Winter Song

I was watching TV last week when I saw Elvis Costello perform this song. I heard this last verse and had to go look up the lyrics. They got me to thinking, and so I thought I would pass them on to you...

When the turkey's in the oven and the Christmas presents are bought
And Santa's in his module - he's an American astronaut -
Do you spare a thought for Jesus, who had nothing but his thoughts,
Who got busted - just for talking, and befriending the wrong sorts,
When Winter.... comes howling in.
- Winter Song by Lindisfarne

I would love to hear what you think.

This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas!
This week I put some thoughts down in song. You can hear the song here:

http://www.myspace.com/jasonmcgibbonproject

Xmas!!??!!

OK, so at some point you have probably seen a sign or heard the phrase "Keep Christ in Christmas." It is a thought that I find poignant and important this time of year. It is so easy to get carried away and distracted from what this season really means. Often, however, I think that this sentiment has been reduced in our minds to simply refusing to use the term Xmas and insist on always saying and spelling, in full, the term Christmas...to keep the Christ in Christmas. Ironically there is some evidence to suggest that Xmas is actually a Christian term. In Greek (the language of the New Testament), the letter X (chi) is the first letter in the word for Christ. When translating from Greek to English we often use the letters ch where a Greek X would be, and we see this in the title "Christ". So X, being the initial for the title, quite probably developed into a symbol for Christ and thus eventually Xmas would come to symbolize Christmas. In the beginning it may not have "X"-ed out Christ at all but was a symbol reflecting the title. Now certainly today many ignorantly use it to avoid a direct reference to Christ, or just out of sheer laziness but at the end of the day is a full spelling of Christmas on a sign for a Christmas tree lot really going to ensure that Jesus is at the centre of everyone's celebrations this season? Probably not.
So, what are some ways that you are aiming to keep Jesus at the heart of this season? I would love to hear from people and have some examples of how we might practically place our faith, and yes even the theological truth of the season, at the forefront of our hearts and minds.
Here is one suggestion that I have...
Being the music guy at our church, I have been working on arrangements of some of the traditional Christmas carols. I am always struck at the theology that they manage to convey...some amazing thoughts and truths. We have been working on "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" recently and the line "Mild He lays his glories by, Born that man no more may die..." has grabbed my attention. We worked up an arrangement that would specifically highlight that line. "Mild He lays his glories by" may be the understatement of the year (or century or millenia...), but what a reminder of the mind-blowing reality of Jesus - God the Son, divine - leaving the glories of heaven behind to enter our reality. And the next phrase jumps right to the heart of the Christian message and hope, the cross and resurrection, reminding us of why Jesus came. There are other great lines too, like "God and sinner reconciled". AMAZING. So my suggestion is to read some of those old songs slowly and focus on what they communicate. If they leave you with some questions to go ask and dig and search for answers. An increased depth of the meaning of this season can only help us to celebrate more fully, worship more deeply and truly keep Jesus at the centre of all we do.
So how about you, what are some things that you can suggest. I would love to hear about them so leave a comment!

Lessons from Linus (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

"Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about ...

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14 KJV)"

- Linus (A Charlie Brown Christmas)

'nuff said.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Well, today is the first day of December and for the first time on record our area has finished November with no snow. I have to admit that I have been fine with it. I have not really been looking forward to the cold, dark winter very much this year and the thought of shoveling snow has not been too appealing. On the other hand, my son has been waiting for snow. It has been an almost singular focus for him and despite the craziness of the season as Christmas approaches he has remained focused on the snow. This morning there was a slight dusting on the ground and he was cheering it on as if a fan cheering and encouraging his favourite team at a sporting event. All my son really wants to do this year is go sledding. Last year at this time he had just come home from the hospital after two surgeries to remove a brain tumour. Even though he kept insisting he was fine and felt strong enough to go sledding, there was no way that his mother was going to let him fly down a hill on a sled with a skull that had not yet fused, titanium plates or no titanium plates (it was a wise decision I think). So now he has been waiting all year to be able to hit the hills and he is really excited.
It has reminded me about two important lessons for this year. The first is about contentment. I know that if I am dreading the snow, that when it comes is a great chance that I will be miserable...a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Aside from moving, there is little I can do about the weather, so instead of fretting and complaining I should be looking for the positives and looking to be content in all situations (Philippians 4:11). I actually love sledding too, and show shoeing and a number of other snow related activities. I just have to remember to take time to consider the positives and not let the negatives spiral out of control in my mind. And when I focus on the positives I may come to a place where I am more than just content or bearing the circumstances I might actually be able to thrive!
Secondly, as Christmas approaches and the advertisements ramp up telling me all the things that I need to be happy and to make life worth living, it has been a refreshing reminder to celebrate simplicity and to be appreciative of all that I do have. I want to celebrate the change of season for the remarkable wonder that it is and not take it for granted or even resent it. I want to see the gifts that God has placed all around me. I will also be celebrating my family who are all around me, healthy and happy. We will be sledding together and I will be appreciating all that I have been given. There are few gifts that I could ever get that will compare with these things.
So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...I am ready to hit the hills.

