Interrupted Prayer

I got up a little later than usual, and others in the house where up a little earlier.  After spending time reading in Luke 15, I recognized the living room was getting a bit too busy for a time of prayer and meditation, so I decided to move outside to the front porch.  It was only a little less distracting out there.  A few neighbours heading off to work and a few walking kids to school made it a bit difficult to concentrate.  I did, however, manage a few minutes of reflection on the theme of seeking the lost that is so pronounced in Luke 15.  As I meditated, one more distraction walked by.  My neighbour passed by, calling back to his father two doors down.  As I decided to end my attempt at a prayer time, it dawned on me that perhaps this distraction was not a distraction, but rather an answer to prayer, a reminder and a spurring on.

A few weeks ago, this same neighbour had approached me to return a broom that I had lent him.  After some small talk about the neighbourhood and how, as a child, he used to play in what is now my home with a friend, he began to ask spiritual questions.  He is in a time of seeking and investigating spiritual matters.  At the end of the conversation he said he would definitely be in touch with more questions later.  That was a few weeks ago and he had not mentioned it since, nor had I even seen him very much.  Seeing him that morning reminded me that perhaps I need to take the initiative.

The next day, when I saw him again, I intentionally went over to say hello.  I also took with me a book that addressed many of the things he had mentioned in our last conversation.  He was genuinely appreciative and expressed that it was exactly the sort of thing he was looking for as he continues his exploration.  

So, although it was interupted and did not feel particularly satisfying, perhaps it was a fruitful time of prayer after all.  My eyes and heart were opened, an application presented itself quite clearly and I recognized an opportunity for obedience.  Is there anything more we can ask for out of a time of prayer and meditation in scripture?  

 

An Answer To Prayer

I saw the red light flashing on the phone; I had voice mail.  I picked up the hand held receiver and began to scroll through the call display to see if I recognized who may have left a message, but I did not.  I asked Kim if she knew who had called and left the message, to which she replied, " Oh ya, I forgot to tell you. Have a listen, you will never guess who it was."  And she was right, I would have never guessed.    

When I checked my message it was from Tim, one of the guys from the Beer Store.  He had not been out for a few weeks so it was nice to hear from him.  As it turns out, he had not been out to Beer Store Church because he got a job at a local restaurant in the city.  

Getting a job had been Tim's prayer request since we first met him.  He had worked at getting a resume, worked to distribute it, and then waited.  It seemed that there was no one hiring for kitchen work and so he collected bottles each week, came for a sandwich and coffee and we prayed.  Finally, after months and months, someone called and he was hired.  

Tim had called and left a message to thank  us for the coffee and sandwiches which helped him get through many weeks, and to thank us for praying because "every little bit helped." 

Beer Store Breakthrough

What started as serving coffee slowly became coffee (hot chocolate for those who don't drink coffee), sandwiches and conversation.  From there the conversation led to collecting prayer requests, eventually praying for people on the spot and then progressed to gathering a group to pray together on the sidewalk.  Most recently, I have begun to bring a scripture, specifically words of Jesus, starting with His "I Am sayings."  I have been sharing the scripture to begin prayer and then praying that scripture and an application for our lives before praying for individual requests.  This is the shape of what is now referred to as Beer Store Church.  Like many ministries, it has ups and downs, times of prayer and times of breaking up fights, rich times and times of wondering about the point of it all.  Yesterday, however, put a smile on my face; a bit of a breakthrough even.  

We began our prayer with Jesus' words, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me."  As soon as we were finished praying someone asked about people that lived before Jesus.  It provided an opportunity to talk of the Old Testament, its relation to the new, about seeing the Gospel in Old Testament texts and to give a brief survey of the Gospel story.  It also, and as importanly, gave me an opportunity to really listen to his questions and comments and better assess where he is spiritually.  

In the end I was really encouraged.  I was  encouraged because I love to talk about that kind of thing and walk with people as we discover truth.  I was encouraged because I have a clearer idea of where he is and can better move forward to meet him where he is at.  I am most encouraged because the question let me know that at least one person was actually engaged in what was going on.  

That in and of itself is reason enough to be there next week!

3 Keys for Fruitful Gospel Conversations

I had the most amazing conversation about Jesus the other day, and it started with an honest question.  The student was very hesitant, expressing that she was afraid that I might be offended.  I assured her that I love questions and see them as extremely important in the journey of faith.  Her question was “how do we know it is true?”  What followed was an amazing time of exploration as we delved into apologetics.

