I'm sitting at my desk in tears. I just finished reading this article and the timing couldn't have been more appropriate. I've spent the last several weeks trying to sort out (again!) what my place and purpose in ministry and in the Kingdom is. I struggle with feeling out of place and out of sorts because of the expectations and assumptions around me.

Take today, for example. Our staff meeting consists of 3 of us - Lead Pastor, Worship Pastor and myself, the Associate Minister (previously known as the Children's Pastor. Add another aspect to the job description and, poof, a new title emerges). Because we don't have a building, we have needed to find another space to meet. Another large church in the area has allowed us some of their space. We were sitting having our meeting when a lady, who I assumed to be on staff, walked by. We chatted a bit about Journey, being a church plant in the area, etc and affirmed that this was, in fact, our staff meeting. She quite boldly went around the circle and named the positions she assumed to us and, of course, was right. Senior Pastor. Worship Pastor. Children's Pastor. Check.

Sometimes the truth hurts. I admit to being quite offended that, by a glance, she could assume that I am the Children's Pastor. While it's true, the assumption grates on me. Why did she assume that? I wasn't carrying a box of crayons - or any other children's ministry paraphanalia for that matter - with me anymore than our Worship Pastor was carrying his guitar. Was it because I was the only woman in the circle?

For years, I have struggled with the feeling that the only role available to me as a woman in ministry is in Children's Ministry. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the kids I serve and know that that role provides me a place to serve God and His Kingdom for now. That much is true without question. If you asked me, however, if I felt particularily passionate about Children's ministry over other ministries of the church or if I could see myself doing this for the rest of my life, I would have to answer no. Again, I love kids but the truth is, I love the church and, even more so, the Kingdom, more. It's because kids are part of the church and part of the kingdom that I do what I do. I hope I'm making sense here!

Kid's ministry is my way to serve the church and the kingdom for now but I feel like it's not entirely me most of the time. Get me in a room with a bunch of Children's Ministers and I feel entirely out of place. Put me in a room with church planters, coaches, strategic planners, and spiritual directors and I feel like I have something to offer the conversation.

I love to look at the big picture and strategically envision what potentials the Church has for doing the work of the Kingdom. I love to vision cast, define values and create strategy and structure to make those things a reality. I want to empower and encourage people to think far bigger than themselves and see that God is calling each and every one of us to something so much bigger than ourselves. It excites me when I see or hear about communities that are coming together to do that well. It inspires me to dive into the deeper truths of faith and to consider the impact they have on our lives and faith. It rocks my world to consider what would happen if we all truly lived out the grace of God in our lives and, because of the difference that has made in us, were to seek out ways to bring that grace to those around us. I want to be a part of that. I want to lead in that kind of a context. I want to dream up and initiate, as part of a team, something that would accomplish something so much bigger than myself. That, however, is typically not the place for a 30-something female.

And so I maintain. I get to - and I mean get to as it truly is a privilege - love on fantastic kids and share with them the love of Jesus. Still, there's a part of me that longs for, that hungers, for something more and resists the expectations and assumptions put on me because of some weird set of presuppositions years worth of tradition has created, assumptions that, at times, I, myself, buy into. I feel a little bit like a snake must feel just before it sheds its skin - like it fits just a bit too tight but not sure how to find relief or make positive change. There was a time I might have doubted God and wondered what on earth He was thinking to put this set of gifts and abilities in me. Now I doubt myself for not being able to discern the steps ahead.

So today, I'm praying for discernment and for clarity and freedom to become more of what God has made me to be.

To Build A Fence - Children's Ministry

Read this article today on boundaries for ministry, or any form of leadership for that matter.

To Build A Fence - Children's Ministry

"Christ is more of an artist than the artists; He works in the living spirit and the living flesh;
He makes men instead of statues"

Vincent Van Gogh

This song taken up residence in my heart since I heard it for the first time this past Sunday. Goosebumps, I tell you, goosebumps! How many greats have become the least for me? Only one. That, my friends, is the message of Christmas.

This is Jesus, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped and made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8)

A father's son. A king. Humbled. Rejected. Despised. Lowered. All for me. And for you.

What kind of king, indeed?!

Captain, my captain...

...or should I say "show boat?!" Nah. I love this goal and am thrilled that this kid is wearing the blue and orange this season. Yet another reason that I think this is just going to continue to be a fun season for the Oil...I've said it since the beginning of this season, they may not win a bunch but it sure will be fun to watch.

One of the things about this time of year that I enjoy is the plethora of "best of" the year lists that come out. I find them fun and fascination and, if I'm being honest, a little disturbing when I consider how few of the items I've heard of on some of the lists. Talk about head in the sand, Sparshu. Where have you been!? Anyway, Chapters has out their best of 2010 list. Books, movies and music. Just fun.

When you do your Christmas shopping this year, try keeping this in mind:

If we can resist the trap of giving easy gifts, and if we can reject the assumption that giving expensive gifts or many gifts is the best way to express love, something else might begin to happen. We might experience moments of relational giving that our friends and family will care about and remember. Our kids will learn what it means to give gifts that are personal and meaningful. Our neighbors and coworkers and friends will watch us celebrate Christmas differently, and they’ll hear the good news loud and clear through the seasonal static. (Advent Conspiracy, Rick McKinley, Chris Seay and Greg Holder)

Who's the jerk?!

"We don't wait well. We're into microwaving; God, on the other hand, is usually into marinating." -C. Peter Wagner

As I've been walking through the Christmas season this year, I've been particularly aware of the sense of waiting that fills the advent season. The Christmas story is filled with waiting.

The Israelites waited for the promised one, the coming King, for over 400 years. I wonder if they'd given up, thinking that God had failed to "come through" or if impatience filled them. I wonder if they forgot the promise over time or if they still passed it on from generation to generation with the same sense of anticipation. I don't like to wait a couple months for something, let alone 400 years!

Then there's Mary and Joseph. Greeted by an angel and promised a child and yet they wait for His arrival. I'm sure if God wanted to, he could have done it another way but He chose to bring His son into the world through humanity's reproductive process, couched in waiting, anticipating and preparing.

Then there's the shepherds. Oh, and don't forget the wisemen. They were waiting too.

Generally, as North Americans, we don't do well with waiting. We grumble in lines (I hold firm that it's the poor service that agrivates me, not the waiting...you believe me, right!?), we road rage, we have instant coffee and fast food, and we use instant tellers and high speed internet.

Instant. Now. Forget waiting.

I freely admit that I'm not a patient person. Once I've made my mind up about something, I want it, well, like yesterday. But God waits. Maybe there's something for me to learn about waiting this Christmas season. If advent is about preparing - not just 'for the season' with baking, shopping and decorating but truly about preparing my heart to fully experience the joy of Jesus at Christmas - then perhaps, just perhaps, there's something to be learned about the discipline of waiting this Christmas.

