Celebrating Christmas?

So its boxing day and I turn on the radio only to discover that the local radio station that we've been listening to during Christmas has stopped their playlist of Christmas music and returned to their regular popular music montage. Why did they do this? I mean if you think about it, they've been playing Christmas music for weeks now and in the days just before Christmas the frequency increased until it was all they played. Perhaps its because we don't really know how to celebrate Christmas anymore, rather what we're good at is celebrating Advent - even though that's not what the secular world calls it and it certainly isn't what the stores call it.
If you think about it for a second the hype during the advent season, which after all for the Christian is the time of preparation and waiting, builds to a frenzied pace on the weekend before Christmas. The stores fill up and the mall parking lots are full. Items fly off the shelves of stores and people who wait until those last few precious shopping days often discover that the item they seek is no longer available. Christmas arrives - the presents are opened - people gather to eat glorious meals - and then - its over. As quick as we can, we return to our "normal" lives refusing to bask in the glory of what God has done. Gone are the 12 days of Christmas that lasted from new Christmas day (the 25th of December) to old Christmas day (the 6th of January).
Perhaps we move so quickly to normality because we're afraid of what might happen if we celebrate Christmas for more than 24 hours. Perhaps we're too uncomfortable with holy days that call us beyond ourselves. Perhaps its because we really don't want to acknowledge the real reason for Christmas. Either way, another Christmas day is over and the stores will soon be changing their appearance again, this time for Easter - which is a whole other issue.
As for me, our tree stays up until old Christmas day. We'll have people over during that time, continue to play Christmas music, sing carols, light our advent wreath and remember that a gift was given that changed the world.

Remembering One of Ours

Today we celebrated the life of Don Jowett, a long time member of our congregation and the beloved husband of Audrey for over 61 years. While Don passed away suddenly on Saturday December 15, 2007 - he will live on in his family. People will know his daughter Carol and her 5 siblings. There are many things to remember about Don, one is that he was an avid fisherman. He loved to take people out on the lake at the cottage and spent days, yes literally days, fishing for lake trout. He loved to work with his hands and spent many hours toiling over projects that had to be just so at the museum. Indeed Don was a staunch believer in the dictum "if its worth doing, its worth doing well or not at all." Don spent many hours volunteering his time as indeed it was he whom people called when no one else was available or the weather too bad. His death leaves a hole in our community, especially so close to Christmas. Yet, we can rejoice that we knew him. We can hold onto his memory and the Christ light that burned clear and bright in him. Don was one of our saints and we will do well to live our lives as he lived his. Farewell Don and may you know the warm embrace of the God of love, peace, justice and comfort.

Advent is Coming (Click here for 2007 Visioning Survery)

Advent is coming and I find myself reflecting on 2007 as we're about to begin a new Christian year. 2007 - in a word would be growth. As a congregation and as a minister/preacher/pastor/colleague/mentor/father/life partner/friend, that's really what 2007 was all about. As a congregation, Christ United has grown in numbers, in passion, in openness, in awareness, in commitment and in faith. We've taken a number of risks together and folks have walked with one another as we've transition from a board to a council; analogue to digital worship; and small CCK program to growing and expanding. We've added more opportunities for fellowship and sharing our faith. We've welcomed new music into our midst and celebrated as young voices fill the air and our hearts. This really has been a year of growth.
So what do we do with that momentum? One of the reasons for the visioning survey is to perpetuate the momentum we've created while at the same time endeavoring to make sure that we're not simply madly going off in all directions. We have something very special here in our church family and we certainly do not want to lose that, yet at the same time we need to build on the successes of the past and the work of our fore bearers so that we create and sustain a legacy of faith. The survey is one tool that will help us to do that. Please take a moment to fill it out and send it or drop it off at the church.
So if 2007 was "growth" perhaps, if together we seek to discover what God is calling us to become, 2008 will be the year of possibilities.