This experience helped me to recognize, and relearn, some invaluable insights about sharing the faith.  Firstly, is the importance of apologetics, secondly, the value of listening and thirdly, the importance of a safe place to ask questions.

Apologetics: Apologetics is not making an apology for the faith (although there are many who think that perhaps it should be).  Wikipedia defines it as “the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of information.”  It is making a well reasoned defense, or explanation for the faith.  In a post modern culture like we have here in Canada, it is no longer sufficient to simply say “because the bible says so.”  That will merely beg the question “why should I believe the bible?”  People hold very real concerns that Jesus and scripture are not historical, not accurate and not trustworthy and this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to questions and skepticism over matters of faith and religion.  So the question is, are we prepared to engage with such questions because it is becoming an increasing necessity as we share about Jesus.

Listening: I am also reminded about the real value and necessity of good, honest questions as we discuss and wrestle with issues of faith.  Personally, I have found that it is often questions that lead to the biggest breakthroughs and growth moments in the journey of faith.  Questions also mean that we are addressing thoughts and concerns that people actually have.  In order to hear questions, however, it means that we need to develop good listening skills and along with good listening skills we might actually have to engage with someone outside of the faith community.  It is amazing the things you learn when you engage with people, and you hear what they are thinking, questioning and how they perceive the church.  It is often different from what you thought, or what someone told you people think.  We will never be able to meet people where they are, and we will always be missing the mark if we don’t engage, don’t listen and don’t welcome good, hard, honest questions.

A Safe place:  Along with good listening skills and addressing questions comes perhaps the most important factor for faith conversations, which is creating a safe environment.  Is your environment, and more specifically are you, a safe place to bring questions and have conversations about faith?  This comes down to whether we treat all people with dignity, respect and compassion and, as we seek to serve, be willing to engage with people wherever they are at.  Apologetics and questions can lead to fruitful conversations but can also very quickly degenerate into debates.  If we are interested in winning the battle, proving the faith and beating down questions then we are not creating a safe place for people to engage.   Do we present ourselves, as open, caring and safe?

I admit, I was sad to hear that my friend was hesitant to share her questions because she was afraid of offending me.  It reminded me that I have to be more diligent about  ensuring everyone around me feel comfortable to share honestly and ask questions.  I need to be better at truly listening.  In the past I have been sharing what I thought  people might benefit from knowing when I could have been addressing what they were actually struggling with.  When I did, it gave such a rich opportunity to draw on some of the apologetic  insights that others have shared with me.  When that did happen, it was a rich and fruitful conversation and I long to have more of those in the future.

If you are looking for some apologetic resources below is a short list of resources I have found helpful, some specifically apologic in nature, some not, but all useful:

Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
The Reason For God - Timothy Keller
The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel
More than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell

This is a very short limited list and I would love for you to add to the suggestion list.

How Is Your Face Today?

“I was walking to work this week,”  Emma shared, “and everyone just looked sad.  There were a lot of people out, but everyone just looked down.  Then all of a sudden this guy bounds around the corner finishing a morning jog, with such exuberance on his face and lets out  joyous exclamation of accomplishment.  I first thought ‘how could running ever produce such joy,’ but then I found myself asking, ‘I wonder what my face is expressing?’”

It was a great, and quite profound, observation that was shared at a Fellowship gathering a while back.   What do our faces express?  As the church, are we expressing joy and exuberance?  It reminded me of a passage from Eugene Peterson in A Long Obedience in the same Direction in which he quotes a friend:

For if a pastor is not in touch with joy, it will be difficult to teach or preach convincingly that the news is good.  If you do not convey joy in your demeanor and gestures and speech, you will not be an authentic witness for Jesus Christ.  

I think that it is safe to say that this goes for more than just pastors, but for all who would claim to be followers of Jesus.  So how about you, how is your face today?