I love this! A Christmas classic for sure!

"Answers to prayer are wonderful, but they are secondary to the main function of prayer, which is a growing, perpetual communion. It is out of this refreshing life of communion with Jesus Christ that answered prayer comes as a happy by-product" (Richard Foster).

My friend, Katie, has been posting through this list of pictures, one per day, each with specific criteria. Your facebook profile. A picture of you a year ago. Things like that. I couldn't bring myself to play along (although I was tempted) but have been enjoying this picture lately and thought I would post it just for fun. See. Fun. I told you.

Current Read

Spiritual Rhythm: Being With Jesus Every Season of Your Soul, Mark Buchanan

I hate to admit it but the pattern of my posting over the last year is a sad but true microcosim of the rest of my life.

I was doing okay for a long time. I was posting fairly regularily and, at times, with some intelligence. I was enjoying the outlet it provided. I looked forward to posting. It was fun to "create." Then the rest of life took over and I put this poor little blog on the back burner. Often I would have a twinge of guilt over how I had let it get away from me. I would find a quote or a be processing something and think that I wanted to post but just not get there. Sometimes, perhaps while at work, puttering in the yard or on a bike ride, I'd even draft a post in my head. Let me assure you, it wasn't for lack of having something to say! After a while, I just wasn't motivated at all. Lately though, I've been working on getting 'back in the habit.' It's been in fits and starts. Some days I'm more motivated then others. I'm not sure what my problem is or how to get back to where I was, how to get back to the good habits I was in before. One of the biggest things for me to overcome is the frustration I feel at having let it get this far...but I'm working on it. Fits and starts are better than nothing. One day at a time.

Now if only it was just blogging. Working out. Real solid bible study. Journaling. Music. Things that are just good for me. Things that I miss.

It makes me sad that when when I allow life to get crowded, the first things to get pushed out are these things that I enjoy, are refreshing and are good for me. Life isn't likely to get any slower or less crowded for me but for my own good and, in some ways, for the good of those close to me, I'm working on bringing some of those good things back.

Advent Challenge

This is one of the things that we're doing at Journey to enter into the advent season:

As we enter the Advent season here is a glimpse into the next sermon series that will begin on Sunday November 21, 2010. You can make an impact, are you up to the challenge?
WORSHIP FULLY: We too often get lost in the frantic rush of the holiday season. We will celebrate a season where we put down our burdens and lift up a song to God. November 21

SPEND LESS: Canadians spent 36.8 billion dollars in December 2005. We will celebrate simply, freeing ourselves from the compulsion to buy expensive gifts. November 28

GIVE MORE: At Christmas, Jesus gave himself to us. We will give meaningful, relational gifts to the people we love rather than buying gifts out of obligation. December 5

LOVE ALL: Jesus loved the poor, the forgotten, and the sick. We will join him giving some of the money we saved to help those who need the most. December 12

Living Water International has been part of the Advent Conspiracy from the very beginning. We connect congregations to communities in need of water. Every dollar is accounted for. Every project is reported, with GPS coordinates, stories, and photos.

Because of the contributions of Advent Conspiracy congregations, hundreds of thousands of people are now drinking clean water from hand pumps instead of carrying water from swamps and rivers, all because people decided to celebrate Christmas a little differently.

It's hard to know what is more sacred-the family deciding to give gifts that really matter, or clean water dribbling down the chin of a child for the first time. At Living Water, we have a hard time seeing the difference. Find out more and download resources at www.water.cc/adventconspiracy.

THE CHALLENGE For the next 4 weeks, make water your only beverage. Save the money that you would normally spend on sodas, coffee, and sport drinks. At the end of the 4 weeks, contribute the money you saved to Living Water International for the drilling of wells. Churches, youth groups, clubs, school groups, and other organizations have all participated in The H2O Project.

At Journey we will take a special offering on Sunday December 5, 2010 that will go towards Living Waters International. All the money we would normally spend on beverages would go in to the offering. I am willing to give up my Tim Horton's and Starbucks for the next few weeks Will you join us? Get your, family, the kids, your small group and anyone else to participate, it's a great challenge and the benefits are huge.

If any of you want to join us, feel free.

PS. I've decided to put a small twist into the challenge. I'm not giving up my drinks this season. Darn gingerbread lattes are only here for such a short time and there's really only so many things I enjoy quite that much (maybe another reason to give them up but I'll explore that another time) BUT I've decided to do a matching activity. For every $ I spend on drinks this season, I will match for the water project.

Today is American Thanksgiving. It's also November 25 which means only one month until Christmas. I love Christmas. (I know, I know...if you've read this blog at all you already know that and just rolled your eyes at me yet again. Fine.) I figure those two facts put together (Thanksgiving AND Nov 25) mean that it's high time to get my yuletide on. Yup. Time for Christmas decorating, Christmas music and Christmas treats. Okay, okay. Perhaps the treats have started thanks to my friendly neighborhood Starbucks (mmm...gingerbread) and Sobey's (selling eggnog since October).

On top of all that, this Sunday is officially the first season of advent, a season of anticipation and redirecting our attention so that, when Christmas arrives, we're in a position of preparedness to celebrate the joy of Christmas in all of it's fullness.

This advent, our church is joining in with a number of churches North America wide to participate in the Advent Conspiracy. There's so many inspiring things that have been done by churches across the continent as they attempt to turn their direction back to the true meaning of Christmas. It's about focusing more on Jesus and on giving to people the way he did than on the commercialism that is so easy to get caught up in. And it's not that gifts are bad, they just need to be put in their place...at the foot of the cross.

I love the "things" of Christmas. I love finding a great gift for someone. I love the treats, the lights, the music, the time with family, the celebration and the colors. I anticipate it. I hope, though, that in all of my celebrations of Christmas, I can keep my eyes on Jesus and his revolutionary, radical love for me...and for you.

12 Tomatoes: A fun cooking blog I stumbled on. Lots of great recipes!

‎"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." ~ G. K. Chesterton

A friend of mine just gave me the heads up to a blog that he reads. It's the worship pastor from a church in Texas and there's some great stuff. Check out Sound Doctrine. The post I just read on there was a good look at the difference between living by religion vs living by grace. Great stuff.

"God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain."

C.S. Lewis

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Sigh.

Need a little brain break. Time to play a game then back to work...

RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Have Fun!