Christian Vs. Christ Follower

I was at a meeting this week where one of my colleagues talked about his memory of doing sword drills as part of his youth group experience and I was reminded of this video. Sword Drills was a game where the leader would call out a biblical citation: Luke 3:27 (or any other) and people would race to find it and then the winner would read it aloud. In essence it was a game that promoted the idea that s/he who knew how to use their bible the best was the winner.
Its odd for me to look at it this way. If I accept that we live in an age of Christian illiteracy - then I need to ask how this game helped develop followers of Christ. It seems to me that somewhere along the line we've lost the common unifying factor we once had: Jesus our Christ. We've gotten caught up in the debates of the 80's and 90's arguing over right and left; conservative and liberal; correct and wrong; and somehow lost what being a Christian was/is all about. To put it simply and succinctly, Christianity is about living out ones faith in Jesus our Christ. Notice though that there are three components to this definition, all of which are essential. There's "living out;" "Faith;" and "Jesus our Christ." Without any one of these Christianity becomes nothing more than an elitist social club where the members claim moral superiority over others. Christianity = faith + action + Christ. Simple, yet so difficult.

Tribute for Constable Douglas Scott

This week, as a community and as a nation, we buried one of our own. While many families have and will experience the tragic and violent death of a loved one, there is something particularly shocking when that person is a member of our police services. In Doug's case it was all the more so because of his age and the amount of time that he'd been a Constable in the RCMP. His death has caused many to ask serious questions about the security risks police officers take every day when they arrive for their shift; about the rational of sending such a young person to such a remote location; and of the general publics safety. There are no simple answers to these questions. The reality of life is such that people will commit violent crimes. The reality of life is such that people will continue to die from such crimes. Yet in the midst of the mourning around Doug's death perhaps a light has been shone on the plight of northern communities and the conditions in which they live. Our country has many demons to deal with and perhaps, just perhaps, Doug's tragic death will help us come face to face with the necessity of right relations with our aboriginal sisters and brothers. He stood shoulder to shoulder with those who call the great white north their home and regarded them as equals, how can we do any different?
The clip us from YouTube and is a tribute to Doug. May his family and the two communities directly affected by his tragic death know the healing potential of God's Holy Spirit and may we all work towards right relations within our own families and communities.

The Prairie Chicken

An American Indian tells about a brave who found an eagle's egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them.

All its life, the changeling eagle, thinking it was a prairie chicken, did what the prairie chickens did. It scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. It clucked and cackled. And it flew in a brief thrashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet off the ground. After all, that's how prairie chickens were supposed to fly.

Years passed. And the changeling eagle grew very old. One day, it saw a magnificent bird far above in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the powerful wind currents, it soared with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings.

"What a beautiful bird!" said the changeling eagle to its neighbour. "What is it?"

"That's an eagle - the chief of the birds," the neighbour clucked. "But don't give it a second thought. You could never be like him."

So the changeling eagle never gave it a second thought and it died thinking it was a prairie chicken.

Source: The Christophers, Bits & Pieces, Economics Press.

Christianity on Display

I came across a series of very interesting clips that are a parody of the PC Vs. Mac computer adds. I know when I first saw these adds on television I was particularly taken with them and marveled at the ingenuity of Mac advertising prowess. A church in the US took the idea and put there own twist on it...Christian Vs. Christ Follower. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be using them as a spring board for reflection.
This weeks succinctly presents one of the reasons I think more people do not participate in Sunday morning worship or organized religion in general. While the actions of the "Christian" may seem comical, they are very real. People in churches do behave this way. I've lost track of the number of times I've heard comments about the way people dress - especially new people or returning people. Many of us have heard them (some of us have made them), comments like: "can you believe she's wearing THAT," or "Jeans in Church...the nerve," or "can't they dress their kids any better," or "its a good thing his pants aren't any tighter!" All of these comments turn people off from Christianity. They also serve as a very sad commentary of the faith lives of those who make them.
What about the envelope? Prominently placed so that everyone can see that the "Christian" has money to give to the church. Its almost as if he wants you to take note of the thickness of it and guess the literal monetary amount of his discipleship. Can you really put a dollar figure on discipleship?
Then there's the WWJD bracelet on his wrist that serves as a tangible reminder to the "Christian" that he needs to keep asking himself What Would Jesus Do? How interesting, the weekly church goer, the one who professes his faith in the way he dresses and the amount of money he contributes, needs a physical reminder to live out his faith in his day to day actions - outside of worship.
On the other hand is the Christ Follower, a person whom I believe embodies far more of the Gospel than the "Christian" does. A person who isn't caught up on external appearances. A person who doesn't need to be reminded to ask himself the Jesus question - because its intrinsic to who he is. A person who's commitment isn't found in an envelope - because its found in real life lived-out discipleship.
So who would you rather be?
Oh, and by the way, Jesus did worship on a Saturday.

