A Conference

Some friends of mine are organizing a conference in Toronto on March 21. I am hoping to go. I went two years ago and it was a great day. Met a lot of cool people. You can check it out at the url below.

www.epconference.net

Peace,

K

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....