3 Keys to Build Community

There is a lot of talk and discussion about creating community these days.  I have come to appreciate Mike Breen and the folks at 3DM and there discussion of "oikos"-Family.  Similarly, I recently heard Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma ask if, when the world thought about the church, was the first metaphore that came to mind, Family.  Building community is a core principle of what we, at The Hamilton Fellowships do as well and so we were recently reflecting on what it means for our Fellowships, our Community, to be family.  After working through this idea together, here are three keys to build community family, that I came away with:

1) Eat Together
I recently received a beautiful birthday card from a group of Chinese students who have been connecting with one of our Fellowships and in it they thanked me for a number of different opportunities for community that they have experienced while hanging out with us.  In particular, they thanked us for all the different foods that they have been able to try.  I laughed.  We share a meal each week as we gather with our Fellowship, but we try to keep it fairly simple.  The point is the time together, sharing and conversations- the deep fellowship- that happens over food.  For international students I suppose it is a bit exotic, (to be honest my favourite times are when they bring the food!), but the relationships that are formed over a meal together probably contributes more than the food to their positive experiences.  Lets face it, families eat together and so if we want to be family then we need to do the same.  Keep it simple, do it potluck and have everyone help with the dishes.  It is well worth the effort.

2)  Play Together
One key difference between co-workers and family is that family are the ones that you go home to and plan your weekends or vacation.  When it comes time to play, we often play with family.  An hour or two together at an organized engagement is great, but not really enough to say that we are family.  When people are choosing to spend their down time together, then maybe we can say that we are family.  We try to create some opportunities for people to hang out together, sometimes in pace of a Fellowship, and often outside of our regular weekly meetings.  It can be as simple as a board game night where we open our home and anyone who is free brings a snack and a friend.  Even more important, however, are the times when one family is going to do something and casually invites another family or individual to join them.  These unstructured, organic connections say a lot about family.

3)  Teach One Another
Think about how much you learned, both formally and informally, from your mom or dad, grandparents or maybe a special aunt or uncle.   There is an organic discipleship that happens in family as we learn to speak, ride a bike or to cook the famous family recipe.  There are natural mentor relationships that can happen within family.  Organic and Natural, however, still require intentionality.  How are we mentoring and teaching others in our "family."  As a parent, I love the idea of my children learning by watching, engaging and spending time with other mature adults who care for them. 

How can you limit this to just three?!?  I want to add praying together (if we are talking specifically spiritual communities), and working together (Alan Hirsh has great thoughts about "Communitas" in Forgotten Ways) BUT I will hold myself back and open it up to you.  These are three keys that we identified, what others would you add to the list?

Of Subways and Sub Zeros

I currently sit in a train car returning to Hamilton from The Big Smoke, Toronto, and it has dawned on me that last month I was riding subways in both Los Angeles and New Tork City.  They were quick, short trips to help family members, but none the less that is still pretty cool!  

As we enter March, I am back here in Canada and we are experiencing one of the coldest weeks on record.  Isn't spring coming?!?  Sitting on the train this morning I realize that although this year is the coldest I can remember, for the last three years the beginning of March has greeted  us with its own kind of coldness. Two years ago my Grandmother passed away and the very next day my oldest son ended up in hospital.  The following year my son was missing when March arrived, and this year we enter March with my father in hospital.  March has been particularily dark these past few years.  Even so, there are still great moments of light and joy and it is especially important in times like these to mark them. 

My dad came through what was a very large, intrusive and challenging surgery with flying colours.  Although the recovery will be trying and lengthy, he has done amazingly well thus far and shows every indication that he should make a full return to health.  

Our Fellowship @ Locke has welcomed a few new people and I am enjoying meeting with a number of them for further discipleship.  We are currently leading the Fellowship through an annual look at our vision verse and refocusing on (or learning for the first time), our core principles.

I am also excited for our Fellowship @ Fifty in Stoney Creek as I have been working with a key leader to develop and introduce a more intentional mission strategy.  I am looking forward to Michael leading our group through the initial stages this week.  

So March has been a bit of a let down these past few years.  This year in particular it is uncomfortably freezing.  None the less, there are bright spots and moments to celebrate.  Perhaps spring is on the way, maybe just around the corner at the next subway stop.

A Cab in LA

"Thank you very much for the conversation" the cabi said, "and I will be sure to look into what you shared! Thank you again."  

We exited the cab, entered the building, headed to the third floor and took a seat in the waiting room.  We would then wait another two hours for our meeting.  It was a bit strange as our meeting had been pushed up an hour, but did not actually begin until an hour after the original scheduled time.  I think perhaps that the reason for the schedule change was actually the cab ride itself.  

