C.N.Tower

The C.N Tower is perhaps the iconic image of Toronto. It is an amazing structure, and in 1975 while still under construction, it became the world’s largest freestanding structure. After it's completion in 1976, it remained the tallest structure...that is until 2008, when the Barj Dubai surpassed it. the Barj Dubai was completed in 2009 and still retains bragging rights as the world’s tallest freestanding structure. I have to admit that upon hearing this I became a little defensive and even jealous. Being a proud Canadian and living near Toronto all my life I enjoyed the bragging rights. As I think abut it, however, it is a bit of an odd thing to be envious about, and a strange thing to want to brag about.
This week will begin the season of Lent in the church calendar. I know that different traditions place a different amount of emphasis on celebrating this season, with different rituals and ceremonies. Although I don’t tend to follow any strict rituals during this time, I do like to try to use these weeks leading up to Easter to add some specific and intentional times of reflection on the cross. With this in mind, I have decided to use some of the great hymns of the cross as springboards to reflection. Each day I hope to read and reflect on a stanza of poetry. The first hymn to come to mind was "When I survey the Wondrous Cross," penned by Isaac Watts. It is definitely one of my favourites. So what does all this have to do with the C.N. Tower? Well, one of the stanzas of the great hymn reads like this:

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

Pride in the C.N. Tower is hardly the root of all evil, but it did spur on a great reminder about where my true boasting should lie. As the Apostle Paul put it: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:14 NIV) The amazing thing about the cross, is that unlike the C.N. Tower, it will never loose its position, its unique status and it will never loose its victory!

Ketchup Chips

While Ketchup and Fries may not be specifically Canadian, Ketchup Chips certainly are. You can’t get Ketchup flavoured potato chips in the U.S.A for example. They are uniquely Canadian and I actually really like them. As a Kid they were a definite favourite. I think that they are supposed to taste like ketchup and fries and although I like them, I would have to say that they don’t really taste like the real thing. But then again flavoured potato chips never really do, and no one really expects them to taste exactly like the real thing. There is no way that by sprinkling a chip with an artificial powder of spices one could ever achieve the depth of taste and texture of any real food. Spirituality can be a very similar thing. There are many man made approaches to spirituality and religion, that at first taste may seem interesting and even flavourful, but pale in comparison to a true biblical spirituality. True biblical spirituality is a relationship with Jesus Christ. More than rules and regulations, morality, ethics or religion it is about a relationship with the person of Jesus. The other things, as valid as they may be, should be an organic outgrowth from that primary relationship that is the heart of any true vibrant spirituality. I have been thinking about Matthew 11:28-30 lately. This passage does a great job of highlighting this fact. It begins with an invitation by Jesus to “Come to me all who are weary and burdened..” Speaking to a people who knew the weight of a religion of works, rules and regulations, He offers the invitation to come unto himself, to come into relationship. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” He then invites them to come along side of Him and learn from Him. It is through a relationship with Jesus that we may learn about Him, we may learn His heart and then seek to live in imitation of Him. He does not, however, set a bunch or rules to be followed and then sit back and watch to see how we do. He offers an invitation, first to relationship, then to mentorship as we are yoked beside Him and learn from Him. We may come to Jesus to learn who He is, what He has done for us and what He longs to do through us. True spirituality is based on a relationship with Jesus and is evidenced by the organic outgrowth of that relationship. Anything else is just like MSG, it may make a potato chip look great and even taste alright, but it is no where close to the real thing and just might make you sick along the way.

Ketchup and Fries

While Ketchup and Fries is not a specifically “Canadian” thing, if the Canadian Icon Stompin’ Tom Conners sings about it, there must be something Canadian about it. In the words of Stompin’ Tom:

Baked sized french fries-how they love Tomatoes So dress em up with Heinz Ketchup Ketchup loves Potatoes Ketchup loves Potatoes

There are some things that are just meant to go together, who’s total is greater than the sum of its parts, things which are only truly experienced in their fullest when together. When it comes to the spiritual life, the commands to love God and love our neighbour are like this. They are distinct commands, and yet Jesus is quite intentional to put them together:

37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 22:37-40

These commands are central to the Christian walk, they go together hand in hand and you cannot have one without the other and claim to be living an obedient Christian life. I really like the way that this is laid out in the gospel of Luke. In chapter 10, starting in verse 25, an expert in the law attempts to test Jesus and as it unfolds they are brought to the commands to love God and love ones neighbour. It leads directly to the parable of the Good Samaritan, which in many ways is a commentary on the command to love ones neighbour. The very next story that Luke recounts comes almost as a reminder, as if to say, “now that we understand a bit more about loving our neighbour, let’s not forget the Love the Lord your God part.” The story at the home of Mary and Martha is a story about recognizing the priority of spending time with and learning the teachings of Jesus above even our serving others. I believe that both of the commands are extremely important and that the order is significant as well. If we are to truly love our neighbour as God expects, then we first need to honour, love, listen to and learn from Him. But if we leave it there, and don’t get to the loving our neighbour part, then we have not heard clearly from Him or are not following obediently. For both are clear expectations, both are commands and both go closely together. Let me encourage each of us to consider both, to learn what God may have to say about each (perhaps start with Luke 10 and look more closely at what is said about each of those commands) and then endeavour to give our all to living out these commands.

The Moose

There is definitely something Canadian about a Moose. That is not to say that they don’t exist anywhere else or that they are exclusively Canadian, but somehow this animal has come to be associated with what it means to be Canadian. Maybe you have seen them in a souvenir shop, on a T-Shirt, as a stuffed toy or even dressed as a Mountie, often with a big goofy grin and always very cute. As one who lives in the suburbs, despite the fact that I am thoroughly Canadian, I do not often come across a Moose. I have, however, had the chance to see a live Moose out in the wild while on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park (a large Provincial Park of 7630 square kilometers). It was a most majestic sight to see this huge, powerful animal drinking at the edge of the river as we quietly paddled by. I realized that the image of this Moose was far more intense than any souvenir I had seen. My father in law has also shared stories of Moose from his days working for Ontario Hydro. He would recount stories from the linemen working in northern Ontario of Moose who would charge the Hydro trucks and try to buck them off the road! Moose are extremely large and powerful and can be very aggressive. Again, not what we often see in the souvenir shops. It got me thinking about how we perceive Jesus.
The reality of Jesus is complex and even paradoxical, and we can make the mistake of recognizing one aspect of Jesus to the exclusion of the other. We can miss a huge part of who Jesus is, thus affecting how we respond to him. On the one hand Jesus is the almighty creator of the universe, uniquely divine, and Sovereign Lord. On the other hand, the 15th chapter of John reminds us that he would call his disciples “friends.” This is such a profound statement, however, only when we realize his power and authority which makes such a friendship so amazing to consider. We could make the mistake of seeing Jesus as “buddy Jesus” like a good friend, at the expense of recognizing his uniqueness, and vise versa. Each scenario would mean a limited understanding of the full depth of Jesus’ person. An amazing passage that captures the two extremes of Jesus’ person and role can be found in Revelation 5. In this chapter we are presented with the image of the Lamb, the one who was slain, who laid down his life for others and who takes away the sin of the world. And yet just before the image of the Lamb, we read of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, another image for Jesus. Powerful and Victorious. Lion and Lamb, back to back, presented by the author together. Two extremes, even paradoxical, but only together do they give a full sense of who Jesus is.
Let us not forget that Jesus is the Lamb, and one who longs to call us friend. But let us also not forget that He is the Lion and that what C.S. Lewis wrote about Aslan in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, could certainly be said of Jesus; “He’s wild you know. Not like a tame Lion.”