Santa...a tale of terror

I shared on this blog last year about how our youngest daughter developed a fear of Santa. In reality it was more than just a fear. She was terrified. She was so terrified that simply driving by the mall caused her to be gripped with fear to the point of being petrified. Well another year has gone by and I was preparing for another season of trying to minimize the impact of Santa on our Christmas celebrations. As Santa began to appear in advertising and on T.V. a strange thing was happening. My daughter was not crying or running out of the room. My daughter had made peace with Santa and declared that she "didn't hate Santa anymore" with a face that showed just how proud she was for making this step and maturing into a big girl. Times had changed...that was until we were at an event where Santa made a live appearance. We had warned her that he was coming but she insisted that everything was fine. We noticed, however, that as the time of his visit approached, she became quieter, she edged ever closer to her mother, squeezed her mother's hand ever tighter and began to dawn that petrified demeanor that we were used to seeing. Seeing him on T.V. was one thing, but as it turns out she still has a definite fear of Santa Claus. She approached him to receive a gift (with her mother close to her side) and when he asked if she was going to come and sit on his knee she politely replied "No thank you, I don't like you."
This ongoing saga has caused me to think about Santa a bit differently, to consider our Christmas traditions in a new light and has challenged me to celebrate a bit differently. This year I was thinking about the origins of our Santa Claus. I don't need to get into the whole history, and by simply googling it yourself you can find lots of information. One common feature found in almost all histories is a connection back to the historical person of St. Nicholas. The history of St. Nicholas itself is a bit clouded by myth and legend and hard to figure out but there were a few facts that seem fairly certain and worth mentioning.

1) St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myrna and was present at the Counsel of Nicaea in the year 325 AD. It was at this counsel that leaders in the Christian church worked through intense theological concepts. It was from this counsel that much of how we understand and express some of our theology such as the Trinity derived. The Nicaean creed comes from this counsel. He was deeply concerned and involved in theology.
2) He seems to have had very wealthy parents who died when he was young, leaving him great wealth. He took the word of Jesus to sell everything and give to the poor quite literally and he used his whole inheritance to support the poor and needy.
3) Under the emperor Diocletian persecution against Christians broke out. He was persecuted, exiled and imprisoned for the faith.

I don't know how much our current image of Santa brings to mind such things as theology and Truth, sacrificial giving and persecution for the faith, but I will be thinking about these things this year, and what that may mean for me.

What I Want for Christmas

I have been thinking about sacrificial giving a lot lately mostly from my own discipleship and reading and confirmed by events around me. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom to many (Matthew 20:28), so the life of someone claiming to follow Him must also reflect this. As I have been thinking about giving I have had a couple of organizations come to my heart that I would love to be giving more financially to support. Realistically, however, after regular giving and tithing (non-negotiable for us) and then everyday needs there isn't much left over. All this means that if I still want to give financially to these organizations I will need to be creative...so this is what I have come up with.
Even though I don't have a lot of extra to give, I know that Christmas is coming up. I know that there will be some people thinking about what to get me. So, I have decided that what I am asking for for Christmas is that a donation be given to two organizations that mean a lot to me. Now I hesitated to even post this blog because I don't want it to seem like I am showing off or making this about me. Really though, anyone reading this blog is probably family (hey mom, hey dad) or friends, so what a better way to let everyone know :)
This year I am asking people to consider either giving to the research of Liam's neurosurgeon Dr. Singh at McMaster Children's Hospital, to the Brain Tumour Foundation or both! They both have been amazing to us over this past year and they continue to do amazing work to support those with brain tumours and help find a cure.

Donations for Dr. Singh can be made to the following:

Support for Dr. Sheila Singh
Fund # 1237

Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation
40 Wellington St. N.
Hamilton, ON
L8N 3M8

or go online to:

Hamilton Health Science Foundation

Information about supporting the Brain Tumour Foundation can be found at their web site:

www.braintumour.ca

Thanks!

Liam's One Year Anniversary

It seems so hard to believe, but this past week marks the one year anniversary of Liam's two surgeries to remove the tumor in his brain. To look at him today you could hardly tell that he had ever been through something so serious. There is so much that I could reflect upon, share and write about but I have decided to share one of the songs that I wrote instead. It shares a bit of what I was reflecting on shortly after our experience. It is called Immanuel and you can get to it by clicking the link below:

Immanuel

To read more about Liam's journey, or some thoughts about the anniversary you can check out my wife's blog:

zoo-ology

Shine Your Light Event

Well, this past Saturday marked our third annual "Shine Your Light" event. Each year for Halloween, we try to take advantage of the one evening a year where our whole community comes right to our front door. Our worship team sets up in my garaged and out onto the driveway and we play Halloween, television and movie theme songs. While the band plays, other family members and friends hand out hot chocolate to parents, candy bags with scripture to the kids and have lots of conversations with the neighbours who hang around for the festivities. It has been a great chance to meet my community and build some bridges with the neighbours around me.
I have been thinking back to all the great costumes that members of our group came up with, the work they put in to making it happen, the talents they shared from cooking a meal to designing the scripture tag etc. not to mention the night of music. It has got me thinking about just how much I appreciate this group I am a part of. This group is made up of our worship band from church and their families. We get together each week to share a meal, study scripture and share our lives and practice music. We learn together, share with each other, support each other and serve together. I am grateful for a group with whom to share this, and for an introvert like myself that is saying a lot! To me it is a glimpse at what the church is supposed to be, learning, sharing, growing ans serving together. I can look back at my spiritual life and clearly recognize that the most fruitful times of my life have been when I have been a part of such a group. We are not perfect...not by any stretch of the imagination (after all I am a part of the group!) but still, there is something significant about having such an experience.
Often I hear from people that you can be a "Christian" without going to church or without being part of a spiritual community. My response to that is twofold - firstly, in my experience a spiritual community has been extremely important for my spiritual walk. From the experience and wisdom I have gleaned to the support in very difficult times, I can't imagine life without it. Secondly, I think of the words of Jesus himself. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) Jesus was talking with his disciples and so taken in context we can recognize that Jesus was saying that to be a disciple we must be loving other disciples. It was both Jesus' intention and command that we would be in community with other disciples (how else could we live out the command?). To try to be a follower without being in community would be both outside of His intention as well as disobedient, at which point we would have to ask ourselves are we really trying to be disciples? The flip side, however, is that there is an incredible richness to life lived according to Jesus' intentions and in obedience to His commands, which has been my privilege to experience.
So thanks to my spiritual family for all that you do and for sharing your lives with me. We love all that we get to share with you!

