December 29th
December 28th
I guess it's the same way with Jesus: He is my Lord and Saviour, and I appreciate Him for than, but I also feel that he is a friend and I love Him not because I am forced to, but because I love what He represents and what He offers to the world. May I be more like Him, taking the best of me and improving it with the best of Him.
December 27th
December 26th
December 25th
Lord, on this day we mark Jesus' birth. We don't really know when it happened; we humans just use this date for assorted reasons that made it a convenient choice at the time. It turns out that we live our life of faith that way an awful lot. We take what you tell us and make it more convenient or palatable. It's good for us, but maybe not always good for you. Help me, Lord, to be more faithful to my faith. As you help me through Jesus, help me be more true to him, forsaking the convenient way, forgiving me when I do, and encouraging me when I get it right.Thank-you for Jesus, for his arrival as a baby, for his example as a human, for his death on the cross, and for the resurrection that save all mankind.
December 26th: Imponderable, Improbable, Impossible
This season celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ brings to mind three words, words that pertain not only to his birth, but to His whole existence.
It is imponderable that Jesus should have been born at all. What kind of a God would descend to the level of His creation? Who would willingly send an emissary to a stubborn people that had, time and time again, proven themselves unworthy? What’s more, who would have sent a baby to do a god’s job?
With Jesus on the planet, it is improbable that He was a perfect boy. Kids are kids, no matter who they belong to. Just ask a preacher: she’ll tell you that, despite what some grumpy folks might say, her children are no more angels than any other child. Or ask Mary herself. After all, she must have been on the brink of insanity that time Jesus stayed in the temple without telling anyone. Jesus was a child just like the rest of us.
It is impossible that a human being rise from the dead. Despite our best prayers, wishing on lucky stars, or promising any deity that will listen we would do anything to have our beloved back, there is no overturning death. So how is it that Jesus not only raised Lazarus out of the grave, but was Himself brought back to life? And to add to the impossibility, how is it that He managed not only to come back to life, but to raise the rest of us up from our Spiritual death?
It all has to do with our imponderable, improbable, impossible God. We can’t imagine God’s power. We can’t figure out just how amazing He is. Nor can we understand that God has no limits. The craziest thing of all is that God loves us. Imponderable! God wants us back. Improbable! God never gives up. Impossible! Nevertheless, that’s the truth, as imponderable, improbable or impossible as it may appear.
God’s love is so great that nothing can prevent Him from getting us back into His heart. Imponderable? Only if you have no imagination at all. Improbable? Only if you are too lazy to love Him back. Impossible?
Did I mention that Jesus came as a baby? Did I mention that He was just like us? Did I mention that He rose from the dead? Did I mention that He did it all for you?
Thoughts
It is imponderable that Jesus should have been born at all. What kind of a God would descend to the level of His creation? Who would willingly send an emissary to a stubborn people that had, time and time again, proven themselves unworthy? What’s more, who would have sent a baby to do a god’s job?
With Jesus on the planet, it is improbable that He was a perfect boy. Kids are kids, no matter who they belong to. Just ask a preacher: she’ll tell you that, despite what some grumpy folks might say, her children are no more angels than any other child. Or ask Mary herself. After all, she must have been on the brink of insanity that time Jesus stayed in the temple without telling anyone. Jesus was a child just like the rest of us.
It is impossible that a human being rise from the dead. Despite our best prayers, wishing on lucky stars, or promising any deity that will listen we would do anything to have our beloved back, there is no overturning death. So how is it that Jesus not only raised Lazarus out of the grave, but was Himself brought back to life? And to add to the impossibility, how is it that He managed not only to come back to life, but to raise the rest of us up from our Spiritual death?
It all has to do with our imponderable, improbable, impossible God. We can’t imagine God’s power. We can’t figure out just how amazing He is. Nor can we understand that God has no limits. The craziest thing of all is that God loves us. Imponderable! God wants us back. Improbable! God never gives up. Impossible! Nevertheless, that’s the truth, as imponderable, improbable or impossible as it may appear.
God’s love is so great that nothing can prevent Him from getting us back into His heart. Imponderable? Only if you have no imagination at all. Improbable? Only if you are too lazy to love Him back. Impossible?
Did I mention that Jesus came as a baby? Did I mention that He was just like us? Did I mention that He rose from the dead? Did I mention that He did it all for you?
Thoughts
December 24th
Thank-you God for your Son.Thank-you for His entry into the world as a baby.
Thank-you for talented, capable people who can help worship and glorify you.
Thank-you for a congregation filled with joy.
Thank-you for kind supportive friends.
Thank-you for the abundance we enjoy.
Thank-you for a loving family.
Thank-you, God.
December 23rd
It is a strange coincidence, but today I learned the father of a friend and colleague died suddenly and unexpectedly. What a shock it must be to him, and what a coincidence that I should have felt so blue yesterday. Now I've also learned the father of a parishioner isn't doing so well. Have you set me up so I can minister to those people? I suppose so. Thank-you for this odd gift. Help me be a blessing to all who mourn during this season of joy.Thank-you as well for friends that help brighten my day. I went to the funeral home to pay honour to my friend whose father had died, and then I visited a friend that I knew would brighten my day. Indeed she did, and I thank you for that gift.
December 22nd
December 21st
December 20th
December 19th
December 19th: Nothing exciting to report
A colleague that is also one of my Facebook friends recently posed this request to all of his Facebook friends: Tell me one thing that excites you about Christmas. I got ready to write down my answer and suddenly realized that I didn’t have one. The query was posted two weeks ago, it’s still in my brain to answer it, but I remain without an appropriate response.
I love Christmas; the idea of Jesus, God’s Son, entering the world just like any other human being fascinates and pleases me. Who else but a loving, caring God would send us a child to bridge the gap between us?
I enjoy the trappings, both religious and secular, of the season. How can you resist smiling at all the pretty lights that dispel the gloom of an ever colder and more miserable December? How can you not smile when you sing the joyous songs, hymns and carols that celebrate our Saviour’s birth? And how can you not enjoy the extra effort we all make to get together and to be a little kinder to one another.
Excitement, however, which I take to be either a kind of breathless anticipation or a bouncing off the walls giddiness, is not something that I feel at this time of year. If it’s the rebirth season of Easter and springtime, with the snow melting, the days getting longer and the temperature (and humidity) soaring, I am absolutely excited, thrilled and generally over the top happy. At Christmas, however, mine is a much more mellow joy that certainly overflows, but neither bubbles up or explodes.
The important thing is that it is a season of joy, even if it’s not exciting to me. Christmas is a light in the ever growing darkness of winter. It is a time to remember that as God fulfilled His promise once, in the arrival of the Messiah, he will fulfill it again in Jesus’ return and triumphant reign. As we batten down the hatches against the impending cold, snowy and blah winter, Jesus’ birth offers us the warmth in our hearts we need to make it through the season and through life. The baby in the manger reminds us of the frailty and miracle of life. The growing young man reminds us of the progress we make in our faith. The miracle working adult reveals to us God at work in our lives. The dying King of the Jews reminds us that Jesus knows our pain. The resurrected Christ reminds us we are blessed beyond imagining.
I guess the final answer to my friends question is that I’m happy at Christmas, if not excited. I can also say, however, that I’m always excited about Jesus, the Reason for the Season.
I love Christmas; the idea of Jesus, God’s Son, entering the world just like any other human being fascinates and pleases me. Who else but a loving, caring God would send us a child to bridge the gap between us?
I enjoy the trappings, both religious and secular, of the season. How can you resist smiling at all the pretty lights that dispel the gloom of an ever colder and more miserable December? How can you not smile when you sing the joyous songs, hymns and carols that celebrate our Saviour’s birth? And how can you not enjoy the extra effort we all make to get together and to be a little kinder to one another.
Excitement, however, which I take to be either a kind of breathless anticipation or a bouncing off the walls giddiness, is not something that I feel at this time of year. If it’s the rebirth season of Easter and springtime, with the snow melting, the days getting longer and the temperature (and humidity) soaring, I am absolutely excited, thrilled and generally over the top happy. At Christmas, however, mine is a much more mellow joy that certainly overflows, but neither bubbles up or explodes.
The important thing is that it is a season of joy, even if it’s not exciting to me. Christmas is a light in the ever growing darkness of winter. It is a time to remember that as God fulfilled His promise once, in the arrival of the Messiah, he will fulfill it again in Jesus’ return and triumphant reign. As we batten down the hatches against the impending cold, snowy and blah winter, Jesus’ birth offers us the warmth in our hearts we need to make it through the season and through life. The baby in the manger reminds us of the frailty and miracle of life. The growing young man reminds us of the progress we make in our faith. The miracle working adult reveals to us God at work in our lives. The dying King of the Jews reminds us that Jesus knows our pain. The resurrected Christ reminds us we are blessed beyond imagining.
I guess the final answer to my friends question is that I’m happy at Christmas, if not excited. I can also say, however, that I’m always excited about Jesus, the Reason for the Season.
December 18th
December 17th
Thanks for the variety, God. Thanks for making my life interesting and satisfying. Thanks, above all, for the people that enrich my life in so many ways, and in so many ways reveal Christ's loving presence in and around me.
December 16th
On a brilliant, sunlit day, let your Son shine into my life.
Let His love brighten my work
Let His wisdom light my path
Let His forgiveness lift me from the darkness
Let His example shine through me
December 15th
December 12th Differential, not preferential
As I eat some pasta while working late, I am drawn back to a strange bit of idiosyncratic behaviour from my childhood. Try as she might, my mother could not get me to eat her pasta sauce. Made fresh, using fresh tomatoes and simple herbs and spices, I just couldn’t and wouldn’t eat it. I loved her Chicken Cacciatore, which was strong on tomatoes and not too far off her pasta sauce. I loved her Ossi Bucchi, (stewed beef shanks) which had a beautiful, robust tomato sauce. I especially loved the veal based tomato sauce when we had Gnocchi, the Italian version of potato dumplings. Her pasta sauce, however, was something else entirely. I just could not eat it. Not from a simple, whiny kid’s “I don’t want to” stubbornness, but from a legitimate gag reflex that I could not fight, no matter how hard I tried, or my mother cajoled me.
The result was pretty simple. Mom would take out some plain pasta before she added sauce to it, and I would add olive oil or butter, parmesan cheese and a few dabs of tomato paste. Problem fixed without too much stress on my late, sainted mother. At least not that she ever let on.
