vision, while drawing more people in publically. This is why Paul wrote letters to city-churches. It was not until Emperor Constantine in the fourth-century that the congregation-type church was introduced. With this, the church became an audience under professional leadership, losing out on the powerful dynamics of both the cell and celebration.

A church that not only has a message, but is a message.

Something which spreads like an unstoppable virus, infects whatever it touches, and ultimately covers the earth with the glory and knowledge of God.

It matures under tears, multiplies under pressure, breathes under water, grows under the carpet; it flourishes in the desert, sees in the dark and thrives in the midst of chaos.

The image of much contemporary Christianity could be summarized as holy people coming regularly to a holy place on a holy day at a holy hour to participate in a holy ritual led by a holy man dressed in holy clothes for a holy fee.

I love this Simson's writing. He even apologizes at the beginning of the book for his poor writing since English is not his native tongue. Definitely lots more to ponder.

We watched Malcolm X for our date night. What an incredible movie of faith. It brought back memories of when I had first watched the film almost a decade ago. It was one of the first sparks of hope that my life too might one day be different from the way it started. Though his story centers around the Muslim faith, I remember reading his autobiography after and as a teenager being completely captivated by his journey from the dregs of society to a leader of a movement.

I led discussions in our discovering God group and our small group this week. It's amazing how there have been a common threads in the themes of both groups. Maybe it's just me. I absolutely love drawing people of all types closer to the heart of God. Now if only I could get a little closer

Oh my goodness...

Remember Sir Mixalot's raunchy Baby got back song? Even that can be redeemed... kinda.

This is one of the most hilarious Christian videos i've ever seen. I guess they can have a sense of humour...

Inattentive in class...

Is it wrong to have the opportunity to be studying systematic theology at a seminary and not be able to pay attention?

I got bored enough to do a search on my own name. Looks like there are other Lon Wong's out there. I even found an ibm award photo of myself from a couple years ago. So lame.

I've had Erwin's new book Barbarian Way on order from amazon for several weeks to ship when it was released. To my surprise it was already availble in the bookstore here. Some inspiring excerpts i found scouring the web...

Two thousand years ago God started a revolt against the religion HE STARTED. So don't ever put it past God to cause a groundswell against churches and Christian institutions that bear His name. If He was willing to turn Judaism upside down, don't think for a moment our institutions are safe from a divine revolt. I am convinced that even now there are multitudes of followers of Jesus Christ who are sick and tired of the church playing games and playing down the call of God. My travels only confirm that the murmurings of revolution are everywhere. I am convinced that there is an uprising in the works and that no one less than God is behind it...

Amazing. More excerpts here and here. Is anyone else excited about what's to come as well?

While I'm procrastinating. Let me give give some random props. I'm writing this entry with w.bloggar. I haven't found a simpler and more comprehensive tool to meet my occasional blogging needs. I work primarily off of an ibm T30 notebook. I use a Palm TungstenT. I'd like to upgrade when they integrate something with a phone, video/camera, mp3 player, pda, with apple styling. I use iambic agendus, palm bible plus and mybible niv deluxe. GAIM is my all-in-one instant messenger. I fell in love with firefox when i discovered tabbed browsing there (so i can further multi-task) and picasa2 has got to be one of the best free image viewers around. All this to say that i'm a geek, and all these tools help keep me afloat. All this and i'm just barely making it by.

Whelp, class is up. I'll share where I get much of my spiritual feeding next time around.

Mission shmission

Enough about mission for a moment. I've got more on my heart than my mind can grasp. I've got my hands in several things that I'd rather be knee deep in. I've been gaining in vision to the point of going cross-eyed. I need to sit still if just for a moment.

I had a nightmare recently where I was organizing a conference or a revolution rally of some sort… and thousands of people were there, but I forgot to book the auditorium/stadium. How typical of me.

The mission is a movement

The mission of God requires kingdom advancing warriors moved by the spirit of God. It will not be accomplished by those who stand idly by. Those joining God's mission realize that there are forces both human and supernatural that move against the mission. The mission does not wait, but creates. It makes the most of every opportunity. It has unshakable hope that every effort is worthwhile. It believes that monumental transformations can happen over time with even the most minor shifts in a person's heart. The mission fuels itself with every movement forward. God calls every person to join him on mission, motivated by his love, and offering hope to all people, by every possible means.

I'm at the Ignite the Light conference this weekend with Ravi Zacharias.

Hope is what the mission offers

The mission must always be conveyed as hope for the world because that is what the good news is. Followers of Jesus are to be voices of hope, encountering culture and relevantly communicating the purposes of God for all humanity. Today people are not looking for a hell to get out of or a heaven to get into, but a reason to live and to die. The world must know that this is what the God of the living offers. Christians must see the hope of God in people. Just as God believes in us more than we believe in Him, we must believe in people more than they may believe in themselves. The hope is not something new to believe in, but a new life as it was intended to be lived. This hope is in a life before death, not just after. The mission offers the world hope of life, and life to the fullest.

We had our first discovering God session last week. Eight people from different backgrounds gathered to discuss their spiritual journey. It's amazing how every single person had come into contact with the church and had left. How can a message so wonderful and life-giving have a near hundred-precent rejection ratio? Spirituality today is at an all-time high, yet Christianity is far from it. One can only conclude that much of Christianity in our culture is nothing more than an empty shell of a religion. This is not the church that Jesus Christ died for. Yet their is a rumbling beneath the surface of a rising generation of Jesus-followers whose passion is to be the church that God had intended. To offer hope and love and life to all those who are willing to receive.

I love this quote, via Tony, see the rest of the article here.

