Game 7

13 May posted by

Go Leafs Go

It’s game 7 tonight.  Go Leafs Go!

My family right now is going nuts.  My brother, a life long Leafs fan who has for years cheered a team that was floundering is beyond excited.  My Dad is feeling the same way.  Together they have tried desperately to make a fan out of my husband by making him watch every playoff game with them. Alvin claims he doesn’t care but bailed from a meeting at my son’s school tonight as he said to me ‘it’s Game 7′.  Leaf-mania is everywhere in my life from tiny leaf pajamas to constant iPhone updates.  It’s all we’re talking about and it’s kind of fun.

My brother came over today and we got to talking about [wait for it] the Leafs. He’s so excited about tonight and when I commented on how calm under pressure James Reimer seemed last night he said ‘It’s his faith. He’s Christian you know. You should blog about him.’ I quickly replied that I don’t blog about everyone who’s a Christian but then secretly went and looked the guy up. If my brother was saying his grace under fire was due to his faith, I had to know what people were talking about. What I found was really inspiring.

James Reimer said this about his faith “It’s a big reason why I’m calm out there,” he said. “I mean, I don’t have any fear of what’s going to happen. The way I see it, or tell myself, if I let in zero or six, it’s His call up there. It’s whatever He wants in my life. It helps to calm it down and put everything in perspective.“

This kind of faith in God with regards to his work and the outcome is inspiring. From what I’ve read, James Reimer works hard, really hard to maintain his skill level and focus. He is determined to be the best player he can be but in the end after all the work is done he knows that God is the one who brings him peace. He believes that what God wants is what will happen and that’s what matters to him. To some his thoughts may be silly.  They may see it as just a game that God wouldn’t care about while others may say it’s a fatalistic attitude, but I think it goes deeper than that.  The quote he has on the back of his helmet from Matthew 14:31 reflects that. It’s about trust, not doubt. It’s about faith and knowing that God is the one who gives you strength and is invested in you.

Isn’t this how we should all live our lives? Working hard to grow our talents and skills that we’ve been given and trusting that God will go with us to  guide us as we go. It’s not about us doing it all or God doing it all, it’s teamwork. It’s about relationship.

Imagine if we did this as a church? What would happen if we used our talents and skills but surrendered the outcome to God? It could be good, great even. We might see that it isn’t about us fixing things or making things possible but instead letting God bless that which God saw fit to bless while we work to bring light into the world however we know how.

Reading about James Reimer today gave me a few things to think about. It’s not either/or it’s both/and. It’s not enough for me to use my gifts, I have to trust that God will help me as I go. It isn’t enough for the church to plan for the future, we have to invite God to join in and direct us. Good thoughts to ponder over the coming weeks and months but for tonight I shall just say this…

Go Leafs Go!
 

 

 

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We need to notice.

29 Apr posted by

Joe fresh
Last week I was horrified as I read about the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh. As I read of the tragedy and saw the horror in pictures my heart broke for those who’d lost their lives, for the family left behind and I tried to make sense of it all.  Why do these conditions exist in our world today?  Why can’t companies make a little less money so that people can be safe at work?

That night as I helped my son into bed I found myself picking up the clothes he had strewn about the room as he had changed into his PJs. I looked with a heavy heart at the tag in his jeans knowing what I was going to see before I saw it. My son’s jeans were made in Bangladesh for a company which contracted out with this collapsed factory. Someone’s hands had pieced these little pants together. What happened to that person? Where they ok?

I’m writing today on an iMac that was made in China. I am wearing clothes from all over the world. The food I eat is driven on a truck to my local store. There are people behind all of these things. People who create and grow, whose livelihood is giving me things that make my life comfortable. Do I ever think about them or do I just consume goods?

There is always going to be a point at which I will have to buy things. I need to purchase food. I need to clothe my growing son. I am going to have to replace things that break and provide for my family. Being a consumer is tricky business these days and I have been trying to be a better consumer.  I try to purchase as much as I can locally. I buy organic food where I am able as I want good health for both the farmers and my family. I try to purchase ethical chocolate and recycled paper but as you can see most of my efforts have been regarding food. I need to focus on other things and see if there are better choices I could be making.

