Friday Art - My wife is a published author!

Ok, so it may not be art exactly, and it is not free but I am excited and wanted to be able to share.  I am proud to announce that my wife is now a published author!
Kimberley had been asked to contribute to a women's devotional book that features contributions by ministry wives.  It was first introduced at a ministry wives luncheon at the Southern Baptist Convention this month.
The book is entitled The Hidden Person of The Heart and was edited by Janet Wicker.
You can read about the book at the link below:

The Hidden Person of The Heart

Thoughts about Prayer

Prayer is one of those things that I  have a real desire to do well.  It is also one of the spiritual disciplines that I feel comes least naturally to me.  I realize that if there is one universal key to a deep and meaningful prayer life it is - pray.  You just have to do it.  But beyond that I am always happy to come across some helpful thoughts about deepening one's prayer life. 
Recently, I have been reading Read the Bible for Life By George H. Guthrie (and this will be the last thought I post form the book - I promise).  There is a discussion with Donald S. Whitney about reading the bible for personal devotion.  I appreciated the attention to balancing reading scripture for the big picture story, meditating on scripture and praying scripture. 

When we pray, we can pray through a passage of Scripture.  After reading a chapter or several chapters in your Bible reading, go back and pick one verse, perhaps a verse that stood out to you.  Or you can pick a verse or passage you beleive is a theme verse or a key passage in the section you have just read.  Then pause over that verse and pray through it.

The chapter provides many insights into the importance of reading the big picture, explains meditation and gives practical examples of meditation and how to pray scripture. 

If you are looking for other resources for prayer I have also been reading The Hidden Life of Prayer by David McIntyre.  It is a little less accesible as the language is a bit older, but there are many helpful insights as well.  You can also follow along with others as they read it together as it is the most recent book in the series "Reading Classics Together" over at Tim Challies blog.  Below is a link to the first post, and they have been doing a chapter a week since then:

Reading Together

Denominations

In case you did not have a chance to read yesterday's post, I ended with the following thoughts:

There has been discussion about the need and usefulness of denominations lately (more on that in tomorrow's post) and many of the observations I agree with.  I truly believe in a Kingdom of God agenda rather than a tribalism mentality.  That being said, however, I look at all the support that has been key to starting and maintaining our work in these early days and I recognize how significantly God has provided through our denomination.  We have experienced just how significant it can be when there is a collection of individuals and churches, as diverse as we are, who agree on basic tenets of the faith and importantly on God's mission for his church.  When there is such a group, with such a common cause, who then agree to co-operate together, I believe that God is honoured and great things can happen for His Kingdom and His fame. 
The discussions of denominations that I was referring to was discussion around a recent Huffington Post on-line article entitled "Do Christian Denominations have a Future?"  You can read it by following the link below.


Huffington Post - Christian Denominations


The article raises some great questions for discussion and makes some important observations for the church as it moves forward, especially here in Canada.  In particular, the observations that denominations are really confusing in a post-christian world is a very poignant point, as we consider how it is that our culture sees and understands the church.  I would agree as well, that theological differences across many denominations are quite minor which may then play into the articles first point about how confusing denominations may be.  I am, however, quite aware that as I consider churches across my area, that there are denominations with quite significant theological differences.  It is here that I begin to diverge a bit from the observations being put forth.  When we begin to diverge on matters of sin, Jesus, His divinity, His atoneing sacrificial death, His resurrection, and the authority of scripture we are no longer talking about minor theological differences.   These are foundational issues that shape who we are and what we do.  They also lead to our understanding and emphasis on Mission which is the arguement put forward by the author which I have found myself questioning the most.  

Firstly, without a common theological understanding of the biblicial story there will be no common understanding of Mission.  Simply put, there are churches around me who don't believe in the need for salvation, in what Jesus has done for us through the cross and the need to share that with the world around us.  We can not assume that we share a common Mission.

Secondly, the article is certainly correct in stating that denominations can create bureaucracies and structure which take resources that could be better spent on Missions.  This does not change the fact, however, that Missions take money, they take time, they take energy and they take resources.  If we take an honest look the need around the globe,  we recognize the size of the task.  We have to admit that we can do more together than we can individually and that the need requires joint operations and co-operation.  So, at some point and at some level we need to be working together.   It is here that I recognize the significant difference between the denomiational structure of the author (Lutheran) and of my context (Baptist).  Our denomination functions under the premise of the autonomy of the local church.  When done correctly, this means that each congregation is autonomous and makes its own decisions and governs itself, but then chooses to willingly associate with other likeminded congregations in order to co-operate on larger tasks such as missions.  It is not perfect, prone to misunderstanding, abuses, and risks about missing the biblical need for community and unity when understood incorrectly, but when it works, it can work well.   I think that Missions would be one way that we do well and are continually learning to do better.  As I mentioned in my first paragraph above, I have been blessed by this co-operation.  I realize this is different than other denominational structures with a more of a top down approach and with many different levels of governance.  I am not sure how those denomination do Missions.    One could argue that, yes, we need organization and co-operation but not denominationalism.  If we are to co-operate and organize it takes some kind of structure, some kind of organization and some kind of common goals and understanding.  Any such organization runs the risk of bloated structures, mistakes and waste.