As with my inexplicable dislike for one particular version of tomato sauce, we have our own likes and dislikes when it comes to people. I try to like everybody, and for most part, I’m pretty successful. I have found very few people that I don’t like; I might not want to be best buddies with everyone I encounter, but there are only a couple of people I don’t like very much.
God has no such qualms. From sinner to saint, we are all equally loved by our creator. Some people might make God upset, a few probably make God mad, but there are none so bad or annoying that God cannot love them. At the same time, there is no one that God loves more than another. We are not treated preferentially. Instead, God meets us on our own territory, on roughly our own terms, and deals with us as we are.
Of course, God prefers that we meet Him more on His terms than ours but that, unfortunately, doesn’t happen all the time. One day, we are promised all that will change. One day we will all know and love God exactly on His terms. One day we will know each other fully and celebrate God together as friends with no one excluded from our circle. One day I might even be able to eat the heavenly version of my mother’s pasta sauce. Until then, rest assured that God loves you for who you are. Of that, I have no doubt.
The result was pretty simple. Mom would take out some plain pasta before she added sauce to it, and I would add olive oil or butter, parmesan cheese and a few dabs of tomato paste. Problem fixed without too much stress on my late, sainted mother. At least not that she ever let on.
As with my inexplicable dislike for one particular version of tomato sauce, we have our own likes and dislikes when it comes to people. I try to like everybody, and for most part, I’m pretty successful. I have found very few people that I don’t like; I might not want to be best buddies with everyone I encounter, but there are only a couple of people I don’t like very much.
God has no such qualms. From sinner to saint, we are all equally loved by our creator. Some people might make God upset, a few probably make God mad, but there are none so bad or annoying that God cannot love them. At the same time, there is no one that God loves more than another. We are not treated preferentially. Instead, God meets us on our own territory, on roughly our own terms, and deals with us as we are.
Of course, God prefers that we meet Him more on His terms than ours but that, unfortunately, doesn’t happen all the time. One day, we are promised all that will change. One day we will all know and love God exactly on His terms. One day we will know each other fully and celebrate God together as friends with no one excluded from our circle. One day I might even be able to eat the heavenly version of my mother’s pasta sauce. Until then, rest assured that God loves you for who you are. Of that, I have no doubt.
December 13th
December 12th
December 11th
December 10th
December 9th
December 8th
December 7th
I thank you for the changes that have been going on, for the people involved, for those who have helped bring change about and for those who have adapted.
Be with those folks for whom change is hard and with those who are changing, however reluctantly.
And give me the patience I need to deal with those who are having a hard time, recognizing when I need to let go and let you work in their hearts. And where change is not possible, help us to find mutual respect, peace and joy with one another.
December 6th
God: it's been a quiet day. Thank you for the rest and for the things I've accomplished, even if they are only small things.
December 5th
Of two minds, December 5th
I was very happy to hear that my aunt, Marcella and her friend Ornella, had received their Christmas prezzie. It’s always fun to share, even though in this case, the sharing was a little selfish on my part. You see, I gave them a nice new digital camera. Nothing fancy, mind you, but more than enough to at least visually bridge the gap between Chatham, Canada, and Maniago, Italy. The gift, however, isn’t the focus of my thoughts today. Rather, my thoughts turned towards the strange thing that happened when I replied to their cheery little thank you.
You have to understand that I learned both English and Italian at the same time. I don’t ever remember not being able to speak either one, nor do I ever recall ever having any confusion between the two. I’m sure it happened, because they are pretty different, but I’m well and truly over that, now.
Sort of, anyway. While I was answering my aunties’ email, I was thinking in Italian, since that’s the only language they know, and it’s perfectly comfortable for me to think in it. My fingers, on the other hand, (pun slightly intended) kept writing my thoughts in English. Very weird. I would think a word in Italian, start typing, and next thing I knew I was correcting a perfectly spelled English translation of my Italian thought. I guess it just goes to show how thoroughly trained I am to think in two languages, but not so practiced in writing Italian. The hand controlling part of my brain must simply have gone to its comfort zone and written what was easy, rather than correct.
It was very weird seeing the process unfold, thinking an Italian thing and watching my fingers type an exact English translation. It was also an amazing reminder of our human condition, because we are all in two states of being. There is our physical self, the body we call home, and then there is the Spiritual self, the essence that gives us life, purpose and meaning. Some folks are fully balanced in their physical and spiritual existence. They are as Spiritually close to God as they are physically close to a friend. Others, like myself, are works in process, trying to be as comfortable in prayer and meditation as we are typing a letter. Yet others have no clue and live purely according to their physical side unaware of their Spiritual nature.
It saddens me to think of such folks. They are missing their reason for living. Sure, we couldn’t exist without our bodies, but that’s only a temporary state of being. Our Spiritual selves are eternal. They are our true selves, known completely only when we are one with our creator, with God, the one who loved us into existence. We might not achieve that state in this life, but even the smallest success is a source of joy and fulfillment.
You have to understand that I learned both English and Italian at the same time. I don’t ever remember not being able to speak either one, nor do I ever recall ever having any confusion between the two. I’m sure it happened, because they are pretty different, but I’m well and truly over that, now.
Sort of, anyway. While I was answering my aunties’ email, I was thinking in Italian, since that’s the only language they know, and it’s perfectly comfortable for me to think in it. My fingers, on the other hand, (pun slightly intended) kept writing my thoughts in English. Very weird. I would think a word in Italian, start typing, and next thing I knew I was correcting a perfectly spelled English translation of my Italian thought. I guess it just goes to show how thoroughly trained I am to think in two languages, but not so practiced in writing Italian. The hand controlling part of my brain must simply have gone to its comfort zone and written what was easy, rather than correct.
It was very weird seeing the process unfold, thinking an Italian thing and watching my fingers type an exact English translation. It was also an amazing reminder of our human condition, because we are all in two states of being. There is our physical self, the body we call home, and then there is the Spiritual self, the essence that gives us life, purpose and meaning. Some folks are fully balanced in their physical and spiritual existence. They are as Spiritually close to God as they are physically close to a friend. Others, like myself, are works in process, trying to be as comfortable in prayer and meditation as we are typing a letter. Yet others have no clue and live purely according to their physical side unaware of their Spiritual nature.
It saddens me to think of such folks. They are missing their reason for living. Sure, we couldn’t exist without our bodies, but that’s only a temporary state of being. Our Spiritual selves are eternal. They are our true selves, known completely only when we are one with our creator, with God, the one who loved us into existence. We might not achieve that state in this life, but even the smallest success is a source of joy and fulfillment.
December 4th
December 3rd
December 2nd
December 1st
November 30th
November 29th
November 28th
Discipline my heart to trust your more and myself less.
Discipline my mind to understand you more and more
Discipline my body to work your will more faithfully and fervently
Discipline my soul to love you more earnestly.
Lord, as you begin this new cycle of worship, make me a part of it, especially in this new exercise of regularly recording a prayer and sharing that work with others.
Let my thoughts and words be honest and true
and let my efforts help and encourage others to trust you and speak to you more often.
Amen.
Not him again? November 28th
Yes, I’m back. I’m back because today marks the beginning of Advent and of a new Church year. Our calendar year finishes December 31st. Some companies finish their year in March, others in October or thereabouts. Go figure. The point is institutions and individuals mark beginnings and endings all the time, some significant, some not so much.
For me this beginning of a new church year also marks a little beginning of a new personal time, a time of active Spiritual growth and renewal. As part of that effort I am starting to share my personal thoughts on weekly basis once again, albeit under a new title; I have decided to start a daily personal prayer journal, to be shared online. I am also trying to exercise and work out a little more so that my physical self will be as in tune as my Spiritual self.
To be honest, I’ve been longing to get back to these regular reflection pieces. Not too many folks seemed to miss them or comment on their absence, but I felt something missing in not recording and sharing these thoughts. So, yes, I’m back here in the bulletin on a weekly basis, but not just to see my name in print or bore you with my thoughts.
It’s part of a larger effort to be more disciplined with my prayer and reflection time so that I might better serve others and live my life of faith. That’s why, along with these writings, I’ll also be journaling my prayers on a daily basis. As it is, I’m very faithful with my daily Bible readings. Haven’t missed a day in over 3 years so far. My prayer time, however, has been more hit and miss. That’s why, as we start a new church year, I decided to hunker down and be more proactively prayerful. By committing to sharing at least part of my daily prayers in my Blog, I hope not only to offer inspiration to others, but also to force myself set aside time to pray and reflect quietly.
That’s the plan, anyway. How it will unfold is yet to be seen. Lila, who puts together the weekly bulletin, will now have to scramble in order to accommodate this change. You folks will have to adapt to reading my weekly thoughts, if not my daily prayers. I’ll have to get to work to see that I live up to my personal and public promises and commitments.
This first Sunday in Advent is dedicated to hope: the hope found in a new born baby, the hope of a returning Saviour, the hope of a better, fuller life through Christ. While it isn’t a major upheaval for most folks, for me it feels like the right time to make some changes in what and how I do things. Hopefully, it’s in line with what God expects and needs from me. Hopefully, its a little change for the better.
For me this beginning of a new church year also marks a little beginning of a new personal time, a time of active Spiritual growth and renewal. As part of that effort I am starting to share my personal thoughts on weekly basis once again, albeit under a new title; I have decided to start a daily personal prayer journal, to be shared online. I am also trying to exercise and work out a little more so that my physical self will be as in tune as my Spiritual self.
To be honest, I’ve been longing to get back to these regular reflection pieces. Not too many folks seemed to miss them or comment on their absence, but I felt something missing in not recording and sharing these thoughts. So, yes, I’m back here in the bulletin on a weekly basis, but not just to see my name in print or bore you with my thoughts.
It’s part of a larger effort to be more disciplined with my prayer and reflection time so that I might better serve others and live my life of faith. That’s why, along with these writings, I’ll also be journaling my prayers on a daily basis. As it is, I’m very faithful with my daily Bible readings. Haven’t missed a day in over 3 years so far. My prayer time, however, has been more hit and miss. That’s why, as we start a new church year, I decided to hunker down and be more proactively prayerful. By committing to sharing at least part of my daily prayers in my Blog, I hope not only to offer inspiration to others, but also to force myself set aside time to pray and reflect quietly.
That’s the plan, anyway. How it will unfold is yet to be seen. Lila, who puts together the weekly bulletin, will now have to scramble in order to accommodate this change. You folks will have to adapt to reading my weekly thoughts, if not my daily prayers. I’ll have to get to work to see that I live up to my personal and public promises and commitments.