If you have apostolic passion, you are one of the most dangerous people on the planet. The world no longer rules your heart. You are no longer seduced by getting and gaining but devoted to spreading and proclaiming the glory of God in the nations. You live as a pilgrim, unattached to the cares of this world. You are not afraid of loss. You even dare to believe you may be given the privilege of dying to spread His fame on the earth. The Father's passions have become your passions. You find your satisfaction and significance in Him. You believe He is with you always, to the end of life itself. You are sold out to God, and you live for the Lamb. Satan fears you, and the angels applaud you.

Not only is this apostolic passion emerging from 'Christians' today, but a desperate longing for something more has been errupting from people all around us. The questions that came from our group that night were endless, we didn't even try to answer any of them. But in the questions there is a quest... the journey has begun for many... How is it that we can keep the hope that God offers the world to ourselves?

Back from San Diego

Our yearly kick-off meeting was in San Diego this week. Even though i came back home to a 70 degree drop in temperature, there is no place like home. This picture is me looking tacky in business attire at La Jolla beach. It is supposedly one of the most beautiful shores in North America... but actually kinda lame without my wife there with me. Noteworthy was that the leader of our IT based and incentive-driven organization openly stated that her discovery for the year was realizing that people didn't need her to be perfect as much as they needed her to be human. hrm...

The mission is motivated by love

Every human being no matter far from God is invaluable to God. There is no mission without love for people - not as targets as often is the case, but as precious people made in the image of God. Jesus did not see the last, the lost, and the least, as charity cases, but as authentic people that he related to with compassion. The mission is deepest and widest, when God's redeemed love people as genuine human beings.

Unlike in the past where it has often been that one must first believe the right doctrines, then subsequently become the right person, and then finally were finally permitted to join the inner circle of community, Jesus demonstrated the reverse. Jesus' mission was motivated by love as demonstrated by his radical inclusiveness. His mission invites people to belonging in community and engages them to becoming the people they were each intended to be. As God's undeniable love presses against the hearts of people, the hope is that they might find themselves passionately believing and embracing the love of God. Love lies at the heart of the mission.

In response to Lu, thanks so much for your comments and your honesty on that last value.

I agree with your thoughts. That is why i'm convinced this core value must tie back to the first value. We have a God that is passionate for believers and non-believers alike. While we can often get caught up in joining God on mission to this world, we must never forget that we ourselves remain God's mission field. God longs to do something in us as much as He longs to do something through us.

It's interesting that Rob Bell was quoted on the response as well. I was going to title this second value with a term he once used, Be-incarnation. Christian's believe in be-incarnation, that our mission involves bringing the invisible presence of God into a visible reality through our lives. When I talk about mission, I extend this to applying to every single person God has created. Even non-believers have the capacity to reflect the beauty of God, whether they acknowledge Him or not. I guess I'm fundamentally talking about purpose in life, something more than simply receiving and enjoying God forever, as the old catechism states.

At the same time, I don't believe that we are indispensable to God's mission. Sometimes it is easy for Christian's to forget that God is the ultimate missionary. I can sense laced within the language of some missionaries that God is not present, unless they are present. That is why the first value also states that it is the Holy Spirit that goes ahead of us. God is working in people's lives long before we arrive. The recurring theme throughout Scripture though is not only God's workings throughout humanity, but that of people's relationship with God becoming so intense and responsive that they take on the heart of God and do the things that God would do. And so we join Him on His mission.

Every person is called to be on mission

The good news of God always comes to us on its way to someone else. It must never be contained or possessed. The call of Jesus goes far beyond acceptance and heaven. Every follower of Jesus that remains on this earth continues to live and breathe for a reason. Every child of God is called to join the Father on His mission of sharing his heart and passion with the entire world. This mission is not only to the gifted or the elite, but is entrusted to every person regardless of ability. God believes in each one of us more than we could ever believe in Him. His mission is our mission.

Tyndale starts again tonight. Systematic Theology II. We'll see how it goes. Finally starting our discovering God group this Tuesday and our small group is multiplying into three groups this week. Should be exicting.

God is the ultimate missionary

The first of several core values...

God is the ultimate missionary. God passionately pursues every one of us with His love. Whether we are believers or not every one of us is, and continues to be, God's mission field. Mission is God's initiative, not ours. We are never alone on this mission. The Holy Spirit goes ahead of us preparing the hearts of men and women long before we arrive. Jesus serves as the ultimate example of seeking the lost and revealing God's love. God's missionary heart for people is not a crutch, but the inspiration, power, and example by which we move with him on mission.

I spoke at our church's high school fellowship last night on their theme verse for the year, from 1 John 1:7, which also happens to be one of my life verses. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another".

This verse was transformational to me, because I use to struggle with how to make fellowship happen. How to create a community that loved as Christ did. Was it by having a cool theme, sharing, music, games, and snacks? This verse makes the subtle declaration that when people are convicted by the God of light, and are forming the character of Christ as they walk in the light, community and fellowship is a direct result. It is inevitable.

Reformission

I just finished reading my first official church planting book. I guess now I know how to plant a church. Right. The only thing I'm left with is how overwhelmingly difficult it would be. I can't believe I dared to mention to people last year considerations of planting an entire city/village.

However, talking to some men one night while I was in Ottawa, we stumbled on to a discussion on living in new types of community, based on relationships, sharing possessions, even homes, practicing compassion… isn't this much like the early church living out the teachings of Jesus? It reminded me that God is the supreme planter, and that He has already planted a yearning in the fabric of our beings for something we label today as church. How close it is to the church God had in mind is another question.

I've recently started reading a book called, Houses that Change the World. It's been shaking up my structural paradigm of church. It suggests a next reformation on its way. From the theological reformation, to the spiritual reformation, a structural reformation is now emerging. It has some profound insights, and it's definitely been fueling my vision. More on this later, I'll need some time to absorb it.