It would seem to me that if I am to take this Christ Follower business seriously I really need to be thinking of people, all people. When we look at Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son we see how serious God is about leaving no one behind. We need to stop leaving people behind. We need to notice and see them as people, not for what they produce for us.

I’m not exactly sure how to effect change but I know I need to think more on this. I have a voice. I have been blessed in this life. I have a responsibility to ensure that people are not left behind. This kind of thing should never happen and we need to ensure that it doesn’t again.

 

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Roots matter.

27 Apr posted by

The Dandelion

I spent the afternoon with my hands in the dirt. It was marvellous. I’m preparing my garden for growth. Getting the soil just right so that when the plants are ready to sink in they will be met with a wonderful environment. As I had my hands in the dirt I found myself transplanting the tiniest shoot of rhubarb to a newer, happier home. My neighbour kept accidentally stepping on it last year so it never had the change to blossom and produce. As I dug around to find the root I was amazed at how deep it went for such a tiny plant. The root was strong even if the plant seemed weak. It was incredible.

As I moved on from the rhubarb I found myself pulling weeds and attempting to get every last piece of them so they don’t come back.  Roots matter. Some weeds like the moss that grows along the back patio are easy to remove. The roots are weak and useless to any force that might come upon it. The dandelions like this one found on the side of the road, need to be pulled carefully. If you don’t get the whole root you’ll have a repeat visitor.

Roots matter.

“…Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT

Roots matter. If it was just about looks the moss would win the day. It looked impressive and was quite green and fluffy. Rather pretty for moss really but looks don’t mean much, it’s what’s underneath everything that matters. As people we need to remember this. We can look like we’re Christians. We can go to church and say the right things; we can even wear shirts that proclaim who we are but that’s not what counts, is it? It’s what’s in our hearts that truly matters. It’s what we’re invested in, who we’re invested in that matters. It’s the time we take personally to connect with God, to grow and understand what this love is that we’ve been given. When we root ourselves in love we begin to see how big God truly is, we begin to understand how much of a gift his love is to us. When we root ourselves in God, we can stand firm in just about anything life throws at us.

Roots matter. You can’t see them but they shape us and ground us and nourish us in this life. Where are you rooted? Where is your nourishment coming from? Roots matter. Take some time and help them grow deep and wide.

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Filed Under: Faith, Musings

A dangerous thing.

25 Apr posted by

Dangerous
As I’ve told you, it looks like my time of regular supply is coming to an end and I was doing well with this information until I realized how much time I am going to have on my hands when it happens. The thing is I love crafting services for Sunday. Digging into the word and finding interesting, compelling ways of sharing stories we’ve all heard time and again is challenging. Finding the heart of the message and engaging it is a thrill. I’m going to have way too much time on my hands when that work stops.

The future’s not looking too good from where I sit right now. I like to be busy. I feel productive and happy when I’ve got something on the go.  Over the past week I’ve been found sitting at my desk listening to music without writing, watching countless episodes of Community and opening many books without actually reading a line in them. I have too much time on my hands and that’s a dangerous thing for me.

I’m not ungrateful for all I’ve been given. I recognize that these three years have been a marvellous blessing for my family.  When my son was sick we were lucky to have the resources available to allow me to stay home and be there for him. I’ve worked whenever I was able to.  It’s just that it’s now sinking in that that’s going to stop.  All the plans I’ve been making and ideas I’ve been working on will probably come to nothing. The book I picked up the other day on Ephesians to help with a sermon series idea probably wasn’t necessary as I likely won’t do the sermon series unless I start leading a random weeknight service somewhere because I won’t have anywhere to preach.

It’s going to be a fairly tricky transition for me. My schedule will change and my life will look different. I know it’s coming fast and I also know that God has his hand in it. It’s the right thing for everyone involved even if it’s difficult in some ways for me. Sometimes what God wants isn’t easy and transition towards the new way can be rough. Even so it always seems to works it’s way out.