I was in LA with my daughter for some meetings.  We headed to the lobby to call a cab but when we reached the lobby there was one that just happened to be waiting already, having just dropped off another guest.  We got in the cab and were greated by a very friendly cabi of South Asian descent.  We began to chat first about family, then specifically children, and seeing as my daughter was with me, about school.  I mentioned that we homeschooled which always leads to why, which leads to my son's illness in 2008 and our decision to try it for a year while we went through all the unknowns.  This of course leads to conversations about how he is now and as I was sharing the details, the difficulty or his tumour, the amazing team of surgeons etc. I felt compelled to also bear witness to how we saw God work.  I simply mentioned that there was a lot of prayer and that we are so thankful for how we saw God answer our prayers as He worked in and through the surgeons and beyond.  The cabi then asked about our religion to which I shared that we were followers of Jesus.  I asked him in return and he shared that he was Muslim.  

He shared his opinion that our two religions where the closet related out of the world religions.  It was here that I was thankful with my time spent with my friend Mike Hampton who has been a missionary to Muslim background peoples.  I was able to speak of the things that the Koran says about Jesus.  We spoke of the third Sura and the affirming of the Virgin birth amoung other things.  He shared with me that in order to be a faithful Muslim, he had to believe in Jesus but that, and I love the way he put this, we took it one step further.  What he meant, of course, is that more than just a prophet, we believe Jesus was the divine, one and only Son of God.  I imagine that we would also disagree about the details and significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  These, of course, are fundamental differences with eternal life and death significance and thus our faith systems, although having some touchpoints, are not actually the same at all.  Again, I remebered a story that my friend Mike had shared with me.  I told my new friend that I had not come to faith until I was 19, and that I don't take the teachings for granted.  I have looked at the teachings of different faiths in my searching.  I mentioned learning that the Koran refers to Jesus as the "Kalimah Allah," meaning "Word or Message of God" while calling Mohammed the "Messanger." I asked myself what was more important the message or messanger.  I came to the conclusion that the message was more important and that lead me to specifically spend time with the words of Jesus that are in the gospels.  As I shared this last thought, we arrived at our destination.

Thank you very much for the conversation" the cabi said, "and I will be sure to look into what you shared! Thank you again."  

Update Tuesday-we're gonna be on TV!!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick update this week to let you know that we are going to be on TV tomorrow morning!  If you get Global Television then have a look for us on 100 Huntley Street, 9:30am EST.  We are going to be interviewed about our Beer Store Church.  Kim, T.J. and I will be doing our best to represent!  

This is actually a continuation of a story that I shared a while back that lead to a feature about us in the local paper.  A lady came by one morning while we were gathering on the street corner outside of the Beer Store to ask what we were doing.  She was so taken by the idea that, unbenounced to us,  she called the paper.  The paper came and did a story that was then seen by the folks who do 100 Huntley St. They then invited us to the show tomorrow.  

Of course, in the midst of getting ready for tomorrow, sickness has hit our house this week.  Please join us in praying for healing and for the interview, that we would make much of Jesus.  

Update Tuesday - Make A Difference

Sometimes it is about the big splash, an opportunity or event when a lot seems to be accomplished in one concentrated push.  It is easy to point to, easy to see and easy to talk about.  It makes an obvious difference.  

More often then not, however, making a difference is more about an ongoing collection of little things that, over time, add up to be an incremental but sustained push to make a difference.  It is harder to see, harder to point to, and thus often these smaller things are notas heralded and celebrated.  I like to celebrate some of the smaller things and so here are two brief stories.  

A few weeks ago, during one of our monthly street outreaches we got to visit with Jerry.  He is slow, both intelectually as well as physically-he walks at a snails pace.  The last we had seen him he was using a walker but that day he was walking to us very slowly, very unsteadily and with no walker.  When we asked him about it he told us that his walker had been stolen.  This was particularly upsetting to one of our people who had met with and talked with Jerry in the past.  The next week this member of our group was at our sending church in Milton sharing the story when a congregation member stopped him to say she had an extra walker.  We took the walker, and we brought it out to the street with us on the chance that we might see Jerry again.  It was aprovidential  encounter when we saw Jerry shuffling up to us.  We were able to bless him with the walker and to see the smile on his face.