I must say here, that although I have seen the benefits of denominational association that I have also been blessed by another association here in Hamilton called True City.  It is a multi-denominational network of churches who have Jesus in common, who are working together for the good of the city.  It is not a "denomination" and in fact most churches participating still have their denominational affiliations, but it is a co-operation around some common purposes that serves the churches and the city well. 

Denominations are the not only way, nor the be all and end all of church co-operation.  
I recognize, that denominational-ism has often been more like tribalism.  We create us and them camps that defy the unity of the church as discussed in scripture.  We can be more concerned with our camp than the Kingdom.  We do well to ask where have we gone wrong in the past, what abuses have occurred and where can we see more co-operation and unity.  I do wonder, however, if we see the need for co-operation and organization around common tasks, if not denominations then what?   

Update Tuesday - Mission Teams

We are very happy to welcome our new friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, from Harrison Hills Baptist Church in Indiana who made the long drive into Hamilton yesterday.  It still amazes me to think that individuals whom we have never met personally, would consider investing so much of their personal time, energy and resources to come and help us serve in our community.  Our friends are using their holidays to serve here in Hamilton.  Their time will be spent serving meals to the homeless, plugging in and serving with community organizations and helping us to put up a shed that we will use to house things for our church and related ministries.  These are not the most glamorous ways to spend one's vacation time.  Our shared commitment to the cause of Christ, however, spurs us on to serve in His name, and provides the thread that unites our hearts and minds as we work together.

I have to take a moment to say just how blessed we have been by those who have (and will) come to serve.  We as a family, we as a growing fellowship and our community of Hamilton as a whole has been blessed and continues to be blessed by those churches who have in different ways partnered with us to see this new work planted and grow.  As we begin a new work and as we walk with some very new Christians it really is an amazing witness when we welcome people from hundreds of miles away who have come to help and serve.  We have been blessed as a family, as we feel the support and encouragement.  We have been blessed financially, as teams choose to cover the cost of our tire when we have a blowout on the first day of their trip with us.  We have been blessed as individuals and churches who have already invested their time, energy and resources to serve here and make significant contributions to our ministry.  We are also grateful to the churches and organizations who have provided funding from the initial stages of our ministry that help to get us here and on the ground to begin with.

There has been discussion about the need and usefulness of denominations lately (more on that in tomorrow's post) and many of the observations I agree with.  I truly believe in a Kingdom of God agenda rather than a tribalism mentality.  That being said, however, I look at all the support that has been key to starting and maintaining our work in these early days and I recognize how significantly God has provided through our denomination.  We have experienced just how significant it can be when there is a collection of individuals and churches, as diverse as we are, who agree on basic tenets of the faith and importantly on God's mission for his church.  When there is such a group, with such a common cause, who then agree to co-operate together, I believe that God is honoured and great things can happen for His Kingdom and His fame.

Missional Monday - using the disciple's story of discovery

We have been experimenting for the last while with the premise that the Gospels are not only a very powerful tool for discipleship, but that they may be the best evangelism tool we have as well.  In an attempt to engage people with who Jesus is and what He has done, we have been offering a challenge and invitation to read a Gospel, to read just exactly what Jesus said about himself with the point of being able to make an educated decision for oneself.   Our thought was that this would give people a fuller understanding about what they are making a decision for or against but that also it might appeal to a more post modern mindset as one is learning for themselves.  We offer to walk with people through such a process if they are open and willing.

I have noted that I have been reading Read the Bible for Life and really enjoying it.  There was a chapter on reading the New Testament stories (the Gospels and Acts) and I was really excited to read what Darrell Bock had to say about reading the disciple's story of discovery especially as we think of reading with those who have yet to believe. 

That's part of the story, to tell the disciple's story of discovery.  This is important for us as we read the Gospels, but it is also a key for how we read the Gospels with people who have yet to believe the gospel message.  What we've got to do is learn to read the Gospels on the Gospels' terms...We need to recover the ability to read with fresh eyes and lead others trough the conversation the Gospels are initiating, as opposed to just flipping to the end of the story.  We have to walk with people through a process.  We have to understand that when we say that Jesus is unique, that Jesus is the only way to God, we are going against the grain of our culture which says "there are many ways to God."  So how do we help people get there?  I think we should let the Gospels tell the story, uncovering the identity of Jesus a step at a time.  That's what the Synoptic Gospels attempt to do, and they do it, in part, through the way the disciples are coming to realize who Jesus is as the hang out with Him. 