I’m not alone in this I know. It is a time of transition for many of us in the church.  We see buildings closing, worship styles shifting and people moving in and out of our midst.  Things won’t look the same when all is said and done but that’s ok.  What is coming next will be worth it if we hang on through the rough stuff.

It’s a time of transition. To what I don’t know but wherever I wind up will be where God leads. The key thing here is surrendering my desires and following God’s direction.  I’m working on that.  Some days it’s harder than others but I know in the end that God knows best and what happens will be a good thing.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any great transition stories?  How do you handle periods of change?  Where do you think God is leading you?

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Filed Under: Faith, Musings, Reflections

My Keurig and I have an understand…

19 Apr posted by

photo (52)

My Keurig and I have an understanding. It will work for me provided I put a little effort in. I need to buy the coffee and fill the reservoir. The last part is what gets me every time. More mornings than I might care to admit have involved me waiting for my coffee to brew only to find that it will not come until I put some water in. The flashing blue light is a glaring indicator of my failure at maintaining my end of the bargain. It’s easy to overlook the part where you fill it at the end of a day. When I have my last cup I simply turn the machine off and think I’ll fill it later. The trouble is I almost never do this. I forget and then the next morning you can find me clumsily trying to fill the machine so it will give me the coffee I desire. The process is unnecessary. If I just put a little work in when I didn’t immediately need coffee the machine would be ready to go when I do need it.

This morning as I was fumbling once again in my attempt to get coffee I realized that this struggle is kind of like the one many of us have in our relationship with God. It’s easy to neglect God and spiritual discipline when things are going well. We don’t roll out of bed early to get the day started with God because we think we can do it later. When we do this and it becomes a habit, those days God is needed are tough. We struggle to connect with God and reach for him clumsily because we didn’t maintain the connection, we didn’t do the work when things were going well. We need to remember that our spiritual reservoir must be filled like the one found on the coffee machine. We need to continue to fill that reservoir daily so when strength is needed, it’s easier to access.

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Filed Under: Musings, Random Blog Stuff, Reflections

We begin here…

15 Apr posted by

My son is laying in his room complaining to his Dad about bed time. He’s not ready to go. There are more books to be read and he’s sure he can convince Dad to do so. He had a good day filled with crayons and cars, food and books. He had a good day and while we were living it, the news reports started to trickle in of bombs going off at the end of the Boston marathon. Almost instantly we learned of injuries, saw the chaos, felt fear and witnessed destruction. In these times of twitter and text, we know what happens before the newspapers do and my twitter feed moved at the speed of light as people spread hopes and prayers with those they loved. As I read I saw fear and hope, anger and elation mixed together. Some spoke of found friends, of lost friends and the injustice of it all. It is unjust. It is not fair. These things have to stop.  Almost daily now I read reports of violence in some manner or another. I read of rape, of murder, of bombs and beatings with alarming frequency. The world is in darkness.

My son has settled down now. He is sleeping the peaceful sleep of a toddler who knows no fear, who has not yet seen the evils of the world. As he slumbers my thoughts turn to the people from Newtown Connecticut who were seated in the midst of the chaos today having survived one tragedy only to find themselves in another. How will they sleep tonight? Their peaceful world has once again been turned on it’s head.  It’s not fair. It’s not just. This horror has to end.

Where do we begin?
Where do we begin ending this?

I am drawn into the teachings of Jesus right now. Not his words, but his life. When faced with opposition he continued to live. Knowing that he would die at the hands of those who opposed him, he continued to fight for the people he loved. He continued to teach and share, to live and laugh in the face of hatred and violence. Jesus walked shining the light of love on this earth and we need to do the same. While we cannot fix this or make this right we can make a difference in our own communities. We can walk in love, in light and hope. We can spread the message of the Gospel with us where we go. We can be people who bring good news to those around us.

