18 November 2009 (12:03 a.m. to 1:51 a.m.)
I just returned from a night of stargazing beneath the most majestic sky I've ever seen. My hands are still thawing as I type, but I have some comments to share and now is the time.
First, let me just praise God for opening up new worlds for me, both personal and external. I know myself well enough that I simply never would have participated in a night like this one back home. Not because there weren't opportunities, but I've been far too uptight in the past to jump into a truck overflowing with people to skirt down a sketchy road toward an unmarked field with a bunch of my peers. And to step out into the crispy remnants of what was probably a bright yellow field before fall descended on this place. And then I looked, and behold, the most unveiled sky I'd ever seen. My village in Nova Scotia is pretty rural, but I was suddenly gripped with the revelation that east coast atmospheric currents are so diluted with pollution that we just don't know what a night sky is in the Maritimes. If words could express the blanket of ether that glows behind the stars we actually can see, the hundreds more that suddenly removed their masks... and then we closed all the truck doors and even more appeared. It makes me wonder just what kind of challenge God issued Abraham when He told him He'd make his descendants more numerous than the stars. I mean, what did Abraham see, before human civilization stripped the world of many of her former charms? This, in a manner of speaking, is precisely the kind of showing that God seems to have intended for me when He told me He'd meet me in Caronport.
Second, tonight was just an incredible bonding time with some of my peers in academia but especially in our Lord. The first thing I noticed upon exiting the Regina airport was just how much the sky hovers above and absolutely dominates the prairies. It's the kind of spectacle that really makes a person feel tiny, and yet the One who created all this knows me by name and burns with jealousy for me to love Him as He's loved me. Paul was correct when he wrote that no one has an excuse; creation constantly praises its Creator. To have a part in the lives of these people, in the unfolding of history, and in the eternal plan of God is too wonderful for me to express or comprehend. And the laughs and moments and streaking meteorites and chilled extremities and the weird balloon thing we launched into the sky are somehow all smaller then the sum total: Before I was saved, life passed me by. Now that I know God, nothing is impossible. Even the small things that are so carefully hidden, so craftily concealed by He who was pleased to reveal the greatest mysteries through childlike hearts, that I can see in hindsight why I needed to hit rock bottom and surrender to Christ before I could see any of this. It's all too simple and beautiful for a worldly person to even notice, let alone care about, let alone appreciate. Praise be to God, for He is slowly melting my cold, cold heart.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thanks Be to God for Growth, Even the Painful Kind
When God brings someone to Bible college, man can't know all his reasons for it. But some lessons reveal deeper motives on his part: Will God become an object of study or will study draw you closer to him? Will you stand by him even when the discipline and refining process exhumes baggage that has been dormant inside you for decades?
I sit here feeling such a profound sense of pleasure in knowing him, and too much has happened for me to articulate why. But all I know is a part of the old me died last night, and all it took were some pretty simple (and silly!) acts of fellowship. Earlier this week I asked God for some encouragement, and he delivered by the truckload.
If I am being vague, it's not because I don't want to share the details. It's because if I am going to share them with you, whoever may read this, it needs to be across a table and over a coffee. The static inhumanity of technology is proving increasingly insufficient when it comes to spreading the good news. It's been a crutch, I think.
I sit here feeling such a profound sense of pleasure in knowing him, and too much has happened for me to articulate why. But all I know is a part of the old me died last night, and all it took were some pretty simple (and silly!) acts of fellowship. Earlier this week I asked God for some encouragement, and he delivered by the truckload.
If I am being vague, it's not because I don't want to share the details. It's because if I am going to share them with you, whoever may read this, it needs to be across a table and over a coffee. The static inhumanity of technology is proving increasingly insufficient when it comes to spreading the good news. It's been a crutch, I think.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
My Second Rebirthday
The purpose of this blog is to praise God. Seems simple enough, right? The truth is it has its shortcomings. For one thing, my mandate in starting the thing is kind of doomed to mediocrity; I can't possibly write about everything He blesses me with, even the tiny fraction I notice. Also, there are some things I should thank Him for every day, and on this occasion I realize that I fall short in that area as well. But the balance is in taking Him seriously, surrendering my entire self to Him, and dedicating some time every day to fellowshiping with Him in prayer (still working on all three as disciplines). But I would be remiss if I didn't praise Him for what is a very special anniversary for me.