(pg. 154-155)

Although this has been some confirmation for what we have been doing, it has also added another dimension of understanding and focus.  I have really been appreciating this idea of learning from the disciple's journey of discovery,  I have really been appreciating.  

One more Monday, one more thought about how we might be engaging in the Mission that God has for His church.  I would love to hear your thoughts or insights.

Free Art Friday - New Painting

Here is a painting I was able to work on at the end of last week when we were able to grab a day at the cottage.  We have an old tire swing that is in the shape of a horse that hangs right at the edge of the beach. 

I am also happy to announce that I have a few paintings in my first ever art show being held at the Art School off Locke (Locke and Aberdeen), Sunday June  24th between 1-3pm.  If you are in the area feel free to drop by and have a look.

Thoughts from what I'm reading...

I mentioned last week that I have been working through a helpful book entitled Read the Bible For Life  - your guide to understanding and living God's Word.  There have been many little nuggets that I have been gleaning and I thought I might pass one on.
Have you ever been stuck in the Old Testament laws and wondering what the heck this has to do with you, and what you could possibly get out of it?  Here is a helpful process for getting to the principles that may lay behind the laws, that we might learn something about God or human nature and come away with something to apply to our lives today.  This list was offered by J. Daniel Hays:

1)  Determine what the text meant to the biblical audience in their context.
2)  What are the differences and similarities between the ancient biblical audience and readers today eg. covenant, time, place etc.
3) Try to find a general theological principle within the intent of the law that applies to both the ancient biblical audience and readers today.
4)  Determine specific ways to apply this principle today.

As an example from some of the weirder laws, he discusses Ex. 34:26 and the prohibition against boiling a young goat in its mother's milk.   Although we no longer live under the Mosaic law, and this law in particular may have little to no direct relevance to my situation, we can use the above list to try to find some point of learning and application: 

1)   It is likely that this might have referred to a religious Canaanite fertility practice.
2)   We may not be surrounded by Canaanite culture but we are surrounded by many different cultures and many different ceremonies and practices with non-Christian religious overtones.
3)  Don't play around with unhealthy spiritual influences.
4)  You can then figure out some specifics based on your context.

Hope you found this as helpful!

Historic Vote in SBC

Tuesday marked a historic event within the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest protestant denomination in North America, when they elected the first African American president in its history.  The event has found its way into even the Canadian news cycles, (follow the link below to read about it as covered in the Globe and Mail news)

The Globe and Mail

It is such a historic and newsworthy event, in part, because the denomination was founded when it split from First Baptist Church in America over the issue of slave ownership.
As a Canadian, and one who has grown up in the muticultural environment of the Greater Toronto Area, I feel a bit distant from this particular issue of race and still find the segregation within the church (black congregations, white congregations, Hispanic congregations etc.) in the US so different from my experience.   I tend to think of Canada as the end of the underground railway, and as a multicultural place.  These things are true, but it would be naive of me to think that racism has not and does not exist, or that segregation does not exist within the church in Canada.  It would be revisionist history to believe that all African American citizens faced a warm and unsegregated welcome as they immerged from a long journey hidden within the buggy of the underground railroad.  It would be a mistake to think that every immigrant who arrives here finds automatic acceptance into the promised land.   Even within my denomination in Canada, I find myself wondering about our many ethnic works, or our many predominantly white congregations.  On the one hand maybe it is the most practical way to engage different people groups with the gospel, and inclussive in that it aims to allow all people to worship in the heart language.  This, at the heart of it, is a good thing.  On the other hand, do we create more segregation by doing this?  Is it the ideal?  I am not sure and I don't know the answers or know how we might overcome the practical challenges.  This is what I do know:

And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because You were slaughtered,
and You redeemed people
for God by Your blood
from every tribe and language
and people and nation. 

Rev 5:9

Jesus made a way for people of all ethnicities to be a part of His kingdom.  When His kingdom is established in its full it will be multicultural.  Here on earth, we pray that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Today, I celebrate because the church has taken one more step as we move towards God's best. 

Update Tuesday - Baptism Photos!

Well,  last week was quite the week in the young life of the Hamilton Fellowships.  We welcomed our first week long mission team, we did a number of different service projects, meals and events and we celebrated our first baptisms!  It was such a privilege to not only celebrate this amazing event but to do so with our partners from Parkview Baptist, Alabama.
Last week I shared that my son Liam had asked to be baptized.  I was very proud to be able to plan a baptism service.  I also shared that it would be the first baptism for our new fellowship here in Hamilton and that I was prayerful that it would have a big impact on the culture of our group.  As it turns out, that impact would be sooner and quicker than I would have expected.  We planned a service for the following week.  Over the week, however, we had the opportunity to have some specific conversations about faith in Christ and we had some specific conversations about what baptism is and what is represents.  As we discussed baptism, we began to realize that some of our fellowship members had never actually seen an immersion baptism and had no idea what one looked like.  We turned to YouTube for some visuals, and to Romans 6 (amoung other verses) as we sought to put the pieces together.  The conversations we interesting, to say the least, and exciting for us who were privileged to be a part of them.  By the time the week was over, we had three people with a clear understanding of the gospel, a clear understanding of baptism and a desire to follow the Lord in this fashion!  On Tuesday evening we headed down to the lake, and with our friends from Alabama at our side, we had the privilege of baptizing three new kingdom citizens!
Below are some pictures from that night.