I stole the title from Mark Driscoll's new book and conference (downloadable messages there of Driscoll and John Piper). I have yet to read or hear any of his thoughts on the topic, but my guess is it's likely along the lines of some of the things I've been discovering about God's misison, and it's a catchy title. I'm going to spend sometime the coming week working out some of the talks I've been giving to different groups on evangelism/mission. As I'm on this journey of integrity this year, I hope to hash out more formally my core values. I believe for this topic it comes down to a conviction that God calls every person to join Him on mission, to be motivated by love, offering hope to all people, by all possible means.

Note, I've migrated my blog's indexing sidebar to the bloglines feed tool. Unfortunately it doesn't allow me to link those of you who don't have sites that support feeds or haven't activated it in your online journals. Let me know if you that changes and you'd like to be linked to.

God's message, gaps, and integrity

It's been a whirlwind of a month. God's been revealing much. Hopefully I will be journaling more this year as I've been trying to convince myself that it is a spiritual discipline.

I took a professional development business skills class recently and had the opportunity to do a presentation of my choice for evaluation. It was quite exciting as I've trying to be more myself in front of an audience and speak more from my heart this past year. I had the opportunity to share about purpose in life and God in a public forum on IBM facilities, how amazing is that? Yvonne had been praying for me and God was working. Everyone shared that they were deeply touched. One lady I noticed crying half way through my talk and said she was so overwhelmed and physically shaking that she could not fill out my assessment.

We were not supposed to be evaluated on content, but I'm certain it was God's message of purpose and hope that touched people and not any of my style or skills. I think what made my presentation different was that I wasn't just saying something to share, but I shared because I had something to say. Every follower of Jesus has heart-igniting words to tell the world.

I went to Ottawa with so many plans of getting personal projects done, but did none of it. It felt so good for some reason. We had almost every meal with family, played games, and just hung out. So very good.

On the flipside though while I could go on about what an awesome year 2004 was, going into 2005 I've had a conviction for integrity in my life.

I've been corresponding with Jack Popjes, a speaker that come by our church a while back. He had asked a profound question. Where would you place yourself on a scale of one to ten - one being hardship, struggle, and extraordinary accomplishment, and ten being comfort, peace of mind and no accomplishment. I placed myself fairly low on that scale, but what's been bothering me is that my life doesn't quite reflect where I so passionately see myself being. Reading through the Uprising Experience guide book, it asked a question - What is the gap time between your understanding and your execution of God's will?

Unfortunately, reflecting on my life, it's not a gap, it's a chasm. One that I am usually in no hurry to cross. I spend a good portion of my time learning about the gap, analyzing the rate at which the gap widens, and maybe taking baby steps towards the edge of the gap. But the more I get into the presence of God the wider that divide seems to get.

I spent yesterday in the hospital as my mom had surgery. Thank God she's okay. During the wait I could not help but have thoughts of the possibility that she may never see the great things that I will one day do or the person that I will one day become. It aches me that with all that God has blessed me with, so much of it has remains dormant in my heart. Integrity refuses to violate the heart like that. Any gap between my values and my actions is a failure of my integrity. This will be a key focus of the year.

New Flame...

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. (Jeremiah 20:9)

God's been cranking up the heat inside. Back from Ottawa in a week.

Moving to Ottawa!

… in about 4 years. It sounds a long way off, but plans need to be underway for an effective transition. This still fits in with the '30 year plan', with some slight adjustments. This also puts a timeframe in terms of what we hope to accomplish and the relationships we long to build while we’re here in Toronto.

The future has been a struggle, and my heart is so far ahead of where my understanding and experience is at. In Ottawa, I’ll be without my immediate family and community, although a remnant of friendships remain from my internship days. The five acres of land I had once dreamed about purchasing on the outskirts of Ottawa has since been acquired to become a residential zone. With the disturbingly high rates of failure in church plants, having fewer connections and resources available, is also less than encouraging. And yet we go. Carrying with us all the uncertainties knowing only that God is faithful.

How many of us desperately long for God to give us some sign of what to do? How many of us know what to do and are either stuck standing still and overwhelmed or finding ways to move forward while leveraging out all the consequences, suffering, and pain that may come in the journey ahead? I definitely have my share of fears.

I'm encouraged that the Scriptures are filled with men and women who were afraid. Time and time again God reminded our ‘heroes’ not to fear, but to be strong and courageous. It has dawned on me that when our souls crash against these trials and God reminds us to take joy, it is because He is on the verge of acting on our behalf as we run forward with him. On the flipside, If we are not afraid, could it be that we don’t have a full grasp of what God truly wants us to do in this life?

I’ve been learning that the essence of biblical courage is based on a life lived from the inside out. A life that makes decisions and acts not based on consequences or circumstances, but based on convictions. Convictions established not only by who I am or what I’m called to live out, but on who God is and in His character.

I wrote in my personal journal thoughts of claiming all of Ottawa for Jesus... to reconstruct the city into a city of God… to take this present kingdom and bring it to its knees before our Lord... to release people from life as we know it, and unleash them to live life to the fullest as our Creator designed us to… to start from the nation’s capital and spill over across the country… Can a nation be changed?

Rhythm, Campus, Sex, and Hope...

I can honestly say that I like my pace of life right now. God has been speaking to me on so many levels. The excitement and urgency for life has been there as usual, but more importantly a reflective stream of peace and assurance has been flowing down under. Not necessarily all at the same time, but a rhythm that my heart just loves beating to.

We recently had an all day ‘meeting’ at the woodbine race track for work. They brought, Canadian Olympic gold medalist, Adam van Koeverden, to come speak to us about perseverance. It’s amazing how many people left inspired by a kid at least half their age. This was another affirmation to me that this world can be led by those who risk and strive to live from the core of who they are, and not necessarily by those who are ‘older’ or more experienced.

