Time

I had the opportunity to go to a mens breakfast this morning at the Pentecostal Assembly here in Claresholm.  It was a great time of fellowship and food and a great message by my good friend Pastor Dion Mitchell.  They were very gracious to allow a diehard Nazarene in their midst.  IT did remind me how much I miss this kind of thing and I really wonder why my church does not have a men's group and women's group that meets once in a while for things like this.  I think the reason lies in the message that Dion brought his morning.  He talked of our time, and how we spend it doing stuff.  We have all of these time saving devices in our homes, toilets, furnaces, fridges, phones, the postal system, all of these things are supposed to save us time and give us time to do the things that really matter; but in reality they do just the opposite.  We have less time and focus on things that do not matter when we should be focusing on things like relationships and friendships and our fellowship of believers.  I need to be more intentional about having groups like at this at church.  I need to clear out some of my time.  Have a great Sunday everyone.

Eat, Pray, Love

Last night I watched the movie Eat, Pray, Love, staring Julia Roberts.  I had a pastor friend of mine tell me I should read this book and watch the movie, because this is what our society will be thinking of when they talk about religion and spirituality for the next little while.  I found the movie to be enjoyable but I did notice that it had at the centre of its premise, the problem that is so steeped in our society.  The problem in the movie is selfishness.  The main character pulls the plug on a marriage, not because of abuse or neglect, but because  she was not happy.  This had nothing to do with the person who loved her, but with her own compromises over the years.  She then takes off on a journey of discovery that culminates with the idea that "God is inside of me, as me."  This is at the core of selfishness, the idea that we can take the place of God, that it is all about me, even God.  As pastors we have a huge job ahead of us if this is the idea that society believes and wants to hear.

Milestones

Yesterday my youngest son turned three.  It is so awesome to see him growing and learning everyday.  I am amazed at how God has worked in all my children and am surprised daily at how much they are like their mom and I.  The things they say, their mannerisms and habits, all come directly from Christy and I.  What an amazing responsibility and challenge.  I need to make sure that I am constantly on my knees with God in prayer and worship.  This is the only thing I can do that will help them become the men and women of God that He wants them to be, in spite of all my shortcomings.  God help me to leave a legacy of faith and prayer for them and lead them into a relationship with you.  That needs to be the biggest milestone in their lives, not a birthday or another Christmas, but the day in which they came to understand the faith of their father and mother.

Missional Renaissance:

I just read an article by Reggie McNeal about his new book entitled Missional Renaissance.  This article was in Grace and Peace, a new magazine for pastors in the holiness tradition.  McNeal puts forward three things that a church needs to have in order to be truly missional in focus.  First they need to have an external focus, second they need to focus on people not programs and ministry, and finally they need to have leadership that is engaged fully in the community.    I really loved the way that he came at this.  It is in the same vein as Bickers book called Healthy Small Church.  The one thought that really hit me from the article, and the one that has made me put it on my must read list, is that we have to think of becoming missional in the same way as catching a cold.  It is viral, it is something that is caught not taught.  "Mission is a virus and you are trying to cultivate a pandemic that will reach critical mass."  As leaders we  need to be engaged in the community, outside the four walls of our church, we need to be pushing and pulling our people into that sphere and giving them opportunities to minister to the community.  After a little while, they will "catch" on and our churches will begin to transform.  I want to be a part of something like this!

Remembrance Day

I have been asked to pray at the school tomorrow for the school assembly for Remembrance Day.  This is quite an honour and I am looking forward to it.  My mind goes back to the vets that I have known over the years.  Men and women who left eh life they knew to go overseas to serve and fight for things they did not even understand at the time, because they were so young.  Many, when they went overseas were 17 or 18 and had not even voted.  When I think of the things they experienced and the situations they had to overcome it makes what I am going through seem somehow less intimidating.  May we never forget these men and women, most of whom are gone.  I want my kids to remember so they will never have to go to war and fight.  Let us keep our ploughs and pruning hooks.  God thank you for the peace that we have in our country today, help us not to take it or You for granted.