Religion and Politics

Its that time again - provincial elections. On October 10th we'll head off to the poles to elect another provincial government and answer the question on representative representation in provincial politics. I'm always a little weary about making any comments during elections, after all there are those who believe that church and politics don't mix. On the contrary I think that religion...church...faith have a lot to say about politics and the way we vote. Now before people get too worried I'm not going to tell you who to vote for. I'm not going to espouse any one party over another. What I am going to do is encourage you to let you faith and understanding of the gospel of Jesus our Christ inform the vote you will make on the 10th. When you enter that polling booth ponder who the gospel of love is calling you to elect. Ask yourself who will represent those on the fringes of society the best? Who will assure that our health care system is enhanced so that everyone is assured equal access to health care? Ask yourself who will make responsible decision about public education so that it does not become a second rate alternative to private eduction, but becomes the primary choice of Canadians for their children? Who will enable equal access to post-secondary education without the burdensome reality of student loans? Who will help develop our cities and rural communities? Who will further develop the economy and bring good jobs with a fair wage to Ontarians? Who will help provide enough affordable housing for those who need it?
These are guiding gospel questions that don't seek the benefit of the few, but rather seek to balance the needs of many with a sense of social justice so that the least are cared for before the affluent. On October 10th VOTE. Do not let your voice go unheard. Be informed. Pray. Discern. And let your faith lead you.

Thanks-giving

We're here again. Its thanks-giving 2007. Another year has come and gone leaving us, yet again, to reflect on who we are and what we've done with the treasures God has heaped upon us. But wait a second. Perhaps you think I'm spelling it all wrong…after all isn't it suppose to be thanksgiving? Well yes, technically, it is. Yet I think that proper spelling misses the theological and spiritual significance of this holy day. Too often I think we perceive this time of year as simply a holiday and neglect that as Christians we are called to give thanks. We are called to ponder…even list…all the ways that God has blessed over time. Yet if that's all we do…name of the things we're thankful for; eat lots of turkey; invite family and friends over for dinner; fall asleep on the couch; watch the football game; and sneak a little work in at home – then we've missed the point. Understanding what we have to be thankful for is only the first part. The gospel calls us to action – that's the giving part. After we've listed our blessings its time to give back. Its time to give of ourselves so that others can have the same sense of God at work in their lives. Its time for us to go out into the world and actively engage in building God's kingdom of shalom. So why not join me this thanks giving and not let it end with thanks. Let's make sure we also focus on the giving part of this holy day.

iWorship

This week is our first iWorship experience. What is it, you might ask? iWorship is similar to the iPod ideology. In both cases the 'i' stands for integrated. In the case of iWorship it also has the deeper theological significance that worship is not meant to be focused on a capital I. We, you and I, are not the focus of our worship – God is. Its for this reason that we've capitalized Worship to indicate that what's really important and central to these kinds of experiences is our focus on the co-creative relationship between God and God's people in various different ways. So we'll be using hymns, songs – both Christian and popular; sung and recorded, media clips, movie clips, art work, creative interpretation, projection technology, a mix of various instruments, and some of or all of the above. The driving theology is that people encounter God in different ways and through different means. We don't all learn by reading the directions – some of us only learn by physically doing it. The same is true for worship. Its for that reason that these services are multi faceted, media rich, and offer various means for engaging our faith in order to live out Jesus' call to discipleship.

We'll be providing this opportunity in the months that have 5 Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that people will experience a new way of encountering God that isn't off putting to anyone. So whether you enjoy "traditional" hymns and liturgy or something alternative, this service is intentionally designed for everyone wherein the focus is still theme based, grounded in scripture, and built around The Message.

So come and join the fun, depth, and praise of iWorship.