Snow Shoeing

Alright, contrary to popular perceptions around the world, igloos are not where most Canadians live and snow shoes are not a main mode of transportation. In fact, I live in Southern Ontario (which lies farther south than many parts of at least 14 states), in a suburb of Toronto, one of North America’s largest cities. My community is incredibly urban, fast growing, builds houses upon houses and is extremely modern. All that is to say that snow shoeing is not part of the popular culture...but it should be! I love to snow shoe, and thanks to a Christmas gift from my wife, I can do it whenever I can find the time and place. I recently took my show shoes out past where the road ends and into one of the last remaining patches of farm land in my sprawling community (yes those are my tracks in the pictures!). It was an amazing time, and one with spiritual benefits that I had not anticipated. As I got out past the noise and bustle of town, into God’s creation, alone in the quiet, I was able to exercise my heart, mind, soul and body and found I was brought to a place of worship.
In awe of the wonders of creation I found myself considering my creator and longing to join my voice to the chorus of praise:

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made... Romans 1:20

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it; Psalm 24:1
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above.

2 Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.

4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.

6 He set them in place for ever and ever;
he gave a decree that will never pass away.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,

9 you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,

11 kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,

12 young men and maidens,
old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14 He has raised up for his people a horn,
the praise of all his saints,
of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the LORD. Psalm 148

And in the quiet I found the time and space to consider my creator and my own existence as well:


"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:

7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:3-9

Let me encourage you, that if it has been a while, get out past where the highway ends, venture into the awesome wonder of creation and in the quiet, pause, reflect, consider, be refreshed and renewed and worship.

Curling part II

Another thing about curling that I have noticed in the last few years, is that in the big televised bonspiels (that is what they call a curling tournament), many of the skips (the team captain and main strategist) wear microphones. This allows us the viewer to be privy to the discussions, strategizing and decisions made about every shot and maneuver in the game. I think this is meant to increase the understanding of the television audience and to invite them into some of the interesting aspects of the game that they would otherwise not be able to fully access. As we listen in on the discussions, decision making and strategizing it can help us to more thoroughly understand, appreciate and thus enjoy what we are watching. As one who is involved in planing and leading worship at a church each Sunday morning, I have been reminded about the importance of understanding why we do what we do. As I plan each service, I need to be thoughtful about all that we choose to do, ensuring that I do not do things out of habit or routine, but rather with a sense of worship. No matter what kind of church we attend, traditional or contemporary, formal or casual we probably have some set way of doing what we do whether we call it a liturgy or not. The challenge is whether we understand why we do what we do, and then do we teach and communicate that to those with whom we worship? Do we understand the significance of what we are doing? If not, then what makes it worship and not just routine or habit. I am reminded of the need to ensure I am communicating to our congregation, especially new members, what we are doing and why. I think it can only deepen their understanding and their experience. Like providing a microphone to the team skip, we too can communicate what we do and why, with the goal of educating our congregations and deepening their understanding of worship. I think that if I keep this in mind it will also have the benefit of reminding me of those same facts which can’t help but focus and deepen my understanding of the worship I plan each week as well.

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth...” - John 4:23

Curling

Another great Canadian winter pastime has to be curling. I am sure that there are people out there, who have only seen it on TV, and are wondering why this slow moving, odd game with brooms and all the yelling of “HURRY...WOE, WOE... HURRY is even considered a sport!? If I had only seen it on TV, I too might be inclined to think this way. As it turns out I have some family members who are award winning curlers, and through them have even had the opportunity to try the game out myself. I learned a lot through those few opportunities. I learned that I suck...and through that have learned to appreciate the skill involved by those who play well. I also learned the purpose and goals of the game as well as some of the strategy involved to achieve that purpose. I can honestly say that curling is one of those sports that you need to try yourself, and need to investigate a bit before you truly understand all that is going on. When you begin to understand a bit more, it is all the more interesting. I find myself wondering if that is how many people see Christian worship? From the outside looking in, it could look like a very odd activity indeed. Whether it is dancing or stillness, singing or silence, hands raised or heads bowed, preaching or listening, standing or sitting, it could all look a little odd for someone on the outside looking in. And if you have no understanding of who Jesus is and why people might choose to worship Him, it would seem a strange way to choose to spend your day off! If you find yourself on the outside looking in and wondering what it is all about, let me encourage you to first look into Jesus. Read one of the gospels and try to get an understanding of who he was and why some might be so devoted to Him. Then ask those involved about what they are doing and why, and search the scriptures for an understanding. When you begin to understand some of the purpose, the point and some of of the techniques to achieve those purposes, it may really change your perspective! You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. - Revelation 4:11