This first Sunday in Advent is dedicated to hope: the hope found in a new born baby, the hope of a returning Saviour, the hope of a better, fuller life through Christ. While it isn’t a major upheaval for most folks, for me it feels like the right time to make some changes in what and how I do things. Hopefully, it’s in line with what God expects and needs from me. Hopefully, its a little change for the better.
June 27th
During my recent retreat, I did a lot of thinking, reading and reflecting. I also spent some of my time away with a trusted friend and counsellor, whose friendship and advice has seen me through many ups and downs. In our conversation I shared what I do with the Pensive Pastor. Glen listened politely as I spoke excitedly, and then shared this thought: it’s important to keep the love of God foremost and to try to avoid trite moralisms whenever you’re sharing your thoughts. As he spoke those words a little dull light in the back of my mind suddenly shone brightly. I realized through his words what I had been feeling in my heart. While I enjoy sharing my thoughts with you, I’ve been conscious of a certain tiredness and staleness on my part. It wasn’t something that was firmed up until Glen shared his thoughts, but now I am certain that what I’ve been doing with my Pensive Pastor isn’t as deeply satisfying as it once was. Sure, there is a ton of material out there and I have plenty of thoughts and reflections to think about, but the actual act of sharing them this way feels more like a work of trite moralism rather than sharing God’s love.
This is telling my heart that it’s time to bring the Pensive Pastor to a dignified close. It’s not a sabbatical, not a break, not a pause for the summer, but the end of these weekly writings. This isn’t an easy decision, but it is one that is personally healthy for me, and I think for all you readers, too. After all, isn’t it better to have a strong, healthy Pastor firing on all cylinders? So, rather than simply continue with an exercise that is no longer providing great joy or challenge, I’m putting this to a rest. I will continue writing and thinking and reflecting on the day to day events that impact life and help reveal or teach about God’s love and work in our lives, but they will come out in different, as yet undetermined ways.
It’s not a question of workload. It’s not a question of dislike for the exercise. It’s not even a question of running out of material, as I suggested earlier. It’s simply a matter of moving on before things get stale or ponderous or unproductive.
God created us with unique and special gifts. Looking at this world from a slightly odd perspective and sharing how that vision points us closer to God is one of my gifts. God also gives us seasons in our lives to use those gifts in different ways, depending on a combination of His needs, our needs and the needs of those around us. At this point, I feel God is suggesting rather strongly that the season of the Pensive Pastor has run its course and that a new season is about to dawn. I must respect that calling, since He is the one who loves us and knows what’s best for us. Mind you, His plans aren’t always easy to follow; it is with great sadness that I rest the Pensive Pastor’s rest. There is, however, also a sense of relief and of joyful anticipation to see what’s next. After all, our greatest happiness comes from honouring God’s loving plan for us, even if that plan involves changing ourselves a little bit. At least that’s the way I see it.
This is telling my heart that it’s time to bring the Pensive Pastor to a dignified close. It’s not a sabbatical, not a break, not a pause for the summer, but the end of these weekly writings. This isn’t an easy decision, but it is one that is personally healthy for me, and I think for all you readers, too. After all, isn’t it better to have a strong, healthy Pastor firing on all cylinders? So, rather than simply continue with an exercise that is no longer providing great joy or challenge, I’m putting this to a rest. I will continue writing and thinking and reflecting on the day to day events that impact life and help reveal or teach about God’s love and work in our lives, but they will come out in different, as yet undetermined ways.
It’s not a question of workload. It’s not a question of dislike for the exercise. It’s not even a question of running out of material, as I suggested earlier. It’s simply a matter of moving on before things get stale or ponderous or unproductive.
God created us with unique and special gifts. Looking at this world from a slightly odd perspective and sharing how that vision points us closer to God is one of my gifts. God also gives us seasons in our lives to use those gifts in different ways, depending on a combination of His needs, our needs and the needs of those around us. At this point, I feel God is suggesting rather strongly that the season of the Pensive Pastor has run its course and that a new season is about to dawn. I must respect that calling, since He is the one who loves us and knows what’s best for us. Mind you, His plans aren’t always easy to follow; it is with great sadness that I rest the Pensive Pastor’s rest. There is, however, also a sense of relief and of joyful anticipation to see what’s next. After all, our greatest happiness comes from honouring God’s loving plan for us, even if that plan involves changing ourselves a little bit. At least that’s the way I see it.
June 20th
I was at a Christian music night enjoying a rousing rendition of “I’ll fly away” sung by a fine choir and backed up by an enthusiastic audience. The enthusiasm wasn’t just in the singing, however. One chap at sitting in the very front pew made like a bird or a plane every time we sang the line “I’ll fly away.” Swept up by the lyrics, he changed their meaning from a some-day promise to a right-now reality by holding his arms straight out and then twisting his torso like a bird in rapturous flight. I don’t if I liked the singing or his actions better. Well, actually, it was that man’s freedom and joy that really made my night. As nice as it was to hear some good music, it was seeing one person’s spirit fly away in response to song that filled my own heart with happiness and praise.
There’s an old film of me when I was around eight or nine, dancing (or in my son’s words, prancing) and jumping about without regard for the camera. Or maybe it was a happy reaction to the camera, I’m not sure which. Nevertheless, I don’t remember the exact context or why I was dancing, but the joy I expressed at that time was real and genuine. It might have been staged, but my happy childhood gave me lots of reasons of reasons to prance about in total joy. Later realities and changes might have taken out some of my enthusiasm. Assorted experiences may have closed off access to total uninhibited joyful dancing, but I know it when I see it. That man flying with the music certainly had it, and it made my heart, if not my feet, dance.
On one occasion, way back when, King David danced without an ounce of inhibition. He let loose before the Lord, not caring about who watched. It was a moment of sheer joy for him, and nothing was going to stop him. Sadly, one of his wives didn’t think too much of his free expression and her heart burned with anger. So who did God react to? Certainly not David. God loved his servant’s heart and body felt praise. David’s bitter wife, however, was made barren by God, so upset was He with her.
We are meant to praise God wholeheartedly and without restraint. In fact, we are meant to enjoy life wholeheartedly and without restraint. Yet there are enough worries and woes in our personal histories that we forget how to dance and praise. Or else we are told it’s not appropriate, or made to feel that we should be more modest and restrained in how we express ourselves. Now, I’m not advocating everyone should dance like David danced (read 2 Kings to get the full picture) but at the same time I’m suggesting we need to let go every once in a while.
Maybe its a happy little two-step when we get good news. Maybe it’s flying like a bird in reaction to a happy song. Maybe it’s something totally different for you, something I can’t even begin to describe. Wouldn’t it be nice to know and express such joy. Next time your heart is moved, go ahead. God wont’ mind. He might even join you in your dance or your flight or whatever way you praise Him. After all, your happiness is His happiness. At least that’s the way I see it.
There’s an old film of me when I was around eight or nine, dancing (or in my son’s words, prancing) and jumping about without regard for the camera. Or maybe it was a happy reaction to the camera, I’m not sure which. Nevertheless, I don’t remember the exact context or why I was dancing, but the joy I expressed at that time was real and genuine. It might have been staged, but my happy childhood gave me lots of reasons of reasons to prance about in total joy. Later realities and changes might have taken out some of my enthusiasm. Assorted experiences may have closed off access to total uninhibited joyful dancing, but I know it when I see it. That man flying with the music certainly had it, and it made my heart, if not my feet, dance.
On one occasion, way back when, King David danced without an ounce of inhibition. He let loose before the Lord, not caring about who watched. It was a moment of sheer joy for him, and nothing was going to stop him. Sadly, one of his wives didn’t think too much of his free expression and her heart burned with anger. So who did God react to? Certainly not David. God loved his servant’s heart and body felt praise. David’s bitter wife, however, was made barren by God, so upset was He with her.
We are meant to praise God wholeheartedly and without restraint. In fact, we are meant to enjoy life wholeheartedly and without restraint. Yet there are enough worries and woes in our personal histories that we forget how to dance and praise. Or else we are told it’s not appropriate, or made to feel that we should be more modest and restrained in how we express ourselves. Now, I’m not advocating everyone should dance like David danced (read 2 Kings to get the full picture) but at the same time I’m suggesting we need to let go every once in a while.
Maybe its a happy little two-step when we get good news. Maybe it’s flying like a bird in reaction to a happy song. Maybe it’s something totally different for you, something I can’t even begin to describe. Wouldn’t it be nice to know and express such joy. Next time your heart is moved, go ahead. God wont’ mind. He might even join you in your dance or your flight or whatever way you praise Him. After all, your happiness is His happiness. At least that’s the way I see it.
June 13th
My clerical collar is a telltale marker of what I am and what I do. Most folks in the Western world would recognize me as Christian minister of some kind. Folks from the Roman tradition call me Father, business people and my mates at the Legion call me Rev, while parishioners as St. James call me Pastor or PJ. Because it is a badge of recognition, I don’t usually wear it when I’m working in the church, especially during weekdays. However, if I am out in the public, then the collar is definitely on. Most folks don’t have the honour of wearing a collar and thus identifying themselves as Christians. Many do, however, put a fish on their car, which doesn’t necessarily tell me they are fellow Pastors, Priests or whatever you call your minister, but certainly lets me and everyone else know that they are Christians.
It’s a good thing to see fellow believers out there in the world, letting their faith be known. Thus, when I found myself in Guelph driving behind a nice car proudly bearing a fish logo, I was pretty pumped. Cool, a fellow Christian letting her faith be shown on her cute convertible, I thought to myself. My thoughts quickly changed, however, when in less than two blocks she broke no fewer than four driving rules, one of them twice! I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I know there are bad drivers out there, but I figure if your going to let folks know you’re Christian, you had better behave in a manner befitting the clean-cut image we believe is befitting one of Jesus’ followers.
Certainly I’m treated that way when I have my collar on. I am expected to have a higher moral standard when I am in clerical mode and that expectation reveals itself in the way folks act around me. Now, because of my calling from God, I realize that I might be a bit more on display, and that it’s part of my vocation to do my best to hold to a higher moral standard. At the same time, however, I figure if you’re going to let the world know you’re a Christian, whether it’s with a fish logo on your car, an attractive cross necklace or a t-shirt saying “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life” then your actions better reflect that declaration in a positive way.
Our human reality, however, falls far short of our Christian standards. We all mess up. It’s who we are. It’s why we need Jesus’ constant forgiveness. It’s what our whole life is really about. Still, I honestly if naively, believe that if we are going to let others know who and what we are, then our behaviour, even behind the wheel of a car, should reflect that admission. In fact, whether or not I wear a collar or someone has a fish on their car shouldn’t change how we behave. Businessmen who know I’m a minister watch their tongues whether or not I’m in ‘uniform.’ They know that mine is not a 9 to 5 job and that I represent my heavenly Boss all the time.
