I was out at the lumber yard this morning. Some of you are probably asking why. I am currently picking up some work on the side helping one of our staff members dry wall his basement. It is good work for my soul, as long as I don't have to measure too much. Exact sciences are not some of my spiritual gifts. Any way, I noticed this morning as I approached one of the clerks I automatically used the word "sir". This made for a very harsh response that puzzled me. I instantly remembered some other encounters with Canadians here that yielded the same result. They are very offended by that term that I use as a sign of respect. It's all really funny to me, but these people get really mad.
Here in Vancouver we are all currently suffering due to the strike that is going on. The city workers have been on strike now for at least two months while negotiations are going on. What this really means is that no trash service is happening and garbage is everywhere. It really stinks especially on hot days. I imagine they will get things resolved at some point, but as for now things are piling up all over. Image a major city with over two months of trash filling the streets and alleyways. I hope someone gives in.
This morning Carrie and I went for a jog at a nearby park with a dirt track going around it. It was so beautiful. There was a light breeze, the sun was out, and there were people all around enjoying life. There were people walking their dogs and children playing soccer. Other folks were out walking with no agenda. What is so great about Vancouver is that there are people from all over. I could hear the soccer coach yelling out commands to his team and I could tell he was from some South American country. It was great to see all sorts of people from so many different nations enjoying the Saturday morning.
This made me think of Jesus saying that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. I think that at certain moments or points our world and heaven overlap and we can almost seem to smell something perfect. One other group in the park this morning that I failed to mention was a group of special needs people or handicap enjoying the beautiful day with a little bit of exercise. They were being led through a few stretches and a light jog around. It made me feel like nothing else matters in the world. At that moment all of the darkness had lifted and things seemed to almost taste sweet. I love it when that happens.
This is a tough word. Where does it come from? Are we all compassionate? Since being in this city I have really struggled with what it means to have compassion for someone. To some extent I feel that compassion is something that drives us to act in situations of injustice or suffering. I am trying to sort this out in my head. Especially when I read the gospels in the bible in certain passages the author writes that Jesus had compassion and then he healed whatever the ailment. The bible doesn't always say this before Jesus heals someone. I think of how Jesus reaches out and touches people with leprosy and heals them. That is crazy. I know that I would have a tough time touching someone like that. I feel that having true compassion for the injustice and suffering in the world pushes us into action. Without it we could easily walk on by and forget about someone hurting.
That's right I feel like God has so many reasons for us to be here. God is shaping our hearts here. I know God is giving us a passion or vision for things to come. I see others lives changing as well. I am so exctited to see what is going to happen in our lives as we continually submit to his will. I have to be honest and say that things here in Vancouver are not very enjoyable all the time. We feel often that we are missing out on what is going on back home in those important relationships. Time is going fast and I feel that we are being equipped for something else to come. I want to display God by the joy that he gives me and not be held back by anything. How great would it be to constantly be joyful.
I am just shocked and amazed to think about how much stuff there is to do in the world. I am not complaining or overwhelmed by it all. Well maybe I am to some extent because I could be complaining that we are not doing enough in the world or that we are blind and many of the worlds big issues should not have happened in the first place. On a brighter note. I take comfort in that I never have to really worry about what to do. There is always something. I know this sounds wierd but there is always something to be done or pursued. God says that there will always be the poor. That is a good one to pursue or solve certain issues. So as Christians always know that there is something to do in the world.
Today I ventured into something new on my list of things that I can do okay. On Thursday I led worship for the first time. It was crazy. I really enjoyed it. It was definately difficult because I am not the most musically talented dude on the planet. I felt that if it were going to be the least bit engaging and not distracting it would have to be led by the holy spirit. I feel that it was. I did make many mistakes, but hopefully it wasn't too bad.
I am learning that I am fighting myself in so many ways. Feelings of inadequacy keep me from doing or trying so many things in life. That is a shame. I should not buy into those lies. None of us should. We would never do anything. There are so many biblical examples of people who are not adequate but God uses them anyway. Look at the disciples and how they were not the best of the best to follow a Rabbi. Not even close. Or Moses who felt that he was not good enough to speak to people and God was angered badly. It says in Exodus that God's anger burned. Ouch. I wouldn't want to tick God off like that. Although it is hard, if God is calling us to do something let's not let ourselves get in the way. Easier said than done I know.
I love the weekends when I have no agenda. Not that weekends aren't enjoyable when I have things to do. There is just something so wonderful about having a couple of days to catch up on reading, chores, or just enjoy the time by taking a walk or something. We need to take time to catch our breath in life. Things shouldn't always be about work or some agenda. God also wants us to enjoy life and each other. This is not always easy to do in a world of excessive stimulation and endless things to DO. I recognize I am constantly searching for a balance in life. I think that this will always be a constant struggle.