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
Rejoice - Chris Tomlin

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
What Can I do? - Paul Baloche

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Thy Mercy, My God - Sandra McCracken

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Rock What You Got - Superchick (I didn't even know that was in my library!)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Another Dance - Pride & Prejudice Soundtrack

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
Under the Gun - The Killers

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Wishful Thinking - Joel Plaskett

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Spies - Coldplay

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Such Great Heights - Garden State Soundtrack

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Adam's 3 Step - The Duhks

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Weightless - Katie Herzig

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Everything About you - Oceans Above

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Traffic - Marie Digby

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Hold My Hand - Hootie & the Blowfish

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
I've been waiting - Sixpence None the Richer

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Wreck of the Day - Anna Nalick

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?
Goodnight and Go - Imogen Heap

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Can't Stop Now - Keane

I realized today that I don't actually dislike fall. Maybe that sounds silly so let me clarify. To me, fall carries with it the end of summer and the impending winter. That just makes me sad. I've always blamed fall but I guess it's really not it's fault. It hasn't helped this year that most of September (and July and August!) was cloudy, rainy and just downright cold here in Calgary. I haven't really enjoyed fall. Most years, it seems to mean the start of a whole new level of busyness too. School starts, programs kick in and people are back at work and so traffic increases. So long gone are those summer days, the days I love.

Today, however, I found, while looking at the positives, that there are some things to be enjoyed about fall.

Perhaps it was because today was actually 28 degrees and we were able to lay sod in my back yard. Or maybe not. I feel like this has been brewing for a couple weeks.

I love those sunny fall days (and they don't have to be 28 although that really does help) where the sun is shining, it smells crisp and fresh and the colors are incredibly vibrant. Not all fall days need to be cold, rainy, overcast and dismal, especially in Calgary. The sun still shines. The sky is still blue. The colors are beautiful. I feel like, on those days, my camera should be nearly attached. There are so many moments to capture the beauty of what God has created in the fall.

One of my favorite fall photos - a shot from just outside of Vernon a couple years ago.

I've felt so many of those moments lately. Last weekend I drove to Edmonton for a family thing. The whole drive there was a chance to reflect on the changes of nature brought on by the changes of season. I went for a walk along fish creek yesterday with a friend and was amazed at the beauty all around me. Each kind of tree does it's own thing, the animals react differently and the air has a peculiar feeling reserved only for this time of year. This morning, we drove out of the city to pick up the sod and I was again amazed and thrilled by all that is fall.

It's not that I have never noticed it before it's just that today I really noticed it. Today I felt it. Today I appreciated it for what it is in a while new way.

I'm not just about the weather either. A couple weekends ago I was able to take advantage of the harvest. Peppers, peaches, plums and apples filled my kitchen. I felt a little like a less criminal version of Martha Stewart as I chopped, diced, canned and preserved.

My canning pot at work!

I made up a couple batches of hot pepper jelly, apple sauce, apple pie filling, canned peaches and a delicious plum vanilla preserve, all canned and ready to be warm treats during the cold winter ahead.

Peaches!!

Plum-vanilla preserve, apple sauce and hot pepper jelly

My mom does tons of this stuff every year and I have always appreciated the love that goes into it and the presence of those jars of goodness all winter long. I'm not sure why it has taken me until this year to really get into the swing of things but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've got a couple other recipes and bundles of produce just waiting...

The farm kid in me seems to come alive in the fall. I love driving out of the city and seeing the harvest play out. Rows upon rows of swaths creating a maze in the fields. Combines blowing and churning through them. Hay and straw bails littering the fields. Farmers' markets take on a whole new life. And there's the vegetables!! Pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions... I miss having a garden!!

I guess what I'm learning is that there is so much to be appreciated when you really look...in anything, but right now I'm thinking about the seasons. Summer will always be my favorite but I think that fall, with all that it offers, may actually be coming in a close second. Yes, there's good things all around. I may have to be reminded about that when winter hits. I might have to start thinking now to find them. Or perhaps I'll just keep finding more things to enjoy about fall.

With the start of the season approaching, I'm getting back into the mood for hockey. A bit of poking fun at the Americans seems like a fun way to start off the banter!

The Difference of a Letter

This is an actual billboard one would find if you were driving down the street last week in a certain US location. And we wonder why our North American literacy rate is suffering!

Read more here.

While outside, everything is winding down for winter, the TV season gears up in the fall. I confess that more and more, I'm learning to enjoy a good TV show, relaxing in the middle of someone else's story and shutting off the real world. Couch time can actually be a very valuable, very spiritual thing, I think (That's probably a whole different post in the works right there!! ).

While I'm anticipating the return of my few favorites this season (House, Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Fringe and Grey's Anatomy...not to mention hockey's back in just a few short days), there's a whole host of new ones coming. I'm going to have to be picky about what I add to the watch list.

For a list of this year's new shows, check this out.

I don't like socks. I don't like shopping for socks. I don't like laundering, matching and folding socks. I certainly don't like wearing socks. I don't like brand new socks. I don't like old socks with holes. I don't like tight socks. I don't like loose, stretched out socks. I don't like them sliding down or moving around. (Why won't they stay put anyway?) I especially don't like socks that get abnormally wide towards the toes. I don't like trying to find the missing sock the dryer somehow always eats. I don't like that socks always end up different even if you bought them in the same package. I don't like socks.

I've been pretty happy for several months now. It's been flip flop, bare feet and painted toe nail time. The last several days, however, have required socks.

There's only one reason for that. There's something that I dislike more than socks and that's being cold. Cold feet are awful.

Now, I admit, there have been days in which I have suffered through cold feet because the idea of going to the drawer, pulling out a pair of socks and putting them on makes me shudder a bit but now, with September feeling suspiciously like October (which makes sense since August felt like September), I'm donning socks.

I was complaining about having to wear socks the other day when I was asked if it was the socks or what they represent that bother me. I had to think about that for a minute. You see, as we've already established, I don't like socks BUT since I also don't like cold, particularly winter which I find significantly more distasteful than socks, it seems fair to make the jump that perhaps it is, in fact, the approach of winter (and therefore the passing of summer) and NOT the socks that is the problem.

Hmmm...

Do you know what I decided?

It's both!

Socks AND the story behind the socks.

I want my flip flops.

Spare what!?

When I titled this blog years ago, I didn't think it would become as apt as it has. This is the place for my spare thoughts however it seems like there hasn't been much spare in my life lately. No spare time. No spare thoughts. No spare energy. I don't say that to excuse my lack of writing or to complain but simply to state what has been. That said, I've missed this. I've found myself thinking more and more about the exercise that keeping up a blog has been for my mind and how I miss it. Like physical exercise, it brings many good things. So here's the deal. I'm back. Or at least I'm going to try.

"Our membership in the church is a corollary of our faith in Christ. We can no more be a Christian and have nothing to do with the church than we can be a person and not be in a family. It is part of the fabric of redemption."