Remembering Terry

It was late in August the summer of 2003. My family and I were making our way to Vancouver Island for my internship before Ordination. We were driving along in Northern Ontario on an overcast cool day. It was more like fall than late summer. We came across the spot – a statue stood on the hill. The shape of a familiar person for those of us who remember his run. That awkward stance he'd take with each step as he tilted one hip and threw his artificial leg forward followed by something akin to a hop and a jump. It was a statue of Terry Fox – one of the greatest Canadians who has ever lived. His statue forever overlooks the spot where his Marathon of Hope came to an end just outside Thunderbay. 143 days and 5,373 Kilometres later Terry could run no more. Yet the hope he inspired in people; the sheer determination of a young person to change the world; the desire to find a cure for cancer – that part of Terry's marathon lives on. After a week full or remembering senseless violence, talk of troop reductions, and Canada's failure to live up to its commitment – perhaps it's a good thing that we begin this week with Terry's legacy. We begin this week with hope – the hope that our actions, our words, the purpose we ascribe to our hands can and will make a difference – just as someone else believed almost 2000 years ago along the Jordan river and the Galilee.

To learn more about the annual Terry Fox Run, please visit http://www.terryfoxrun.org/english/terry%20fox%20run/default.asp?s=1

A Sad day to be Canadian – The Declaration of Indigenous People

As a country we sent some of our top policy makers, people who eat and sleep politics on the world stage, to create a declaration of Indigenous People's rights. For years we've headed the push for the creation of such a document. For years we've pushed the idea that indigenous peoples around the world need to be treated with the same degree of respect and protection as us non-indigenous people. We've challenged other countries to get on board and move towards just and right relations with indigenous peoples. And what happens with the culmination of that effort is about to become a reality? Why we vote no of course. 1 of 5 countries to do so. Why? Because the price we'd have to pay in land claims negotiations is too high; because indigenous people in Canada might actually get what they deserve; because white people might have to leave some of their multi-million dollar properties on the West coast; and because indigenous people might actually get land that's really worth something, rather than our leftovers – the land we can't imagine a use for…at least not yet. Its disgraceful. Perhaps we should change our national anthem to "true patriot love as long as your skins not red." I've seen the state of some reserves with my own eyes. Don't fool yourself by opting into the white collar myth that "Indians" are sitting on their duffs on reserves being paid to do nothing by the federal government mouching off our hard paid tax dollars. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could be farther from the truth. When I was serving a congregation on Vancouver Island I had the opportunity to visit a village on one of the local reserves that didn't have any running water! Imagine, it's the year 2003 and in Lyn or Athens or Addison or Mallorytown there was no running water – no treated municipal water supply – no wells could be drilled because of contaminated land – yet that is the only place you are told you can live! Do not dismiss the United Nations findings that many indigenous people who live on reserves in Canada do so in conditions worse than those found in 2/3rds world countries. Worse! In Canada! When our Indian Affairs minister Chuck Strahl voted no it was a sad day to be a Canadian and it didn't have to be so.

Remembering Dawson College

This week people gathered at Dawson College and remembered the one who'd died and those who'd been injured by a troubled gunman one year ago. Violence is part of our world. Our reaction to it varies only in relation to the perceived validation of the violence and its close proximity to our own lives. Why is it that we're angered, frustrated, and saddened when someone picks up a weapon and commits a violent crime here in Canada and kills "innocent" people, yet when we politically sanction violence on a grand scale few of us have any qualms with those actions? I'm not anti military, far from it. I once and sometimes still do, flirt with the idea of entering our armed forces. What I'm challenging is societies sense of the validity of certain types of violence. Scripture tells us "blessed are the peacemakers," "don't walk one mile, walk two," and "if you have two shirts give the extra one and the one you're wearing." All three teachings a rooted in a radical otherness that is rooted in a love which calls us beyond our insipid individualism and into a interconnected web of relationships. A web where we realise just how connected our actions are and how what I say and do affects others. Violence is not to be condoned. Any violent actions that seeks to subjugate another individual to the will of another is unsupportable. I find it increasingly difficult to articulate an argument for justifiable violence. Can violence ever be justifiable? That's the question that the Dawson College memorial brings to mind. What if the shooter hadn't committed suicide? Would we, nice Canadians that we are, have called for his life? Would a debate of a death penalty surfaced? Would we claim that because of the pain and anguish he'd caused that his death would be justifiable? Would we have demanded our pound of flesh? Or, would we hear the words of the gospel – treat others as you would like them to treat you – make peace – seek to understand the individuality of others? I paused on September 13^th and prayed for the families who morn, the people who were injured, the community that was damaged, and those who have found ways of moving on. They need our support. They need our prayers. As for violence, I continue to struggle with its place in our society and our world. I continue to struggle with our legitimating of it when its suits our cultural norms and I continue to pray.