Betty's Baptism

The group Gathered to Celebrate

Liam's Baptism

Breaking Bread with friends from Alabama

Celebrating with Yuri

 

Missional Monday - a checklist

Trevin Wax has pointed to a helpful list from Jason Dukes.

Are You Missional? 10 Diagnostic Questions -- Trevin Wax

Below is a summary of that list with some great and challenging thoughts to help evaluate our mindset:

1. When you speak of church, what prepositions do you use?
2. When you think of missions, do you think of a mission trip to a distant city and a service project in your own community or do you think about daily life among your family, neighbors, and coworkers?
3. What is your common declaration about lost people around you? "Can you believe the way those people act?" OR "When can you come over for dinner?"
4. Is my tendency to disengage from culture and retreat into safer, more Christian environments? Or is it to engage culture even amidst discomfort and danger?
5. When you hear "make disciples," do you think of a classroom or your relationships?
6. Do you spend a lot of time wondering whether you should quit your job to surrender to ministry? Or do you simply live to minister to anyone and everyone where you are currently?
7. When you think of a friend who needs help, do you think, "I need to get him to see the pastor" OR "I wonder what I can do to help"?
8. When you think of heaven, do you think "kingdom come" or "kingdom is here"?
9. Do you think godliness is measured with a mirror or within community?
10. Do you have a lost friend who would actually introduce you as his or her friend?

Free Art Friday

It has been a busy few weeks which has meant not a lot of time for art stuff.  I have been recording for a new album with my band Before the Flood and I managed to shoot a couple of shots while in the studio.  Here is just one of them.  This is of Steve Davis recording some vocal parts.  I have been trying to take some notes from my friend George (whose photos I have shared here in the past) and embrace the sun!

A book to consider

I thought I might start using Thursdays to post briefly about something I have been reading or listening to etc. that you might enjoy as well.  Over the past few years, I have intentionally been trying to spend a bit more time going to scripture as I have been trying to best hear from God about our new directions.  I also have this frustrated and skeptical part of me that has been bucking against the commercial industry that is Christian books or music.  I am still working through that issue!   There is one book that should change your life - the bible.  Anything else, despite what the publisher may say, the book jacket may claim or any endorsement might suggest take with, take with a grain of salt.  In fact Tim Challies has an interesting post about such things:

The Dirty Little Secret of Endorsements

As long as you recognize that even "Christian" stuff is being marketed at you and that someone is trying to sell you something, and that you still need to exercise discernment as you read, there is a lot of good that reading such books (and I hope to include things that are not just "Christian" here as well) can do.  My skepticism is more than just a bit hypocritical as there have been many books that have really influenced my thinking and that I have found to be very helpful.

With all of that said here is something I have been reading lately.
   
I have been reading through a book entitled:
Read the Bible For Life - your guide to understanding and living God's Word
 http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/readthebible/

I was actually given this book at a conference a year ago.  My wife first read it and said that she had found it quite helpful.  I am reading through it now and, so far, I concur.  Written by George Guthrie, the book is composed of interviews with scholars meant to help give tools to better read, understand, interpret and apply the scriptures.  It has many great thoughts about understanding context, literary form etc. and how that should and can shape one's interpretation and application of biblical truth.  There are a lot of great thoughts in this book and it is also very readable for the average lay person. 
As my wife said, "you went to seminary so you probably know a lot of this and take it for granted, but I didn't and it is really helpful."  She is correct, much of what is in the book I do take for granted, but it has been a great reminder and I have also been picking up many new and helpful nuggets along the way.

Religious Freedom in Ontario - the practical challenges

There is a real challenge with pluralism, which basically says that "what is good for you is good for you and what is good for me is good for me" and that there is no one way that is right.  But what happens when one philosophy directly contradicts another?  Can they always both be right?  A very similar thing comes into play when it comes to rights, what happens when one person's protected right is in conflict with another person's?

Recently, the following article appeared in the National Post with regards to a recent Bill, Bill 13, being discussed in the Ontario legislature.  It highlights the practical challenge of trying to protect the rights of all citizens even when they come into conflict.   The following article focuses on the challenge of bringing new Gay, Straight Alliances being mandated in all schools as a part of a new Anti-bullying Legislation into Catholic Schools. 