Eugene Peterson
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1980), p. 169

A good one...

Ephesians 3:16—19 (NIV)

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Superficiality is the curse of our age - The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.
- Richard Foster

Grace is God acting in us to help us to do the things he has asked us to do.

~ Dallas Willard

I've been pondering this quote this morning. I like it. I like that it puts not just the responsibility but the privilege of grace in God's hands. Grace is not the freedom for me to do whatever I want and be forgiven, accepted or freed. It is, however, the freedom to move and act, by His power, to do the things He wants. It is Him showing me and helping me want the things He wants. I want to live by grace.

“Trying to describe the Eternal using earthly words is like trying to scoop up the whole ocean into the palm of your hand. It’s like trying to count every star in the endless midnight sky. All of our words fall so short; every melody failing to capture the true beauty of the Heavenly.”

Vicky Beeching

I spent a big part of the day today accompanied by the sounds of Cake. This track, Conroy, reminds me why I like them. They're just so creative and quirky.

I love to cook and I love books so it seems only right that I could find it easy to waste all sorts of time reading cookbooks and dreaming up all sorts of fun things thanks to all the ideas the authors have given me (*note* I consider recipes a suggestion or guideline, not a rule). This one is one of my new favorites. When it's recommended by an 18 year old boy, you know it's got to be fun!



The author's got a blog too! How fun is that!!?? And then, on his blog, he recommended this foodie blog. I haven't really read it yet but I'm in love with her photography!

The Comfortable Substitute

By Francis Chan

When I first started Cornerstone Church, I asked myself the question: What things do I need in order to start a church? The answer was obvious: find a building, a person to lead the singing, a sound system, a childcare area, and put together a good sermon. There were other things that I wanted, but these were the essentials. You can’t have church without them. Every evangelical knows you need a building, a sermon, singing, and a program for the kids. Other elements are negotiable, but these are the absolutes.

Here’s the million-dollar question: Is that what I would conclude from searching the Scriptures?

Of course not.

I simply followed what other churches in America had done. I didn’t even think twice about it. But as I look back, I’m amazed that I didn’t consult the Scriptures as my primary resource. Had I done so, “church” probably would have looked different.

If I had consulted the Bible first, I probably would have created a gathering that emphasized loving one another. Instead, I spent years running a service that left little room for love. It quickly became the most popular service in town. It was “successful.” The problem is, we defined success as a lot of people coming, enjoying the service, and receiving some sort of benefit. Our motives seemed pure, and good things were happening, so we didn’t question much.


REDEFINING SUCCESS
How would we define success if the Bible were the only standard by which we judged our church? If you had no theological training or previous church experience—if you did nothing but read through the Bible fifty times—what would you consider to be essential for a gathering of believers? How would you measure the success of a church?

This process of starting with the Scriptures alone is what we call exegesis. One of the first lessons I learned in seminary was the difference between exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis is starting with a passage of Scripture and pulling the meaning directly from the text. Exegesis aims for objectivity. You try to study without preconceived notions of what the passage teaches. You are surrendering yourself to whatever the text says.

Eisegesis is the opposite of that. We were warned against it, and rightly so. Eisegesis is when you attempt to import a subjective meaning into the text. In other words, you start with an idea, then look for verses to support your idea. This is a dangerous approach because your personal desires can determine your interpretation. In your heart, you desire divorce, immorality, wealth, etc., so you search the Bible for verses that will defend your point of view. In eisegesis, you are surrendering the Scriptures to your desires. In exegesis, you are surrendering your desires to the Scriptures.

While we were taught to study and preach exegetically, I don’t remember being taught to live exegetically. Many teach exegetically, yet live eisegetically. We call this hypocrisy. When it comes to life, do we really search the Scriptures first? Is the Bible really the basis for how we live? Or do we pursue a certain way of life and then use the Bible to justify our actions?

With regard to church, I can justify many different styles of gatherings. The point, however, is not to defend our current models. Rather than pointing to biblical elements in the way we do things, we should build our model from the Scriptures alone.

We have trouble building our churches exegetically, however, because we are surrounded by so many influences, and each of these beg us to think subjectively. My thinking is constantly affected by my Asian culture, my American culture, my Southern Californian culture, my evangelical church culture, and a host of other factors. Then I have my own flesh that begs me to believe what I desire to be true. There is so much in this world that would keep us from simply listening to the voice of God.

When I began to realize this, I prayed that God would allow me to ignore the prodding of my culture, my lifestyle, and my flesh as I searched the Scriptures for an exegetical model of church. I have listed some of my conclusions below.

Understand that I’m not saying we need to “do” certain things in order to become a part of the church. We become a member of His church the moment His Holy Spirit enters us. He is the proof of our salvation. When the Spirit enters us, He gives us a desire for the things He desires. He gives us a passion to build His kingdom through obedience to these commands.

There are many things that could be listed, but I’ll limit it to these characteristics because they seem to be the most emphasized. I mention these not because I found a verse about each of these, but because these are the things that I see over and over in the Scriptures. These practices were obvious in the life of the early church and they appear to have been given priority. If we were to follow an exegetical model of the church, then we would:

1. Love one another (which motivates all the “one anothers” in Scripture) - This would have more to do with actions than with feelings. We would care for each other in such a way that we would be moved to intense prayer and giving in order to meet the needs of the people around us. An intense, love-based fellowship would exist because of our common, deep-rooted devotion to Jesus and His teachings. This love and commitment to each other would continually spread to larger and larger circles.

2. Proclaim His message - Our lives would be devoted to proclaiming the amazing news of the gospel to the world. We would announce that salvation has come through faith in Christ. We would teach people to “obey everything that Christ commanded”—not just assenting intellectually to a few core doctrines, but dying to self and becoming immersed in Jesus, His teaching, and His mission. We would be gathering with other believers to remind them of this gospel and to encourage them to stay focused on the mission. In proclaiming Christ’s message, we would be joining Jesus on His mission to rescue the physically and spiritually impoverished by leading them to an all-satisfying God.

3. Practice Communion and Baptism - This was important to Jesus and the early believers. We need to devote ourselves to gathering with like-minded followers to remember Him. We would make sure that His death and resurrection were always at the center of our gatherings, always our motivation and priority. As we baptized new believers, we would be reminded that they are committing themselves to a new life that begins with the death of the old one.

4. Pray - We would gather with other believers in order to pray. We would come into His presence, asking Him to further His kingdom. We would ask Him to lead us according to His will. We would pray fervently for one another.


KILLING OUR SACRED COWS
After searching the Scriptures, I am convinced that if I gathered a group of Christ-followers to practice these things then I could rightfully call it church. There are other things the church could do, but these are things we must do. Here’s another way to look at it: If I’m not living these things out with other believers, do I have the right to say I’m part of God’s church? Biblically, I would have to say no.