This past Saturday was also a really encouraging time for me.  I have mentioned Roy, a chinese student who had been connected with our Wednesday fellowship since the fall.  He has become a real Person of Peace for us and a gateway.  I asked him if he would like to get together to learn more about Jesus and to practice English at the same time and he said yes.  When he came on Saturday, he brought two friends all eager to read, learn and talk about Jesus.  They have little to no experience with the gospel or any bible stories at all so it is amazing fun to share about things they are hearing for the first time.  To think that this relationship all started with one simple text.  A student in Calgary, who works with a colleague of mine, met Roy in China over the summer.  She found out I work in Hamilton and that Roy would be studying here.  She sent me a text to see if I would contact him.  One simple text and God's providence can lead to great things!!!

So, what small thing can you do today to make a difference?!

Update Tuesday-A Blessing Received

Yesterday I got a phone call.  It was unexpected, out of the blue and certainly a surprise.  When I answered the phone it was our friend Paul from our Beer Store Church.  Paul is one of the recyclers we serve each Monday morning.  After being hit by a car a few years ago, he has injuries, including a brain injury, that prevent him from working full time.  Some insurance money helps him to maintain the appartment he was living with his mother in before her passing.  He collects bottles for hours at a time, multiple days a week, walking the streets into the overnight hours to have money enough for groceries.  Yesterday, Paul called to say that he was thinking about the fact that we said our kids where all home sick.  He was so thankful for all that we do for the guys on Monday that he wanted to do something for us.  He was calling to ask if he could make us a meal.  It was a special call, and certainly a blessing received.  I am touched that he would think to serve us in this way, and to use his limited resources to reach out to us.  

Update Tuesday - Of Healings and Goodbyes

It was a quiet summer evening, or perhaps early fall, when a number of people from our Sanctuary Milton family gathered together for prayer.  The evening was dedicated to prayer for our middle son who had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and whose surgery date was quickly approaching.  Under the leadership of our friend and pastor Jim Danielson, we gathered, Jim anointed our son's head with oil, we laid on hands and prayed.  What followed was a whirlwind year, but one in which we saw the global church surround us in prayer and one in which our son was restored to full health with incredible results. 

Fast forward five years and we are now in Hamilton, a move whose roots we trace back to that time in Milton, and to our son's illness and sickness.  This past fall we had another shock of bad news when my father Gerry, and member of our Wednesday Fellowship@Locke was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  Thinking back to that time in Milton, and my friend Jim's leadership to gather together, anoint with oil and pray, I gathered our Fellowship.  We gathered, we anointed with oil and we prayed.  This past Wednesday we had the opportunity to hear an update from Gerry who had just finished a very aggressive five week's of chemotherapy, and was about to finish up the coinciding radiation.  He was able to share about his appointment with his oncologist who remarked at his ongoing health and asked out loud, "How do you still have your hair?"  Gerry never lost any hair, has not really been very nauseous or ill and has had very little ill effects from the treatment.  His treatment team is absolutely amazed at how he has come through this aggressive treatment with so few affects to his overall health.  Lord knows that we, and our extended family of faith have experienced times between these two amazing events in which healing has not occurred and we have been heartbroken.  But here, with another case of good news, we pause to celebrate.  What a witness it has been, and what an amazing thing for some of our younger Fellowship members to be able to see.  We continue to pray for Gerry as he prepares for the next stage of his treatment and details for surgery are put in order.

With the celebration last week, also came a bit of sadness as we prayed for and said goodbye to our friend Hitomi.  Hitomi is a young lady from Japan who has been attending our Fellowship.  She has an amazing heart for the underprivileged in our city, often volunteering multiple evenings a week to go out into the cold and serve with street mission programs.  Hitomi is heading back to Japan because of VISA requirements but hopes to be back in a year.  She had fallen in love with Canada and its people and is a great example of a servant.

As we prayed for Hitomi asking that she would take all that she has learned here home with her,  it has given us pause to reflect on the possible impacts of our ministry here in Hamilton.  As we teach, disciple and equip people from around the world, there is a very real possibility that they will be returning home either temporarily or permanently and the implications for world missions is quite amazing.  So we head into the coming week's and months with great humility but also renewed passion and energy for what God may grow out of these small beginnings.  We thanks you for your continued spiritual, physical and financial support.     

Update Tuesday-catching up

It was New Years Eve morning when I was at a brunch hosted by our Fellowship@Fifty crew (our Thurs. night Stoney Creek Fellowship).  I am not exactly sure how the conversation started but the gentleman next to me was sharing about what he did for Christmas. It was a fascinating story for me to hear.  