Two years ago this day, there was a man who was under the thumb of drugs and depression, dead in transgression, with the wrath of God poised to crush him. And out of sheer grace and love, Jesus Christ made such a powerful appeal that this undeserving fellow actually decided to take a chance on following God. It was in my bedroom, having picked up a Bible that had been given me some three years earlier by Monte and Natalie, following a chat I had with their parents. I tried reading it in 2004, but I was judgmental and foolish in my heart at the time. But when I cracked it again on 11 October 2007, something different happened. I just... plain... believed. That too was a gift from heaven. I was suddenly gripped with this intense joy, like a million childhood Christmases. It was freedom. This heat filled my entire being, even my "dead" skin cells like hair (what I had of the stuff!). It was an encounter, to be sure.
I've since learned that I can't "convince" people of what happened. I hope and pray that those of you who know me have observed some changes in my life, because I've had to interpret them as happening within every component that composes "me." And it's been surreal to say the least. But it happened. If you are among my brothers and sisters in the Lord, be encouraged. Praise Him. He is faithful. If you happen to have stumbled onto this by any chain of events, I would tell you to ask Him for the same thing, but it has to be from a place of faith. At least that was my experience. I don't know why He chose the time He did, or the circumstances, but He worked within the context of all my horrible choices and my limitless sin. So I know it can happen for anyone.
Please don't read any arrogance into this post. I can certainly slip into modalities of pride, and it happens more frequently than I'd care to admit. But this post is special to me. It's a time to pause and reflect upon just how much God has done for me in two short years. I have more friends than I made in the preceding 27. I have been more involved in my community and in personal development than I ever cared about prior to my conversion experience. I have an absolute lust for life (real life, not the kind I lived before I felt the Holy Spirit dwell inside me) than I thought possible. And I praise God for all these things.
9 October 2009
I would also mention, because I am in the habit of combining posts, and because this is a special praise note indeed, that I received the pleasure of my friend Devin's company on Friday. He was passing through the area, and, as always, I refrain from using last names. But he's been a dear brother to me, and it was great to get caught up. God constantly finds ways to wink and wave at me through divine appointments, and I have felt Him tugging at my heart with more conviction all the time. This year will be a tremendous challenge; I say that with a great degree of ignorance because I won't know until it's past. But I can say that I have every reason to trust in His faithfulness, and I hope you all will praise Him for how He saved you too or has made provision for it!
Two years ago this day, there was a man who was under the thumb of drugs and depression, dead in transgression, with the wrath of God poised to crush him. And out of sheer grace and love, Jesus Christ made such a powerful appeal that this undeserving fellow actually decided to take a chance on following God. It was in my bedroom, having picked up a Bible that had been given me some three years earlier by Monte and Natalie, following a chat I had with their parents. I tried reading it in 2004, but I was judgmental and foolish in my heart at the time. But when I cracked it again on 11 October 2007, something different happened. I just... plain... believed. That too was a gift from heaven. I was suddenly gripped with this intense joy, like a million childhood Christmases. It was freedom. This heat filled my entire being, even my "dead" skin cells like hair (what I had of the stuff!). It was an encounter, to be sure.
I've since learned that I can't "convince" people of what happened. I hope and pray that those of you who know me have observed some changes in my life, because I've had to interpret them as happening within every component that composes "me." And it's been surreal to say the least. But it happened. If you are among my brothers and sisters in the Lord, be encouraged. Praise Him. He is faithful. If you happen to have stumbled onto this by any chain of events, I would tell you to ask Him for the same thing, but it has to be from a place of faith. At least that was my experience. I don't know why He chose the time He did, or the circumstances, but He worked within the context of all my horrible choices and my limitless sin. So I know it can happen for anyone.
Please don't read any arrogance into this post. I can certainly slip into modalities of pride, and it happens more frequently than I'd care to admit. But this post is special to me. It's a time to pause and reflect upon just how much God has done for me in two short years. I have more friends than I made in the preceding 27. I have been more involved in my community and in personal development than I ever cared about prior to my conversion experience. I have an absolute lust for life (real life, not the kind I lived before I felt the Holy Spirit dwell inside me) than I thought possible. And I praise God for all these things.