Daylight Savings Ends

This weekend marks the end of daylight savings in my neck of the woods. I like the fall because the clocks go back an hour... I love sleep. Another bonus is that sometimes people forget to change their clocks which means that there are a few extra bodies showing up early for church which is always great for set up.
This clock change got me thinking about time. Our whole existence seems tied to and even controlled by time. At the end of the day, however, the way that we experience time is really rather synthetic. With the addition of electricity and lights and now things like daylight savings etc. I realize we can really manipulate time, more often than not for reasons of commerce. We often talk about time as if we were subject to it without any say at all wishing we had more hours in a day to do this and that. The reality, however, is that aside from the sunrise and the sun set, we are really in control of the rest. The question that I have been pondering is how my schedule reflects my spiritual life.
This is my thought this week...if I am totally surrendered to the Lord who has complete authority and control of my life, does my calendar reflect this? Do I fill in my day timer and then try to fit in the spiritual things around everything else or do I give all that I am to God and ask that he would direct how I spend my time? Who is really in control of my life? Is it me, my employer, my family or my Lord? Of course, this may lead to many other aspects of my relationship with God such as trust. Do I really trust enough to give over control? Do I really trust God as provider should there be a decision between what God asks of me and what my employer expects? Do I trust that Jesus is the source of true abundant life when I decide that my child will not engage in every possible activity and opportunity? And there are many other questions that will come up I imagine.
I guess it really comes down to a question of authority. I am reminded of a passage in Daniel regarding one who "looked like a son of man," that I think lies behind Jesus' use of the title Son of Man. I think that Jesus was saying that what we read below applies to him:

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
Daniel 7:13-14

If Jesus has authority over all aspects of my life, does how I spend my time reflect this?

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Ok, surely the Dead Sea Scrolls have little to do with Pop Culture, but they have been on exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum and have been making quite a splash in Toronto. We managed to take the kids on a field trip (an advantage of homeschooling) to see them. It was quite an amazing experience. The scrolls, as well as all the history, artifacts and information to set the context, were truly amazing and I feel blessed to have been able to experience it. One of my favourite moments was seeing a stone water jar that would have been used in Jewish purification rituals. Having just read John 2, where Jesus turns the water to wine, the jar caught my attention. I rushed to the plaque to read about the jar discovering it was used for ceremonial washing, then opened my bible to check out the dimensions on the jars in the story. I estimated that the jar was approximately the same size, and realized that this would have been very similar to the kind of jar that Jesus had filled with water and performed his first miracle. It was like the story jumped off the page and came to life in my mind, more clearly and more realistic than ever before. It was when I rounded the corner, however, that the most profound moment came for me.
Just around the corner they had two stones that were a part of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. The first was a cornerstone with a Hebrew inscription, indicating is was probably the place from where a priest would blow the trumpet announcing the start of Sabbath. It was cool to think that Jesus may have walked under that stone!
The second stone bore an inscription in Greek. Why a Greek inscription on a stone from the Jewish Temple? This inscription indicated that no non-Jew (hence the Greek for non-Jewish readers) was to venture past this place, into the the Holy part of the Temple, an offense punishable by death. It was while standing in front of this stone, that I was profoundly affected.
For the first time in my life, I felt (albeit in a very limited way) what it was like to be excluded because of my race. This is an inscription that would have kept me, a Gentile, out and kept me away from the place God had chosen to dwell among and meet with his people. I was not welcome. I was profoundly saddened. It lead me to think about two things. Firstly, I celebrated the fact that this was not God's final intention. Whether it be the fact that God has created all people in his image, or His promise to Abraham that his descendants (the Jews) were to be a blessing to all nations, God loves all of humanity. I take comfort from the words spoken through Isaiah,

"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
Isaiah 49:6

and Jesus himself who said,

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
John 10:16

I am thankful that Jesus would give His followers the task to be witnesses to "the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

I am especially encouraged by the visions of worship in the heavenly realms given to the apostle John who heard this new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

Revelation 5:9

and who saw,

a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Revelation 7:9

Secondly, I found myself asking if there are things that we still do that would cause people to feel excluded. What parts of our culture and context do we so mingle with faith that someone on the outside might have a hard time differentiating. What things might lead someone to conclude they are unwelcome. I am not talking about overlooking sin in the name of inclusiveness. There are some things that we would dishonour God by overlooking. But I think that there are probably many things that we could overemphasize to the point of excluding others. Are there things that have made people feel unwelcome and unwanted or like they don't fit in and thus impeded there hearing the Gospel or participating in the Kingdom community? Of the top of my head I am thinking of race, gender, language, culture, leaning style, personality types and I am sure the list could go on. I imagine that there are other things that I would never see from my vantage point. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them.
Well those were some of my reflections from the exhibit and all of this happened before I even saw the first scroll!