The world needs the love that we have. The love that Jesus lavishes on us. They need the hope and light, the love and peace that we have been given. We need to fight against evil in the world. We have to fight against those who would hurt and destroy.  The love we have and the peace we are offered are tools for us to use. These are the instruments with which we can make a difference, with which we can shine light into the darkness.

Where do we begin?

We begin here, together as we contemplate this tragedy. We begin here, together as we think of ways we can love this world and spread light we’ve been given. We begin here with each other and with God for we cannot do it alone. We begin here, together. For in a community bound together by the common tie of the Spirit we are stronger. In the strength of God we will continue. We cannot live in fear. We must not let them win. We begin here.

“You are the light of the world…” Matthew 5:14 NIV

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We don’t need to know the hows or the whys…

11 Apr posted by

My husband is amazing and discovered iTunes Match this week which lets me stream my entire collection of music anywhere I go.  I’m not entirely certain how it works but it does and I love it.  I’ve discovered music from my past and I think he may be regretting that as the music of my youth is making an appearance once more.  He finds Will Smith, Maroon 5 and Sugar Ray to be completely ridiculous.  The truth is I do too but that’s what’s so awesome about it.  I’m 19 again.  It’s amazing.

There’s something to be said for looking to the past.  To discover where you’ve been, who you were and contrasting that with what you are now.  I look back at 19 and see a girl who was young, scared and unsure.  This was the age in which I had a dramatic experience in my call journey. The memories of that, the sequence of dreams and conversations is a distinct, vivid memory that I am unlikely to forget.  It was an experience to say the least and I am surprised at how everything has turned out.  It’s been a crazy-wonderful journey with ups and downs that has helped to define me.  I have changed so much and been changed by the people I have met, the work I do and those I love.  Life is good.

Life is good and the journey is never ending.  I am having those God-moments again at 33.  A little older, hopefully wiser and not as scared when they arrived.  Uncertain and slightly anxious maybe but not surprised.  A dream the other night woke me from a deep sleep leaving me strangely comforted and challenged.  When I told my friend Rachel about the dream she challenged me with questions that I had immediate answers to.  I hadn’t realized how much I’d been thinking about what comes next and preparing myself to continue living in this time of uncertainty until our conversation.  And really, when you think about it isn’t that the life that Jesus calls us into, a life of uncertainty?  He sent his disciples out into the world with nothing but faith and willingness to serve.  He didn’t promise success or certainty, he just said go out and do the work I have sent you to do.

I have been called into a different type of ministry, a ministry without permanent roots but one in which I’ve discovered freedom and flexibility.  Without budgets and overhead to worry about I’ve been able to focus on the thing I love, Jesus.  I’m able to really work things out, challenge myself and say some things I would never have said if I was employed permanently.  I’ve been honest and forthcoming and I have loved the people I’ve worked with no matter how short the time has been.  For a girl who used to demand answers and timelines I’ve found a way to relax and change in my work.  I’ve grown more comfortable in who I am as a minister.  This is huge for me.  I have never really been comfortable in this before.  It’s a nice feeling.

Things will change once more in the not too distant future.  The congregation I’ve been worshipping with will find a new minister and I will rejoice with them when that happens.  I want them to move forward, to discover their path and run down it.  After this I’m not sure what will happen but I know that opportunities will present themselves and I’ve got a feeling I won’t be bored.  I am comfortable in the not knowing as sometimes that’s when the greatest things happen.

It’s funny, the re-discovery of the music of my youth and thoughts of the past have reminded me of who I was and shown me who I am.  I’m so glad I’m not judged on the past but it’s nice to be able to look at it and see how much change has occurred. While I may not know where I am going I suspect others are in the same boat.  Ministry seems to be shifting towards the realm of uncertainty.  No longer can we assume that buildings will be there and people will come.  Change is coming faster than we anticipated and I am glad I’m living this season now.  God has given me the gift of living through this now, of seeing how different things can be than we expect and I am grateful for this.  I am reminded of how the disciples went out uncertain of their acceptance and returned triumphant.  “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Luke 10:17 NIV)  So long as we in the Church carry God with us as we journey we will be ok even if we have no idea where we’re going or how we’re going to get there.  We don’t need to know the hows or the whys, we just need to know who to travel with.

