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

Beach Parties and Wedding Bells

Well, as you read this I am at my cottage on Georgian Bay after a great week of camping. We are in the midst of planning one of our famous family beach parties known for the friends, family, food and live music. We do our best to at providing the perfect soundtrack to the incredible images of dancing, twinkling stars of the constellations in the brilliant night sky overhead. This time we will be celebrating the upcoming wedding of my brother and his fiance. I have the honour of doing the wedding in September. It has had me thinking about marriage lately.

I have been meeting with my brother and his fiance, talking about what marriage is and what they want to celebrate when the day comes and some of the thoughts we have been sharing have been great.

We have been talking about commitment and permanence. It got me thinking about how it is somewhat counter-cultural these days, in all forms of relationship from work to marriages. Whether it is a place of employment or marriage, things just don't seem to last like they used to. Commitment however, provides us with safety, and with that safety we can be who we truly are. We can risk becoming vulnerable. And when we risk vulnerability we can experience a depth of intimacy we will have never have experienced before.

We have been talking about community. Marriage is for better or for worse, and in life we have to expect some of the "worse". It can be an incredibly difficult task to withstand the storms of life. A sense of community is so important, to have others there to come along side us and help shoulder the burden when things are tough. Every couple should have people around them to do just that, and to help them to carry out the promises they made to each other to stick together through good times and through struggle.

We have also been talking about celebration. Yes, life will throw rough stuff at us, and there will be tough times which makes it all the more important to really stop and take time to celebrate the good times. Weddings are a great chance to gather all those that we care about and to celebrate together an amazing event and the beginning of an amazing new chapter in life.

Of course, for me, I find myself being reminded that all of these things are biblical principles found in scripture, designed and implemented by a loving God who has our best interest at heart. For me, it is another thing, and perhaps THE thing to celebrate.

I also found myself thinking about my own marriage and my wife. I continue to be thankful for the person God gave me. That she has stuck with me for over ten years is a real example of patience commitment and an indication that God has truly been in it! I love you Kimberley, you are loving, caring, intelligent, fun and yes...I still think you are HOT!!

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Genesis 2:24

...What God has joined together, let no man separate.
Matthew 19:6

Canoeing

By the time you are reading this I will be on a small lake in Northern Ontario where I am very excited to get out in to a canoe and enjoy the day. I love canoeing, it is one of my favourite things ever. There is something about hitting the water in a canoe that reminds me to keep it simple. A canoe is so efficient, so practical and Canada was basically founded and developed in these things. But as I paddle I am also aware of just how simple it is. As I make my way across a lake or down a river, I go slowly and quietly, and instead of the world whizzing by, I notice it and experience it.
There is nothing really fancy about canoes and after hundreds of years the basic design and concept hasn't changed very much. You have what you need and that is it. Consider our culture and society inundated with busyness, overburdened with stuff and overwhelmed by all that we have to accomplish and the contrast could not be more stark. The canoe itself challenges me to be simple but when I start thinking about portaging (carrying the canoe and all my stuff over land from one body of water to the next) I am challenged to think even harder about keeping it simple and carrying only what I need. I should think about such things while at home as well. After all, the more technology I have, which is supposed to help me finish my tasks more quickly and efficiently, has only seemed to create room for more tasks! And really, although I can make a good argument as to how technology can be used to help nurture a spiritual life, most of these things just distract me and allow me to fill my day with empty business. My spiritual life can become less attended to and more superficial.
Oh that I could bring some of what the canoe represents into all areas of my life: focus on what in essential, keep it simple, slow down and savour, don't be distracted and take it all in!

Flashights and Lightbulbs

As my vacation quickly approaches we have been stealing a few moments each day to check on equipment. We will be heading north to do some camping and so the flashlights are essential. We are seeking out the "safe" place that we stored them after last year, checking the batteries, and making sure the bulbs work. It got me thinking about just how prevalent light bulbs are in our culture and how much we relay on them. I didn't realize that the light bulb was actually a Canadian invention, invented by Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans, who patented a glass bulb with a carbon filament and nitrogen gas, in 1874. A lack of funds to produce a sell the bulbs led them to sell the patent to Thomas Edison in 1875. Well, bulbs have changed a lot since then with new ideas and technology, but they continue to be an integral part of our culture. I cannot imagine what a long Canadian winter, with its long dark nights and short days, would be like without light bulbs. Nor can I imagine what camping would be like without flashlights. Light bulbs are a huge part of our society and how we live.
At this point I cannot help but think of how prevalent light imagery is in scripture as well. It is there in Exodus when God is a pillar of fire by which he led His people out of Egypt. It is used for God's word which is a "lamp to my feet and a light for my path" to lead us and guide us (Psalm 119:105). It is used of Christ who would be the "light of the world: (John 8:12). It is also used in reference to followers of Jesus who are the "light of the world" and are to let our light shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in Heaven" (Matthew 5:14,16). And along with that, the believer's message, the gospel, which is not to be hidden under a bowl but placed on a stand for all to see (Luke 11:33). These are just a few of the ways that light imagery is used, and already there is a lot to ponder!
As I get ready to head out into the Ontario wilderness, I hope to be reminded of some of these thoughts when I turn on my flashlight and again each time I turn on a light at home.