Thanksgiving

Well, another Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was a great reminder of all that I have to be thankful for. We had a great service at church on Sunday morning before heading to the cottage for an amazing family dinner (there were bout 26 of us and there were actually five families missing!) Sunday night, followed by a relaxing day on Monday.
Saturday was a great day for me as well, really setting the stage for Thanksgiving. A good friend, her daughter and her grandson, invited us to go pick apples. We loaded up in the car, and after hitting a few of the expensive, incredibly crowded tourist driven farms, we finally happened upon William's Orchard. It was a little family run operation were there was no admission fees, no crowds, no rented animals for a petting zoo and where the picking of the apples was the actual attraction. For anyone who knows me, this was far more my speed! Getting out into the orchard truly helped my frame of mind and my heart and the Thanksgiving part of the weekend began for me. I remembered all the years that we had gone apple picking for my brother's birthday as I was growing up and was thankful for family. My own family and friends were there with me in the orchard and I was thankful for time them as well. I was also reminded of the year that I spent working at an orchard giving school tours. It was a few years ago now, at a time when the church I work for could not yet support a full salary for me. I took the part time day job to make a bit of extra money. My wife and I often look back to those years when we followed a call to come to Milton, where there was no salary, right after my wife had just lost her job (the salary we were counting on!) as some of the most formative and important years in our faith development. It is where we learned to truly trust in God, that He would keep his promise to always take care of our needs and that we could trust His provision. We often fall back on the lessons learned during that time when we followed obediently (crazily by the world's standards) and had no other choice but to trust and rely fully.
Well, as I was out in the orchard, another thought about God's provision struck me. I was thinking back to the spiel I would run the tour groups through, about the Bud turning to a Blossom, pollinated by the Bees which would become the apples we were picking (done with hand motions for added emphasis!). It really is an amazing process to think about and I was once again amazed at the care, attention and detail that God has gone to to ensure provision for the people He loves.
There is a song that my family learned at camp that speaks to this. We often sing it as a blessing before meals . I think that it actually came from a Disney film way back. It is simple, childlike, and yet is profound in its simplicity:

The Lord is good to me,
and so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need,
The sun and the rain and the apple seed,
The Lord is good to me.
For every seed I sow,
An apple tree will grow,
And there will be an apple tree,
For everyone in the world to see
The Lord is good to me.

Many blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!
I'd love to hear some of the things you are thankful for...leave a comment.

Worship with Creation

It is that time of year again, when the air here in Ontario gets a little cooler and a little crisper. The leaves are beginning to change colour, and soon the horizon will be a veritable canvas of colours painted by the expert hand of our Creator. I love this time of year and I can't wait to get out into God's creation, to explore, to stand in awe of what is around me and to be led to worship. Of course, God's creation is all around us all the time, all four seasons of the year. I am hoping to use my excitement about fall to be a catalyst to start appreciating all that God has done around me all year long. With this in mind I started a new opportunity at church called Worship with Creation. The whole premise is to take one day a month, each month, to plan an outing into creation. My goal is to pick somewhere fairly local, and free (inspired by our Thirty Days of Almost Nothing experiment) and lead a group from church out into nature to experience some of the amazing things that God has for us right in our own back yard. As we experience God's creation up close, my prayer is that we would learn something more about its creator and to have a response of worship well up in our hearts.
We started last month with a visit to Grindstone Falls in Waterdown. We stood atop the falls, experiencing the mighty sound of the rushing waters while reading from Revelation 1:15 ... “and His (Jesus) voice was like the sound of rushing waters.” We then followed the creek down stream and witnessed both its beauty and its power as we traced its path carved through rock and wood. We were reminded of the beauty and the power of the resurrected Jesus.
Our next adventure will be to venture into some of the forested area atop the escarpment to experience the leaves changing colour to vibrant reds, oranges, golds and browns. I am excited to see how God may use this to teach us, inspires us, refresh us and nurture our souls.
Behind all of our adventures lies the thoughts articulated by Paul in Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." When we take a close look at all that God has made we may experience and come to understand something about God's character, God's power and God's nature. Whenever God chooses to reveal something about Himself to us then there is an opportunity to respond - and that response is worship.
So how about were you live? What are some areas that you could get out and explore?

Almost there...Almost there...

"Almost there...Almost There..."
Yes, that is a Star Wars quote, so bonus to anyone who can identify where it came from (just leave a comment below). In some ways it sums up this last week as our "Thirty Days of Almost Nothing" challenge nears it completion this week. I thought I would share a few last thoughts from this journey, a few things that I have learned and what I might take away from the experience.

Firstly, I realized that it was not that big a deal. I think that we had been trying to introduce some of these principles already, although not as consciously or dramatically. This may be due,in part, to the fact that I have a bit of a cheap streak. But more importantly, I think this is because I have an amazing wife who has been trying her hardest to manage this crazy zoo we call the McGibbon home. It didn't come as quite the shock to our lifestyle that it could have.

I learned that mending is cool! We throw out so much these days and seek to repair so little. I know that in many cases, sadly, it is more economical to replace things than to repair them, and that many things are manufactured in a way that they just can't be repaired. But there are some things that we can mend. I learned how to mend my favourite pair of Jeans (well ok, I had my mother in law do it, but I found out how and passed a web site along to her) on line : mend jeans.
It was great. It had all the excitement of getting a new pair of jeans, but ones that you already know fit amazingly and were worked in perfectly - Christmas in September without the credit card bill in January!!!!

I realized coffee is a complex issue - from addiction to fair trade, cheap to gourmet, politics to economy, feast to famine, necessity or small blessing the topic is vast in breadth and depth! It will have me thinking for sure.

I was reminded that Grandparents have a lot of wisdom to share, and experience to teach from. We in North America may have a lot to learn from other cultures who manage to revere and respect the wisdom of the elders more intentionally than we do. When my mother told my Grandmother about our challenge, my grandmother looked slightly confused and asked "why would you buy something if you didn't really need it." My grandparents have lived like this their whole lives, and they didn't need to turn it into some grand experiment in order to do it. They knew a time when circumstances made this lifestyle a means of survival, and have not been swayed by the changing tide of commercialism or consumerism (aside from perhaps the Canadian Tire flyer...but even at that my grandfather was the first to notice when they lowered the percentage on the dollar for the Canadian Tire money incentive). My grandparents are also incredibly aware of how they use other resources. I was reminded of the time that the Hydro company came and replaced the water meter on their home because Hydro thought it was broken. My Grandfather told them that it was not broken, but they insisted. As it turns our my grandfather was right and the meter was fine. My grandparents just use so little water that the hydro company couldn't believe that the meter was working properly.