It should be like that for all of us. We shouldn’t need a sign to remind others of what we believe, nor should our actions change just because we’re wearing a John 3:16 t-shirt. Our every action and word should subtly but clearly reveal what we believe and who we follow every minute of our lives. At least that’s the way I see it.
It’s a good thing to see fellow believers out there in the world, letting their faith be known. Thus, when I found myself in Guelph driving behind a nice car proudly bearing a fish logo, I was pretty pumped. Cool, a fellow Christian letting her faith be shown on her cute convertible, I thought to myself. My thoughts quickly changed, however, when in less than two blocks she broke no fewer than four driving rules, one of them twice! I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I know there are bad drivers out there, but I figure if your going to let folks know you’re Christian, you had better behave in a manner befitting the clean-cut image we believe is befitting one of Jesus’ followers.
Certainly I’m treated that way when I have my collar on. I am expected to have a higher moral standard when I am in clerical mode and that expectation reveals itself in the way folks act around me. Now, because of my calling from God, I realize that I might be a bit more on display, and that it’s part of my vocation to do my best to hold to a higher moral standard. At the same time, however, I figure if you’re going to let the world know you’re a Christian, whether it’s with a fish logo on your car, an attractive cross necklace or a t-shirt saying “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life” then your actions better reflect that declaration in a positive way.
Our human reality, however, falls far short of our Christian standards. We all mess up. It’s who we are. It’s why we need Jesus’ constant forgiveness. It’s what our whole life is really about. Still, I honestly if naively, believe that if we are going to let others know who and what we are, then our behaviour, even behind the wheel of a car, should reflect that admission. In fact, whether or not I wear a collar or someone has a fish on their car shouldn’t change how we behave. Businessmen who know I’m a minister watch their tongues whether or not I’m in ‘uniform.’ They know that mine is not a 9 to 5 job and that I represent my heavenly Boss all the time.
It should be like that for all of us. We shouldn’t need a sign to remind others of what we believe, nor should our actions change just because we’re wearing a John 3:16 t-shirt. Our every action and word should subtly but clearly reveal what we believe and who we follow every minute of our lives. At least that’s the way I see it.
June 6th
As a long time member of the “Society of those Who Appreciate Mechanical Devices” I am fully aware that stuff has a certain shelf life. Like fresh bagels that all too soon turn stale and dry, machinery, whether domestic or industrial, lasts only so long. Hopefully they last longer than baked goods, but still, one cannot expect a radio or electric drill to last a lifetime. Unlike a bagel, however, devices beyond their best-before date may not be irredeemable. A few judicious repairs or adjustments might bring a fallen machine back to life, thus extending it’s usefulness well beyond what might be normally expected. On the other hand, if the repairs are too expensive, it might not be worth the investment. A new machine might be better. Furthermore, if parts are unavailable, one has no choice. In this situation, we members of the “Society of those Who Appreciate Mechanical Devices” learn all too quickly that we have also joined the “Money Pit Society.
A recent experience with a broken device proved that one also should join the “Buyer Beware Club” when getting it repaired. One repair person declared the item in question beyond salvation. It was old, parts were expensive and there was no hope. Fortunately, they had similar items for sale at reasonable prices. Yay! A new machine. Wait a minute, Boo! a costly new machine. Time for a second opinion. Yay and double yay! It could be fixed after all. Just a quick part change and it was back in running order, as fresh and new as a bagel right out of the oven. Wow! That was close! If it hadn’t been for my cheapness, I would have thrown out a perfectly repairable device and spent a whole wad of cash getting it replaced.
Buyer beware indeed: I guess for some folks it’s easier to just sell a client a new thing rather than going to the trouble of actually fixing it. It’s probably much more profitable too, but I won’t go there. The bottom line is that ya gotta be careful out there. Salvation is possible, but sometimes the cost is more than one might want to lay out.
Thankfully, God treats we children of His differently than repairman do machines. God sees all of us as perfectly redeemable, no matter what the cost. In fact, God paid the greatest cost possible to ensure salvation for each and every one of us. Jesus’ sacrifice put “paid” to the bill for pulling us back from the brink of sin-caused total destruction. We need pay nothing. Jesus covered the cost for us. Nor do we need to feel that we are too far gone to be saved or too old to merit the expense. There is no upper age limit for our worthiness and no degree of brokeness that is beyond God’s ability to fix us up bright as new.
What’s more, unlike earthly repairmen, who need to be carefully scheduled, God is always available for whatever we might need. Whether it’s a major crisis or just a wee touch up, He’s always on call to fix whatever ails us spiritually. And what’s more,He’s always there for us even if we don’t need any help whatsoever. That’s just one more benefit of belonging to His society. At least that’s the way I see it.
A recent experience with a broken device proved that one also should join the “Buyer Beware Club” when getting it repaired. One repair person declared the item in question beyond salvation. It was old, parts were expensive and there was no hope. Fortunately, they had similar items for sale at reasonable prices. Yay! A new machine. Wait a minute, Boo! a costly new machine. Time for a second opinion. Yay and double yay! It could be fixed after all. Just a quick part change and it was back in running order, as fresh and new as a bagel right out of the oven. Wow! That was close! If it hadn’t been for my cheapness, I would have thrown out a perfectly repairable device and spent a whole wad of cash getting it replaced.
Buyer beware indeed: I guess for some folks it’s easier to just sell a client a new thing rather than going to the trouble of actually fixing it. It’s probably much more profitable too, but I won’t go there. The bottom line is that ya gotta be careful out there. Salvation is possible, but sometimes the cost is more than one might want to lay out.
Thankfully, God treats we children of His differently than repairman do machines. God sees all of us as perfectly redeemable, no matter what the cost. In fact, God paid the greatest cost possible to ensure salvation for each and every one of us. Jesus’ sacrifice put “paid” to the bill for pulling us back from the brink of sin-caused total destruction. We need pay nothing. Jesus covered the cost for us. Nor do we need to feel that we are too far gone to be saved or too old to merit the expense. There is no upper age limit for our worthiness and no degree of brokeness that is beyond God’s ability to fix us up bright as new.
What’s more, unlike earthly repairmen, who need to be carefully scheduled, God is always available for whatever we might need. Whether it’s a major crisis or just a wee touch up, He’s always on call to fix whatever ails us spiritually. And what’s more,He’s always there for us even if we don’t need any help whatsoever. That’s just one more benefit of belonging to His society. At least that’s the way I see it.
May 30th
I am not a big fan of gossip. I find it’s neither helpful or nice so I try to avoid it as much as possible. There is, however, another side to gossip that we cannot always avoid, no matter how much we try. This other side came out during a recent visit to a laundromat in the form of a rather loud family. This compact clan of kin was not only airing their dirty jeans and t-shirts, they were busily and voiceferously airing all their personal laundry as well. Family squabble, money issues, even housekeeping chores were discussed loudly and clearly. Love affairs, work woes and petty dislikes were made as public as the morning sky and other than leaving the place, there was no way to avoid overhearing every sad, sordid or silly detail.
Some cultures take personal privacy to great heights of refinement. The “stiff upper lip” syndrome results in a people that share very little information about themselves to others. In a milder form this desire to keep ones business to oneself is called propriety. Propriety demands that we only share what’s necessary about ourselves, only to those who need to know, and in an environment and manner appropriate to the occasion. In an extreme form it can make a person appear to be unfriendly or closed, but when practiced in a healthy, balanced way, a sense of propriety lets us share when we need to share and to listen when we need to listen.
One might consider God, who knows everything about us, has no sense of propriety. Knowing our most intimate details gives God a view into our lives that might be uncomfortable with any one else. God, however, is discrete about how this information is used. For one thing, He doesn’t share it with others. Nor does He use it against us, or to keep us from trying things, even if He knows where those things might lead. Instead God is like a trusted friend who knows us better than we know ourselves. He is there for us when we need to talk. And when we need to be silent, God sits quietly by our side.
Of course, God knows that keeping too quiet is not good for us, so He is always open to our sharing things with Him, and always seeking ways to let us know what He has in mind for us. In some ways, when it comes to God, we need no sense of propriety whatsoever; He is interested in anything we have to say, at any time and about any subject. God very much desires to be part of our lives and to be included in our needs and dreams. This is the only way we can be assured of living to our full potential. But God doesn’t interfere or push His way in. Neither does He listen if our conversation isn’t directed towards Him. God knows when He’s wanted and when He’s not.
There are times and places to share our inner hearts with others. There are times and places to refrain from sharing with others. A laundromat isn’t the best place to have a family conversation that has no limit in subject matter. A quiet conversation with God, however, is always appropriate. His interest in our lives is healthy and holy. God just wants the best for us, whether it’s guiding us along the right path, or just to offer a listening, caring ear. At least that’s the way I see it.
Some cultures take personal privacy to great heights of refinement. The “stiff upper lip” syndrome results in a people that share very little information about themselves to others. In a milder form this desire to keep ones business to oneself is called propriety. Propriety demands that we only share what’s necessary about ourselves, only to those who need to know, and in an environment and manner appropriate to the occasion. In an extreme form it can make a person appear to be unfriendly or closed, but when practiced in a healthy, balanced way, a sense of propriety lets us share when we need to share and to listen when we need to listen.
One might consider God, who knows everything about us, has no sense of propriety. Knowing our most intimate details gives God a view into our lives that might be uncomfortable with any one else. God, however, is discrete about how this information is used. For one thing, He doesn’t share it with others. Nor does He use it against us, or to keep us from trying things, even if He knows where those things might lead. Instead God is like a trusted friend who knows us better than we know ourselves. He is there for us when we need to talk. And when we need to be silent, God sits quietly by our side.
Of course, God knows that keeping too quiet is not good for us, so He is always open to our sharing things with Him, and always seeking ways to let us know what He has in mind for us. In some ways, when it comes to God, we need no sense of propriety whatsoever; He is interested in anything we have to say, at any time and about any subject. God very much desires to be part of our lives and to be included in our needs and dreams. This is the only way we can be assured of living to our full potential. But God doesn’t interfere or push His way in. Neither does He listen if our conversation isn’t directed towards Him. God knows when He’s wanted and when He’s not.
There are times and places to share our inner hearts with others. There are times and places to refrain from sharing with others. A laundromat isn’t the best place to have a family conversation that has no limit in subject matter. A quiet conversation with God, however, is always appropriate. His interest in our lives is healthy and holy. God just wants the best for us, whether it’s guiding us along the right path, or just to offer a listening, caring ear. At least that’s the way I see it.