The Kids are Back in School!

One week down and no major incidents yet…YES! Its September and people all across the country have gone back to school. From 4 year olds taking their first foray into an education system that will shape them in ways their parents never imagined, to adults who are returning to education after time working. No matter how you look at it, September is all about firsts, even though it's the ninth month of the year! Yet, amidst the quieter homes and the busy classrooms there are other emotions too. I can remember the first days of both my children. For one it was a casual glance back followed by a bold leap in to the breach. For the other it was more like the first swim in spring when you dip your toe in to see if the water is warm enough yet to make the plunge. It seems to me that these two reactions, as well as a multitude in between, form a continuum of expression that continues through our lives. There are for each of us moments when we just jump in…sometimes feet first…other times, if we're really excited…head long. There are also times when we're more tentative about engaging in new experiences and so we take more of a stand back, wait and see attitude. Both are equally valid approaches for encountering new experiences and, depending on our life's journey, how comfortable and how often we opt for each one, or something in between, will be different for each person.

Maybe though, September isn't so much about firsts as it is about change - changes that open whole new vistas of possibilities, even if those possibilities frighten us and cause us to wonder what God has in store for us this time. Yet no matter how scary September and changes are two things you can count on are that: 1) October will come and what was new and terrifying won't be quite so bad anymore and 2) that God through Christ and by the Spirit walks that journey with us – no matter how scary or horrible or off putting or doubt filled we are – God is right there with us.

So as September moves right along, as it always does, say a prayer for all those experiencing changes this fall and don't forget to pray for all those parents/spouses/families who experience the same range of emotions as the ones going to school.

Mind, Body & Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19 (Contemporary English Version)

"You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own."

Like most people I know, the last thing I think about when I'm prioritizing my day with all its activities is my body. Sometimes I plan for regular meals, although the only one that has been regular in a long time is dinner – it's the one meal a day where, as a family, we're committed to one another being present at table. It's a great meal, don't get me wrong. We get a chance to check in with one another and see how the day went for everyone. We also take a moment to name our best part of the day. Its mandatory in our house – no matter how difficult and challenging a day has been, and trust me there have been many – you have to name your favourite part. Yet when it comes to the other meals I've often seen them as optional. I know that they aren't, yet in ministry its so easy to fly out of the house on your way to the first appointment or that next meeting and assert that you don't have time to eat. Of course there's always the never ending flow of sweets and muffins and coffee or tea to consume during the day, yet those are only empty calories and certainly don't feed the body, yet alone the soul. Why is it that in ministry its so easy to put ourselves last? We're often the last ones who go to the doctor – even though we've advised/counselled others. We're the last ones to eat right – even though we know better. We're the last ones to really take time off – even though we know we should. And we're certainly the last ones to plan exercise into our days – even though we know its important. Why is it that in order for us to serve God through Christ we assume some form of suffering servant persona and continually put ourselves and our families last?

Paul claimed that our bodies were a holy temple. If that's true then what are we really saying about our relationship with God and Christ? What if we treated our physical temples, our places of worship, like we do our bodies and we filled them up with all kinds of greasy, oily, empty junk? Would we agree that this approach to worship and God was correct? I don't think so! I can hear congregations across Canada now screaming about how the church needs to be cleaned up, aired out, and brought up to snuff – yesterday! Yet we don't treat our bodies that way. I'm not trying to claim that we need to take body worship as seriously as God worship, far from it, as more harm comes from this than good. What I'm claiming is that we need to take better care of our bodies and remember that they are, in Paul's words, filled with the Spirit. We are of God and we need to start acting like it.