I have been challenged to make things this month and have loved the opportunity to be creative. I think it is an opportunity to live in imitation of the Creator God, whom we love and serve.

The last thing that I have been thinking about is hospitality, people and celebration. We managed to celebrate a wedding, our anniversary, host a last minute meal for my brother, his new wife and her brother, as well as having our usual group of about 15 people over for dinner each Thursday. In each case, there would have been a last minute scurrying to buy things, a desire to show ourselves well and thus buy things to do so, and a well intentioned hope to serve and please people that again led to last minute purchases. We learned however, to be a bit more organized and plan ahead limiting some of the last minute, costly impulse purchases. We learned to use what we have and be creative. There were some purchases to be made, but we did well and had fun finding used alternatives and making them work. The greatest lesson however, was that we got less caught up in the externals and focus more on the important things. We really connected with, shard with and celebrated with the people in our lives. Focusing less on the other things made more time and energy to focus on people. I was reminded of how many times in the gospels that Jesus was visiting with people, meeting in homes, sharing meals with people and celebrating. I can't think of many examples in which the room decor was mentioned, whether there was matching silver ware or even what food was served. We are told about the people, what Jesus was teaching or how he invested in there lives. Serving, loving and showing hospitality really is about sharing your life with others. It is about people. It has been easier to remember that this month.

So those are just some of the thoughts from this month. I am interested to see how they will affect our lives and decisions in the upcoming months now that the challenge is over.

Wedding Bells, Socks and Celebrations!

It is the Tuesday morning after four straight days of festivities in celebration of the marriage union between my brother and his now wife (and no longer "almost" aunt) Nathalie. Friday was a dinner and a great opportunity for the two families to come together, many of us meeting for the first time. What a great chance to see all the faces of the many people that Nathalie has told us so much about. Saturday was the rehearsal which we did as a picnic at the Toronto Island. The celebrations were growing as we added the wedding party and many friends to the festivities. Then came Sunday, the big day, as all the family, extended family and friends came together to witness, participate in and celebrate the momentous occasion. I had the honour of officiating the ceremony and was thrilled to be invited to play a role in such a special day.
As many of you know, my family has been living out our Thirty Days of Almost Nothing experiment during this month and we knew that when we started, this major celebration for our family could provide some unique challenges. We all had a role to play in the service from ushering to being the flower girl, from ring bearer to officiating as well as Kim singing with my dad and I. There was no hiding in the back corner so we would all have to look presentable! Well, for the most part I think we did quite well. In all honesty, the girls had there dresses bought months before our challenge began. The boys and I were not as proactive, however, and so had to find outfits during our month of challenge. We managed to start with what we did have and dug into our closets for our shoes shirts and ties. I also had a suit that perfectly matched the requirements of the day. The boys, however, had definitely grown a bit since the last occasion that they needed to dress up for, and being in the wedding, also needed to match the colour scheme. We took the opportunity to scour my favourite clothing outlets including The Salvation Amy Thrift Store, Goodwill and when all else fails Value Village. I love these stores, and without a word of a lie, I have an unofficial challenge to see my whole wardrobe consist of used clothing from these stores (except maybe underwear, but that is not really relevant here). For one thing, when there is a necessity to purchase something, the prices are far below regular retail. I feel like I am being a good steward of my finances. There is the added ecological bonus that when I buy something from a used clothing store, I am re-using and therefore helping to keep something out of a landfill. And lastly, in many cases, as I am buying used clothing I am also helping to support some important charities in my community. Another great thing about buying used clothing for kids is that kids grow out of clothing so fast that there is a lot of clothing available, especially for special occasions, that have only been worn once or twice and are in great condition. We were able to find suits for both the boys!
The one challenge came when we realized quite late in the week, that my one son did not have black dress socks. He had found black sweat socks that he had assumed would be fine. Kim and I has to stop and ask whether this was a necessity, and whether we should buy some proper dress socks. In reality, we new the sweat sock would be fine, would serve the purpose and that no one might even notice, and even if they did would not care in the least. On the other hand, however, this was a wedding, a very special occasion between two people that we care for deeply. We really wanted to help them make this a very special day and wouldn't new socks be the least we could do?
I found myself thinking about Jesus, and his first recorded miracle as told in John chapter 2. Jesus' first recorded miracle is the changing of the water to wine at a wedding in Cana. I recognize that this is a very deep and theologically dense passage. Consider the location, consider what the wine might signify metaphorically, consider the significance of the stone jars used in ceremonial washing, and consider the role of signs in John and there is no doubt a lot to unpack. There still, however, remains a surface level to the story and I have often been struck by this wedding scene.
Firstly, Jesus is at a wedding. Having just chosen his first disciples, he takes them not to an intense bible study, but to a wedding celebration. When the creator of the world goes to a wedding celebration I can't help but think that He considers it a worth while endeavour. The fact that he does a miracle there, so that it would for sure be recorded and remembered for posterity, only lends weight to the idea that Jesus himself considered weddings special and important. This should not surprise us as it was God himself after all who created man and woman and ordained this special relationship from early on.
Secondly, although the miracle itself had a very rich theological significance, it also had the direct impact of keeping the celebration going. When the wine ran out, the celebration had the risk of ending and ending in embarrassment. Jesus' miracle, however, kept the celebration alive. The celebration was important enough to do something special about.
With this in mind, I came to the conclusion that there are times worth celebrating, worth doing something a little bit special to mark. As someone noted in a comment a few weeks ago, there are times for feasting. Weddings are definitely one of those occasions. A pair of black dress socks, although not a definite necessity, was surely one small way we could mark this occasion as special.