 

 

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It takes a village.

9 Apr posted by

Bible
Every night before bed my son and I read together.  He dives under the covers and we read stories that take us to far away places like Little Critter Land and the Island of Sodor.  We also read the classics from my youth like Robert Munsch and The Berenstain Bears. When we were at Costco a few weeks ago we found the Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible and have already read through it completely and are now turning to our favorite stories each night.  My son loves the story of Jesus and finds David to be quite compelling.  It’s been a really fun read together and the pictures are quite delightful.  Each story also comes with commentary from Mom of course and I think he finds it funny.

I love to talk to my son about life and faith and all kinds of things as it happens around us but it’s not something that I do in an age specific way.  It’s something we live in this house and as a result I don’t really think about programming it into our day at a specific time, it’s just what we do.  I think this may be unusual in the Christian circuit, or at least it feels that way to me today.  My son went to a Jump into JK program at our local Christian School to try it out and see if it was a good fit for him.  As he is a shy fellow he wouldn’t let me leave so I got to see what they were doing and I was amazed.  As all the kids sat around the mat they knew word for word ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and X sat there giving me the side eye as I had obviously failed him in not teaching it to him.  It’s not that we don’t listen to Christian music ever.  I have it playing on my iPhone in my mix and he knows some of the songs pretty well.  As we were driving out of the school parking lot he was belting out the chorus from Josh Turner’s Long Black Train.  Hearing a three year old sing “But there’s victory in the Lord I say” is pretty funny especially after he couldn’t sing Jesus Loves Me.

I think part of this stems from the fact that I tend to bounce around.  We’ve been lucky lately in that I’ve only been supplying in one congregation but we move from church to church as a family and as X. is fairly shy he doesn’t jump in and out of Sunday School programs easily.  I teach him at home.  We pray and read and talk about Jesus but he doesn’t get those kid songs that I remember from my youth. I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  I wonder how it will impact him as he grows.  He is very comfortable in church and is generally well behaved for my husband.  He enjoys listening to hymns and singing along where he can.  Also he shouts out ‘Amen’ at inappropriate times and I find this hilarious. He’s a kid who’s not church-schooled but is very churched.  I wonder how this will work in the future and I suspect he has an advantage, his mom is someone who has resources and tools to teach him at home.  Maybe it’s not conventional but it works for us and he’ll learn it’s okay to probe and question in faith from us.  I’m glad I can do this for him but I wonder about the other kids.  What happens to the families in the church when programming ceases to exist for them.  Where do they turn or do they turn anywhere?

The first thing on the chopping block for any church seems to be Sunday School or child related programming.  This is especially true when the numbers are small.  This is so backward to me.  We should be investing in our children.  Sharing with them and showing them that they are important, that they in fact are the future.  We should let them know that they matter and we should be learning from them, after all Jesus did say unless we become like children there is no getting into the kingdom of heaven. This is a real problem for us.  How can we learn from the children when we don’t see them or place any value on them besides the ten minutes they entertain us during the children’s time in worship?

Do we value our children? Are we giving them what they need?  Do we look to them as our future?

These are questions we really need to be asking.  Like it or not our children are the future.  It’s not about us, it’s about them.  It’s about helping them grow in faith and helping them discover the world around them.  It’s about finding ways to engage and encourage them as they  make their way.  It’s about sharing the gospel in an exciting way because it’s an exciting message. While my son may not know Jesus Loves Me, he will hopefully grow up knowing that God loves him and it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you get back on that horse to try again.  He’ll learn about grace and forgiveness, redemption and living life to the fullest.  I want him to fully engage, to question and ponder.   We will teach these things to him and when we settle once more in a charge I am hopeful that a congregation will assist in this. It takes a village to raise a child.  We need to be that village for our children. To love them and lift them up in faith. To pray for them and give them everything they need to make their way into the world.  Are we doing that?  Are we giving them everything we have?  If not, maybe we should think about what we are doing and ask ourselves if it’s enough.