I just spoke at UTCCF Friday night. What a great bunch. I miss the campus and all that it represents. Diversity, culture, future, leadership, exploration, possibilities, passion… it is such a privileged environment to be in. Maybe we’re not sending out enough missionaries. In Toronto at least, it seems like God’s brought the nations to our doorsteps.

Last night our newly weds group got together again, and the topic for the night was… sex. All I want to say about it was that it was a strenuous test of maturity for me. Yvonne thinks I really need to work being able to keep a straight face with a lot of this stuff, especially if I’m going to be counseling people in the future. Well, I only uncontrollably giggled inappropriately once… and that was only because people were being graphic, and all I was thinking in my head was ‘you can do this… you’re doing it… you’re almost looking professional…’ and then burst realizing how hard I was trying.

On a more deeper and personal note… Yvz and I have been having some ‘soul talk’ and been realizing some more subtle condemning attitudes that we have. These dispositions are so challenging because they are so deep rooted and easily disguised as a genuine desire for good. For me, I’ve come to realize that I am designed and built my life around a lens of hope and goodness. Which isn’t a bad thing, but when I encounter those who are disheartened, or perceived as having lost hope, I have a hard time allowing them to be as they are. What got me was the conviction that some people might be able to sense a level of disappointment within me about who they are as a person… and that’s flat out wrong and needs to change.

What gets to me even more is how a person of hope and confidence in God such as myself, could ever feel a loss of hope in people? Something that came out while I was speaking Friday was that – if God believes in us, more than we could ever believe in him. Maybe we need to believe in people, more than they believe in themselves.

Of all people, followers of Jesus should be speakers of truth and hope to all humanity.

Visit to Saddleback...

I can’t say I visited Saddleback with much anticipation. Over the year’s I’ve become weary of the squabbling between the lovers and haters of its purpose driven ministry, but I had to experience it for myself. After visiting the stadium rock worship at the Dream Center, Saddleback’s orderly worship service felt just like that, a service.

Every component of it was timed to the tee. Everyone knew when to stand and when to sit. Many of the men war Rick Warren’s patented Hawaiian shirts. The message was well crafted, biblical and applicable with a dash of humor. No complaints. The rest of Saddleback though was like a Pastor’s playground.

The campus held eight different services in four separate worship tent… each one catering to a different musical style. The children’s center was a massive facility with Disney-esque amenities. They had their own palm trees, waterfalls, restaurants, and golf carts. I wasn’t sure how to process it all. Everyone else seemed like this was normal.

That’s when it struck me that though many people I know would not be interested in being part of a massive ‘institution’ like Saddleback (See largest churches in the world link). Yet somehow, while foreign to me in all it's structure and opulence, this was a church that was missional and relevant to its surrounding culture.

I just found out that they’re going through their 40 days of community now. Part of that involves feeding all 34,000 homeless people in Orange County for 3 meals a day for 40 days! It’s amazing how some churches can take on initiatives like this and make an impact. In all sincerity the 40 days of purpose campaign and reading of the purpose driven life seems to have just come and went in my own church. We’ve never been ones to follow any mold though I guess. I’ve been very encouraged to hear that my old church, OCAC, in Ottawa has been effectively rallying behind it as a community.

This dude is so ordinary! Final thought… as bland and uncharismatic as I find Rick Warren can be… (I want to believe that he intentionally strips away all creativity, to offer a template, so others can adapt and be imaginative with his material in its rawest form)… Warren’s humble beginning, from a small group of seven people to a global movement, inspires me. Warren is a testimony of what God can do through those who are simply willing to dream and use their gifts for greater purposes.

Phoenix...

I’m in phoenix right now. The skies are unbelievably blue, and the city itself is a miraculous flatland surrounded by mountains. I find it intriguing how the dry and cracked earth resembled the sun-scorched skin many of the locals had… nothing at all against them, but it’s fascinating that there is this observable relationship between the land and its people.

On my way to the resort, I had an excellent conversation with the cab driver who was a business student from Somalia. We shared our dreams… mine of leading a community of faith and his of starting a business and marrying four wives (since it’s religiously legit there). It was hilarious. He shared about how family values are all messed up in America. I picked his brain on living in Africa. He plans on returning home a hero, as an educated entrepreneur. With all the people aiding, developing, and even capitalizing on the needs and opportunities in Africa, it’s amazing how much need remains. I left quite pumped about going there someday.

The conference for work was one of the better ones. I find myself being acutely attentive to the way people speak / present. After two years of telling people I’ll be joining toastmasters, I think I’m finally on the cusp of committing. I have so much that I’m passionate about. I would love to hone my abilities to communicate it all to people.

Other updates...
I attended the Tribe of Issachar event - Beyond the King's Gate. Our own ETCBC, Pastor Alfred Lam spoke on the story of Esther. He challenged the crowd of future leaders to explore why we have been so blessed and placed in such a privileged position.

I met up with my mentor and I was blown away as usual. Each time I'm encountered by real stories of hardship and experiences that make much of what I am often convicted of seem merely theoretical. I have so much more life to live.

Our community opened up for a Thanks&Giving dinner, organized by yours truly. Another reminder that my organizational and event planning skills are lacking. I attempted to visit every small group in our church to enourage people to invite friends... many people said that the night was a success, but even with the challenges of inviting people to an event such as this, I still couldn't help but feel that God has placed more people than this in our lives. All that being said, the predominant theme in my life the last while, is that above all else, even results, we simply need to be faithful.

I wanted to be Catalyst this weekend... looking forward to hearing people's experiences from it.

Prayer Reflections...

A few thoughts I jotted down after a recent time of prayer.