9 October 2009
I would also mention, because I am in the habit of combining posts, and because this is a special praise note indeed, that I received the pleasure of my friend Devin's company on Friday. He was passing through the area, and, as always, I refrain from using last names. But he's been a dear brother to me, and it was great to get caught up. God constantly finds ways to wink and wave at me through divine appointments, and I have felt Him tugging at my heart with more conviction all the time. This year will be a tremendous challenge; I say that with a great degree of ignorance because I won't know until it's past. But I can say that I have every reason to trust in His faithfulness, and I hope you all will praise Him for how He saved you too or has made provision for it!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Briercrest in Perspective
Going backwards again.
5 October 2009 (10:34 p.m.)
God has a way about Him that is impossible to describe, but I shall try to offer a keyhole's glimpse. I just had a very odd experience reading about Christian history. The curriculum covers 2000 years of history over two semesters, so we necessarily study hundreds of years at a time. In other words, broadly. But the past few weeks have been a slower pace, and we've been trapped in the fourth century learning about Constantine and the Council of Nicaea, and such pillars as Athanasius, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Ambrose of Milan. (After suffering through the half-Christian works of Justin Martyr, Origen, et al, it's kind of nice to encounter five in a row that seem to have their theology in order.) But I was suddenly swooned by the Spirit in reading about how Ambrose had been a governor when the Roman Empire was swamped in Arianism (which argued that Christ was created) and was elected bishop because of his popularity. In spite of the fact he wasn't even a believer. And to read some of his statements in defense of the faith is just, well, beautiful. God took hold of him. And when I got the part about how he baptized a young fellow by the name of Augustine, who had been drifting from his faith, it just makes me feel so intimately conscious of how my faith is not a product of the twenty-first century. There is a continuum that started before creation, and God has invited me into it despite my infinite unworthiness (that's the only infinite part of us humans). And for what it's worth, I felt compelled to share that.
5 October 2009 (2:00 a.m.)
I was trying to pull an all-nighter when the power suddenly went out. It was frustrating, but it focused me on God at a time when I probably would have been content to "get some work done." We were overdue for a good heart to heart, not for a lack of effort on His part. The truth is, being at such an academically rich college is a double-edged sword. Because this place is accredited and all my courses can be instantly transferred to several Canadian universities, the requirements tend to be study heavy--which can bury the discipleship and practical elements at times. On more than a few occasions God has seemed as if He were an otherworldly object of study, rather than a personal, jealous Creator who burns with love for us. At present I am struggling to finish some weekly reading for tomorrow, and I will probably be permitted to stay up a little later than the ideal (though not as late as this morning). So, with that in mind, it's nice when God forces the issue onto us that we are to keep things in check and our eyes focused on Him.
Last week
Seriously, God has blessed me so much that I would have to multiply the hours in a day to report it all. All I can do to compensate is make a very generalized statement about how wonderful it is to be surrounded by wonderful and genuine people. I couldn't name them all, but He sends them my way in a flurry of divine appointments every passing day, and He should be recognized and praised for His faithfulness in this.
5 October 2009 (10:34 p.m.)
God has a way about Him that is impossible to describe, but I shall try to offer a keyhole's glimpse. I just had a very odd experience reading about Christian history. The curriculum covers 2000 years of history over two semesters, so we necessarily study hundreds of years at a time. In other words, broadly. But the past few weeks have been a slower pace, and we've been trapped in the fourth century learning about Constantine and the Council of Nicaea, and such pillars as Athanasius, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Ambrose of Milan. (After suffering through the half-Christian works of Justin Martyr, Origen, et al, it's kind of nice to encounter five in a row that seem to have their theology in order.) But I was suddenly swooned by the Spirit in reading about how Ambrose had been a governor when the Roman Empire was swamped in Arianism (which argued that Christ was created) and was elected bishop because of his popularity. In spite of the fact he wasn't even a believer. And to read some of his statements in defense of the faith is just, well, beautiful. God took hold of him. And when I got the part about how he baptized a young fellow by the name of Augustine, who had been drifting from his faith, it just makes me feel so intimately conscious of how my faith is not a product of the twenty-first century. There is a continuum that started before creation, and God has invited me into it despite my infinite unworthiness (that's the only infinite part of us humans). And for what it's worth, I felt compelled to share that.
5 October 2009 (2:00 a.m.)
I was trying to pull an all-nighter when the power suddenly went out. It was frustrating, but it focused me on God at a time when I probably would have been content to "get some work done." We were overdue for a good heart to heart, not for a lack of effort on His part. The truth is, being at such an academically rich college is a double-edged sword. Because this place is accredited and all my courses can be instantly transferred to several Canadian universities, the requirements tend to be study heavy--which can bury the discipleship and practical elements at times. On more than a few occasions God has seemed as if He were an otherworldly object of study, rather than a personal, jealous Creator who burns with love for us. At present I am struggling to finish some weekly reading for tomorrow, and I will probably be permitted to stay up a little later than the ideal (though not as late as this morning). So, with that in mind, it's nice when God forces the issue onto us that we are to keep things in check and our eyes focused on Him.