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Filed Under: Church, Faith, Musings, random church things most of you probably don't care about, Uncategorized

The surprises of spring

5 Apr posted by

Chives
It’s spring time. The chives have returned and life is springing forth into the world. I think because Easter was so early this year I am noticing it more. There are signs of resurrection all around me and I am reminded daily that we are a resurrection people.  We’ve survived the winter and are now looking to spring and it’s offerings to see what comes next. It’s good to see sunshine. It’s wonderful to feel warmth upon one’s face.

Spring is here and we should rejoice. We should rejoice at signs of new growth. It’s hard though sometimes, isn’t it? To see the little sprouts in our lives that are just beginning to push through into the world. We feel as thought things are bleak, as though they aren’t moving when in fact they are, it’s just a little slower than we might like. Sometimes it’s painful and bleak and cold like winter but spring does come and if we’re patient we will see it.

At times I admit I find this concept hard. I have a restless spirit and want answers right away. There are days and weeks when I feel impatient as I sit in a state of molecular frenzy within, as my body says go but my heart is hearing wait. It can be hard to know that things are changing yet not know what they are changing to. But spring reminds me there is beauty in this, beauty in the unknown and right now I’m enjoying the wait. Each year spring brings with it surprises. The bulbs the squirrels moved in the fall pop up in unexpected places, plants poke out of the ground brighter and fuller than ever before and the rabbits (in our yard at least) never cease to surprise me with their resilience and determination to live in our yard where all the neighbor cats sun themselves in the summer.

Spring is here and these chives are just a glimpse of what is yet to come, of the things that are happening in this world and around us.  The chives are a reminder of the possibilities that lay ahead, of things that may be happening in this world and what could happen if we just let it. Winter is ending. There is hope in sight, surprises in store and signs of resurrection if we stop for a moment and look around us.  The question is will we stop? Will we see?

 

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Filed Under: Faith, Hope, Musings, Reflections

Size isn’t everything.

3 Apr posted by

I’ve lost 4 followers in the last week.

*sigh*

I shouldn’t sigh. I shouldn’t even be concerned really. I don’t do this for numbers or hits. I write to share my faith, my life and other random things I think about that I probably shouldn’t share but do anyhow. I write to maintain my skills during dry seasons in ministry. I write and sometimes erase just to vent. Followers aren’t really part of the equation, at least they aren’t when things are going up. When they go down though I notice and wonder if it’s something I said, or did, or didn’t do.

On some level this is something we all worry about, isn’t it? If we’re in ministry we worry about numbers and attendance. In the working world we seek to make connections and friends. Networking and people go hand in hand in the modern world and numbers equal success (or so we are told). When someone stops attending their vacant seat in the pew is a glaring notification of their absence. A dropped subscriber is noticed. We don’t wish to fail.

Jesus knows a little something about followers though and he got me to thinking today when I was questioning everything I know to be true about blogging.  When we look at Jesus’ ministry, we see a man who started with just himself and eventually was preaching to crowds well into the thousands. In the final week of his life, he went from having a parade thrown in his honor to having been abandoned by all but a handful of his closest friends.  Yet still, in the midst of it all he persisted and moved forward with his mission.  When Sunday came, when he stepped out of that tomb he knew he some would come back and some would not but ultimately he had accomplished what he was sent to do and that was what was important. It wasn’t about followers, it was about people and the message.

As Church people (and as bloggers) we need to remember this. It isn’t the size of your subscriber list or the number of people in the pews that matters. What matters is the life you are living, the service you are doing and the mission God has given you. If you are living your life in accordance with what God wants, if your worshipping community is focussed on the Gospel and shining a light into the world, God-things will happen.  Size isn’t everything, it’s the substance that counts.

While it always hurts when people move on, my blog isn’t about my followers it’s about shining a light into the world to whoever happens to pop in. It isn’t about me, it’s about God and isn’t that the most important thing? Whatever we do, no matter how big or how small should all be about God and regardless of how big or little I become I shall endeavor to make this blog just that.

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