May 23rd
Way back when movies were first being commercialized, actors and actresses didn’t have the press coverage that they do today. Paparazzi was just an obscure Italian word. Tabloids were virtually unknown. No one knew the intimate details of the latest “It” couple, let alone that there was an “It” couple. This was not good for those early stars. In order for people to go see their movies, they realized that they had to get their names in front of the public eye and so an industry was born. Movie star magazines became all the rage and as radio broadcasting matured, gossip columnists like Hedda Hopper flourished. The audience couldn’t get enough dirt about their favourite heroes and heroines. Soon enough, those same heroes and heroines realized that maybe there was too much of a good thing. An industry was born; a nightmare was created.
There is something about gossip that is irresistible to us all. Deep within us there must be a gene that creates a curiosity about our onscreen public figures, and the odd lady that lives just around the corner. We have an indefatigable nosiness about the personal business of those around us, and a seemingly inexhaustible energy to listen in or add to the conversation. Early movie stars knew this; they exploited our natural need for neighbourly news in order to generate ticket sales, even at the cost of their own privacy.
It’s a strange thing, really. It’s one thing to know the intimate details of ones own family or circle of close friends. It’s perfectly natural to share some of those details about one another so long as they are true and they contribute to the other person’s well-being. That’s not gossip; that’s simply the normal course of getting to know each other and it’s perfectly healthy. Gossip, on the other hand, might be normal, but it’s not healthy. It diminishes the gossiper, the listener and the subject at hand. What’s more, since gossip is often second-hand information or sheer speculation, it’s wrong more often than it is right. Furthermore, people rarely share good gossip. It’s not very often that we hear about someone’s successes or joys. Instead, we usually hear about their woes, their miseries or how they cheated to get their joy and success.
Gossip does not please God. It does not please our creator when we talk about others without having the truth, a righteous cause and that person’s best interest at heart. Most of us have our own problems and issues with which to wrest and struggle. We’re better off talking to God or our a trusted confidant about how we might grow and improves rather than building up our egos by sharing how a neighbour has fallen down.
Some people make a great deal of profit from spreading gossip. Some people make a great deal of profit from having gossip spread about them. For most people, however, the greatest profit comes from thinking twice about what we say in reference to others, and keeping quiet unless we have something very kind and loving to say about them. At least that’s the way I see it.
There is something about gossip that is irresistible to us all. Deep within us there must be a gene that creates a curiosity about our onscreen public figures, and the odd lady that lives just around the corner. We have an indefatigable nosiness about the personal business of those around us, and a seemingly inexhaustible energy to listen in or add to the conversation. Early movie stars knew this; they exploited our natural need for neighbourly news in order to generate ticket sales, even at the cost of their own privacy.
It’s a strange thing, really. It’s one thing to know the intimate details of ones own family or circle of close friends. It’s perfectly natural to share some of those details about one another so long as they are true and they contribute to the other person’s well-being. That’s not gossip; that’s simply the normal course of getting to know each other and it’s perfectly healthy. Gossip, on the other hand, might be normal, but it’s not healthy. It diminishes the gossiper, the listener and the subject at hand. What’s more, since gossip is often second-hand information or sheer speculation, it’s wrong more often than it is right. Furthermore, people rarely share good gossip. It’s not very often that we hear about someone’s successes or joys. Instead, we usually hear about their woes, their miseries or how they cheated to get their joy and success.
Gossip does not please God. It does not please our creator when we talk about others without having the truth, a righteous cause and that person’s best interest at heart. Most of us have our own problems and issues with which to wrest and struggle. We’re better off talking to God or our a trusted confidant about how we might grow and improves rather than building up our egos by sharing how a neighbour has fallen down.
Some people make a great deal of profit from spreading gossip. Some people make a great deal of profit from having gossip spread about them. For most people, however, the greatest profit comes from thinking twice about what we say in reference to others, and keeping quiet unless we have something very kind and loving to say about them. At least that’s the way I see it.
May 16th
Part of a conversation overheard in a coffee shop recently: “I don’t throw it in the garbage, I leave it right on top for everybody to see. The extra five minutes exposure is worth it.” The gist of the talk was that it was worth doing just about anything, even setting garbage on top of a bin, to get more advertising. I guess that in a world in which every blank space, whether it’s by a highway or on an athlete’s cap, any and all exposure is good. I guess the world is just that competitive. Everybody selling something wants to get that product before your eyes. They want you to notice it, to remember it and to buy it. Even the placement of tins and boxes on grocery store shelves. The hotly contested spots are those that are right in front of the customer’s eyes, so that the product itself becomes its on advertising.
Maybe I should start advertising my Pensive Pastors. Just think of it: my image boldly emblazoned on billboards, magazines and T-shirts. Think of the possible readership! Think of the possible income! Think of folks leaving products with my name and slogan sitting on top of a garbage bin for an extra five minutes exposure. I think not. I think I’ll leave advertising my writings up to folks who like reading them, and other forms of promotion to folks who really need it.
Sometimes, however, I wonder about the church, that is the body of Christians throughout the world, and how we might better advertise the God we love so much. Sometimes I wonder that maybe we need a TV campaign, or billboards, or something, even a cup of coffee with God’s face...
...or maybe not.
God has a distinct way of promoting things that concern him. The very miracle of a Crocus breaking through the ground as soon as the ground is barely warm enough to sustain life speaks to His genius. A trusted friend reaching out to another in a Christ-like way promotes God’s mercy. A loving word of welcome to a stranger advertises God’s care for humanity. The signs are everywhere, if you know how to read them...
...and if you know how to be one.
God is not into shameless self-promotion. Neither are His followers. We are called, however, to share what we know about God, what we have learned from God, and what we have received from God, with all the world. Our very lives are the best and only advertisement God needs. When we care for another person and attribute that care to our Heavenly Creator, we do a better job of advertising than a thousand roadside billboards. When we speak up for the oppressed or stand against injustice because it is the right and holy thing to do, we promote God better than the slickest TV spot. When we forgive someone or show kindness to the least deserving person, we get more positive exposure than a thousand coffee cups left on a trash can. Nothing can draw people to God better than a life well lived and openly attributed to God. At least that’s the way I see it.
Maybe I should start advertising my Pensive Pastors. Just think of it: my image boldly emblazoned on billboards, magazines and T-shirts. Think of the possible readership! Think of the possible income! Think of folks leaving products with my name and slogan sitting on top of a garbage bin for an extra five minutes exposure. I think not. I think I’ll leave advertising my writings up to folks who like reading them, and other forms of promotion to folks who really need it.
Sometimes, however, I wonder about the church, that is the body of Christians throughout the world, and how we might better advertise the God we love so much. Sometimes I wonder that maybe we need a TV campaign, or billboards, or something, even a cup of coffee with God’s face...
...or maybe not.
God has a distinct way of promoting things that concern him. The very miracle of a Crocus breaking through the ground as soon as the ground is barely warm enough to sustain life speaks to His genius. A trusted friend reaching out to another in a Christ-like way promotes God’s mercy. A loving word of welcome to a stranger advertises God’s care for humanity. The signs are everywhere, if you know how to read them...
...and if you know how to be one.
God is not into shameless self-promotion. Neither are His followers. We are called, however, to share what we know about God, what we have learned from God, and what we have received from God, with all the world. Our very lives are the best and only advertisement God needs. When we care for another person and attribute that care to our Heavenly Creator, we do a better job of advertising than a thousand roadside billboards. When we speak up for the oppressed or stand against injustice because it is the right and holy thing to do, we promote God better than the slickest TV spot. When we forgive someone or show kindness to the least deserving person, we get more positive exposure than a thousand coffee cups left on a trash can. Nothing can draw people to God better than a life well lived and openly attributed to God. At least that’s the way I see it.
May 9th
Through the miracle of the lens, what is normally fuzzy becomes clear to the eyes. X-ray machines allow us to peer into the body in order to see the skeleton and other structures deep within. Special compounds applied to a surface, combined with special glasses placed over the eyes, permit crime investigators to see blood that is otherwise invisible. Fabricators use a certain chemical and a dedicated machine to allow them to detect fine cracks that could not be spotted with the naked eye.
Vision, you see, is relative: one sees according to what one is looking for. Criminal investigators and metal workers seek different ends, so they use different techniques in their work. It’s still vision, it’s still seeing something, but each one has their own agenda, their own particular end in mind. Normal folk do the same thing without using actual glasses, goggles or other vision assistance devices. Instead we use the filters within our own minds to pick and choose how and what we see.
Those filters are determined according to our personalities and our situation. The abused woman will look at a man differently from a member of the Masons. Principals and students have a polar opposite view of teachers. Dentists are seen as a person to fear by many folks, while vendors of dental supplies see them as a vital part of their business. It all depends on your point of view, on who you are, and who you’re dealing with. You can overlook a lot of faults in a beloved friend. That’s not necessarily the case when it’s someone who has a track record of hurting you.
God is the only one who sees us clearly all the time. His vision is perfect and perfectly unbiased. There are no favourites in His eyes, no one that is viewed as being a better or more desirable person. Instead He sees us as we are, faults and all and uses the same standard to judge us. He doesn’t put blinders on in order to miss someone’s mistake. He doesn’t choose to see certain sins in one person or group of people while completely ignoring them in another. Who and what we are is exactly who and what He sees, without bias or distortion.
Of course God would like to see us a certain way. God would love it if He could look at each and everyone of us, wherever we are in life, and see us as perfectly as what He had in mind when He imagined us. That’s not what he sees however. Yet in His perfectly unbiased way God still sees that perfect potential and through His forgiveness, gives us a chance to return to that most desirable of conditions. To put it another way, God sees beyond our dirty hands and faces to the pure beings He envisioned us to be. Then, when we ourselves realize how we look, He washes us clean so that we are again as perfect in His sight as in His imagination. We might not last that way too long, but that’s OK. God can see clear to tidying us up to be just as He first thought of us as often as we need it. At least that’s the way I see it.
Vision, you see, is relative: one sees according to what one is looking for. Criminal investigators and metal workers seek different ends, so they use different techniques in their work. It’s still vision, it’s still seeing something, but each one has their own agenda, their own particular end in mind. Normal folk do the same thing without using actual glasses, goggles or other vision assistance devices. Instead we use the filters within our own minds to pick and choose how and what we see.