 National Post Article

There are greater implications, however, than just to Catholic schools as any group who even uses space within a public school must agree to the principles as laid out in Bill 13 (see Agreements with third parties re use of schools section 3.1).   Many different people and many different groups, including faith groups, are all a part of the "public" who pay for these facilities through taxes.  Certain groups, however, face the reality of being excluded for matters of faith etc.   

 This serves to highlight the problem when one person or groups beliefs, protected under the charter, are in direct opposition to those of another person or group whose views are also protected under the charter.  No matter where you might find yourself in such a debate, I think that this clearly highlights the challenge of practically applying a framework that is based on an inherent paradox.  

Update Tuesday - Baptism!

This promises to be an exciting and busy week for The Hamilton Fellowships! 
To begin with, we will be celebrating our first baptism this evening.  We will be heading down to the lake where we will have a pot-luck pic-nic followed by a time of testimonies and baptism.   Not only am I very proud to be baptizing my son Liam, I am also prayerful for the impact that this first baptism will have on our fellowship.  I am praying that this sets a tone for us as we celebrate this important marker and that we would look forward with expectation to more opportunities.  This will also be the first baptism that some of our people will have ever seen.
We also have the privilege of welcoming our first mission team this summer from Parkview Baptist in Tuscumbia, Alabama.  This is the church that Kim, Liam and I had the privilege of visiting as a part of their On Mission Celebration last August.  I have known Scot, the Missions Pastor, since he was at his last church in South Carolina.  That church was a significant financial partner for The Sanctuary Milton that really helped sustain in through the first number of years.   I am happy to have been able to maintain a relationship with Scot.   It is great to see that his new church is carrying on the support of church planting here in Canada by financially partnering with The Hamilton Fellowships as well making their way up here to physically serve along side of us.  We have a number of different things that they will be doing including serving at Mission Services (an important ministry serving the underprivileged downtown), helping us serve meals to the homeless and hosting a neighbourhood BBQ.  We are looking forward to serving together.
We also have a number of really exciting things in the works for this summer as we look ahead to the fall that I hope to be able to share in the upcoming weeks.  Don't forget to look back each Tuesday!

Missional Monday - the crowds

So I thought that I might start taking Mondays and sharing a thought or question about something missional.  As a church planter, I am often thinking about or looking at things from this angle so getting some help from you might be a great idea.  Here are two thoughts from this past week I have been wrestling with:

1)  I must start with exposing my bias.  When it comes to evangelism and sharing of the faith I am big on relational.  In my experience, people tend to listen to those they trust, people are far more likely to attend "church" when invited by a friend, they are more likely to stick with relationship and I think discipleship works deepest in a relational environment of encouragement and accountability.  Having said that it was John Worcester who recently shared with me the observation that large scale group evangelism seems out of fashion these days, and yet, it seems to always have been a part of the mix in the New Testament.  I have to admit that as I think about Jesus, the Gospels, and Acts this certainly seems to be the case.  It is not the only way (think of the woman at the well - it started with a one on one encounter, Philip and the Ethiopian Eunic and many other examples) but it certainly is a part of the mix.  Whether Jesus, his first disciples, Philip in Samaria (a different context) and Paul to the Gentiles there are always examples of preaching to the crowds.  I am thinking about if and how this might be applied to my context.

2)  If the previous insight is true and is meant to be a principle applied to all missional work, how then does one assemble such crowds.  Here, is an insight that I have been wrestling with.  I have heard of, participated in and lead many events that were meant to engage a crowd.  Whether it was to share with them, or to build relationships upon which to follow up, these events usually took the form of an event planned to draw a crowd to then serve and share.  The pattern, however, that I have seen in scripture is that the preaching and healing are what draw the crowd after which further engagement might happen.  I have started to ask myself if I have been doing things backwards.   In other words, rather than draw a crowd to preach and heal, should we be preaching and healing to draw the crowd.  I am wrestling with this observation and wondering about its application.   

These are a few thoughts, observations and questions I leave you with this morning.

Free Art Friday

Here is something a bit different for today's installment.  Below is a link to On Mission Magazine, a publication of the North American Mission Board.  Kimberley and I have actually graced the cover of an issue in the past (can you use the word "graced" when it is my mug...and my favourite rose embroidered cowboy shirt?)  This issue features some photos (see page 14-16) by my good friend George Qua-Enoo that accompany an article by Jeff Christopherson.  As it happens, I have also known Jeff for about 11years (give or take) when we first began to attend the church that he discusses in the article.  In fact, we were involved with the Sanctuary Oakville up until we headed to Milton to plug into one of the Sanctuary's church plants.  The church we are starting now is a plant from the Sanctuary Milton.  I guess in a way that makes Jeff a grandfather.  That might explain all that grey hair I notice in the portrait on page 14!

On Mission Magazine

Why did it take so long? -Questions about Jesus, the Old Testament, the Messiah and Salvation as we think of sharing our faith.

