It's sad.....

I just watched a youtube sermon/review on The Shack by Mark Driscoll. I have to say it was one of those reviews that I have come to expect from evangelicals. He starts by making fun of the idea that God would meet someone in a "shack". He goes on to criticize the fact that God the Father, first appears as a black older woman called Papa, to Mack. He calls this "Godess worship", when it is clearly explained that "Papa" chose to appear this way because Mack, envisions God as a little old white haired man, as many people do. He argus that Father God is a spirit. Yes Mark, most of us get that. We also get that for the sake of the point of the book God appeared as a human. This was a story the author originally wrote for his kids. It wasn't meant as a literal desciption of God. it is actually a pretty amazing picture of the trinity and how God views us. His review is nothing more than looking for something to attack.

It is sad that Mark feels the need to tear down this work and tell people to avoid it because he doesn't get it. Mark at times has some really good things to say. I wish he could do what he does, without attacking others.

Peace,

K

Tired

I am finding myself tired these days. It may partly be due to the weather change. I don't mind winter when it is here, I hate the anticipation of it. But, it also has to do with the ongoing rollercoaster that cancer in the family can be. Joe is back in the hospital for chemo. The Dr.'s are saying this is their last option and therefore,... ours as well. We thank God for every day that He has given us with Joe, they have been a gift. We just want more. He seems to be responding to the chemo, but we won't know what that means until,..... later.

My new toy

Well, finally, the time has come. Next spring I will be driving this baby.....

Who are we and what are we doing?

I was hanging out yesterday with my buddy Pernell and his wife Margie. We went to a conference on Urban Missions, which was sponsered by the PAOC. It was more a symposium for their denomination on what they should be doing in terms of Urban Missions. Greg Paul spoke last night on how the poor need to be the center of what the church is. Very challenging. He went back into the Old Testeament and layed the ground work for the poor being the center. I am still working this over in my head.

He talked about the need for a reformation in the church. I beleive it is already happening, whether the church wants to accept it or not. We are a part of that reformation, but we have by no means "arrived".

I was however amazed and disappointed at the same time at how those who follow Jesus, downplay some of the very clear directives and warnings Jesus gives us in order to stay comfortable.

I am still working this through and probably will be for a long time.

I went out for a beer with Greg afterward. He is much more optimistic about the chances of the present church reforming than I am. He feels God's call to educate the present church and has been focusing energy there. I applaud him. My feeling at the moment is that as 30 and unders leave the church, they will be the ones to start new works that relect better, what God's heart really is for our world. I could be wrong....

At times thankless

In any community you have people who come and go. Some people stay around long enough to get whatever it is they need and leave, others just find that the intimacy of community is too threatening. Some do not understand the effort to live transparently as we struggle to walk with Jesus and live in this at times, shitty world.

It is okay that people come and go, but it is discouraging when they leave and talk trash. A friend told us the other night about someone they met who was once a part of our community, who said some fairly slanderous things about my wife and I. The unfortunate thing is that these things are also being shared with a friend who is trying to figure this whole faith thing out, and was a part of our community. It sucks when a fellow follower discourages someone who is searching.

What we heard last night borders on tragic. It takes discipline to give this stuff to God and move on. It sucks, especially when none of the concerns are ever brought to you.

Peace,

K

My Ecological Footprint....

Just got smaller. Yesterday I purchased a 2007 Yaris. I have driven Vans and muscle cars for most of my life, but I just can't stomach giving $400-$500 a month to gas companies. I drive alone most of the time, so the van, although a need for the food bank, is a waste the rest of the week. So as of today, It will be used on Mondays for the food bank and other deliveries or pick ups. Every other day, I will be driving my little blue Yaris hatchback. Honk and wave......

K

God moves and we get to be a part of it

I have had a few pretty cool conversations in the past few weeks with people exploring faith. A friend of Kiki’s came over to talk this week. She has considered herself an athiest up until recently when she went through some stuff that basically made it clear to her that she was not in control of her life. Her mom gave her a cross that belonged to her Grandmother and she says whenever she wears it, she feels an inexplicable peace. So, she is trying to figure out how Jesus fits into her life. She was at monday night bible study and loved it.

A friend of Petr’s says she wanted to meet me because Petr has talked with her about our community. She is very open spiritually and says she has dreams. She started hanging out with Petr, because she sensed something different in him. She also came out to bible study on monday and says she will be back.

It is amazing that God brings these people along to our community and we get to live out Jesus with them. As I look back, this is how God has always moved among us. He touches lives and then uses us to help reveal His love. I don’t claim to understand it, but there is a long list of people God has privileged us to rub elbows with.

Please pray for these two girls, as God moves in them.

peace,

K

This is how we roll...

This is what a church planters meeting looks like. That is just how we roll. The boys from Kingston and Jared came in to Montreal for a day of meetings. It was the best meeting day I have ever been to. We ate, we drank, we went swimming. We actually had part of our meeting in the pool.