On Christmas Eve, this gentleman came to visit the open house and evening service hosted by our Wed. Fellowship@Locke.  As he shared he began, albeit somewhat timidly in my presence, with a confession.  I began that service by sharing with the group that we would be reading the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, interspersed with relevant hymns and Carols.   His first response, he admited, was "thats it?!"  Having grown up in the church  he had heard this story so many times.  Where was the eloquent and deeply theological sermon?  How would he get anything out if it?  "Really, I came all the way just to hear you read the story?" he thought.  But then, something amazing happened.  As the story was being read, our friend began to look around the room.  What he saw astounded him.  He saw a room full of people who where captivated by what they were hearing, mezmerized by a story that we so often take for granted.  For many in the room that night, it was their first time ever hearing the Christmas story.  Growing up in places around the world, in other cultures, some Budhist, others atheist, they had never heard the story of the birth of Jesus.  We were priviledged to share it with them. 

As my friend recounted this story it reminded me of some lessons I have been learning lately.  These days what we do is often fairly simple.  With many people from different cultures who are just learning English, there are barriers to communication.  With so many who are just hearing of Jesus for the first time, we spend a lot of time just introducing Him and touching on the basics.  I am learning that it is not about me.  As much as I enjoy preaching, preparing and delivering a thorough and well prepared sermon, I do not do it all that often in my own church.  We must currently keep the language and content a bit simpler.  That is what is needed these days.  Secondly, I have been reminded that there is power in scripture and, in particular, the stories of Jesus.  Although simple, we have seen that when scripture is read, or stories of Jesus are told they have the power to capture hearts and minds.  

One if my prayers is that the observation  shared by that gentleman at the New Year's Eve brunch might be shared by more of us.  Can we see the opportunity and invitation to join God in His mission as we serve to help others grow in their knowledge of Jesus?  We can be challenged that it is not what we get but what we give-how we serve.  We can be encouraged that it can actually be quite simple.  

We would asked for your continued prayers as we seek to continue to introduce and teach about Jesus, and for wisdom as we seek to disciple new, young believers.  Please continue to pray that we might be able to make disciples that make disciples.   

Update Tuesday-thanks Milton!!

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says:

Two are better than one because they have a a good return for their labour.

I recognized this again on Sunday as folks from our sending church, The Sanctuary Milton, helped us by providing sandwiches for our latest LoveLoud outreach.  We had plenty of food (enough to cover the next few weeks of Beer Store Church as well) and we had some extra labourers join us on the street.

The Sanctuary has been a huge blessing to us in so many different ways.  We are so greatful for their continued support!!

I am looking forward to the opportunity to go back and visit Milton this Sunday where I have the priviledge of giving the message.  If you are in Milton this Sunday come on by, we would love to see you.

A big thanks also goes out to those of you who continue to pray and support our work, we could not do it without you.

As Christmas approaches I am often asked about donations to the ministry.  The easiest way is to visit www.hamiltonfellowships.com and follow the on-line giving link.

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Update Tuesday - The Inevitability of Storms

I have grown up on the Great Lakes.  While in Oakville, and now in Hamilton I have lived on Lake Ontario, I worked at a camp on Lake Eerie and five generations of my family have enjoyed summers at a cottage on Georgian Bay (a part of Lake Huron).  Just recently, I had the opportunity to visit Lake Superior on a cold, rainy, grey and ominous day.  As well as a love for the water, I have also developed a healthy appreciation for its power.  The thing about the Great Lakes is that they are huge, it looks more like looking out over the ocean than a lake, and when a storm comes in it can be ferocious.  I have only been caught on the water in one storm, and really only the beginning of a storm, but I can tell you that it was terrifying.  The combination of the driving wind and rains and the white caps that it produces can be awe inspiring.  Perhaps the most incredible things are the waves.  They waves are huge, they roll and rock back and forth and the grand heights are made that much more spectacular by the dramatic depths  to which the waters drop in between each cap.  From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in a matter of seconds makes trying to ride out one of these storms exhilaratingly terrifying.