Last week
Seriously, God has blessed me so much that I would have to multiply the hours in a day to report it all. All I can do to compensate is make a very generalized statement about how wonderful it is to be surrounded by wonderful and genuine people. I couldn't name them all, but He sends them my way in a flurry of divine appointments every passing day, and He should be recognized and praised for His faithfulness in this.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Adjusting to College Life
I've been in Saskatchewan for roughly three weeks. I've also been too busy to really reflect on that. I could only guess at how many new people I've met, but I'd surely miss the mark. Honestly, I couldn't even estimate how many I've actually had conversations with and which ones I could pick out of a police lineup. The truth is, life has happened really fast since I landed in Regina.
I started this blog because I believe there is a value in jotting down the things God does for me. I was motivated after prepping a sermon on Psalm 77, which I realize I had promised to post here at some point. I think it's stuck on my desktop at home, so that will have to wait until I can get back to Nova Scotia. But the point is, more than sharing my study notes, to ensure that God is praised for what He does. One of my key points was how one of our functions as believers is to glorify Him. If God is glorified in how He blesses us, we are thieves for not sharing those blessings with others. I also think this edifies the body and increases the faith of our brothers and sisters, enabling us to pray with confidence in knowing just how many prayers He answers. (Seriously, it's staggering if you stop to take note of it.) But I've been pretty neglectful of this little site.
If I can be so bold, He's done way more in the last three weeks than I could ever articulate here. He does that every day, and we don't even fully understand how much His grace sustains us, so I choose not to preoccupy myself with such endless rabbit trails. Practically speaking, however, most things have some very visible components to them, and our internal feelings of awe and wonder can also be rendered into language. So in one sense, I have no excuse. But I come back to my earlier statement: this has been a lightning pace. And I've struggled to keep up with it.
As someone mentioned to me earlier, some of the best moments are the impromptu conversations or spontaneous coffee meetings. That has been the case. This is such a vibrant community of believers and I have tried to soak in as much as I could justify. I have noticed that God has made it nigh impossible for me to concentrate on work at times because He wanted to teach me less academic but more practical lessons in life. And I have also been tested and stretched in ways I can't explain. Some of the feelings that have trickled through me have been painful, exhilarating, bizarre, uncomfortable, sickening, frustrating, disturbing, and so on. The whole gamut, really. And there seems to be no hint at this stuff stabilizing at any time. It would seem that there is no scheduled season of normalcy that will be defined by routine academic studies. The very nature of this place precludes that kind of thing. But this doesn't absolve me of having to keep ahead of my weekly readings and squeeze in a crop of assignments that looms ahead. I have no idea how it will all be accomplished.
Not at all.
Tonight I did up a few templates in MS Word that will hopefully save some time when I need to format my research papers and essays. I also met with my new senior pastor, Wade, who is just a brilliant and inspiring shepherd. I just know the Lord has orchestrated a lot of the things that have seemed pretty incidental from my limited perspective. But yeah, I am really getting buried in this stuff. I don't know where to begin singing God's praises with this entry, and I am inclined to regard that as a praise note in itself. God is really shattering the James that applied to Briercrest in the spring. Every day, it seems like He plunges His physician fingers into my being and tinkers with something. These are always enlightening little surgeries, but they seldom are pleasant. And it's those moments of relief and rejoicing that I tend to write most about. So let this post also be a break from that motif. A few months ago, I thought I was enrolling here to work toward a degree and to learn some valuable life lessons. The actuality is that I am here to be discipled and to disciple and through that process God will give me a degree anyway. But it's secondary.
I have noticed that God seems to go out of His way to ensure I drop any facade or fantasy about scoring perfectly on everything. There was a time I needed to print something for an assignment, but the library was booked until my class. Another time, I misread the format guide and was docked points for it. In other words, I am to have reasonable expectations here. Last night, I fellowshipped with someone in my dorm instead of doing an hour's worth of studying. God seemed content with my priorities. In truth, it didn't cost me everything, but that wasn't apparent at the time.