Those filters are determined according to our personalities and our situation. The abused woman will look at a man differently from a member of the Masons. Principals and students have a polar opposite view of teachers. Dentists are seen as a person to fear by many folks, while vendors of dental supplies see them as a vital part of their business. It all depends on your point of view, on who you are, and who you’re dealing with. You can overlook a lot of faults in a beloved friend. That’s not necessarily the case when it’s someone who has a track record of hurting you.
God is the only one who sees us clearly all the time. His vision is perfect and perfectly unbiased. There are no favourites in His eyes, no one that is viewed as being a better or more desirable person. Instead He sees us as we are, faults and all and uses the same standard to judge us. He doesn’t put blinders on in order to miss someone’s mistake. He doesn’t choose to see certain sins in one person or group of people while completely ignoring them in another. Who and what we are is exactly who and what He sees, without bias or distortion.
Of course God would like to see us a certain way. God would love it if He could look at each and everyone of us, wherever we are in life, and see us as perfectly as what He had in mind when He imagined us. That’s not what he sees however. Yet in His perfectly unbiased way God still sees that perfect potential and through His forgiveness, gives us a chance to return to that most desirable of conditions. To put it another way, God sees beyond our dirty hands and faces to the pure beings He envisioned us to be. Then, when we ourselves realize how we look, He washes us clean so that we are again as perfect in His sight as in His imagination. We might not last that way too long, but that’s OK. God can see clear to tidying us up to be just as He first thought of us as often as we need it. At least that’s the way I see it.
May 2nd
Second only to Value Village as a favourite haunt, our local Good Will store is a great place to shop. You never know what you’re going to find. Sometimes there’s nothing you want to buy, but lots of stuff that catches your eye. Usually it’s something that has been pre-loved, like a nice set of computer speakers I bought. Every once in a while, however, you find an object that is brand-spanking, fresh-off-the-assembly-line, never-been-purchased, new.
One such orphan was a little digital voice recorder I picked up for just three dollars. Fully wrapped in it’s plastic case, never, ever touched by a customer, it was just the thing I had been looking for for quite a while, and I got it for one-twentieth of the cost. It was an unbelievable stroke of luck, or being a good Presbyterian, a little gift from God. (Presbyterians don’t “do” luck.)
As I sit with my little digital bargain sitting quietly on the desk beside me, listening to music from a radio I picked up at Value Village, on speakers donated by a friend, on a desk recovered from the “forgotten” pile somewhere in the bowels of my church, I consider the discards of life. Good Will and Value Village make a good profit dealing with things that folks no longer wanted, or in the case of my recorder, something that was never sold to a customer in the first place. The great thing about second-hand shops is that rather than simply being tossed perfectly away, good usable stuff has the chance of finding new life in someone else’s hands. Furthermore, used objects don’t end up being tossed into a landfill sight.
Our souls can get awfully beat up. We bang them up with little regard for their beauty and holiness. Some folks can get so burdened down with sin, or so lost to their own self-interest, that they might seem of little use or interest to God or their fellow humans. At times souls are damaged beyond the point of recognition by abusers. Sometimes we just don’t care enough about ourselves to feed and nourish our souls as we should.
For God, however, no souls is ever beyond redemption. No matter how sim-damaged, He can make it good as new. No matter how abused, God can restore it to health and wholeness. No matter how much we ignore it and let it got to pot, God can help us reclaim and restore it. No matter what the cause or how poor the condition, there is no soul that God cannot or will not redeem and rebuild.
Mind you, that redemption doesn’t just happen all by itself. God will never intervene without our first asking for help. It doesn’t take a formal request or fancy prayer. Simply saying “A little help, God?” or even “Help!” is all it takes for a divine restoration, but we have to make the first move. God would never impose Himself on us, which is why we have to reach out to Him. He wants us to love Him and acknowledge Him freely, not forcibly. It breaks His heart to see us in the discard pile. But as soon as we ask, He will pick us up, polish us up, and set us by His loving side. At least that’s the way I see it.
April 25th
The “Antiques Roadshow” is always full of great surprises. Folks bring in items large and small, having no idea what they are or what they’re worth, and we the viewers get to learn along with them whether the thing they are curious about is a diamond or a dud.
One item in particular struck my attention. It was a “swift”, a device knitters use to wind their wool into a ball. This particular specimen was made of whale ivory and exotic woods and was over a hundred years old. Because of its fine condition, excellent construction and great desirability it ended up being valued at over $16,000. That’s Sixteen Thousand Dollars, the price of a small car! I was stunned that a thing about the size of a toaster oven (or microwave, for you high tech folks) could cost that much, but there you have it. All that money for an antique tool whose very value rendered it nothing more than a delicate decoration.
For some reason that item stuck in my mind. I just couldn’t forget about it. Somehow it just seemed so, well, wrong. Then, the other day, a colleague in ministry described how she was doing Mission work in Africa. Somewhere in the discussion she mentioned that for $300, (Three hundred Dollars, the price of a cheap set of tires) an African woman could get a new loom. Not a toy loom, or an antique loom or a display model, but an actual working loom with which she could start a small business for herself. Just $300. Less than a week’s groceries, and miles less than the cost of that collectible swift from the “Antiques Roadshow”
Unfortunately, that disparity is a part of life. We value baubles while others want for the basic necessities of life. What one person might spend on an antique swift could provide many women with machines that could help them provide them with meaningful, satisfying work. We are rich beyond our wildest imagination in the Western world, and hardly recognize the great need elsewhere on our planet.
This great disparity in wealth speaks perhaps to a want in our spiritual lives. We value objects rather than ourselves. We derive pride from what we own rather than who we are. We accumulate things to compensate for an emptiness within ourselves. It is not a pleasant reality, but it must be spoken every once in a while.
When God created the world it was perfect, even with we human beings in it. Somewhere along the line, however, we lost sight of the fact that God will provide all that we need. Somewhere we lost sight of the fact that how and who we love is far more important that what we love. Somehow we lost sight of the fact that nothing can satisfy us more than a good relationship with God. If we have that, the effects spill over into our relationship with others, providing us with all the fulfillment we need. In turn God will provide for us not only spiritually but physically. All it takes is putting our hearts in the right place. Nothing could be more satisfying or more valuable than to love your God, and your neighbour as yourself. At least that’s the way I see it.
One item in particular struck my attention. It was a “swift”, a device knitters use to wind their wool into a ball. This particular specimen was made of whale ivory and exotic woods and was over a hundred years old. Because of its fine condition, excellent construction and great desirability it ended up being valued at over $16,000. That’s Sixteen Thousand Dollars, the price of a small car! I was stunned that a thing about the size of a toaster oven (or microwave, for you high tech folks) could cost that much, but there you have it. All that money for an antique tool whose very value rendered it nothing more than a delicate decoration.
For some reason that item stuck in my mind. I just couldn’t forget about it. Somehow it just seemed so, well, wrong. Then, the other day, a colleague in ministry described how she was doing Mission work in Africa. Somewhere in the discussion she mentioned that for $300, (Three hundred Dollars, the price of a cheap set of tires) an African woman could get a new loom. Not a toy loom, or an antique loom or a display model, but an actual working loom with which she could start a small business for herself. Just $300. Less than a week’s groceries, and miles less than the cost of that collectible swift from the “Antiques Roadshow”
Unfortunately, that disparity is a part of life. We value baubles while others want for the basic necessities of life. What one person might spend on an antique swift could provide many women with machines that could help them provide them with meaningful, satisfying work. We are rich beyond our wildest imagination in the Western world, and hardly recognize the great need elsewhere on our planet.
This great disparity in wealth speaks perhaps to a want in our spiritual lives. We value objects rather than ourselves. We derive pride from what we own rather than who we are. We accumulate things to compensate for an emptiness within ourselves. It is not a pleasant reality, but it must be spoken every once in a while.
When God created the world it was perfect, even with we human beings in it. Somewhere along the line, however, we lost sight of the fact that God will provide all that we need. Somewhere we lost sight of the fact that how and who we love is far more important that what we love. Somehow we lost sight of the fact that nothing can satisfy us more than a good relationship with God. If we have that, the effects spill over into our relationship with others, providing us with all the fulfillment we need. In turn God will provide for us not only spiritually but physically. All it takes is putting our hearts in the right place. Nothing could be more satisfying or more valuable than to love your God, and your neighbour as yourself. At least that’s the way I see it.
April 18th
Mentor, the family poodle, and I enjoy walking together. We go for about an hour, and enjoy together the benefits of exercise and fresh air. We walk, however with different purposes and styles. I am single minded in covering a certain amount of distance within a given time period. Mentor is out to smell the roses, other dogs, possible edible delights and pretty much anything with an interesting aroma. While I doggedly plow forward with carefully measured and timed pace, she lollops about (to proceed with a bounding or bobbing motion) from pillar to post, or at least as far as her leash will allow.
Given our different walking styles Mentor and I have to accommodate each other lest we end up in a tangle of limbs and leash by the side of the road. She is trained to stay on the leash side and never cross my path to get to the other side. I give her free reign to go as far as the combined length of her leash and my arm will allow. I find the sidewalk more comfortable and stick to its hard surface as much as possible. Mentor, on the other hand, prefers walking on grass, so I always make sure that I hold her lead on the side that is covered by her preferred surface. With these slight adjustments to each others’ needs we are able to enjoy our times together without either of us missing any of the benefits and pleasures of a walk with a friend.
God does really amazing things and He does them perfectly. His plans and visions are universal in scope; His timeframe is eternity, His imagination limitless, His power limitless, His wisdom beyond measuring. To say that God is awesomely incredible doesn’t even begin to approach the full depth and breadth of the praise that He deserves. Yet this magnificently wondrous God accommodates we human beings so that we aren’t left feeling puny or inadequate. He concentrates His love so that it touches our hearts with just the right intensity. He limits His expectations so that we feel stretched but not pulled apart. He holds us in His hands so that we get the full benefit of a warm embrace rather than His full squeezing power. God knows what He can do, knows what we can take and meets us on our level, not His.
God’s understanding of our condition means that He not only ensures that we are challenged only within our limits to love and serve Him, He allows us to make mistakes and to get things wrong. As perfect as God is, He accommodates our imperfect use of the gifts and blessings that He provides for us. If that were the only accommodation God made for us it would be reason enough to celebrate. Yet there is more than this. There is one more way God makes room for us. God lets us sin. He doesn’t like it, mind you, but God lets us make mistakes. Not only does he let us sin, God forgives us when we recognize our mistakes ask to make things right with Him.
Jesus died to make forgiveness, the ultimate accommodation, possible. All that God asks for in return is that we accommodate Him a little. He just asks for us to make room for His laws, open our minds to His wisdom, and to lovingly accommodate folks the same way He accommodates us. At least that’s the way I see it.