When I began to prepare to lead my Fellowship through Matthew I was hoping to approach it afresh for myself.  That has certainly been the case.   Right from the opening words of Matthew and the genealogy of Jesus I was asking some new questions.
This really is Matthew's introduction of Jesus.  If these are the very first words, they must be important.  The genealogy is full of many great names, each that conveys an amazing and important story.  In particular, Abraham and David take a prominent role and the whole genealogy is even structured around them, as well as the Exile.   Matthew is very careful to trace Jesus to this long history of Israel,  the covenants and promises that God made with both Abraham and David, the Exile and down to the time of Jesus.  I remember thinking, how is the way that I have been inclined to introduce people to Jesus been different than this.  Do I introduce Jesus by tying Him into this longer history and this much greater story that traces itself through the entire scripture?

Interestingly, as I led someone else through the passage they asked a great question..."why did God take so long?"  We were talking about Jesus and salvation and what this person meant was, if the answer to the problem of sin introduced in the first chapters of Genesis was Jesus- His atoning death on a cross, and His resurrection, why did God wait so many thousands of years and so many generations to send Him?  Again, I was recognizing a bit of a disconnect from the way Matthew introduced Jesus and the way we often speak and explain Jesus.  I suggested two possible responses:
 a) That God is God and gets to decide what He does but we can trust that His choices are always best (true enough but that does not really satisfy the intellectual inquiry!)
b) I pointed out that the understanding of Jesus, the cross, the substitutionary atonement and sacrifice that we find in the New Testament all uses the Old Testament story as a reference.  Without that history, could we ever really understand what Jesus did for us and thus be able to respond?  I recognized, however, that there was probably more that I could share and a fuller understanding that I could be offering.

Interestingly, shortly after I heard about the release of a book by Scot McKnight entitled The King Jesus Gospel.  (I don't even remember where I heard about it - perhaps Ed Stetzer's blog?) It seemed to address some of the questions I had been asking.  It was a helpful and an interesting read.   McKnight goes on to demonstrate how many of our methods of sharing our faith, evangelizing or introducing Jesus skip right over almost the entire New Testament.  More often than not, they hit the problem of sin and jump right to the sacrificial offering of Jesus as penal substitution.  He points to a number of evangelistic sermons in Acts that take a different approach and delve into the whole history.   Of course Jesus and the apostle's were preaching to a very Jewish audience steeped in Jewish religion and expectation to whom the history and Jesus' being the Messiah and King would have been paramount.  McKnight does reference later sermon's by Peter and Paul to gentiles, however, that also touch on this history.

The one question, however, that I still have (and maybe I just read the book too fast and missed something - possible) is so what?  Does it really matter?  Why did God take so long, and why should it matter to our sharing of faith?  I would love some help with this one, and any thoughts that you might be able to contribute to the discussion.  Here are two thoughts as to why it might matter that I have come up with:

1)  That is how it is done biblically.  Again, a somewhat intellectually unsatisfying response but maybe important none the less.  When in doubt,  do it as closely to how it is done in scripture as possible as I investigate further.

2)  When we remove salvation from the greater story of the Bible, ranging from Genesis to Revelation, then we miss understanding some of the greater points of living as Kingdom citizens.  We can see that "being saved" is not the end but rather the beginning of our Kingdom citizenship.  We can see the unique roles and responsibilities we have here and the place of the church to be a foretaste of the kingdom.  We can better understand the mission of the church as we exist in this time between Jesus' Ascension and His return. We see our place within this grand story of God's redemption and we can be encouraged to play our role within the drama that is unfolding around us.  I think that this one point is suggested by McKnight.  

That is what I have come up with but I would love some further insight, thoughts and suggestions.  
Then maybe next is the application of the insights! 

How Evangelicalism is Viewed in Canada

I recently did an on camera interview, with a team from North Carolina in which we discussed a little bit about Canada, the context in which we minister, and some unique things about serving in Canada.  One thing that I spoke about was language, and what does and does not translate from a more "churched" culture.  I mentioned as examples the terms "fundamentalist" and "evangelical."  I suggested that should one use the term "fundamentalism" that many might automatically think "extremist" or"terrorist."  I also suggested that "evangelical" which many in evangelical circles would obviously see as a very positive word, would likely be considered quite a bad word and bring up very negative connotations.  Recently, my wife passed this article on to me, which I think highlights what I am suggesting. 