So yeah, I've managed to write a lot but hardly say anything. That's okay, though. If I am truly here to learn, He should do most of the talking anyway.
I started this blog because I believe there is a value in jotting down the things God does for me. I was motivated after prepping a sermon on Psalm 77, which I realize I had promised to post here at some point. I think it's stuck on my desktop at home, so that will have to wait until I can get back to Nova Scotia. But the point is, more than sharing my study notes, to ensure that God is praised for what He does. One of my key points was how one of our functions as believers is to glorify Him. If God is glorified in how He blesses us, we are thieves for not sharing those blessings with others. I also think this edifies the body and increases the faith of our brothers and sisters, enabling us to pray with confidence in knowing just how many prayers He answers. (Seriously, it's staggering if you stop to take note of it.) But I've been pretty neglectful of this little site.
If I can be so bold, He's done way more in the last three weeks than I could ever articulate here. He does that every day, and we don't even fully understand how much His grace sustains us, so I choose not to preoccupy myself with such endless rabbit trails. Practically speaking, however, most things have some very visible components to them, and our internal feelings of awe and wonder can also be rendered into language. So in one sense, I have no excuse. But I come back to my earlier statement: this has been a lightning pace. And I've struggled to keep up with it.
As someone mentioned to me earlier, some of the best moments are the impromptu conversations or spontaneous coffee meetings. That has been the case. This is such a vibrant community of believers and I have tried to soak in as much as I could justify. I have noticed that God has made it nigh impossible for me to concentrate on work at times because He wanted to teach me less academic but more practical lessons in life. And I have also been tested and stretched in ways I can't explain. Some of the feelings that have trickled through me have been painful, exhilarating, bizarre, uncomfortable, sickening, frustrating, disturbing, and so on. The whole gamut, really. And there seems to be no hint at this stuff stabilizing at any time. It would seem that there is no scheduled season of normalcy that will be defined by routine academic studies. The very nature of this place precludes that kind of thing. But this doesn't absolve me of having to keep ahead of my weekly readings and squeeze in a crop of assignments that looms ahead. I have no idea how it will all be accomplished.
Not at all.
Tonight I did up a few templates in MS Word that will hopefully save some time when I need to format my research papers and essays. I also met with my new senior pastor, Wade, who is just a brilliant and inspiring shepherd. I just know the Lord has orchestrated a lot of the things that have seemed pretty incidental from my limited perspective. But yeah, I am really getting buried in this stuff. I don't know where to begin singing God's praises with this entry, and I am inclined to regard that as a praise note in itself. God is really shattering the James that applied to Briercrest in the spring. Every day, it seems like He plunges His physician fingers into my being and tinkers with something. These are always enlightening little surgeries, but they seldom are pleasant. And it's those moments of relief and rejoicing that I tend to write most about. So let this post also be a break from that motif. A few months ago, I thought I was enrolling here to work toward a degree and to learn some valuable life lessons. The actuality is that I am here to be discipled and to disciple and through that process God will give me a degree anyway. But it's secondary.
I have noticed that God seems to go out of His way to ensure I drop any facade or fantasy about scoring perfectly on everything. There was a time I needed to print something for an assignment, but the library was booked until my class. Another time, I misread the format guide and was docked points for it. In other words, I am to have reasonable expectations here. Last night, I fellowshipped with someone in my dorm instead of doing an hour's worth of studying. God seemed content with my priorities. In truth, it didn't cost me everything, but that wasn't apparent at the time.
So yeah, I've managed to write a lot but hardly say anything. That's okay, though. If I am truly here to learn, He should do most of the talking anyway.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Maritimers' Group and Sunday School
When you think about it, life is just a series of moments that God holds together for us. I've read, heard, and certainly believe that we don't inhale a single breath without His sustaining grace. But just as we have voluntary and involuntary functions--unless you actually tell and direct your stomach in digesting food--so is life. Sometimes we can direct it willfully and sometimes all we can do is ride the wave. For me, I spent a massive chunk of my 29 years on hiding from life, but that didn't stop it from moving on without me. And now that I am, generally speaking, surrendered to God's will, things are happening. This morning was one of those milestones, but first I need to relate a praise note from yesterday.