I find that I often pray, “God give me strength…”. Although God is the source of all strength, I think we often confuse God’s promises and our responsibilities. I am convinced that when we pray for God’s strength we are sometimes looking for a fallback if things don’t work out. As if God didn’t meet His end of the bargain. In Judges 6, God calls Gideon to simply “Go in the strength that you have”. Dare I be bold enough to come to God, ready to respond and pray, “God I will…” instead?

God then spoke to me on His unconditional love. I hear followers of Jesus all the time, talking about how they have blown it with God. How they feel worse off than when they first began, because now they know that there is a loving God that longs to transform them –and they still find themselves steeped in sin. God’s heart pressed into mine and it resonated the words “your continued sins do not diminish my love for you one bit.”

An explosion set off inside of me, as I felt the love of God pouring in and erupting out of me because it could no longer fit inside my tiny heart. I took a breath and realized that my very breath was a testimony of God’s great compassion. That each day that I woke was evidence of God’s forgiveness, patience, and purposes in my life.

I did not ask God for more strength, but I declared… I will not let the air in my lungs go to waste. I will not let the precious days He gives me slip by without being seized. I will be a light to those around me. And I will honor Him in all that I do, because He is worthy of it.

One last thought in hindsight… I’m not one to talk about conviction of sin all of the time, but Yvz and I have been challenging each other not to condemn people… we find we do it subtly when we comment on those who have more than us and those who have less than us… it could be financially, spiritually, whatever. This experience affirmed to me that there is no condemnation when we realize we are incredibly loved despite the depths of human depravity within our own hearts

For my fellow Erwin McManus ‘fans’…
Videos at the APU chapels (3 in the archives, and 2 coming in October)
Video service at Onnuri in Korea
WillowCreek 2003 – This one’s an oldie but a goodie that they've kept on their site.
Audio Sermon at Richland Hills

Homeless in the city...

I joined the university kids for The Lord’s Table sandwich run ministry downtown yesterday. It’s been a while since the last time I’ve spent a night directly in contact with the homeless.

Many of them were lying up against the office buildings. The images of cardboard shelters, tired looking faces, and dirty hands - against the backdrop of office cubicles and flat screen monitors lit by fluorescent lighting, burned in my mind. It is insanity that such a thin piece of glass divides the sanitized corporate world from the stained reality that surrounds it.

At least they have blinds. That way, office workers can get back to the task at hand when the lights and sights that invade cause any form of uneasiness.

The truth is that it’s supposed to rob us of our peace of mind. We are designed to naturally feel tormented in our gut when encountering other human beings in distress. Suffering has a face, and poverty has a name.

That night his name was Vince and I could feel in my bones that God had created him for so much more. I tried to be a voice of hope, but I knew that I was up against years of him having accepted his place in life. I’d like to think that as our team of four sat around him and let him speak his mind and listened to him, for a moment in time, he experienced validation as a human being, respect, and even love.

I find it fascinating how in this early career stage of life, it is often difficult scheduling a time to meet up with other busy friends. Yet with those on the streets, I left with a sense that I could count on them being there anytime I chose to visit. There's something wrong with that, in more ways then one.

Los Angeles Dream Center

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Dream Center. I knew it was one of the fastest growing churches in America. Browsing their webpage, after seeing a picture of their pastor, Matthew Barnett, I found myself still wondering who the real pastor was. He looked younger than me!

It is in fact a father son duo leading the church, but it’s astonishing what God can do through what those we may at a glance view as inadequate. I attended the Thursday night service, in the Angeles Temple site. Angeles Temple was built in 1923, where Aimee Semple McPherson would preach to a full capacity of 5,300 people, three times a day, seven days a week. Today they reach the physical and spiritual needs of over 30,000 every week, feeding and housing people. They have a highly community oriented approach to ministry, they call adopt-a-block, and from what I’ve read over 80% of their congregation live within two miles of the church unlike most scattered metropolitan churches today.

How was the experience? Walking towards the church in it’s fairly ghetto neighborhood, you could hear the church / stadium rocking out. It was like rumblings of hope in a place where the poverty was obvious. The spirit and energy of the people there were amazing. Its Pentecostal flavor reminded me of an amped-up version of a church I attended while I lived in Hamilton, Living Hope. The message was powerful, and there was a time of healing / repentance after. Yvz and I left blown away.

This was my first time taking a picture during a church service. I felt a bit odd, butI tried to take solace in the fact that I was a tourist.

Random Updates...

Life has been a bit erratic the last while. I’ve fallen ill again. All the usual cold/flu symptoms and worst of all, fatigue, and an inability to fall sleep. The apartment is a complete mess. After a trip around world to Tel Aviv, Hong Kong, and Montreal, El Al airlines just returned my palm 13 days later. It’s completely dead, dented and missing its memory card. My car stereo’s locked me out, the speaker’s busted, and the windows chipped. The to-do lists are piling up. Lying in my bed, I’ve started informally composing a poem that I’ll finish up later. It’s called… I want to change the world, but I need to wash dishes. I’ve hacked at least two glasses of phlegm today. I’ve vowed to start taking care of myself and start exercising. My wife’s in Ottawa this week, and I miss her.

On top of all that, I’ve learned today that I’m currently taking up excessive ecological footprint. If everyone on earth lived the way I do, we would need 5 planets. How about you?

Happy Birthday to me!

My Birthday BBQ Bash that Yvonne organized

God? Marriage? What?...

A friend of mine asked me last night out of the leftfield, ‘why does the Bible refer to God as a male?” I was a bit startled at first, and then I couldn’t get over the fact that I didn’t have a thought out answer for such a simple question. I decided to just open my mouth and let the words roll off my lips.