That's what I've started to do since September started. I make sure I have my prayer time. I make sure to engage myself in a variety of mental activities that use all my skills and I've returned to a workout routine at my local YMCA. Its not much – 35 minutes 3 days a week – and I watch what I eat. Its that simple and already I can feel the difference. Maybe your biological temple will as well and who knows, perhaps even the Spirit in you will be more alive as well.

Ice Caps and Fossil Fuel

I came across this cartoon on the Christian Century website (http://christiancentury.org/dept_cmarks.lasso). When I first saw it I was disgusted. I don't really know why. My hunch, however, is that my visceral reaction was not rooted so much in the cartoon – more on that bellow – but on the plausibility of the proposition being presented. Of course that's the wonder of truly great satire – its possibility. I read it again – my reaction the same, this could happen! I can hear it now on the evening CBC, morning radio programs, print and electronic news services: Ottawa announces new plan to make good on ice cap erosion! The sub title – so much oil and no ice! Why is it that when it comes to the earth we are so ridiculously narcissistic to the point of being co-conspirators in our own demise as a species? I don't think we're going to kill the earth, far from it. The story of evolution, in its ever unfolding narrative – indeed God's co-creative narrative as a whole, is that life will adapt. The question is becoming: will humans be part of the next evolutionary and ecological adaptation? Have we come to a place where our collective cultural naiveté is so great that we really think global warming is a plot by keen environmentalists to further an economic agenda that is lining their pockets?

Just the other day I had a conversation with a person who completely and absolutely does not believe in global warming. Rather than come to terms with the way in which homo-sapiens are changing the ecological reality of all life on earth, these people insisted that this was all just another cycle. The earth has warmed before…it will cool again. Besides they pointed to a study they read (but didn't remember where) that claimed that when it came to meeting Canada's Kyoto targets that the trees that are counted don't actually help reduce carbon build up and green house gases. Even more shocking is an article I read in a Canadian automotive magazine that claims if you really wanted to do something great for the environment we'd all drive H3s (that's short hand for Hummer 3^rd version) because in an ashes to ashes study the H3 is more environmental that the Toyota green car the Prius. A Hummer – environmental – come on! Let's be honest we've completely take the Genesis directive to have dominion over the earth to its farcical extreme. The question we need to ponder as followers of Jesus is what our faith response needs to be. We need to ask ourselves the tough question as to whether or not the way we're living our lives reflects the glory of God or not? When the air is filled with smog and floating particles of pollution and we can't drink the water or go for a swim and flooding and wonky weather is normal…how easy will it be to see the face of God in creation?

Of Death and Golf

Some people will know that my Dad's second wife recently died after a long struggle with Parkinson disease. After having a service to celebrate her life here in Ontario, my Dad returned with her ashes to St. John's Newfoundland for the internment. Upon his return my family and I went to spend a day with him to make sure everything was o.k. Its interesting to me people's reactions to death and while my comments aren't specific to my Dad, some do apply. How some people grieve outwardly and others internally; how some people get angry with everyone and everything around them from doctors and nurses to family and friends and ultimately with God. Angry with God. Even as a pastor it is difficult for me to grasp blaming God for someone's death. Why would it be God's fault? It seems to me that our anger towards God says more about how we understand God (our Theology) than about the Divine. Our belief that God inflicts harm on some people and not on others bespeaks a God of judgement who dishes out divine wrath with seeming indifference according to a set of guidelines to which we have little clear access. Of course people will say we have the bible and I would agree that with them to a point. My hesitation, however, rests in my observations that when people are angry with God it isn't really because their loved one has been "taken from them." Their anger is really rooted in their own suffering. Its rooted in their lament that God is making them experience these emotions; that God has taken their Mother, Son, Daughter, Wife, Husband from them and all too often it ends up with the question: "did I do something wrong?" In other words did I do something that caused God to kill – I could say end the life or bring home, yet those are soft ways of expressing this concern – my loved one? Where does one find the God of love in these questions? Where does one find the God of resurrection? Where does on find the God who says I will be with you always? Where does one find the God of compassion and strength? For sure there is a place for anger and its appropriate for people to be angry – especially when things happen suddenly and accidentally – yet we need to take care that we provide room for God to remain at the center of our lives offering us comfort, care, compassion, strength, and openness to the expressions of care and love from others around us. So what does golf have to do with death?