Jesus spoke of storms, using them as a metaphor for the challenges in life.  I have been looking at the parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24-27 as I prepare to preach in Milton next week.  I was struck by the inevitability of the storms; two builders, two homes but they both face the storm.  I was reminded again of the inevitability of storms in my own life recently, and like the waves produced by the gales of November on the great lake the call Gitchegumee (Lake Superior) I have seen the ups and downs.

Late October saw my family head out on a two day road trip to New York City where we had the awesome privilege of seeing my brother preform on Broadway in the hit music Once.  A few weeks later and we again took a road trip north to Sault Saint Marie Ontario where my daughter T.J. is shooting a film entitled A Masked Saint.  On this film she has had the privilege of working with such greats as Tony and Golden Globe winner Diahnn Carroll.  In between these highs, however, we have had a fairly dramatic low as my dad has just been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.  He has consultations with specialists this week to determine the best coarse of action.  So, we face another storm of sorts.  The history of our work here in Hamilton seems marked but such occurrences.  Liam's brain tumour that really began the journey that led us to Hamilton, our first year that saw two separate breast lump scares for Kim and T.J. (both thankfully were not cancer) and the subsequent struggle to find a doctor so we could address them and mental health issues that took up most of the previous two years.   We come to the close of another year with another health storm to weather.  We have learned much over the last few years, the least of which is not that God is good in everything.  He loves us and He is here with us.  It does not always feel like it, and I have not always recognized it day in and day out, but non the less, that is the truth.  We can take comfort in Him.

Towards the beginning Sermon on the Mount we have the call to let our light shine in the darkness that men might see our good deeds and give glory to the Father.  The teachings that follow are among the things that we do to let our light shine.  They are also the things we do to secure our building on the strong foundation to withstand the inevitable storms.   I am praying that we as a family, and as a ministry, continue to do those very things Jesus called us to do, and that our witness might be that much stronger by the ways in which we weather the storms.  We would appreciate your prayers in the days and months ahead. 
 

Update Tuesday - Knitting Club

We now have a knitting club and I love it!  Here is why I love it so much...

Firstly, it wasn't my idea...obviously.  I would never have dreamed of starting a knitting club but someone else in our group did and when they brought up the idea we said "sure, go for it how can we help?"

Secondly, I did not have to organize it.  Yes, it was held in my house but aside from that I had little to nothing to do with it.  I won't be the bottle neck that another program with all its details need to pass.  It happened naturally, and organically when someone had an idea to build community, asked a few others, and agreed upon a time to get together.

Thirdly, it is simple.  As noted above, it happened rather organically.  There was not a lot of details, not a lot of organizing, not a lot of time and energy and not a lot of financial resources needed.   This is something that could easily be done almost anywhere, by anyone (as long as at least one person knows how to knit!) at any time.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, it has been extremely successful!  After only one night it has had a great impact and promises to continue.   In terms of building community, it was a great opportunity.  As people begin to get a bit more proficient at the actual knitting, then conversations begin to flow.  Young and old gathered together chatting and sharing.  We also had some members invite friends and, although not an intentional aspect, is a great outreach.  After sharing some funny tweets and Facebook posts, we also had a number of people express interest in joining us for the next one!

So we will see what happens next.  At the very least it is a great initiative towards our community building, our inward expression, but perhaps it will also be a great impact on our outward expression.  Up, In and Out!!

Update Tuesday - Two Groups

I once heard a colleague say that there are always two groups we need to be mindful of as we seek to serve in our communities, those we serve directly and those who are watching how we serve.  I was reminded of this fact this past Monday as we met for Beer Store Church. 

We were meeting as we usually do, outside of the Beer Store, serving those who have been out for hours, making their way through the cool damp streets collecting recyclables to return for deposit.  It was wet and cold and so the group was made up of mostly the regulars who, week in and week out, work the streets for money.  We had grabbed a coffee, had a sandwich and cookies and just finished gathering for our prayer time when I looked up to see one of the friends of our ministry, coming over to say hello.  This is the same neighbour who, a few months ago, was so taken by what we were doing that she called the newspaper and had them come and do a story about our Monday morning group.  We have seen her a few times since then, and she always makes sure to stop, say hello, and see how things are going.  This week, however,  when she came over we did more than just make small talk.  She shared with us about a friend who is searching and searching for a community to call her spiritual home.  It provided the opportunity for us tho share in a bit more depth about who we are, how we do things and why we think we are here in the city.  She also shared a bit about her own personal spiritual journey.  Acknowledging that coming into any church, whether it be a church building or a living room, can be intimidating I suggested that perhaps we should all meet together face to face over coffee to get to know one another a bit better and to go from there.  I am hopeful and excited for this upcoming conversation.