April 11th
A servo is a motor that can follow orders. I don’t mean that it just turns on or off at will, I mean that it follows, to the best of its ability, exactly what the master does. OK, maybe that’s oversimplifying things a little bit, since servos can’t actually sing or dance or recite poetry, but within their limited scope of activity, which is moving or spinning, they are totally faithful to the wishes of the operator. For instance, a servo driving a robot’s elbow joint will move that joint as quickly and as far as the operator wants it to. If she needs just a little delicate lift to lift a soup spoon, the servo will provide a delicate lift. If she demands a quick flip of the elbow to toss a frisbee, then so be it, the robotic elbow will whip that frisbee as fast as it can.
Servos have one other property: they are scalable. In other words you can make a servo as big or as small as you need it to be. No matter what size it is, it will still follow your orders, only in direct proportion to the scale of the machine. Thus, if our robot operator is running a desktop version of herself, the little tiny servo in the elbow will lift the little tiny spoon in a miniature motion that exactly mimics its commander. On the other end of the scale, if the robot is the size of a house, the much larger servo will still command a delicate movement of a much bigger spoon.
You can look at servos in one of two ways. You can either see them as being under control of the operator, or as mimicking their operator. I like the second option. I like the thought of a servo mimicking its operator because it makes me think of our relationship with God. We are made be God in God’s own image. Thus we are earthly versions of spiritual perfection. I’m not sure about the scale, but I imagine we’re quite a bit smaller than the creator that assembled the entire universe from nothing. Yet despite being tiny human versions of the almighty perfect spiritual head of the universe, like a servo imitating it’s operator’s actions, we too try to copy what God does.
We love in an attempt to imitate the way God loves us. We care in an imitation of God’s care for us. We even get mad in an imitation of the way God sometimes gets mad at us. That, however, is not necessarily a good thing. Servos, you see, are prone to errors. They don’t always get things right. Sometimes their mimicry is less than perfect and they spill the tea. Sometimes they just go haywire and do completely the wrong thing.
That’s our lot in life, too. Our imitation of God isn’t always perfect, and sometimes we get it all wrong. With a servo, there is usually a reset function, a switch that sets it back on track. With humans, we have a forgiveness function that straightens us out whenever we need it. The only difference is that servos act as they do with no conscious choice. We, on the other hand, must choose to imitate God. It is up to us to use our God reflecting God created image to do what’s right, and frankly, I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t choose to do so. After all, why not make the best possible use of our amazing selves than to honour the one who made us by doing our best to be just like His loving, lovable self? At least that’s the way I see it.
April 4
It was one of those moments of absolute technical wizardry. I was watching TV upstairs; the kids had on their TV downstairs. The upstairs computer was downloading a file from the internet. Lois was surfing the web and getting E-mails on the computer downstairs. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with an amazing thought: all of this stuff, the video signal, the individual letters in each word of the email, the mysterious data that is involved with software of any kind, all of the information pouring onto the screen was racing through one single cable. It’s that cable that plugs into the back of a TV, some of your fancier radios, and into many computers nowadays.
Now, a TV signal sends about 250 lines of information 30 times a second. Those 250 lines correspond to one still picture on the screen. The signal includes the information to make the hero’s teeth white, the villain’s costume black, and to colour in all the rest of the scene. It also carries sound-effects, music and voices, as well as signals telling the TV what to do. That’s a lot of information, but there’s more. Every channel you pay for, and the ones you don’t, all go down the surface of that thin wire at the same time! There’s still more. All your email, in addition to all other email sent out by the cable provider, races down that same thin wire along with countless TV channels. And there’s still more! Everyone surfing the web courtesy of the same cable provider shares the cable pathway carrying all the other signals.
The numbers are staggering, but not impossible, since our appliances are very picky customers. They deal with this vast sea of information with tuners and addresses. Tuners react only to the station they are set to; all other information is invisible to them. Computers use sophisticated addressing schemes that are equally discriminate. They pick up only the information that is addressed to them, and have no contact with anything else.
Imagine then, God, at the other end of the spectrum: one receiver hearing and decoding all the information that comes to it. God knows us all. Not just in this moment, but everything that’s gone before, and everything that is yet to come. God knows it. God hears us, all six-billion, all at once. Not as a confused jumble of noise, put as plainly and clearly as the best high-definition TV screen or high quality LCD monitor. And God doesn’t listen impassively. Our prayers sink in and move God. They are felt and dealt with, not at a corporate level, but according to each of our needs for that moment.
God deals with us as if we had the only heart-directed cable connection to Him. And it all happens as easily as we change channels, or change our minds. God does not tune us out, even if we are hurtful or offensive. God does not ignore us even if we try to hide. God does not lose interest because we don’t get in touch often enough. And God does it not as a cold, soulless machine, but as a loving parent, moved and touched by all of His children, caring for us even when we have no clue as to what’s really going on. No matter how tuned out we may be, God is always tuned into us, listening for even the slightest chance to be involved in our lives, even if it’s just to remind us of how much we are loved. At least that’s the way I see it.
March 28
Astronomy is the science of observing and understanding the vast expanses of space. It is a science because it deals with observable objects and facts based on the what those objects are seen doing. Astrology, on the other hand, is the supposed science of determining ones fate based on the behaviour of the starry firmament. Apparently the well trained astrologist can determine a lot about a person and their life based on the placement of stars with relation to a person’s birth date and other related observable facts.
Now, from my personal observation of people’s lives, I’ve concluded that there is little, if anything that can be predicted by Astrology. For instance, I happen to be a Capricorn according to astrologists and that makes me a certain type of person. Trouble is, a friend of mine, who happens to share my birthdate, is an equally wonderful person but also happens to be completely different from me. According to the astrologers that shouldn’t happen. We should share certain basic personality traits, but according to reality, it just ain’t so.
The trouble with so called sciences like astrology, as far as I can figure it out, is that they’re facts are far more guesswork than truth. Human beings are born of two parents of differing genetic makeup which results in a totally random new being. Astrology, on the other hand, depends on the predictability of the starry sky’s behaviour. How one can conclude that the children born of an Italian father and a mother whose origins are spread across Great Britain (that would be my own children, Anna and David) will follow certain patterns based on the motion of the stars is quite beyond me. In fact, from what I’ve seen, it’s also beyond Astrology, because my kids are who they are, and not very much like their astrological signs at all.
My children and in fact all children, no matter what age they might be, are not the products of a star’s location in relation to other stars, but of God. Each of us are unique gifts that are uniquely gifted based on what our parents bring to the table, and what God determines we should be. Other than every one of us being made to be wonderful and incredible human beings, there is no way to predict what a child might be like. The starry skies might follow regular patterns, but for the most part, we human beings don’t. It’s just not part of God’s plan that we should be cookie-cutter creations.
I would be nice if I could predict how my kids will turn out. It would be nice to know what to look forward to in my own life. On the other hand, I think it would be pretty boring to simply follow a set course. Part of the thrill of our God-given life is it’s very unpredictability. Sure, I know that if I live my right I’ll have a better chance of getting into heaven than if I don’t. I don’t think living according the stars would help me in that area at all. When all is said and done, I would rather trust in God’s help in my getting there that rely on the stars in heaven. After all, they too are God’s creation and they too follow His will, not their own, so I would rather look to Him rather than to His creation for the help and guidance I need. At least that’s the way I see it.
Astronomy is the science of observing and understanding the vast expanses of space. It is a science because it deals with observable objects and facts based on the what those objects are seen doing. Astrology, on the other hand, is the supposed science of determining ones fate based on the behaviour of the starry firmament. Apparently the well trained astrologist can determine a lot about a person and their life based on the placement of stars with relation to a person’s birth date and other related observable facts.
Now, from my personal observation of people’s lives, I’ve concluded that there is little, if anything that can be predicted by Astrology. For instance, I happen to be a Capricorn according to astrologists and that makes me a certain type of person. Trouble is, a friend of mine, who happens to share my birthdate, is an equally wonderful person but also happens to be completely different from me. According to the astrologers that shouldn’t happen. We should share certain basic personality traits, but according to reality, it just ain’t so.
The trouble with so called sciences like astrology, as far as I can figure it out, is that they’re facts are far more guesswork than truth. Human beings are born of two parents of differing genetic makeup which results in a totally random new being. Astrology, on the other hand, depends on the predictability of the starry sky’s behaviour. How one can conclude that the children born of an Italian father and a mother whose origins are spread across Great Britain (that would be my own children, Anna and David) will follow certain patterns based on the motion of the stars is quite beyond me. In fact, from what I’ve seen, it’s also beyond Astrology, because my kids are who they are, and not very much like their astrological signs at all.
My children and in fact all children, no matter what age they might be, are not the products of a star’s location in relation to other stars, but of God. Each of us are unique gifts that are uniquely gifted based on what our parents bring to the table, and what God determines we should be. Other than every one of us being made to be wonderful and incredible human beings, there is no way to predict what a child might be like. The starry skies might follow regular patterns, but for the most part, we human beings don’t. It’s just not part of God’s plan that we should be cookie-cutter creations.
I would be nice if I could predict how my kids will turn out. It would be nice to know what to look forward to in my own life. On the other hand, I think it would be pretty boring to simply follow a set course. Part of the thrill of our God-given life is it’s very unpredictability. Sure, I know that if I live my right I’ll have a better chance of getting into heaven than if I don’t. I don’t think living according the stars would help me in that area at all. When all is said and done, I would rather trust in God’s help in my getting there that rely on the stars in heaven. After all, they too are God’s creation and they too follow His will, not their own, so I would rather look to Him rather than to His creation for the help and guidance I need. At least that’s the way I see it.
March 21st
Theater Kent, the theater company that offer me so much fun, had the honour of having it’s most recent play, “The Elephant Man” being selected for a regional competition. That meant a road trip for our little company. We loaded all the stuff into a borrowed truck then made the four or five hour trek (it was much quicker in a car) all the way to our host theatre, the Roxy in Owen Sound.
Moving to a new location was, to say the least, rather stressful. While the trip itself was pretty relaxing, the actual set up in the new theatre was a great deal of work. The physical stuff wasn’t so bad. Shlepping stuff from the truck to the stage wasn’t so bad. It was physical work made easy by the banter of a group of people that worked well together and enjoyed each other’s company. Adapting the set and everything else required to make our play work was another, not so pleasant, story. Even minor differences in the layout and lighting of the new theatre were a big deal. Our Stage Manager had to rethink just about everything in order to make things work, which meant it took a long, long time to get ready.