12 September 2009
A few weeks before school started, I received an email from a kind man of God named Tony. He was a Maritimer living in Caronport who happened to be on staff at Briercrest. In his message he indicated that he hosts a weekly group for Maritimers and invited me to join. And so we convened for the first time this year for brunch at his place. I met his wife Gwen and a bunch of seasoned pros; I think me and another fellow were the only news ones in attendance. Altogether we were about 12, though his message noted that there are roughly 30 people on campus from the Maritimes. Anyway, it was a great blessing to meet the group, and I am certain I will have occasion this year to share some memories with them. After brunch we played a few outdoor games to break the ice. We also spotted a colony of ladybugs that had claimed a tree in his backyard. We're talking hundreds. After that I returned home and did a bit of reading.
It bears mentioning that I also went to Moose Jaw with JP and Mike and purchased a Brita, a tea kettle, and some coffee mix. Instant coffee might not compare to Starbucks, but I will need a more cost effective fix if I'm going to make ends meet this year. I'm actually enjoying my first cup as I write this. The Lord is good, ya?
13 September 2009
Although I had planned to hitch a ride to church with one of my profs, I had been unable to contact him this weekend, so I made other arrangements through Pastor Dyan to get to First Free Methodist in Moose Jaw. I do hope I will have an opportunity to bounce around a bit re: carpooling, because I do want to get to know my prof better, as well as some other families that commute from Caronport. But for this morning I was blessed to make the trek through the kindness of Rob and Jenny and their three kids. (You'll note I don't use last names here out of respect, but I wish I could make them more known to you; they are all delightful people.)
When we arrived there, I was escorted by Pastor Wade to my new classroom. Having chatted with Pastor Dyan about the lesson plan they'd followed over the last three years, it was unofficially decided that I would facilitate a very informal but intentional class that centres on the prophets. Those of you who know me already understand what an anomaly I am, but Isaiah to Malachi is my favourite chunk of Scripture. My goal was not to be so curriculum-based, so I decided that I would try to convey a sense of wonder and therefore wrote God's message to Belshazzar (Daniel 5) on the white board... in Aramaic. I then invited them to tell me what it was, and some very astute responses noted that one of the words appears twice. (I had been forewarned that they were a keen bunch, and it was no lie!) We then discussed the back story a bit, and we considered what it would have been like to be sitting in a banquet hall and have that appear without a human agent. This sort of approach is what I want to pursue this year. Of course, I can't "teach" someone the Bible; that's the Holy Spirit's job, exclusively. But if we can engage in some critical thinking, I believe we can all grow and spur one another on. (Seriously, these teens are so adept that they will teach me more than I teach them; trust me.)
We then discussed what precisely we'd like to study, and the mob response was, strangely enough, Revelation. And if we can sort of pull back a bit here, as I did this morning, it would be very entertaining for me to transport myself back in time and ask James circa secular 2007 how he'd feel about studying the Book of Revelation with a bunch of teens in Moose Jaw.
So yeah, I am psyched for this year. Truly. I feel like I've been blessed with the best Sunday school class in the world, and you just couldn't convince me otherwise. We will be tackling a section of the Bible that I had hoped could wait until next year--we really ought to study Daniel, Zechariah, the parables of the kingdom, select Psalms, and so on, before tackling this. But after the church service Pastor Dyan mentioned to me that many of them would graduate in spring and then move on to other pastures, so I will endeavour to meet the curiosity head on. Speaking of that, we had one strapping young fellow who very politely indicated he might not make it very often, on account of how early class is. I asked him if he'd be more enticed to come if we acted out a lot of these battles and sieges, to which the whole group responded enthusiastically. So if you're trying through Moose Jaw one Sunday morning, and you see a bald, bearded guy playing war with a bunch of Nerf toys and some older teens, we're probably just there in body. In spirit, we could be on Mount Carmel or on our way to exile in Babylon. But the next week we'll be back in the classroom diving into how those events pertain to the great apocalyptic masterpiece of the New Testament. Because, in all conceivable (to me) ways, God has chosen this for me during this phase of my life. And based on everything I know, He's chosen the best for me.
'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)
12 September 2009
A few weeks before school started, I received an email from a kind man of God named Tony. He was a Maritimer living in Caronport who happened to be on staff at Briercrest. In his message he indicated that he hosts a weekly group for Maritimers and invited me to join. And so we convened for the first time this year for brunch at his place. I met his wife Gwen and a bunch of seasoned pros; I think me and another fellow were the only news ones in attendance. Altogether we were about 12, though his message noted that there are roughly 30 people on campus from the Maritimes. Anyway, it was a great blessing to meet the group, and I am certain I will have occasion this year to share some memories with them. After brunch we played a few outdoor games to break the ice. We also spotted a colony of ladybugs that had claimed a tree in his backyard. We're talking hundreds. After that I returned home and did a bit of reading.