It was an amazing day of sharing our hearts and reconnecting. I just wish I had a picture of Al, the Pirate Pastor. God is doing some cool things in our little part of the Kingdom. I am blessed to be walking with these guys. K

A Strange One

This has been a strange week. Lot's going on. A friend of Kayla's died last friday after a night of partying. He was hit by a train at our local train station. He was 15. Kirstyn's convocation was last night. She has finished High School. Now there is Prom, etc..... That is just the family side. Ministry is busy like crazy as well.

I am finding that I need to spend more time talking with God. I need solitude, meditation and prayer, just so I can keep my head on straight. This is turning out to be quite a challenge in my family, ministry, community life. However, I just have to make it happen.

K

Integrity and life

I was out with a friend last night and we got to talking about living out what we say we believe. He was pointing out that there are people who say one thing and live another. For example, people who participate in certain activities when they think nobody is looking,..... or nobody who would care is looking. The fact is that when we call ourselves followers of Jesus, people are always looking. Even if it is just the people "involved". Sometimes people need another person to take the high road in order for them to follow. They end up following on the low road, wishing somebody would lead them to the high one.

This happens all the time in conversation. Vulgarity leading to more vulgarity. Discouraging rather than encouraging. You see, we speak of grace and cling to God's grace for us, but do we extend that grace to others. The same can be said for compassion, forgiveness, etc.

My friend pointed out that this is especially disappointing when the other person is supposed to be a leader and behaves in ways that do not show Christ. I think this is why Paul said, do not aspire to be a leader for the responsibility is greater as well.

The bottom line is, many are longing for an example to follow. What kind of example am I? What kind of example are you?

Dig a Hole

So, the diving board on our pool started coming out of the ground this weekend. Apparently the cement pad was way to small. I spent part of yesterday jackhammering and digging until my back was seizing. I have to dig about 4 feet deep. I am 2/3 of the way there, I'll see if I can do the rest today. Meanwhile my wife's beautiful yard has a gaping hole in it.

Syl is coming back from Edmonton tonight. She was visiting our "oldest daughter", Lenny. I am sure they had more fun than I did digging the stupid hole...... Yeah for Macallan Cask Strength. It will be good to have my wife back.

K

I am praying...

I don't have a clue about raising money. I have been running a "faith" mission for 16 years, and I suck at raising money. As a matter of fact, I know that God has made it very clear, that He opens the wallets, not me. We need a bigger facility. So, I am praying that God would give us 1.5 million dollars. I am also asking that He do it within the next 24 hours.

Peace,

K

God's Grace

So, I met this week with the person who was the subject of my “Question of Grace” post. It was a good and hard conversation. People do crazy things for a lot of messed up reasons. Most times they are wounded and in need of love, discipline, healing, compassion, etc. We talked for quite a while.

In the end, it was obvious that God was already laying groundwork for our conversation. The cocaine dealing career is over. The actively seeking God and figuring out how to walk with Him has begun. Friends will be key. He is not out of the woods yet, so pray for him. He was only dealing for a short time, but that world is a dark place. But, God is faithful.

Peace

A Question of Grace?

Here is a very real problem we are dealing with. There is someone who has returned to our community after being gone for a year or two. This person was a Vault kid and professed to begin a relationship with Jesus. In the time that this person has been gone they started dealing cocaine. this is confirmed information, so now I have to figure out how to deal with it. What limitations do I set? How hard should I be on this person? How hard and fast? What would Jesus do? Seriously. I know what "I" want to do with it.....

Peace,

K

What We See

I have had a few conversations in the past week that I have found somewhat disturbed and questioning what we see in each other. We seem to be much more gifted at finding what is wrong with people than we are at finding what is right with them. As a matter of fact we are willing to discount the good as fraudulent due to the “bad” that we see. This seems pretty much the opposite of the example Jesus gives us. He seemed to choose to see the good in people rater than the faults. You don’t even have to look past His disciples to see this. As flawed as they were, He used them to change the world.

We have a choice. We can choose to see what God is doing in people, or we can focus on the areas that need work. Maybe we feel better knowing someone else sucks(worse than us…), maybe we feel we need to assist the Holy Spirit(because you know how weak he/she is….). Whatever it is, I think many of us need to make a shift. The question is not what is wrong with someone, the question is what is God doing in their life and can we celebrate and how can we encourage that? Can we trust the Spirit and the Father to continue the work that He started in others?

As recovering assholes, we are need to recognize that we are predisposed to criticism, rather than encouragement and distrust rather than trust. The challenge is to make the change and walk as Jesus did.

Peace,

K

Rough Week

This has been a rough week. Both Syl and I have been battling the flu while trying to keep our regular schedules. I was hoping to fast this week, but the flu kind of put an end to that.

Dealing with people issues isn't always fun, less so when your sick. I have found myself fantasizing about the demise of certain individuals. Not very spiritual I know, but, I opted today to spend time praying for them instead. This really works. It is hard to think ill of people you are asking God to work in and bless. Forgiveness is a crisis of the will, I have to keep reminding myself of that.