Do these things take place at our “services”? If not, then shouldn’t we make it a priority to create gatherings that center on these elements? Shouldn’t this take priority over maintaining services? I believe what we do in our services is good, but it’s not all necessary, it’s not all commanded. So shouldn’t we first spend our energy on what is commanded? What should we hold sacred: our “services” or the commands?

Although good things can happen during a service, certain things cannot take place when two hundred or two thousand people sit in chairs, face forward, and listen to people on a stage for an hour. You cannot truly love your neighbor in that type of setting, nor can you practice the “one anothers” in that manner.

As I said before, it’s time for us to stop defending the models we are comfortable with and start pursuing church in a way that allows us to do and be everything that God desires His church to do and be. It’s time for us to make a change.


HOW DO WE CHANGE?
Some will object by saying this is good information for someone starting a new church, but what about those of us who are part of an already established church? As someone who is in exactly that position, I’m not sure of the answer, but I’m devoting the next years of my life to figuring it out. For starters, I’m going to be consistently explaining to people that church is not something they attend, and they can’t call themselves the church simply because they attend a weekly service.


SPEECH
One of the major changes we need to make in the evangelical world is our speech. We have people claiming to be followers of Christ even though they don’t actually follow Him. In the same way, we have people claiming to be the church even though they don’t practice the “one anothers” of Scripture. If people are going to begin to understand what God designed the church to be, then we need to start speaking rightly about it. It’s not “just semantics.” What we say affects how we think and how we act. If “church” is not a building, then why do we call it that? If we really believe that “church” refers to a people that God has redeemed, then why are we using the word for so many other things?


PRIORITIZE BIBLICAL GATHERINGS
We have to start gathering believers who are focused on the mission. This should resonate with those filled with the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:24-25). There ought to be a desire to gather together to practice the “one anothers” of Scripture for the sake of the mission. Whether we continue our Sunday services or not is almost irrelevant. What is relevant is that we gather in a biblical way and for biblical purposes.

Practically, I’m toying with the idea of starting a network of gatherings that meet in homes in order to practice the commands of Scripture. They could watch sermons via DVD or have a leader give the lesson. They may even sing together. But the gatherings wouldn’t stop there. They would discuss how to live out the sermon in their neighborhood. They would also pray for each other. They would take communion and remind each other of the mission. They would meet the needs of the members of their group and their unsaved neighbors. Rather than coming to church, they would be the church—not in a sacred building, but in their neighborhoods. Occasionally, we could all gather in an auditorium or stadium to celebrate and worship collectively.


THE PROS
There are many benefits to this type of church network:

1. We can be obedient to the “one another” commands through the interaction that takes place in these gatherings. Whereas before people were spectators, they become active participants—not in a service, but in the joys and needs of the people around them.

2. There’s no limit to growth. The old system limits evangelism based on the size of a building. Every growing church runs out of space with the “build a bigger building” model. But when every home is a potential gathering spot, growth can continue until we actually accomplish our mission.

3. Gifted and bored leaders now have a mission, a place to be challenged and to exercise their giftedness in teaching and leading. With a service, only a few charismatic leaders can use their gifts. But if church is more than a service, then every person can use their God-given talents to edify the body of Christ.

4. There is greater accountability as people learn and interact in a smaller setting led by a lay leader in their community. People are no longer anonymous; now they are vital members of a community.

5. A huge amount of money is freed up for meeting real needs for the sake of the gospel. I can’t even think about how much money we have spent on buildings and comfortable chairs and air conditioning and everything that comes with running an entertaining service. When we focus on the biblical essentials of ministry, then God’s money is more directly and efficiently used to meet the actual needs of our actual neighbors.

6. It keeps people from idolizing their homes, furniture, carpet, etc. By allowing others to gather in their homes, it reminds them that their houses truly belong to God. It also helps us to bring Christ into every area of our lives rather than seeing a church building as the place where ministry and growth take place.


THE CONS
I also want to be honest about some of the dangers I see with a neighborhood church network:

1. It could easily become ingrown. As we become comfortable with our own little group, we can stop caring about and therefore reaching out to the people around us. While this is also a problem in the current church model, the neighborhood church network model seems to pose an even greater danger of this.

2. Individual groups could stray from truth. More leaders means more potential for things to go in the wrong direction.

3. By deepening involvement we increase the potential for inappropriate relationships. Again, this problem has always been present, but as we encourage deeper interaction, sin has a greater opportunity to pervert what is intended to be good.

4. It can be seen as rebellious or an attack on other established “churches.” Historically, it’s been the angry “I’m tired of church” people who begin gatherings in homes. They are the people who have the attitude that everyone else is doing it wrong.

These problems will need to be addressed. I believe that many of them can be solved through a midweek-training time. By gathering the leaders together regularly, elders can constantly encourage them to run from these issues. We would make use of gifted leaders in the church to train and equip the other leaders, not only during the midweek-training time but also discipleship throughout the week. This would ensure greater unity in doctrine and practice across the network of churches.


WHERE IS ALL THIS GOING?
Where is all this headed? What do I think the American church should look like? I really can’t answer those questions. All I can say is that I am responsible to God for how I shepherd the church that He has entrusted to me. I certainly don’t want to say that this is “the” model for everyone. It’s just the direction I keep sensing the Lord wants me to head. By sharing it, my hope is that it will encourage others to not only search the Scriptures but to boldly implement your findings.

As I prayed and thought through the way I “did church,” I believe that in many ways I hindered the mission of the church and created confusion about what the church actually is.

I cannot in good conscience call the old model “church.” Jesus created the church when He redeemed us from sin and death by dying on the cross. He is adding new members to the church daily through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. As the church, we are called into the mission of Jesus. This mission is what our lives and gatherings must center on. The model does not matter unless it pulls us away from our mission.

I believe Satan has distracted us through programs, entertainment, and comfortable substitutes for what the church really is. It’s time for us to wake up, cut the fat, and be who we are: a people redeemed by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, on a mission to show the world the glory of God, and waiting for the day when all things are subjected to Him (1Cor 15:24-28).

Francis Chan is the pastor of Cornerstone Church and the president of Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley. In addition to being a pastor, Francis speaks to thousands of youth throughout the U.S., challenging them to deeper commitment. He can be heard on his radio program “Truth Be Known.” Francis has a great sense of humor, a genuine love for Christ and a commitment to teach straight from the Word of God. Francis and his wife Lisa have been married for twelve years and have three daughters and one son: Rachel, Mercy, Eliana, and Ezekiel. He is a graduate of the Master’s College and Seminary.

Current Read

Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Faith Begins at Home, Mark Holmen

Guess what I'm doing Sunday Night...