It bears mentioning that I also went to Moose Jaw with JP and Mike and purchased a Brita, a tea kettle, and some coffee mix. Instant coffee might not compare to Starbucks, but I will need a more cost effective fix if I'm going to make ends meet this year. I'm actually enjoying my first cup as I write this. The Lord is good, ya?
13 September 2009
Although I had planned to hitch a ride to church with one of my profs, I had been unable to contact him this weekend, so I made other arrangements through Pastor Dyan to get to First Free Methodist in Moose Jaw. I do hope I will have an opportunity to bounce around a bit re: carpooling, because I do want to get to know my prof better, as well as some other families that commute from Caronport. But for this morning I was blessed to make the trek through the kindness of Rob and Jenny and their three kids. (You'll note I don't use last names here out of respect, but I wish I could make them more known to you; they are all delightful people.)
When we arrived there, I was escorted by Pastor Wade to my new classroom. Having chatted with Pastor Dyan about the lesson plan they'd followed over the last three years, it was unofficially decided that I would facilitate a very informal but intentional class that centres on the prophets. Those of you who know me already understand what an anomaly I am, but Isaiah to Malachi is my favourite chunk of Scripture. My goal was not to be so curriculum-based, so I decided that I would try to convey a sense of wonder and therefore wrote God's message to Belshazzar (Daniel 5) on the white board... in Aramaic. I then invited them to tell me what it was, and some very astute responses noted that one of the words appears twice. (I had been forewarned that they were a keen bunch, and it was no lie!) We then discussed the back story a bit, and we considered what it would have been like to be sitting in a banquet hall and have that appear without a human agent. This sort of approach is what I want to pursue this year. Of course, I can't "teach" someone the Bible; that's the Holy Spirit's job, exclusively. But if we can engage in some critical thinking, I believe we can all grow and spur one another on. (Seriously, these teens are so adept that they will teach me more than I teach them; trust me.)
We then discussed what precisely we'd like to study, and the mob response was, strangely enough, Revelation. And if we can sort of pull back a bit here, as I did this morning, it would be very entertaining for me to transport myself back in time and ask James circa secular 2007 how he'd feel about studying the Book of Revelation with a bunch of teens in Moose Jaw.
So yeah, I am psyched for this year. Truly. I feel like I've been blessed with the best Sunday school class in the world, and you just couldn't convince me otherwise. We will be tackling a section of the Bible that I had hoped could wait until next year--we really ought to study Daniel, Zechariah, the parables of the kingdom, select Psalms, and so on, before tackling this. But after the church service Pastor Dyan mentioned to me that many of them would graduate in spring and then move on to other pastures, so I will endeavour to meet the curiosity head on. Speaking of that, we had one strapping young fellow who very politely indicated he might not make it very often, on account of how early class is. I asked him if he'd be more enticed to come if we acted out a lot of these battles and sieges, to which the whole group responded enthusiastically. So if you're trying through Moose Jaw one Sunday morning, and you see a bald, bearded guy playing war with a bunch of Nerf toys and some older teens, we're probably just there in body. In spirit, we could be on Mount Carmel or on our way to exile in Babylon. But the next week we'll be back in the classroom diving into how those events pertain to the great apocalyptic masterpiece of the New Testament. Because, in all conceivable (to me) ways, God has chosen this for me during this phase of my life. And based on everything I know, He's chosen the best for me.
'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Sunday School Position
I know from yesterday that this post will appear as if I submitted it on Saturday. That's because I haven't changed the settings on my profile to reflect my new time zone. I sort don't want to do that in case it will adjust all the timestamps on my blog, so I'll just make it clear that all references to "this morning" refer to 11 September 2009.
So yeah, the interview I wrote about last night. It was fantastic. I met with Pastor Dyan of the First Free Methodist Church in Moose Jaw. We shared our testimonies and talked theology for a while, and I suppose the very title of this post is suggestive enough that I might as well state for the record that she offered me the teaching gig. What needs to be most emphasized is the fact that, in spite of my absolute sloth and procrastination, God recognized my need to be involved (for personal, spiritual, and program requirement reasons) and came through. Without re-reading yesterday's post, which may or may not have made this point clear, I only came into this position because one of my profs announced it to our History of Christianity class on Tuesday. I was the only one who bit on the chomp, but I immediately felt that God was speaking to me and me alone. (God, unlike people, isn't ambiguous.)