So again, I was reminded about the two groups, those we serve directly and those who watch how we serve.  If we are sincere in our serving, and if we are intentional about working for the good of our communities, it should have an affect on those Kingdom Seekers (to borrow a phrase Kingdom Matrix by Jeff Christopherson) - those with eternity in their heart,  searching for their connection to the eternal and who respond to impulses of truth when they see them.

Update Tuesday - Jackson Street

Just yesterday I had the opportunity to send a note to a faithful prayer partner who, along with others from her church, have been faithfully praying for one street in our neighbourhood.  They had the opportunity to visit this past summer and did some work and a lot of praying on the street.  Since their visit, there have been some interesting developments.

One of the tasks I gave them was to spend some time on a lot which holds an abandoned building awaiting rezoning.  It is an eyesore situated on one of the main intersections and the lot is left uncared for and full of weeds.  The ladies spent a morning weeding the side of the lot that faces Jackson St., the street they have been praying for.  Since their visit, the weeds had begun to creep back and I was just about to organize a time to go and weed it again.  When I passed the property the other day, however, someone had already attended to it.  I am not sure whether it was the owner (who I met while weeding the property with the team) or some other neighbours who did it.  Regardless,  I am confident that whoever did it were inspired by the team of ladies (as well as a team from the summer before who also helped us work on the property) who would see a need and step up to meet it.  Our teams have helped us to help our neighbours recognize that we can all be a part of chipping in and contributing to the good of our neighbourhood and city.

A very similar thing occurred on another abandoned lot that our teams from the summer worked on.  One of our teams helped us to weed and plant flowers in an abandoned planter on the corner of a very busy intersection while another team helped us to weed the rest of the property a few weeks later.  Since that time there has begun a weekly event at which Food Trucks use the abandoned lot to host a charity fundraising event each Saturday.  Colourful pic-nic tables now adorn this once derelict property where a lively food extravaganza takes place each week in support of local causes.  Although I cannot say for certain that we had anything to do with it, I like to think that as we tried to see the potential in the spot, and to bring the beginnings of redemption to the lot, it may have inspired others to see things differently and see a once overrun, forgotten spot as usable space for the good of the city.

Lastly, and on a more personal level, I was able to report about one of the residents that our team of ladies met, who has since recognized a need for help to treat an addiction.  He is a neighbour of some of our Fellowship members, and our members  have been loving and caring for him for some time.  He has now decided to take steps towards addressing his addiction.   There have been many ups and downs, and there will continue to be ups and downs, steps forward and steps backward, but we would ask you to also consider joining us in prayer for his journey towards health.

So those are some of the reports since our busy summer.  Now we take time looking forward as we prayerfully consider what God has for us in the next few months and, importantly, the upcoming year.  Kim and I had a great opportunity to attend a leadership boot camp last week and I am eager to begin to apply some of what we learned to our work here in Hamilton. 

The Kingdom Matrix

The Kingdom Matrix
(read about it or purchase it here)

It has certainly been a different experience these past few weeks as I have made my way through The Kingdom Matrix by Jeff Christopherson.  Reading through a book in which you know many of the individuals mentioned, remember many of the stories that are recounted and, in fact, lived through a number of them, provides a unique reading experience for sure.  It is a bit hard to distance an objective reading of the points being delivered from my nostalgic memories of being a part of much of it.  I have also had the advanced drafts, so to speak, as many of the ideas from this book were being developed, introduced and lived out in the churches that where a part of the Sanctuary movement.  Looking back, I remember the amazing things we have seen God do, I remember hard times when we didn't get it right or when God may have been pruning and refining, and in all I am overwhelmed by who God is, what He has done and all that I have learned these past eleven years.

I say this is simply to point out that anything I say about the book is not unbiased.  Having said that, however, there is some thinking in this book that could be very important for the church.  I have probably come to take for granted much of what I have learned over the years and the culture in which I have been blessed to be a part.  If, however, concepts such as "giving yourself away," "community transformation," "church planting," "reproduction," or "radical self sacrifice" are not a common part of your church context then this book may be a significant part of challenging you and your church for the sake of the Kingdom of God.  

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.