Did it again and got the same thing. Hmmm...

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a

Money Managing Self-Knowing Tree Hugger

Kind of makes me want to do it again...was fun once...why not!?

Top 10 Movies of 2009

I was thinking it would be fun to find a top 10 list of movies in 2009. I'm just the curious sort. I'm curious how many on the list I'd have seen and which ones that I've missed I should check out. In trying to find such a list, I realized that I should have been more specific as to what criteria I wanted to consider in defining the top 10.

One of the few lists I've managed to hunt down is the top 10 movies of 2009 based on box office sales thanks to Yahoo. They include, in reverse order:

10. The Blind Side - Total Gross: $184,387,000
9. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - Total Gross: $196,573,705
8. Monsters Vs. Aliens - Total Gross: $198,351,526
7. Avatar - Total Gross: $212,268,000
6. Star Trek - Total Gross: $257,730,019
5. The Hangover - Total Gross: $277,322,503
4. The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Total Gross: $280,924,000
3. Up - Total Gross: $293,004,164
2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince- Total Gross: $301,959,197
1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Total Gross: $402,111,870

That list, in my mind, is a reflection of the opinion of the masses and media/marketing induced hype and anticipation, not necessarily quality. That said, I've seen 7 of the 10 on the list and am itching to see the 8th...and no, it is NOT Twilight.

Anyone have any suggestions on a reasonably all-encompassing list? It doesn't have to be just 10. Anyone have a list they'd like to offer?

On church...

It is surely a fact of inexhaustible significance that what our Lord left behind Him was not a book, nor a creed, nor a system of thought, nor a rule of life, but a visible community. He committed the entire work of salvation to that community. It was not that a community gathered round an idea, so that the idea was primary and the community secondary. It was that a community called together by the deliberate choice of the Lord Himself, and re-created in Him, gradually sought - and is seeking - to make explicit who He is and what He has done. The actual community is primary; the understanding of what it is comes second.

Leslie Newbigin, Household of God

Jesus Talks About His Church

This article was passed on to me this morning. Perhaps it's a little tongue in cheek but I think it gets the point across.

Jesus Talks About His Church

Brian Proffit interviewed Jesus of Nazareth, also called The Christ, founder of the Christian faith, about the church that has claimed his name.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Jesus. There was a lot going on with your birthday and all, and I appreciate you setting aside this time.

I did not come to be served, but to serve.¹

That's a great attitude, and we really want to thank you because this has been a difficult period economically, but in general many of us still have it really good. We finally figured out this whole thing about you owning the cattle on a thousand hills and our Father knowing how to give good gifts.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.²

Well yeah, but you want us to have the desires of our heart, right? And prosperity...

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possesions.³

Maybe we should move on. Much has been said lately about a movement; some call it being externally focused, some call it missional. What do you think about this?

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.⁴

And a light hidden inside a church building can't be seen, I get it. Glad we're on the right track there. Well, we're certainly known more in the outside world. We've got people picketing abortion clinics, people invading funerals of gays, and lots more. There's even a yard display in California of somebody dressed up like you blowing Santa Claus away with a double-barrel shotgun!

You may have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.⁵

Oh...well, of course we still love. Our church is the friendliest in town. We have a pot luck together every week, and shake hands with each other every Sunday.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?⁶

Well sure, we try to love everyone. But there are always going to be conflicts. And at least we come together on Sunday and give our 10...well, you know, we try to give a little something to the church and we sing songs to you.

If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.⁷

That's asking a lot there, Jesus. I mean some people just really get under your skin, you know?

If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.⁸

Yeah, well, it's not like there's that much to forgive. There have been some significant scandals among people in the church, and at least you won't find me in that list.

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get."

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God have mercy on me, a sinner."

I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.⁹

But we don't hang out with all those depraved people out there. We meet for church and for Bible study and for small group and try to keep each other safe from the world.

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.¹⁰

There's a lot of tough stuff here, Jesus. A lot of it was significant when you were on earth, but isn't really relevant in the 21st century, right? I mean, the world is different now so that doesn't all still apply, right?

Hello? Jesus? Hmm, we must have gotten disconnected...

¹Mark 10:45

²Matt. 6:19-21

³Luke 12:15

⁴Matt. 5:13-16

⁵Matt. 5:43-45

⁶Matt. 5:46-47

⁷Matt. 5:23-24

⁸Matt. 6:14

⁹Luke 18:10-14

¹⁰Matt. 9:12-13

Copyright © 2009, BP Resources, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

"I know God will not give me anything I cannot handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much."

~ Mother Teresa

True story.

Unplugged

I have spent the last couple of days, the Christmas holidays, with my family on my parents' acreage just outside of Stony Plain. It is good to spend time with family. More about that later, I'm sure. One of the added bonuses to the whole things is that being there makes it easy to unplug. I don't really need my phones (yes, plural) because, well, I'm on holidays. To make it even better, Mom and Dad are on dial up internet. Now, for those of you don't know the horrors of dial up, consider yourself lucky. It is honestly painful. Truly. So, since there was nothing that pressing (no offense to any of you who I did not connect with over those couple of days) that required me to submit myself to that kind of torture, I just didn't. No computer. No email. No any of it. And it was really nice.

That said, I'm back and ready to go again. I've got some posting to do. See you again soon.

“It’s not so much the gospel that is the secret to reaching people…but the clothes in which we dress our Lord.” (Arnell Arn Tessoni, former church planting director with the American Baptist Churches)

This got me thinking a bit about (again) what picture of Jesus we are portraying. I'm sure I've said this before but when I read scripture, I see Jesus as someone who was attractive in his values and his practices to people who knew him, barring the pharisees of course. He drew crowds wherever he went. People left their homes, dropped what they were doing, forgot their lunch and hung on his every word.

Today we hear more about people hurt and disillusioned by what they know of Jesus.

Since he hasn't changed, it makes me curious what kind of picture they're seeing. Seems to me it might just be a bit distorted.

I stumbled on another great blog this morning, this one from a couple of pastors who lead a church in Las Vegas who are really searching out what it means to live out the grace of Jesus and be the People of the Second Chance.

"If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in."

~ Frederick Buechner

A couple of years ago, Time magazine put out a list of the 7 essential Christmas programs to watch.

Here's the list:

1. BING CROSBY AND DAVID BOWIE'S DUET
2. A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
3. DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
4. RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER
5. SEINFELD'S "THE STRIKE" (A.K.A. THE FESTIVUS EPISODE)
6. THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
7. THE YULE LOG


Two things that I noticed. First, why seven!? Second, does anyone else think it's a bit weird that the yule log is on the list? Really? Why not Frosty the Snowman? Or really, just about anything else. The Yule Log!? Come on.