I am stoked for several reasons. First, though Pastor Dyan and I share similar theological stances, our particular interests are miles apart. She's passionate about the New Testament; I'm passionate about the Old. She gravitates away from the Prophets, whereas I've spent nearly two years digging and wrestling with that portion of Scripture. So basically, there is virtually no risk of me covering territory that class has studied over the last few years. (Do you get a sense that God's view of our lives is so much more complete than our tunnel vision?)
So the plan for Sunday is for me to meet with the class, consisting of mid- to late-teens, and deciding on a game plan for this semester. If all goes well, I hope to serve in this role at the church for the three remaining years I'll be completing my BA. I may be here beyond that, but the plan is to get tapped in at a local church and grow that way. Aside from my studies (or perhaps more important than), serving God is the reason I'm here at this time in my life. God knew where I fit in, and so He saved me a lot of frustration and report writing and dealing with the Field Education coordinators. Not to mention guesswork. So yeah, let this praise note be as self-evident as it seems from my vantage point. I prayed for Him to find me a place, and He was quick to respond. We serve a living God who cares for His flock, not some otherworldly conceptual god that dies with the philosophers who invent it.
Another praise note before I sign off tonight: I had a pretty great chat with one of the dorm students who lives across from me. We shared our testimonies and I felt so encouraged and healthy in doing that. God has truly immersed me in a healthy, vibrant community, and as much as I miss everyone back home, He's made the transition as smooth as He could. Sure, I had a cold this week, and I lost some sleep, and there were lots of forms and seminars and workshops and errands... but when you get right down to it, all we have are our relationships with the Lord. Sometimes we allow the details to get in the way. I pray we all learn to lean on Him for everything and, in so doing, realize our purpose in life: to bring Him glory.
So yeah, the interview I wrote about last night. It was fantastic. I met with Pastor Dyan of the First Free Methodist Church in Moose Jaw. We shared our testimonies and talked theology for a while, and I suppose the very title of this post is suggestive enough that I might as well state for the record that she offered me the teaching gig. What needs to be most emphasized is the fact that, in spite of my absolute sloth and procrastination, God recognized my need to be involved (for personal, spiritual, and program requirement reasons) and came through. Without re-reading yesterday's post, which may or may not have made this point clear, I only came into this position because one of my profs announced it to our History of Christianity class on Tuesday. I was the only one who bit on the chomp, but I immediately felt that God was speaking to me and me alone. (God, unlike people, isn't ambiguous.)
I am stoked for several reasons. First, though Pastor Dyan and I share similar theological stances, our particular interests are miles apart. She's passionate about the New Testament; I'm passionate about the Old. She gravitates away from the Prophets, whereas I've spent nearly two years digging and wrestling with that portion of Scripture. So basically, there is virtually no risk of me covering territory that class has studied over the last few years. (Do you get a sense that God's view of our lives is so much more complete than our tunnel vision?)
So the plan for Sunday is for me to meet with the class, consisting of mid- to late-teens, and deciding on a game plan for this semester. If all goes well, I hope to serve in this role at the church for the three remaining years I'll be completing my BA. I may be here beyond that, but the plan is to get tapped in at a local church and grow that way. Aside from my studies (or perhaps more important than), serving God is the reason I'm here at this time in my life. God knew where I fit in, and so He saved me a lot of frustration and report writing and dealing with the Field Education coordinators. Not to mention guesswork. So yeah, let this praise note be as self-evident as it seems from my vantage point. I prayed for Him to find me a place, and He was quick to respond. We serve a living God who cares for His flock, not some otherworldly conceptual god that dies with the philosophers who invent it.
Another praise note before I sign off tonight: I had a pretty great chat with one of the dorm students who lives across from me. We shared our testimonies and I felt so encouraged and healthy in doing that. God has truly immersed me in a healthy, vibrant community, and as much as I miss everyone back home, He's made the transition as smooth as He could. Sure, I had a cold this week, and I lost some sleep, and there were lots of forms and seminars and workshops and errands... but when you get right down to it, all we have are our relationships with the Lord. Sometimes we allow the details to get in the way. I pray we all learn to lean on Him for everything and, in so doing, realize our purpose in life: to bring Him glory.
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