I told him that we were all made, both man and women, in the image of God. That the characteristics and traits of both men and women were both intended to reflect who God was. I told him that I think that the Bible refers to God as male because of the relationship He intended for us to have with Him. The Bible calls the church the bride of Christ, and our relationship with Him is so very similar to that of marriage between a man and a woman. God, as the great giver and the great initiator pursues us and sacrifices for us – that we might know of His unfailing love. We receive from Him and are blessed by Him. In return we spend all our lives in a spiral of joy exchanging love and thanks until the giver and the receiver become indistinguishable.

God longs to be in relationship with us, to transform us, that we might have his heart for people and his passion for life.

Speaking of marriage, here’s our latest wedding newsletter, and some links to pics.

Back from California...

I'm backlogged in thoughts and pictures. The travelling was a nightmare, but everything in between was most excellent. We travelled via El AL (Air Israel) since they offered the only direct flights. There's too much to say about our experience, but I just looked up a few descriptions of typical EL AL security like this and this, and you can get a taste of what we got. Yvonne and I must have been prime suspects going both ways...

Otherwise, the trip was an incredible blessing for our marriage... we're both looking forward to sharing and acting out on so much of what we've learned. Here's a few quick pics below, more to come...

Sweet California, I miss you already..

A mosaic of ... Mosaic at the night club site. We finally met Erwin McManus. Check out the sweat stains on him after the intense message!

Us at Monterey for our first year anniversary

I'm Off!!

Wish I had time to post more... I'm off to L.A. and San Francisco...

God - The Greatest Believer...

For those who you who have given me the opportunity to speak and to share know that I love speaking words of life, hope and encouragement (Like the one in the clip above). The other day, I found myself feeling overwhelmed at the journey ahead of me… Who am I Lord? What sacrifices must I make? Can a man make it to the finish line without ever seeing the harvest? Do I have what it takes? Feeling downcast, I sensed the voice of God telling me that I am going to have to start believing some of the things that I so boldly declare to others.

I am a child of God (John 1:12). His very creation of this life of mine demonstrates that God believes in me more than I could ever believe in Him. God does not make crap, and did not design me desiring that I should fail or disappoint, but formed me with passionate expectation and intentionality. Before I was born He knew me, and had hopes and purposes to be accomplished in my life and through my life (Jeremiah 1:5). Even though I have failed, He risked the life of His own Son, to redeem me. In hopes that I might turn back and embrace the person He believed I could become.

A person who has been uniquely created by God, with gifting and talents and passions that are waiting to be unleashed. My life is marked by the fingerprints of the creator of the universe Himself. I was created to reflect the awesomeness displayed in Christ - it is the birth right of every child of God. He has given to me more than enough and I will not hold back from who he has crafted me to become. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness…” (2 Peter 1:3)

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” (Marianne Williamson, from her 1992 book, "Return to Love", supposedly incorrectly attributed to Nelson Mandela n the past.)

Yvonne goes snaphappy!

See what you can do with 15 minutes waiting for friends in Ottawa?

Being Fully Present...

What a fantastic time in Ottawa. I miss living in that simple city. This long weekend consisted of friends, family, BBQ’s, walks along the river, and relaxing good times – the usual in the town of Ottawa.

A good friend once told me that maybe I could impact lives when I was away on campus, and maybe I could make a difference in people while I resided in Ottawa, but Toronto was a totally different scene. As I moved back, I took that challenge with anticipation and excitement.

I’ve been back 2 years now and he was right. The city is bigger and the people are busier. And I’ve become another local. Noises pervade conversations about what colors to paint the walls, where the latest deals are, who the latest celebrity is to trash, where the next event is, and of course what the latest gripes about work are. Nothing wrong with these discourses, but they permeate and press in against our minds. Somewhere lodged deep within the heart of this city is either an inability to move beyond the past or a relentless longing for a future that has yet to come, to avoid a life that awaits us here and now.

Even spirituality needs to be scheduled to fit. I suspect there’s an underlying thought that we suffer as Christians when we have managed to take fifteen minutes out of our busy schedule to pray or read scripture. Or we have suffered when we didn’t do as well on an assignment or a project because we had to be at fellowship or serving in some other capacity. What I read in the bible is that the early Christians suffered ‘for the sake of the gospel’. Not for the things we’ve reduced it down to. Something's drastically wrong with the Christianity that surrounds me.

I listened to a message on the call of Jesus to be “fully present” by Rob Bell, while I drove up to Ottawa. I even had to multi-task this sermon into my life to hear it. This message continues to encourage me to live out the preciousness of life today. Ottawa was the perfect place for me to start practicing this journey of being fully present. I actually stopped myself from thinking other things as people talked to me and listened to them. Yvonne and I actually purposely don't answer the phone sometimes now. I actually listen to myself breathe again from time to time.

In the adult world, ‘busy’ seems to be the new ‘cool’. A feeling wells up inside me when I talk to younger people that say they can’t wait to grow up and be where people like me are at. It’s a feeling of sadness that comes to me that they might not be enjoying every bit of life that they have right where they are. It also saddens me even more to think that at their current trajectory they could just end up filling their lives with walls to paint and bills to pay... becoming just another busy Toronto local. I pray we don’t let that happen.

Leaving for Ottawa tonight...

I'm so late. Had to wrap up some last minute work before the holidays, and finish the remaining 70% of my paper. I don't usually do this because most of my papers are fairly dry, but here's my paper on Gospel, Church and Culture. It was a bit crammed, and I had to follow a bit of an outline and use a select number of resources. but enough of the excuses, feel free to peruse if you got the time.

I'm also using the w.bloggar tool for a change. Google it yourself if you're looking for a blogger GUI tool. I'm running really late and not sure why I'm writing, but just wanted to declare the goodness of God in my life. Buried in papers, but it's been awesome. Laters all, my wife in Ottawa awaits me.

What makes you come alive?