Want another list courtesy of Time? How about the top 10 Disney Controversies? Thanks to their most rescent, The Princess and The Frog, featuring a black princess (can I say that I'm sad that that's controversial and still be reasonably politically correct?), Disney has again made headlines. Some of the other ones are just plain funny.

Okay, so one thing leads to another and I'm looking at a bunch of the new trailers released this week.

Like Alice in Wonderland. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. Need I say more!?

Or how about Robin Hood. Another potential Ridley Scott of epic proportions?



Then there's Sherlock Holmes. What can I say? I can't wait.



Most of the time I shy away from all the hype but not this time. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has just way too many great actors and seems way too fun to ignore.

I like spy/thriller/espionage/puzzle movies. Salt could be one of those. Or not. Not sure.

I like movies.

I like good websites that help me find good movies. Found a new one tonight.

Anyone heard of anything else fun to look forward to?

A fun blog

Thanks to a friend of mine, I've been introduced to a fun blog called 22 Words. It's a self proclaimed experiment in getting to the point. I don't know that I'd be all that good at it.

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!

The first trailer for Iron Man 2 has been released and yes, I am excited. I've probably said it before but I'm a bit of a boy when it comes to my movies and I don't care. I mean, come on. Iron Man AND Don Cheadle. Seriously.

Marvel prefaces the trailer with this: "Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, aka the super hero Iron Man in this sequel to the 2008 blockbuster. RDJ, Paltrow, Cheadle and Rockwell are joined by Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash. Jon Favreau once again takes up the directorial reins for Marvel's armored avenger."

Now all I have to do is wait till May 7.

Your terrible Christmas joke for today

So that's a teaser of one of my favorite Christmas shows. Of course, then there's the grinch...and Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer...and the Polar Express...Oh, Christmas specials...

What are some of your favorites?

This year's favorite...

Waiting for Christmas continued

Okay, so normally, I post and then, once it's out there, it's said and, well, gone. I think about it as I'm writing and the process helps me work through whatever is going on. The first Waiting on Christmas post got me thinking though. I haven't really been able to let it go. What you're about it get is the rest of the story.

Okay. Here goes...

It’s easy to live in survival mode. I know. I do it. It’s easy to get stuck in the mundane of the every day or, worse yet, in the difficulties of life and end up looking down instead of forward. It’s tiring. Exhausting even. If I were to give that survival state a color, it would be grey. Tiring, dreary gray.

One of the things I’ve been struck with as we enter this Christmas season is the contrast the season brings. We wait for Christmas. We live in expectation and anticipation. As soon as Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed us, we start up the decorating, the music , the baking, and the festivities. Parents play the “how many more sleeps game” with their kids and gift givers hold onto their secret purchases to be revealed. We make plans and parties. We take time and make preparations. Let the count down to Christmas begin.

There’s something healthy, even life giving, about anticipation. There’s the hope of something better than today – even if today isn’t half bad – and exciting. We look forward. We lift up our eyes passed what we’re experiencing right now and move forward, giving us a reason to live through today.

Perhaps that’s part of the magic, the gift, of Christmas. And why shouldn’t it be? The first Christmas was rich with anticipation. Hundreds of years of promise were fulfilled with the birth of a baby in a manger. All the potential that people dreamed of hung rich in the air. The hope of a better tomorrow, even if they didn’t know what that tomorrow looked like, filled hearts and minds and kept people living in a state of anticipation.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” Isaiah 9:6-7

That sounds a lot like they were waiting for something great to me…and that was a declaration of faith made hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth!

Then there’s the events surrounding His birth.

Joseph. An angel shows up to him and tells him that the child his fiancé is expecting is the Son of God, the promised one. Matthew records the encounter this way: “An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you ware to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.” (Matthew 1:20-22) It gives the impression that this conversation came after Joseph found out Mary was expecting. I bet those days prior to the angel’s visit were some rough days, days filled with dread, fear, anger and resentment. Ever have one of those days? God didn’t want to leave him in that state though. He turned it around. I imagine the whole idea took a little getting used to but can only imagine the anticipation that would have entered after he understood the fullness of the angel’s words.

Mary. If you’re a mother, you understand Mary’s anticipation in a way the rest of us don’t. Nine months of preparation and anticipation. Nine months of changes. Nine months of new experiences leading to a lifetime of unknown. The movement of the child inside you. Loving the little one even before they arrive. Mary would have shared those emotions. Add an angels visit and the promise of prophecy she had waited for with her kinsmen all her fulfilled through her and one can only guess what she was feeling. We catch a glimpse of it in the book of Luke as she sings a song of praise and expectation (Luke 1:46-55). There is hope and awe in her words.

And there were others. The shepherds. The wise men. The whole of Israel waiting for the promised King, their redeemer.

Two thousand plus years later, we have the privilege of waiting in much the same way. Like Joseph, life sometimes – or most of the time – doesn’t turn out the way we want it to. It’s hard. There’s a whole range of emotions we wad through. But God doesn’t want to leave us there. He has a promise of something far better for us, wrapped up in the life of the same tiny baby, now a man, a King, Jesus.

Like Mary, we can hold to promises of what is to come. From the moment of Jesus’ resurrection, the we “wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:13)

I feel like so much of the promised return of Christ is an echo of his Christmas appearance in the human story. People waiting while living a life they didn’t plan, sometimes just surviving, anticipating the promise of a fulfillment of a promise.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I’m trying to look forward to that. To anticipate not just what could be but what will be. Waiting for Christmas and then some. We live as people who have seen a promise fulfilled – in Christ’s birth, life and death - and await the next in his resurrection.

Maybe that’s why Christmas makes me so excited. For a few weeks, I’m reminded to live in anticipation mode, a state of being full of color and life and energy, the way I truly want to live all year long. But it's hard. There's still those gray survival mode moments or even seasons.

I guess what I'm wondering now is how do I make the anticipation of Christmas and what I know to be the bigger story part of the rest of the year in those gray seasons.

Can Christmas be the start of something and not just a break from the ordinary?

Keepin' It Simple

If anyone wonders why I follow Jesus, I'm pretty sure all you need to do is hang around for one my passionate rants about the true simplicity of the Christian life. There aren’t a lot of rules, regulations and limitations to faith. In fact, I'd suggest that there's freedom to it if you really look at what's at the core. If you ask me, our job as Christians, as followers of Christ, as Jesus’ reflection to the world, is to love God and love people. Everything we do in life can and should be measured to that standard.

As a church body, I think our job is the same.

Love God.

Love people.

Each other. Our neighbors. Our coworker. Our boss. The mailman. The doctor. The dentist. Our teachers. Coaches. Fellow drivers on the Deerfoot.