That long, long prep time was, for me at least, rather stressful, because the more time we spent doing technical stuff, the less time we had to practice our lines and actions. It all worked out in the end, and the play was a hit, but it got me to thinking about how much work and it took to get ready compared to how much time we actually spent on stage. In fact, we spent almost twelve hours getting ready for a two hour show, just because we changed venues. That’s not counting the countless hours we had spent rehearsing and preparing for the show ahead of time. It just about makes you crazy thinking about the amount of time involved in making a show like that succeed, but that’s the way it is. A lot of time and effort go into making even the smallest things work well.
Think about how much time and effort God puts into each of our lives. Think about the history that preceded the writing of the 10 Commandments, or the effort involved in raising Christ from the dead. It’s awe inspiring when you consider what God has done and continues to do on our behalf. Even though our lives are pretty short compared to God’s infinite timeline, and even though the impact of our lives is pretty minor compared to what God can accomplish, He still takes the time to make the effort on our behalf.
None of us is to unimportant for our Heavenly Father. No life is without meaning even if it only lasts a few minutes. We might not realize it, but God puts an equal effort into each of us. What differs is our reaction to that effort. Some folks recognize His work and do their best to honour it while some deny He has any part in their lives. Those who deny Him will have a long, empty and tedious afterlife. Those who recognize and honour God, on the other hand, will see their efforts pan out in a beautiful, heavenly relationship that will last an eternity, but I’m sure will seem like an instant. At least that’s the way I see it.
Theater Kent, the theater company that offer me so much fun, had the honour of having it’s most recent play, “The Elephant Man” being selected for a regional competition. That meant a road trip for our little company. We loaded all the stuff into a borrowed truck then made the four or five hour trek (it was much quicker in a car) all the way to our host theatre, the Roxy in Owen Sound.
Moving to a new location was, to say the least, rather stressful. While the trip itself was pretty relaxing, the actual set up in the new theatre was a great deal of work. The physical stuff wasn’t so bad. Shlepping stuff from the truck to the stage wasn’t so bad. It was physical work made easy by the banter of a group of people that worked well together and enjoyed each other’s company. Adapting the set and everything else required to make our play work was another, not so pleasant, story. Even minor differences in the layout and lighting of the new theatre were a big deal. Our Stage Manager had to rethink just about everything in order to make things work, which meant it took a long, long time to get ready.
That long, long prep time was, for me at least, rather stressful, because the more time we spent doing technical stuff, the less time we had to practice our lines and actions. It all worked out in the end, and the play was a hit, but it got me to thinking about how much work and it took to get ready compared to how much time we actually spent on stage. In fact, we spent almost twelve hours getting ready for a two hour show, just because we changed venues. That’s not counting the countless hours we had spent rehearsing and preparing for the show ahead of time. It just about makes you crazy thinking about the amount of time involved in making a show like that succeed, but that’s the way it is. A lot of time and effort go into making even the smallest things work well.
Think about how much time and effort God puts into each of our lives. Think about the history that preceded the writing of the 10 Commandments, or the effort involved in raising Christ from the dead. It’s awe inspiring when you consider what God has done and continues to do on our behalf. Even though our lives are pretty short compared to God’s infinite timeline, and even though the impact of our lives is pretty minor compared to what God can accomplish, He still takes the time to make the effort on our behalf.
None of us is to unimportant for our Heavenly Father. No life is without meaning even if it only lasts a few minutes. We might not realize it, but God puts an equal effort into each of us. What differs is our reaction to that effort. Some folks recognize His work and do their best to honour it while some deny He has any part in their lives. Those who deny Him will have a long, empty and tedious afterlife. Those who recognize and honour God, on the other hand, will see their efforts pan out in a beautiful, heavenly relationship that will last an eternity, but I’m sure will seem like an instant. At least that’s the way I see it.
March 14th
I once was told: “It is better to have people assume you are a fool than to open your mouth and prove it.” Well, when it comes to farming, and I guess things generally related to heavy equipment, I am clearly a fool. Last week’s Pensive Pastor, while it didn’t actually involve any opening of my mouth, declared my folly for me. Apparently, as was quite clear to all the farmers who read it, I don’t know my oral cavity from a hole in the ground. Or, more accurately, I don’t know that what you attach to a tractor to push snow around is called a blade, not a shovel. I stand every so humbly corrected.
With that confession of ignorance out of the way, I will continue on with this week’s Pensive Pastor, knowing full well that what I deem correct is so to the best of my knowledge. My research is as complete as possible, my sources are checked and off I go, knowing full well that someone with more insight or better information might well help me demonstrate my own folly.
It is a risk I take with everything I say. In fact, it’s a risk we all take with everything we say. Whenever we pronounce ourselves experts on a topic there is a chance that someone more well informed that us my have to correct us. Embarrassing as it may be, it’s a plain fact that at times we don’t have our facts straight, despite our best efforts.
As a Pastor, I stick my neck out all the time, because it is my job to study God’s truths on behalf of the congregation. My stipend, what I receive as “pay” is a living allowance given to me by the congregation so that I can focus of Spiritual matters and then share my studies with them. With four years of study for the Ministry, many follow-up courses, and regular reading, research and reflection it is a job for which I am well equipped.
Of course, I am not the ultimate authority on matters of God, faith and the Presbyterian way. There are many experts in the laws and polity of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and lots of folks have studied faith longer and more intensely than I have. At the same time, with pretty much twenty years of consistent study, I’m not too badly off in terms of understanding.
Still, there is one authority that is not only my superior in every way, but my inspiration. I refer to God, the author and finisher of all creation. In all I do I defer to God’s ultimate genius, knowing full well that I probably prove my folly to him over and over again without even opening my mouth. There is just too much to know for it to be any other way.
It is a truth we all must accept because even though we don’t know it all, we do know enough. God doesn’t leave us ignorant of what we need to know. Through teachers like myself, friends and family who mentor us and our own personal study, God ensures that we know enough about Him and our place in His heart that we don’t have to worry about being foolish in His sight. And even if we do open our mouths and prove ourselves to be fools, God will forgive us. After all, He does know what’s best for us, even we don’t. At least that’s the way I see it.
March 7th
I was watching our church snow-clearer do his stuff the other day. Ralph was sitting way up in his mighty tractor, pushing the snow around with the greatest of ease which made for a pretty good show. After all, not being a winter person myself, there’s nothing better than seeing snow getting a thorough thrashing.
As I watched Ralph’s mighty machine go through its paces I noticed that the shovel was attached in a rather odd way. Basically speaking, it wasn’t connected to the front of the tractor, even though that’s where it was. It was actually connected, by means of a couple of serious looking steel bars, to the rear of the tractor. I thought this a little odd until Ralph explained that the shovel had to be attached to the strongest point of the tractor, which happened to be at the rear. Of course, that makes a lot of sense because tractors are usually pulling things rather than pushing them. Since it would go against reason to pull the snow from behind, the shovel had to be placed at the front of the tractor, but it still had to be connected to the strongest point of the machine. Otherwise you might end up with a bent tractor and that’s not a good thing.
Human beings have a solid internal structure, our skeletons, that provides strong attachment points for all the bits that connect to the outside world. However, we don’t connect to that world just physically. We also connect to the broader world mentally emotionally and spiritually. That means we need a strong mental and physical structure in order to ensure that we don’t come apart when life gets a little strenuous.
There is no stronger structure available to us mentally, emotionally and spiritually than Jesus Christ. The Son of God, who is also our brother, can provide for us the strength to carry on in the toughest of times. He offers us the backbone to stand straight when failure threatens to knock us down. He offers us the stability to stand fast when temptation pushes us in the wrong direction. He offers us the strength to go toe to toe with evil. And when we’re too weak to stand on our own, he provides us with a safe, secure place to stay put for a while.
Some people might say that counting on Jesus is a cop-out. They say that believing in Him is no better than trusting in fairy tales, but when they say those things, they fail to take into account the truth and the power that He offers those who believe.
Sure, you can try it alone. Sure, we humans have great innate strength. But there is even more power available to us in the Son of the living God than anywhere else. I’ve seen lots of people come apart at the seams. Funny thing is that none of those folks sought Jesus’ help. Anyone I know that trusted Him for strength, even in the most trying times, was never let down. For the greatest support in all that we do there is no-one or nothing that we can count on as much as Jesus. At least that’s the way I see it.
February 28th
I was looking for a picture to use during a recent worship service, which isn’t always a linear process. That is, often while looking for one thing on the internet you take little detours and find yourself in the oddest places. Thus it was that, finding a suitable image on a nice Christian lady’s website, I noticed another young lady’s site with the tag-line “Once was lost but now am found.” With a title like that I had to take a look and see where she had been lost and how she had been found.
Wow! What a story. The young woman had been in the porn industry for six years and had learned that there was a better way to live. That life has led her to try and help others like change her life In her own words: ”I have passion now. My passion is to let other women know they are worth much more than their sexuality. Society and media will tell us different. It's true though... you are precious. You are worthy of love. You are special. No matter how hard of a road you have been down. There is hope for you. You are loved by the King!!!!”
What struck me about her journey was the fact that God is the only one that could have changed her life. We are in the midst of the Olympics. No-one has ever changed their lives because of the Olympics. The football season is done and the Superbowl a fading memory. No-one has ever changed their lives because of football. I have just finished acting in a play put on by Theatre Kent. No-one has ever changed their lives because of a play. Only God can change our lives. Only God can make us whole.
Notice, however, I didn’t say only Church can change our lives or only with regular worship can our lives be made better. Absolutely, without a doubt we need consistent worship and time with God, and there is no better way or place than by going to church. God, however can work miracles anywhere. He can bring wholeness through somebody working at the Olympics. He can save a life through a football fan. He can lift a porn star from sin to salvation. He can heal a broken soul through a loving Elder. It doesn’t matter where we are or who we are. God can change anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Only God can bring about a life-change, nobody else. Only God working through an Olympic worker, or a football fan, or a porn star or an Elder. Unfortunately, while can work through anybody in an situation for any person, we rarely look for it. Folks pour their energies into their activities but rarely do those activities offer them the blessings God has in store for anyone who cares to ask.
Still, amazing things do happen even to the unlikeliest of people in the unlikeliest of surroundings. Of course, the other side of the coin is that God can also use the unlikeliest of people in the unlikeliest of situations to bring about some pretty amazing things. Isn’t it wonderful to think that you too might be one of those unlikely souls that God can work on, if you let Him, or that He can use if you’re open to Him? At least that’s the way I see it.
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