By the way, the socks came in a pack and so I too wore a pair. They were made from bamboo fibre...and they were nice!

Another way the event was made special was the cake (seen above) that my aunt Coleen made...AMAZING (and it tasted great too!!!)


Thanks to everyone who has been leaving comments, e-mailing me your thoughts or posting on facebook. I love to read your thoughts. Thanks especially to all those invested in my choice of coffee I appreciate all the advice and help with choices to satisfy both my palette and my conscience.

Shakespeare, Stratford and the Auto-Flush

Last week we took our kids on the first field trip of the school year. We headed to Stratford to the famous Shakespeare Festival to see a production of A Mid Summer Night's Dream. I do have some specific thoughts about the production itself, but it was not really that performance that has left the greatest impression upon me. The performance that has stuck with me, challenged me and has had me thinking a lot actually happened a few minutes before the play began, in the downstairs washroom of the theatre that my sons and I visited just before the show began.
There we were, alone in the washroom when all of a sudden, while minding my own business, I hear a "woo-hoo, all electric." I looked over just in time to see my son Liam doing a happy dance in front of the auto-flush urinal. While I tried to whisper forcefully for him to stop being an idiot before someone comes in and sees him, he proceeded to swagger/dance over to the sinks and finally to the stalls to confirm that, yes, all the amenities worked automatically by a motion sensor. He was quite impressed and very excited by this fact. It is not as if he has never seen these things before, but none the less he still thought it was cool and worth making mention of.
I have been thinking a lot about this incident over the past week, and wondering if there are some good lessons for me. How many opportunities to celebrate, to be thankful and to express gratitude do I miss everyday because I forget to see the small things. If I am being completely honest, I think that there is a very important lesson for someone like me who battles with bouts of depression, to intentionally take pause to appreciate, give thanks and celebrate the many little blessings around me. I often take the "little things" around me for granted only to invest that energy fretting over the negative things or the challenges in life. What if I were to retrain my brain to recognize and give thanks for the many wonderful things all around me. There is so much to be thankful for and to celebrate!
I have been thinking about what I have learned in terms of our Thirty Days of Almost Nothing experiment as well. I recognize this as a key to breaking the patterns of consumerism in a commercialized culture. By focusing on all that I do have, I hope to be less tempted to be influenced by the many different voices around me suggesting that happiness and contentment will come by having one more product, one more service or one more opportunity to scratch a metaphoric itch. The funny thing about scratching an itch is that it always seems to reveal another itch creating a seemingly never ending cycle of unscratched itches. Final satisfaction never seems to come.
I am going to endeavour to appreciate the small things, the many blessings around me that I so often take for granted. I wonder if this was a key that the apostle Paul understood when he wrote about "the secret of being content in any and every situation..." (Philippians 4:12)
So how about you, what are some of the blessings, the little things all around you that are worth celebrating and giving thanks for? Feel free to leave a comment!

Coffee, Cream and Culture

I have two basic rules when traveling. 1) Beware of biscuits and gravy above the Mason/Dixon line and 2) Beware of Coffee below the Mason/Dixon line. In my experience coffee is best understood, appreciated and brewed by those in northern climates where it is less a luxury and perhaps borders on necessity.
Coffee has definitely made its way to the centre of Canadian culture, and if the proliferation of Tim Horton's franchises, merchandising and advertising is any indication, it remains at the centre of Canadian pop culture. I must admit, that coffee is big part of my day as well. Since my family started our Thirty Days of Almost Nothing challenge last week, I have been forced to consider what role coffee might play in our purchases.
For the most part, it hasn't been that big a challenge. I actually drink most of my coffee at home and don't go out to purchase a cup of coffee all that often. I also have a deal with my favourite local coffee shop (Cafe Deda in Milton) where I play music some Sunday nights in exchange for drinking coffee for free throughout the week. The challenge came, however, when we reached the dairy isle of the grocery store. What about cream for our coffee, was that necessary? Could we just use milk which we already have in the house?
At this point I must confess to the influence of Tim Horton's on my coffee habit. Over the years, Tim Horton's coffee lingo has become so influential that it has become part of the Canadian English lexicon and has in fact made it into our dictionaries. The term "double-double" for instance is in our dictionaries and refers to two cream and two sugar. The cream at Tim Horton's, and this is the part that has influenced me, is 18%. As I was beginning to drink coffee with some consistency, it was Tim Horton's and so I got used to 18% cream. Now when we get 5% or 10% cream from the store it already feels like a bit of a compromise. The thought of going down to milk then for me is, to say the least, undesirable. But although milk is undesirable is cream really a necessity? In reality probably not, but here is what we figured and how we made our decision:
We had saved a lot by purchasing a less expensive brand of coffee, enough to more than make up for a carton of cream..so in the end we bought the cream and still had a net savings on our bill. We did really well in many other areas as well and so had a significantly lower grocery bill than usual.
Well that is what we did...we still saved a lot...but perhaps allowed for more "flexibility" in the necessity determination. What do you think? (feel free to comment below if you have a thought)