I'm knee deep immersed in writing my final integration paper for Gospel, Church, and Culture today. I got caught behind because I was speaking at UTCCF this past week on outreach. It was excellent to be back involved in campus ministry again, even if just for a moment.

I also managed to read two John Eldredge books this past week, Wild at Heart and Waking the dead. Besides the fact that I've been leading a new Men's sunday school class, this was oddly spurred on due to Tony's comments that my post reminded him of Eldredge's writing. Strange how we often flock to those with similar views. There are definitely similar themes with him and McManus, although I still think Erwin is a better wordsmith. Two quotes that remain off the top from Wild at Heart:

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.

Most men, marry for safety; they choose a woman who will make them feel like a man but never really challenge them to be one.

I know I definitely married a woman that challenges me to the person God had called me to be every single day. Thank God. However, I don't think writing papers makes me come alive, but speaking to students, encouraging and, building them up in Christ sure does. Alas, I must get back to the paper. I guess I must go through the valley if I want to stand upon the mountain...

xxxChurch and Mosaic...

I read this excellent article this morning (the string of comments afterwards is what was really insightful), regarding xxxchurch ministry and their experience at Mosaic church.

x3church is a very interesting organization that seeks to go directly engage the world of pornography with the love of Christ while providing hope to those who have been entangled by it. They actually provide free accountability software/services for those who are interested.

Mosaic is a very extraordinary church that meets in a nightclub. You won’t find much on their website, but I’ve read volumes about after reading three books by their lead pastor, Erwin McManus. We’ll be visiting it this summer when Yvonne and I head down to LA.

The article and its comments illustrate the ongoing struggles when leading edge ministries that seek to free people from porn/religion or a combination of two collide and Christians start opening their mouths (Some excellent and a few not so bright thoughts throughout).

Jesus Sings...

I’ve never heard anyone describe this. Or at least I never noticed it before, but check this verse out…

“Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says,
‘I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises’” (Hebrews 2:11-12)

I had to backtrack and read this over a few times, because my gut reaction is that it implies we’re the ones who sing praises… but if I’m reading this correctly, it’s Jesus that sings our names. Imagine that. Our voices intermingled in harmony with Jesus singing praises in heaven! This reminds me of Zephaniah 3:17

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Who is this King of Glory that pursues us with his love? Who sings with us and to us?
Here’s a link on Matt Redman’s thoughts on the Father’s Song, a song he wrote based on this verse.

Random links...

My coworker, Cliff, who i've been overtly reaching out to just started his own blog. Some humbling remarks on myself I might add. Thanks Cliff it's an honour to be sharing my faith journey with you.

A speaker that has influenced my life a lot lately, Erwin McManus talks about the Primal Essence of Leadership here. Absolutely anyone involved with leading the movement of Jesus Christ should take 40 minutes to list to this.

Here's a hilarious link on how to seem smart.

Out of commission...

Who thought that last post was lame? That was the seminary student side of me coming out… intrigued with social commentary / academia and all that jazz. My apologies, some days it feels extremely important to me, other times (like right now) it seems embarrasingly like meaningless drivel.

Back to what’s actually going on. I’ve been so fired up lately about running hard for God. I have been encouraging everyone with how I would rather run hard and stumble forward landing flat facing God than sit idle and allow the world around me to press against and shape me. I even told my mentor last week (almost braggingly) how I haven’t been sick in years. Until now…

I woke up Sunday morning with my head throbbing and my throat dirt dry. Not the best of timing as I was to be leading prayer meeting that morning (arrived late), kicking off the "Men of Faith" Sunday school class (drank water profusely throughout), presenting Monday downtown for some cross training (struggled through), share at our Shake&Shine team meeting (which I have now wisely cancelled), and speaking at a campus fellowship on outreach (which God graciously delayed a week).

This morning pure natural ability won over human will power. I told myself that today for the first time in our marriage I would sleep in past Yvonne. I couldn’t do it, and though feverishly sick, I got out of bed by seven. I’m not sure if it is some kind of medical condition I have or not, but I realized as I struggled to stay horizontal, that I wake up every morning feeling my heart rapidly beating. It races onwards until I get up and start doing something, plateau-ing as my body gets into rhythm with the pumping of the blood. I think in my mind I get the sense the world is moving on without me and I'm missing out... so I press on.

I’ve learned much these past few days. I’ll jot’em down later. As for now I must start listening to that voice I thought I slayed years ago, and get some rest, “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

The New Public Square

I've been taking Gospel, Church and Culture this summer at Tyndale. Here are some excerpts from an interesting article I recently finished - The not-so-naked new public square by Rodney Clapp:

"Shopping malls have quite consciously been built and presented as public squares, commons, or downtowns. Mall architecture incorporates-albeit in an artificial, thermostatically regulated fashion-many of the fixtures of older downtown areas. Walkways are laid out in squares and rectangles, urging circuitous wandering. Fountains shoot. Trees and lesser greenery soften and enliven the scene. Benches invite rest, lingering, and the possibility of conversation. Amphitheaters await performances and audiences.

In addition, malls no longer simply sell products in myriad stores. They have expanded to include chapels, dentists, optometrists, medical clinics, counseling centers, ice rinks, miniature golf courses, food courts, childcare, banking services, postal services, and branch offices of local, state, and federal governments. Some (such as the famous Mall of America, which sports its own zip code) include full-scale amusement parks. Others (such as Canada's West Edmonton Mall) contain zoos.

More deliberately, a Minnesota coalition of Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and others have established the Mall Area Religious Council to establish a "spiritual presence" at the Mall of America. According to its webpage, the Council plans to open The Meaning Store at the mall in 1997. "It will be a store where "meaning in life" is made available in a spiritual manner." Patrons may use the store's Reflection Center for meditation and worship, glean "reliable information about local and world religious traditions," or shop for "books, music, [and] artifacts of world religions."