It just so happens that my Dad has been a semi avid golfer – some would say that's not possible: all golfers are fanatics; he would claim he's a recreational golfer – for about 15 years. Through all that time I've never, not even once, walked up to a tee with him. As a matter of fact I've declared, on numerous occasions, that I would never play golf let alone become a golfer. Well on Monday that all changed. When we arrived to visit Dad he asked if we'd like to go and play a few holes of golf. How could I say no to a grieving widower? So off we went. We played four holes, the five of us. Having more laughs than anything else. My one claim to fame resulted in driving a ball about 200 years down the fairway only to have it take a sudden left arc and go out into the trees where…well…where it bounced off a tree and back onto the fairway! Beginners luck! my Dad exclaimed after which he gave me a set of explanations as to how to avoid that from happening in the future. Golf, after all, appears to have its uses. I'm still not convinced that I could be a golfer, yet I'm now willing to say I'm more open to the possibility than I ever was before. And maybe that's the lesson around death that while its o.k. to be angry with God we also need to be open to the movement of God's Spirit in our lives that is doing something in and through us and others. We need to be open to that possibility as well.

And who knows maybe in a year or two or more I'll have caught the golfing bug and maybe by acknowledging that God still loves them in the midst of their anger and grief people will come to a deeper faith, maybe, just maybe.

Trust

One of the hardest things I think we're called to do as Jesus followers is to trust that God will be there for us. That in the midst of all that life throws our way, that somewhere, often so close that we can't even see it, God is present with us. Perhaps a reason for this lack of trust is that in our society we're told that the only person who is willing to look out-for or after us is…well…us. No one else really cares. No one else stays up late at night wondering how our bills will be paid. No one else cares if our relationships survive. No one really wants to know how we are doing – I mean beyond the courteous "hi, how are you" to which we really don't expect any kind of real reply. At the end of the day the message we get from popular culture is that every person is an island, that we're in it alone, and that the only person we can really depend on is ourselves. That works of course if you're trying to sell the latest self-help or the latest techno-gadget or the latest glitzy new car with all the bling. Yet those of us who are Jesus followers know that nothing could be further from the truth. We are not alone. God is here with us and when we take the time to look we can see the image of Jesus looking at us.

This summer when I was out walking with my life-partner one evening we had a chance encounter with a couple who were visiting our city. They'd gotten lost downtown and simply wanted to find a place to eat dinner before crossing the border to the U.S. and returning home. We gave them directions as best we could – its actually very difficult to describe an easy and straight path out of the downtown – and sent them on their way. We met up with the same couple again along our walk – they still hadn't found a place to eat. As my partner tried to describe how to get to more restaurants, even offering to draw them a map, a great idea popped into my head – why not just jump in the car and take them there? So I offered, "if its o.k. with you, why don't we just jump in and give you directions?" The couple were shocked! "Are you serious?!?" they asked. "Of course, that is, if you don't mind." We jumped in, gave them directions and arrived at a local eatery. Along the way they learned that both my life-partner and I are pastors and we learned that her brother and his father were pastors. What are the odds? When we were parting she said to me "God put you in our path and all we had to do was trust you." Imagine, all they had to do was trust us! As if it was all that simple.

Trust is a big deal in our society as we watch over our shoulders and wonder who is trying to take advantage of us when we answer the phone. Yet, trust is one of the components to a life in Christ. Trust enables us to lay the stuff that's bothering us aside. Trust calls us into a deeper relationship with God through Jesus. Trust enables us to put our hand in God's hand and look to the future with hope and awe.

Here we Go!

So this is my first blog. It seems to me to be appropriate to state that for me this is a place to ruminate about the vocation of ministry in the United Church of Canada. My idea is to blog about issues related to preaching, ministry, worship, the church, religion, faith, discipleship, and…life. So stay tuned and join the journey as we live out our call to be people of The Way…followers of our Christ.