Necessities

Necessities...you'd think that they would be easy to figure out, those things that you just can't live without and that you need for basic sustenance, life and survival in a particular context. The funny thing is that it is probably harder to ascertain then we'd think. We live in a culture and context in which we are constantly being bombarded by adds, images, enticing us to spend and telling us that we just can't live without these products. We live in an economy that is based on credit at just about every level. For these, and a whole host of other reasons, it becomes harder and harder to decide what is really a necessity. As Christians we believe that God has promised to care for all our needs (Matthew 6:31-34). We also believe that all that we have is a gift from God to be used for His kingdom purposes (Matthew 25:14-30) including our time, treasure, talents and gifts. The question we have been asking ourselves is how much do we really need to get by? How much money do we spend on things that are not necessities? When we spend more financially on things that are not needs, then how much time, energy, talents and other resources do we need to spend in order to afford the extra expenditure? With these questions in mind our family has decided to embark on a month long experiment. We are going to try to spend as little money as possible, and before we make the smallest purchase we will stop and ask ourselves "is this really necessary?" The answer to that question will determine our spending habits. Our goal is to have a better understanding of how we spend all of our resources so as to be able to make a more thoughtful and careful investment for the Kingdom. So for the month of September at least my cheap side will thrive!
Here we go!!!
If you want to follow some of our thoughts and discoveries as we go then feel free to check out my wife's blog over the next few weeks.

needles and pain

My youngest daughter just had a shot yesterday and she was quite the trooper. As the doctor gave her the needle she looked right at it the whole time, barely grimaced and shed not a tear. In fact, it has been quite a week for needles for my family as my oldest son had one at his doctor's appointment and my middle son had an IV for his MRI. All of them did amazingly well and handled the needles like there was nothing to it. I guess it is just me who continues to struggle with them, stomach turning at the thought of giving blood and getting week and flush when I have to do it. The last time I gave blood I literally had to sit down, close my eyes and "go to my happy place" as I felt my face go flush, the room get hot and the sweat begin to descend from my forehead. I guess I am the wimp!
Needles are a strange reality when you think about it. Whether I have to have one, or whether I have to watch my children go through it I don't like the thought of them. I know the are unpleasant, I know that they will hurt and yet I know that they are for good. Despite the fact that I don't like them I give thanks for them. Whether they are for diagnosing, preventing or treating illness, they are used to bring wellness and healing.
Pain is not always a bad thing, all without purpose and for nothing. Physical pain, for example, is part of our human design to bring attention to the fact that something is wrong. It is like our built in warning system. After reading some of Dr. Paul Brandt's work, I came to recognize that pain is an amazing reality for which we can be thankful. The most tragic thing about the disease leprosy, for example, is that it deadens nerves which then fail to signal to the mind when a injury happens. Without recognizing an injury individuals go on without getting treatment, further injuring themselves. Even minor scrapes, cuts and burns are left untreated and can become infected and turn into major conditions. All this because the individuals feel no pain.
On a more metaphoric note, the needle reminds me that sometimes a little pain and discomfort in life can have positive outcomes. John 15:2 tells us that God prunes the branches that bear fruit. So even if we are committed followers who remain in the vine and bear much fruit, we can expect pruning. Although it may not be comfortable it is for the best and for our health. We also have the promise that God works in all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). So whether it is some discomfort that we bear because of work God is doing directly in our lives, or something that God has, for some reason, allowed we can trust that there will be some good.
Sometimes life is like having a needle, there is pain and discomfort, but it is not without purpose and it is, in the end, for our health and growth.

Ontario Sweet Corn

I was at camp a few weeks ago when, to my surprise, fresh Ontario sweet corn made its way onto the dinner table. The kitchen staff had gone to a local farm that afternoon and purchased the fresh picked corn to add to the menu that evening. I think that it must have been the best, the biggest and the sweetest corn I have ever tasted. It was actually a highlight of my day (which is saying a lot because there is so much to love about each day at camp!). I think perhaps part of why it stood out as being such a spectacular culinary experience is that I had tried some corn the week before which paled in comparison. It was from a big box grocery store which had a sale on corn. I knew that it was a little early in the season, that there was no guarantee that it was local, and that even though it was early in the season the corn had probably been picked even earlier in the season in order to get onto a truck and make it to the stores. It was a disappointing experience to say the least.
Looking back, I knew that the corn from the big box store was not that great and that it may be a big let down, but I could not wait. I tried to rush the process. I was impatient. There is a reason that patience is amoung the Fruit of the Spirit - (from memory now, so comment below if I miss something) Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self- Control. I know that bland corn is hardly the end of the world but I do wonder about other things in which we show impatience. In a time and culture that is faster and faster, busier and busier, in which we seem to want what we want, when we want it, seem adept at making it happen but so easily frustrated when we can't, I wonder what we might be missing. What experiences and realities might we be missing? What experiences might be richer? What of God and God's heart are we missing? What could God provide or teach us if we were to be a little more patient? These are just a few questions I am trying to make time to think about since my amazing corn experience.

The Blue Box and Green Bin

We had some guests staying with us for a number of weeks to help our church with ministry projects within our community. One of the funny things that we witnessed was their attempt to figure out where each item of trash was supposed to go. Where they are from, everything just goes into the trash but here in Halton, where I live, things are a bit more complicated. We have trash cans for garbage, blue boxes for recyclable materials (plastic, paper etc.) and a green box for compostable material. It has taken a while, but we are finally (somewhat) trained to recognize what goes where, identifying what can be recycled or composted. Watching my guests reminded me, however, that it does take some getting used to, and to have it all thrown at you at one time can be a bit overwhelming! I have to admit that despite the odd frustration and rant I don't mind doing it. I actually appreciate the effort to make a difference for the sake of the environment. No, it is not perfect...it can be frustrating...mistakes are made...and it is not the be all and end all of social responsibility, but it is a start. It is making an effort and, for myself, I see spiritual implications and that it can be a part of my Christian walk.
This week I was reading Romans 8, and came across verses 19-21:

¹⁹The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

I was reminded that God has a plan for all of creation and not just human souls. Sometimes I think Christians get so focused on the "getting to heaven when we die" part (which I do believe by the way) that we forget that God's plan actually has another step after that...when all of creation will be freed form the effects of the fall and will be liberated and redeemed. Revelation 21 tells us of a new heaven and a new earth. Christianity should not be escapist and eternal life is not just being rescued off of this ruined rock we call the world. I don't claim to fully understand it the new heaven and earth, what it will look like or how much continuity or discontinuity there will be with what exists now. I do know, however, that God does have a plan and that God does care for all of his creation. I am reminded that God had plan in the beginning and declared that all that He had made was "very good." (Genesis 1:31). Yes, it has been affected by the fall, but God has a plan for its redemption. So, what does that mean for us who live here and now and claim to represent God's heart? I think that it means that we should care as well. Perhaps that was intended when God gave human kind "dominion" over creation. Yes, it means we may work it and use its resources wisely, but it also means responsibility and care for the environment.
I know that true stewardship of creation means more than just sorting my trash. Out of the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) recycling is actually the least effective and most costly in terms of time, energy and resources. There are also many other pressing environmental concerns. My blue box and green bin, however, are a start and a fairly straight forward way that I can at least begin to be more aware of the creation around me.

Raining...again

It's raining again. It has rained everyday this week, and almost everyday for the past two weeks. This whole summer so far has been cold and wet. In fact, I hesitate to even call it summer. We are into August already and it has yet to get hot for more than a few hours in a row! For those of us who live in a place where snow covers the ground for a good part of the year, and then another few months are taken up by it getting cold, or slowly warming up from the cold, the three month of June, July and August are essential. We cling to the thought of them, and when they get here we really make the most of them. The same goes for our church and for our ministry in the community. The summer is when people are out and about, awake from the long winter hibernation. The summer months are a key time to connect with our community and so we go out to events and host some of our own. We cram as much as we can into those months and really make the most of them...except for this year. All the rain really puts a damper on things.
I have been reading the book of Acts in my reading plan for the last little while and have just finished it today. I was struck by the last 8 chapters or so. Go back and read them and you will see how many things seemed to go against Paul and his ministry. What I am struck by, however, is that despite all the things that seem to go wrong, that could so easily be interpreted as impediments to his ministry, Paul sees as opportunities. Despite being arrested, having plots against his life, being shipped around from official to official as they try to figure out what to do with him, being shipwrecked and living under guard he shares or preaches in just about every single chapter! It really is quite amazing.
I suppose that the lesson then, is to see the opportunity in every challenging situation. The rains may steer us away from some of our plans but what could it be steering us towards? What are the possibilities in all the situations in which we find ourselves.

Basketball

I took the boys, along with a friend visiting form North Carolina, over to the basketball court this week and fit in a game between the rain showers. We had a lot of fun. I am amazed at how much my boys love basketball, and a bit concerned seeing as I really stink at the sport. I was hoping for a few more years before my boys started being better at things that I am! Over this last year as my boys have been playing and leaning more I have to admit that I am developing an appreciation for the sport that at one time I would not have hesitated to say I hate. I don't know if it was because I wasn't any good at it, that there was too much running for someone out of shape like me, or the squeaking of the shoes but I really didn't like the sport. That is changing.
Today I find myself thinking about some of the principles behind the sport that maybe I can learn from and apply to the church. Basketball was invented by a Canadian working in the States for the YMCA who was looking for an indoor sport to keep kids in shape over the winter. He developed basketball using balls, peach baskets and the gymnasium. The amazing thing to me is just how simple a concept it is. At the core basketball is still very simple - a ball and two baskets. It means that many people can understand a play. It also means that it is easier to set up and to fund than many other sports which makes it accesable to many. I think that because it is so simple it is also flexible. It was invented to be played indoors over the winter, and yet it is also played outdoors just as easily and just as well. The simplicity and the flexibility make it so that it can be contextual and adapt to the needs of the environment. The game itself, and the rules don't change, but it can be played in many different environments from indoor gym, to urban courtyard, from affluent sports complexes, to inner city parks and all the suburban driveways in bewteen.
I think that these might be good lessons for the church - to keep it simple, flexible, accesable and contextual.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts 2:42

Gas Masks and the Gospel

Let me first state that there will be no fart jokes in this post, this is really about the gas mask which I just recently discovered was first invented by a Canadian during World War 1. They say that it may have been the most important protective devise of the First World War. As I find myself thinking about the gas mask I have two reactions simultaneously. Firstly, I am thankful for all the good it has done and the countless lives that it has saved over the decades. Secondly, however, I am horrified that there would be the need for such a thing. What a reminder of what a fallen, sinful world we live in, where there would be a need for a protective devise against toxic gasses and chemicals used by one man against another. At a time when many, even in the church, were ready to celebrate the evolutionary progress of humanity to the exclusion of the gospel, the horrors of the two World Wars shattered that dream and reminds us of the true sinfulness of the world.
I have a similar reaction to other things as well such as ministries to feed the homeless. I am glad they fill such a need yet saddened that there is still such a need. The same goes for hospitals. I am truly grateful for the work of healing that they provide, but again they remind me that we live in a broken world and am truly grieved by the sickness, pain, suffering and death that is all around us.
I guess that in some ways I feel a bit the same about the gospel. The gospel reminds me of the sin in the world, and that in order for it to be dealt with, it meant that Jesus would have to suffer in my place. It is a shame that there was a need for that to take place, but I am eternally thankful that Jesus would allow himself to be the substitute for me. Of course, the thing that makes the gospel different is the sense of hope that comes with it. Jesus not only died in my place, but He was raised to life again, demonstrating that He has conquered sin and death, foreshadowing that one day I will be resurrected again and that all things will be made new. That is hope, that is promise, and that is worth celebrating.

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21:1-5