Okay, maybe it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Sometimes I don’t want to love ‘those’ people. Sometimes it’s inconvenient. Sometimes it requires sacrifice and giving up things I don’t want to give up.

It does, however, free me up to be the person God has created me to be and to use the gifts that God has created me to use.

Living motivated by love for God and people seems much more simple and freeing than being motivated by rule keeping and ‘living within the lines.” I think that’s the way that Jesus wanted it.

In Matthew 11, Jesus reminds his listeners of this saying: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Right after saying this, he has a run in with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day, who were making faith about the rules instead about true heart of the matter (see Matthew 12). It seems to matter a lot to him that we focus on first things first and let that, his yoke or example of love, inform the way that we live, both for our own good and the good of those around us.

So as I live each day in interaction with the people around me, I'm trying to be look through the lens of love. I'm trying to simply be me, loving people, in spite of how I'm treated, how it might just come back to bite me in the bottom or what people expect or assume should be my response. I'm not there yet, at least not all the time, but I'm getting there. You know what I'm learning? It IS freeing. I don't have to play the games that I see being played around me. I don't have to wonder what my response should be. I don't have to second guess motives and no one has to second guess mine. I like that.

Current Read

Sepulchre, Kate Mosse

Waiting for Christmas To Come

Okay, so everyone that knows me knows that I LOVE Christmas. It's my favorite time of year. I love the music, the food, the time with family, thinking of good gifts to give, the celebration, the decorations...I love Christmas. Most of all, I love the reason to celebrate. I love to yearly take time to revel in the heart of it all.

This year, though, I'm finding that it just doesn't "feel" like Christmas. I'm not sure how to describe it. I've been listening to Christmas music and drinking eggnog. I've got gifts waiting to be wrapped. This weekend is set aside for cookie baking...and I've already gone through the first batch of caramel corn. The neighbors have their Christmas lights up although I must admit, my fear of cold has kept me from putting up any even though a) I know it's not cold out...not really and b) it is my first Christmas in my new house so I feel like I should.

Is this what happens as we get older? Does the "magic" of the season really go away...or am I just expecting it to happen too early?

Or perhaps it's part of a bigger question I've been wrestling with lately: where is joy found? I know it's part of the fruit of the Spirit. I know that Joy is found in Christ alone. In my head, I know where joy is found. What I want to know is how, in the busyness of life, does joy take up residence in my heart and in my life? When I'm tired and discouraged, how am I filled with joy?

For months, I've been confronted on what seems like every side with conversations and questions about what it means to live well. It's got me reflecting a lot on how I live my life. I admit it. I work a lot. As hard (and sad) as it is to admit, I don't really know what to do with myself when I'm not working. It's a good thing I enjoy both of my jobs most of the time. But is that what it means to live well? What things would I want as a part of my life when I think of living my life well? Are there things that I would change? What things fill me and fuel me so that I can approach the day to day "grind" with joy...not necessarily happiness but real deep joy and peace?

In the middle of all of this, I've been confronted with tragedy...and it's taken the conversation to a whole new level. Three beautiful girls were killed far too young, one of whom has had a great impact on my life and whom I am grateful to have been able to call a friend. She lived life well, in my opinion, and continues to impact lives in her death the way that she did in her life. Her memorial was a beautiful testimony to a live lived vibrantly, with an undeniable spark, and lived faithfully to her God. She was small but she lived big. Her life was short but her impact was of lasting influence. If I wasn't thinking about all of this before, I'm thinking about it now: what does it mean to live well?

So here I am, December 1, approaching the Christmas season, feeling a little bit tired, hoping that I am living well, and looking for a little bit of magic this season.

I know people make fun of me. Yes, I've been listening to Christmas music since November 1 and it was a moment of great excitement when I found Christmas at Starbucks. I love the decorations in the stores and the music through the speakers. I love shortbread and gingerbread and caramel popcorn, even if it means a few extra pounds. I love parties with friends and families...lots of get-togethers, laughing, stories and memories. I love that I can speak the name of Jesus as the reason that I celebrate in a very unique way throughout the season. I love Christmas. I'm waiting for Christmas to come.

As I'm writing this, it's dawned on me that maybe this is why: Christmas seems to be the season that gives me permission to live well and holds glimpses of the way that I want to live all year long. During the Christmas season, it seems like we all take a step towards living well, living better.

There is magic to be found. There is something to this season. There is a reason to be waiting for Christmas and to be praying that the things we learn and the things we love about the season can invade our every day, day to day lives.

Life.

Love.

Joy.

Peace.

Grace.

Hope.

To everyone out there...thanks!

It's a little weird to think that there's people that actually read what I post on here.

Out of curiosity, I added a tracker to my blog months ago. It just tells me how many people visit the blog each day (which in turn tells me how many people I need to apologize to for my mostly mindless posting!) and where they're from. I rarely check it but thought it would be fun today. You know what I found out? Not only do people read it but they're spread all over the globe! Cities and countries I've never visited. Places I don't think I know people.

How bizarre!

I'm not sure how y'all found me but thanks! I'll try to post a few more things worth reading in the near future!!

The Power of Pruning

Pruning. In my opinion there is very little about this word that is pleasant. Nearly every connotation that the word creates in my head is negative. The actual definition of the word, “to lop off or cut off,” is scary. At dictionary.com you can look up related words like the pruning hook, pruning shears, pruning saw and the pruning knife. No thank you—I think. Pruning is a mysterious process. You would think that if you cut back a shrub or tree that it would suffer from the process. Not so! About a month ago, I purposefully lopped off some branches on a potted basil plant I keep on the back patio. The new growth that the pruning created was nothing short of incredible. That little plant was transformed.

On a more personal note, some of the greatest pruning seasons of my life have produced some of the greatest growth periods of my life. To experience a lopping off or some measure of cutting back is never pleasant. But when those seasons are submitted to the Creator, this mysterious process often produces growth. And to the open and submissive recipient, the pruning can be truly transformational on many levels.

Here are some truths I’ve leaned in the midst of being cut back, cut off or pruned.

1. There are some truths that can only be learned in seasons of lack. You cannot learn them at any other time. They are not available to you in any other season.

2. These rare and precious truths are scattered and just under the surface of the dry and barren soils of lack. If you are paying attention, you will discover them and they will serve you well for the rest of your life.

3. These truths are like pure gold that pay exponential dividends. They guide us in the lean times and bless us in times of plenty.

4. Whining and complaining about your lack or having been pruned blinds you to the presence of these truths. You’ll never see them and you’ll miss the transformational riches that would have provided you with new growth.

There is much that we can learn about ourselves, others and our God in the pruning season. The truth is the pruning process is a necessary process in order for us to blossom and flourish in our relationship with Him and with others.