Peace,

K

Frag You

Frag is a term that refers to soldiers who turn on their own. A soldier who shoots his sargeant or foxhole mate for example, has "fragged" him. Sometimes I think it is a Christian term more than a military one. There is little more discouraging than finding out your biggest "enemy" out there is a professing believer. I have been struggling lately on how to handle someone who is actively trying to sabotage the good work that we strive to do every day in our community. This someone is supposed to be about the same cause. Part of me wants to get "medieval" on his person. However, I know that God calls me to something more than that(which kinda pisses me off...), He calls me to love the guy.

I know I am not alone, other people I know trying to do good things have the same type of experience going on. Why do we hate to see others do well?

The trick I guess is not to be distracted by what morons do, but to stay focused on the mission and He who called us to it. It still pisses me off.

NC week

Well, I am back from my week in North Carolina. Went with my friend Karl. Hung out with Rocky, Leah and there kids, Olivia and Madison. Tons of fun. Did some golfing and sampling the local fare, such as BBQ, ribs, hush puppies and Waffle House,... what a freak show that was. I have an incredible respect for US micro-breweries.

Golf was crazy. One day was beautiful, the next, hurricane winds. We were the only people on the course. The club staff thought we were nuts, in hind site I would have to concur.

Watched the Duke, UNC game in a bar on Saturday night. What a zoo. The rivalry is alive and well. Karl and I were the only two there without representing colors. It was an experience. They take their college basketball seriously.

Met a band in a pub down in Raleigh. The lead guitar player was a church planter,.... don't ask, I just have a way of finding these people. We had a good time talking. He left his last church plant because it turned into "church". I suggested that he try planting a community. We are keeping in touch. Good times. He plays Reverend guitars through Matchless amp and cab. Sweet sound.


Check out my buddy's blog. Pretty trippy. http://awesomeinternetsite.com

Peace,

K

Larry Norman dies

I just heard the news. Larry Norman, the Father of Christian Rock died February 24th. He suffered brain damage in a plane crash, had congenital heart problems, diabetes and was legally blind, and he kept performing. He was a true minister of grace.

Larry through his example, gave many of us permission to follow Jesus and be ourselves. He was an incredible lyricist. Penning amazing songs like, I wish we'd all been ready, Outlaw and UFO. He left his Rock,n,roll career at it's height to sing about Jesus and the world He came to save.

He had a heart for the broken and the poor, that I believe is the heart of God. Larry left an indelible mark on many lives. I thank God for how He used Larry in my life, to encourage and convict. He will be missed. I pray for his family and friends in their time of mourning.

Peace

Witch hunts

I wonder how much money is being spent on the congressional hearing into Roger Clemen's HGH use? What "good" is going to come of it? What does it say about a nation, that this morning, this is the only story being covered by the major media outlets.

There are people dying of starvation, some right in the USA and Canada, there is homelessness, there is genocide taking place somewhere in the world today, and we are focused on a baseball player's use of HGH.

When it is all said and done, I wonder what a difference that money could have made in a poor neighborhood?....

Discipline is a hard word

The problem with discipline is, you can't do it once. It is an ongoing thing. To be disciplined is to get up every day and do whatever it is you purpose to do. Whether it is eating right, exercise, doing homework, or whatever else can fill the blank. It is about consistency.

Discipline is more about life style change than anything else. The results from desired changes in our lives take time, and we only get to see the results after we have committed to the process.

My daughter, Kayla and I have been going to the gym three times a week for the past month. I have actually been doing this for 3 years. We have determined to watch our food consumption and follow a program in order to get in shape. In the past month, with some food choice changes and the work out, I have lost about 15 pounds. However, the food choice changes have been hard, because, I have to make choices every meal. When Montana's is one of your favorite hot spots, that is difficult. Choosing salad over chicken wings is a struggle, but, it pays off in the end.

The same can be said for my discipline with spending time with God. Doing it once is not going to cut it. If I only spoke to my wife once a week for 10 minutes, we would not be married. No relationship can last that way. If we are going to say that we follow Jesus, then we need to spend time with Him and in His word, so that we know what he is up to. many of us say we don't have time to read The Book. However, we have time to watch House, CSI, or never ending reruns of Seinfeld. We have time to shop, see movies and friends, etc. So for most of us, time with God is not a time issue, it is a discipline issue.

As I am becoming more disciplined, I am confronted with my spiritual discipline. I guess that is where I need to focus some time now. I need to practice being still, and hanging out with God, learning to listen better. I hate the thought of discipline,.... but I quite enjoy the results. Unfortunately, the one has to come before the other.

I am back!

Hey! It has been over a year since my blog was last up and running. It as been a trying year, but God is good. Joe (my father in law) is still struggling with cancer. We have moved (across the street and 2 doors down). Moving 150 feet is just as much work as moving 200 miles. I hate moving. But the house is bigger and suits our community needs much better, besides, now we have a pool,... and less grass to mow.

The Open Door is doing well. We have had some subtractions and some additions. Overall, our community is at an encouraging place.

I plan to be posting once or twice a week, we will see how that goes. Anyways, it is nice to be back.

Peace