For all the good intentions behind it, The Meaning Store crowns mall culture's victory. It reduces Christianity, Judaism, and other faiths to name brands, objects of comparison shopping. They are simply differently packaged containers of "meaning in life," now made available for today's purchase and, should it be desired, tomorrow's disposal.

So The Meaning Store is the perfect religious symbol of the trivialization of real choices in the new public square's endless promotion of pseudo-choice. It is true that the malls, with their rows on rows of stores, apparently overflow with choice. But mall stores carry a small, least-common-denominator stock that can cater only to the taste of the masses-not to those who would genuinely be different in their clothing, jewelry, reading, or music listening. More significantly, mall culture inhibits community; it denies and destroys smaller ways of life, such as folk songs and art, or strains of apples and brews of beer peculiar to a region. As Wendell Berry puts it, mall culture will not allow us to conform to local ways and conditions, but forces on us "a rootless and placeless monoculture of commercial expectations and products."

In like manner, The Meaning Store presumes faiths are, finally, not that different from one another. By confining Christianity (among others) to "meaning in life," and commodifying it, the Store endorses an attitude of spiritual seeking as shopping and makes the "customer" sovereign. Seriously obscured, if not lost, is any sense that the seeker's desires might be misguided and in need of conversion, a transformation wrought by a Sovereign other than the self. And so buried, too, is the glorious hope that the seeker might make the really important and significant choice, the choice to petition the God "whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20) and embark on an adventure bigger than any mortal individual's meager dreams and puny plans."

After typing all that I just found the full article here.

Goodness that article was longer than I thought. To spice things up, here's a link to 10 free legal tracks to be downloaded from futureshop to the first 10,000 people who sign in June 12th.

Also if you're interested in investing in some land on the moon...

Crazy old man...

I went to a conference this weekend and one of the guest speakers was Paul Henderson, the hockey dude who scored the ‘goal of the century’ for Canada in ’72. He was awesome. In sixty-year-old-man-rhetoric, he was speaking about how as Christians we are not here to ‘fiddle & fart around’, but to impact people forever.

As he was speaking I wrote down the words “Crazy Old Man” and circled it, thinking ‘wow, I hope I’m at least half that crazy when I grow up’. There is nothing crazier than denying yourself and following Jesus (Matthew 16:24). You should be considered a little crazy if you wake up in the morning longing to give all that you have to the purposes of God - impacting lives in this life and for all eternity.

As I am getting older I feel the pull to become normal, to settle, to conform, creeping in. I am told that I must abdicate passions for obligations and consider it a step forward in ‘maturity’. I must establish myself, develop habits, becoming effective, well-rounded, and time-managed. Whatever happened to becoming Spirit-led? Being God-inspired? And being created with a divine purpose that no one else on earth could fulfill but you?

From hearing 20 minutes with Paul Henderson you would know that he is one of those crazy passionate followers of Jesus. The ones who make you stop and wonder if you’re really living or just safely watching life go by through a thin piece of glass. I wonder how many of us, especially those who claim to be ‘spiritual’, ‘religious’, or even ‘Christian’ are already dead. A came across an excellent passage this morning to evaluate the state of our souls.

“There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:3)

The last verse got to me the most, as it reminded of the lyrics of a song called believe.

I’m not satisfied - doing it my own way
I’m not satisfied - to do church and walk away
I’m not satisfied - there’s no love in my life but You
I’m not satisfied - living in yesterday’s hour
I’m not satisfied - to have the form but not the power

I’m not satisfied… and I refuse to seep down into the world average, especially average Christianity. My life will count because God has blessed, empowered and created me to do so (He’s done the same for you as well). I will give myself to learning to be a follower Jesus because He is worthy of being followed. I will not live an ordinary life. Mine will also be one that is crazy and extraordinary. Hold me to it.

A Passionate Pursuit...

Reading from 1 Timothy 6 this morning,

“But you, man of God, flee from all this (love of money and evil), and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.” (Timothy 6:11-12)

There is absolutely nothing passive about this. To aggressively flee from the desires of this world and passionately pursue the character of God in our lives is far from passive. Conversely, to take the path of least resistance, accepting our circumstances, and attempting to fulfill our own personal desires like the rest of the world – that’s passive. That’s status quo, commonplace, nothing new, same old - same old, mundane, life as we know it.

What an absurd lie this world tells us. Maybe one day we’ll grow up and perhaps get a job that might pay the bills and could possibly fund our happiness. It’s production for the sake of consumption. And every day we long to be free from where we’re at, and though we think that we’re absolutely free to choose, we find we’re only prisoners of our past choices.

Some of us end up finding religion, and whatever it is, it calls for us to restrain our passions that we might become better people. This isn’t what Jesus called us to though. While religions like Buddhism may center around the annihilation of desire, Jesus calls us to an acceleration of passion. One where we become so passionately in love with God and people that He loves, that they are worth fighting and living, and dying for.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it (Matthew 25:16).

Jesus says here that to join him on the adventure of truly living we must die to the life that we have lived. No small task, as we’ve spent our entire lives living this way and so has everyone else around us. To choose Jesus is not easy but difficult. The way is paved with uncertainty and risk, yet it is right and leads to life to the fullest.

At the end of the chapter, Paul encourages Timothy that giving really is the highest level of living, and that in doing so we “may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:19).

What is life? It’s receiving the awesome Love of God and spending our days passionately giving as much of it away as we can. .

The happy couple of the day

Yvz and I - obviously the more mature couple

Dan takes a self portrait... what a beautiful man

Wendy and Nap's head phasing into warp speed

Boyz of Bates 519 (Andy, Myself, Jensen, Nap) together again. 3 of us married now, 1 to go.

One last purple nurple before the honeymoon