Below is an article that appeared at the site Canada.com.  It is an article primarily about Climate Change, and in particular the Prime Minister's response and handling of the issues.  I am not going to venture into a discussion about the environmental issues, the Prime Minister's handling of it etc.  What I would like to do however, is point out the real skepticism, doubt, mistrust and almost conspiracy theory like treatment with which "evangelical" Christianity is treated.  Whether or not I agree with the Prime Minister on environmental issues aside, I find it fascinating how his faith is brought into the discussion.  A few things to note to help gain a clearer perspective:

a) The writer of the article is absolutely right when he suggests that in Canada, religion and politics rarely mix.  Politicians rarely make bold claims about their faith, and in fact that could very well be the kiss of death. 
b)  Along with this, as the article indicates, the Prime Minister is very private about many things.  He has never made bold, public claims about his faith.  In fact, especially if one is reading this from an American perspective where faith and religion seem much more intertwined, there has been so little said by the Prime Minister about the issue one might really wonder about the claim that he is, in fact, an "Evangelical" Christian.  I am not saying He is not.  I am saying He says very little about the issue.
c)  The article indicates that "Because of the guarded privacy of the Prime Minister, Nikiforuk's evidence is only circumstantial - without any direct links, his operative word is "believe..."  There is no actual evidence.

And yet, even the hint of a connection to an "Evangelical" christian church raises enough doubt and animosity, that the journalist feels almost compelled to see in that the basis for the Prime Minster's terrible record (by some standards) on environmental issues. 
The most ironic part however, is that there seems to me some more very obvious reasons to which to trace the Prime Minister's record.  Namely, what we know for sure about Steven Harper is that He is an economist, and a conservative economist at that.   He is also a Westerner, and the core of the base for His political support is in the West, in provinces where natural resources such as oil drive the economy.  It seems one does not need to look much past these points to find the most obvious place to try to explain his positions.  Now I am not a political scientist, nor an economist, so this may be too simplistic and naive.  At the end of the day, however, an attempt to base all of Steven Harper's politics on an "evangelical" faith seems a bit of a stretch, and goes more to show the mistrust that many Canadians have for "evangelicalism" than anything else. 

Here is a link to the article below:

http://www.canada.com/Religion+Factor+Canada+Environmental+Politics/6712311/story.html

Update Tuesday - 5/5/12

Tonight, we will be finishing up the Sermon on the Mount when our fellowship group meets.  As part of that we will be covering Jesus' words to "enter through the narrow gate."  We have spent a number of weeks looking at who Jesus is, what He has done and many of the expectations of kingdom living (especially in the Sermon on the Mount).  We then come to this teaching of Jesus that leads us to recognize that a decision to follow or not must be made.  I would ask for your prayer as there are a few in our group who certainly know enough by now to make an educated decision about Jesus.  We will arrive at Jesus' words about making such a decision naturally enough, and it will be very appropriate to offer an opportunity to make such a decision.  Pray that the Spirit might be at work, that hearts will be soft and that we might have the privilidge of welcoming someone into the Kingdom.  
I also was excited to be spending some time today searching for a place to hold a baptism.  We already have someone in our fellowship who had made a decision and who has expressed an interest in making that declaration public and being baptized.   I am praying that after tomorrow, we may have more than one as we celebrate baptism next week. 
Finally, we are getting ready for the summer, which promises to be busy as we host mission teams, get out into our neighbourhoods and continue to serve and share.   Our first team from Parkview Baptist in Tuscumbia, Alabama arrives next week and we have a jam packed week planned.
We are also gathering funds for our homeless ministry and outreach opportunities as we plan to do more meal deliveries, toiletry hand outs, neighbourhood parties and, with the help of another team later in June, we build a storage shed to house our supplies and donations.  If you are interested in financially supporting any of these initiatives then drop me a line.  We can use all the help we can get!
Thanks again for all the continued support and prayer!

Enter Through The Narrow Gate

I am looking ahead to our fellowship meeting tomorrow and looking at Matthew 7 where Jesus begins to draw the Sermon on the Mount to a close.  It is in verse 13 that we read the famous command to "enter through the narrow gate."  Although Jesus has been preaching to repent and preaching the Kingdom, outside of his call to the first disciples, this seems to me one of the first fully articulated evangelistic calls that we can read.  What has struck me is that it comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.  Here, is one of the fullest examples of indepth teaching on what it means to live as Kingdom citizens with some pretty deep and challenging stuff.   Jesus seems to be focusing primarily on the disciples as he went up on the mountain and the disciples came to him.  The crowds however, are there in the background, right there on the periphery.  It seems that after all this teaching Jesus then takes the opportunity to challenge the crowd to make a decision about what they have been overhearing when He makes the plea to enter through the narrow gate.  I am wondering then, if there are some lessons for evangelism and discipleship here.  In particular, I have been brought back to a question I was thinking through a while back regarding the relationship between discipleship and evangelism.  I am thinking that perhaps there is a bit of a blurring of the line between what I have often thought about as two distinct steps for lack of a better word.  We first evangelize and then disciple those who respond.  For sure this is often the case.  I am thinking, however, that in some cases maybe more teaching about who Jesus is, what He has done for us and what He wants to do in and through us may be in order.  Perhaps a bit more teaching about what the Kingdom is and what it means to live a Kingdom citizens is in order before we can expect a decision.   Could this be the example of the Sermon on the Mount?  If we do take this approach would we not have people making really informed decisions?  Would we not also have people making decisions with a fuller understanding of the roles and responsibilities of kingdom citizens?  Would we not have more who understand the call to make disciples, would we not have more disciple makers?
These are just some thoughts from the day.

A Prayer from Acts

Here is a passage that captures a prayer spoken by the believers in Acts 4 that I have been thinking about since reading it again a few weeks ago.  It comes at a time when Peter and John have just reported what had happened to them after being arrested and taken before the Jewish authorities.  It comes in the face of threats of persecution (by the same groups that had hung Jesus on a cross no less - not just empty threats).  It is this part of their prayer that sticks out to me:

And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness, while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 

Not a prayer for protection or guidance but a prayer for boldness and to see God move.  They prayed that Jesus' ministry (for He always preached and healed) might continue through them and that they might do it boldly!  It is a prayer that the message, the gospel, the good news might continue to be shared and that signs might accompany it, that actions would back up the words and that the authority granted to those speaking might be confirmed.  

I think that, despite the fact that I may not be under direct threat of persecution that this might be an appropriate prayer to imitate.  It is a prayer that I, along with my family and church, might speak the message with great boldness and that we might see God move.
  

A Visit from NC

This morning I had the pleasure of having a visit from Boe and Jimmy, both seminary students who are helping to produce a training video (in their plethora of spare time!) with a focus on Toronto Church Planting.  Although I don't like having to listen to my own voice for that long, and certainly don't like to have to watch myself on video, there is something about these opportunities that I love and that is really good for me.  When I have to speak about church planting and what is going on here in Hamilton, I  always come away refreshed and re-energized about all that God has done, all that God is doing and about the purpose for what we are doing.   It was an invigorating morning for me once again.  One of the things that they asked me to speak about in particular was about family and  church planting.  This gave me the chance to really think about my family as well as the type of community that we are trying to create here at the Hamilton Fellowships.
When we moved here just over a year ago, we were leaving home, leaving friends and family - both blood and church.  It could have easily felt like I was dragging my children away from all that they knew and loved as I set out on this adventure that God had called me to.  Instead, however, they have really taken the opportunity to ask what their role is in this new church plant.  With a lot of beautiful and gentle guidance from my wife, they have really been able to see their part, their role and how God can work in and through them to impact the kingdom.  I think about how God has worked through our very outgoing T.J. to meet so many of our neighbours, some of whom are now members of our fellowship.  I think of the relationships that Liam and Daniel have been able to forge with kids in the community and how they have been able to invite them to participate in our fellowship, and help to make it a safe and enjoyable community.  Caroline does a great job of serving younger kids in our community both within and without of our group and is doing a huge part in developing our reputation in the neighbourhood.  I even watched my kids intentionally go, introduce themselves and invite a young community girl to hang out with them this past week, a girl who up until this point I have never seen interact with anyone else on the street. There is also,  of course, the numerous ways in which my wife not only supports what I do, but guides my kids and still has time to minister to, check in on and walk with many of the women in our growing fellowship.
This sense of family, however, goes beyond just our nuclear family.  Building community is central to what we do and so this sense of extended family is really important.  I am recognizing how many people around us long for a sense of community and family.  They may not express it that way, they may suggest that they don't and they may even struggle with what it really means or looks like, but they long for it.  Whether it is a widow or lonely senior, an immigrant or refugee who has left home and family, an international student who is thousands of miles away or even a Canadian student  who is away at University or College for the first time or perhaps someone who has grown up in the foster care system, we all need community and relationship.  Did Jesus not recognize this when He chose a group of followers and put them in relationship and then commanded them to love one another towards the end of His life?  Is this not what we see in the first chapters of Acts?  I am again recognizing how valuable my family has been to my ministry.  I may lead, but we all participate and minister together in our own ways.  We have a family, but more than just that, more than just a nuclear family, we have a basis of community into which we might invite those around us.  Not only does it provide a place and an environment into which to invite others but it also provides an opportunity for us to model healthy relationships within a Kingdom context.  Followers of Jesus are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but there are so many life lessons that can be gleaned as we see and experience families living out kingdom principles as they interact with one another; husbands and wives, parents and children, friend and friend.   There is so much discipleship that can happen in community, both theoretical and practical, both taught and caught.
So today I find myself thankful for family, both my immediate family and my church family.  The community we are building has so many possibilities for the sake of the Kingdom and I am excited to be living it and to see what God will do in it and through it.

Free Art Friday - 1/6/12

Here is the most recent painting I have been working on.  It is another door.  This one came from a barn that was just on the outskirts of my neighbourhood in Milton.  i always found it striking to have this one field and barn surrounded by an encroaching sea of houses.  It was a real picture of the past and the present colliding.

As per my last post, I am still looking for good resources as I aim to do a bit more exploration into art and faith.  If you have any books or articles etc. to recommend I would appreciate it.  Just drop me a note, a comment, an e-mail or facebook.