Canadians are not all that different. I mean we live right next to each other on the same continent. As I am living life in this country I am finding that there is some sort of strange underlying tension between Canadian people and America. They don't dislike me personally, but you can clearly tell that they feel that they are certainly superior at times. There does seem to be a stereotyping of US citizens. Apparently Canadians feel like American people are wasteful, uneducated, and just stupid. I'll be honest, that is getting really old. I really don't mind what opinion people have about our country, but the jokes are getting old. Canadians just need to lighten up and have some fun in life. Can't we all just get along. I don't see what the big deal is.
We are currently in the inviting posture of our time here in Vancouver.
To recap for everyone. We started with listening. How do we listen to God and what is he saying to us individually and as a community? The second posture was Submerge. What does it mean to submerge into a culture as Jesus did? Big questions and good to think through with others and try to live out.
So inviting. The challenge we are working through in life and discussion is what are we invited into with God and just what are we inviting others into with us? Sounds simple right.
Some of the struggles I have with this question is that I should make Christianity appealing to others. The fact of the matter is that living out our faith is not always fun or attractive. It can be down right hard and anything but enjoyable. What is in it for us? Joy or deeper sense of a purpose in life maybe...
One way I interpret God's invitation to us is that he invites us to share in his Glory. Partly here on earth, but the fullest extent at Christ's returning. I will let you know of any new revelations on this one.
Hey all. I am now back from Washington. I had the opportunity to visit a youth retreat camp where one of our staff members was the guest speaker. The weekend was a great opportunity to visit the good ole US of A. Although I had to sleep in the seventh grade bunk I had a great time. It was relaxing to get out of the city and share a little bit about my life with some younger generations and older generations. The youth leaders there were really fantastic. Even though America seems to be a place of excessive materialism and waste, I really miss being around Americans at times.
I also got to make a stop in Seattle and see some of the city on our way home. So now I am getting back into the week and what God has for our lives here in Vancouver. What a journey. Rest is something that I am still constantly trying to catch up on. As I go through this journey I am trying to always put into practice what we are learning and reading here in this experience for a life long ministry. May God remove the scales from my eyes so that I may see clearer. The journey is the destination...
Hey folks. I just got my computer back yesterday and it seems to be working great. Mac just handed me over a new battery with no questions asked. I thought I would have to put up a fight. I really would rather just do things the easy way. It doesn't always happen that way though.
I wanted to tell you all about a friend of mine that I have made since coming here to Vancouver. His name is Dance and he is a first nations homeless man here. He has claimed the corner of commercial drive and kitchener. Not too long ago he was sleeping one morning on his corner and a large semi came up on the sidewalk and ran over Dance's feet. The truck crushed his feet and leaving one foot with a large open wound, which has gotten severely infected since that morning. The truck driver took off without even turning back. Since then Dance has gotten a lot of attention from news and doctors and lawyers and people walking down the street. Some give him money and time or whatever.
How do we respond as christians? Especially Christians that live right next door. The best I can come up with is to first of all see to it that justice is being carried out by making sure things are put right. Beyond justice there are things that need immediate attention and care. For example he is lying on the street and it is hard to go get food or drink. I don't feel responsible to do that twenty four seven because one thing I havn't mentioned about Dance is that he actually does have housing, but chooses to stay on the street. I think we often get too caught up in that stuff and miss needs that we can help with at the time. There are always needs to have met. The greater challenge is making sure things are made right. As Christians we should seek justice in our community and not just medicating our problems. How do we stop things from happening?
As some of you may know, in recent past a dear friend of ours left the community in Vancouver to embark on another direction in life. That event stirred a lot of different things in me for many reasons I feel. I was really amazed what God did with our four months living and journeying together. I was blown away with how differently we can care for someone when we live in close quarters with them. Any way, what I'm getting at here is that since our friend left our immediate community life here I have felt a large void since I am the only male presence here. I am finding that I am having a hard time with this.
So how does this change things for me exactly? I feel that I need to create more close relationships with other guys. I probably should have done this before now, but I am finding just how imortant it is to have other outlets and influences that are good solid guys. As men we need our guy time to just hang out or drink a good beer. I also find that I must take another look at my relationships with the women in our community. All of a sudden I feel like an outcast amongst all this estrogen. Women are great, but I just feel like there are barriers that as a man I can't cross. This poses an interesting question when living in a community. How much do you share between a married man and single women in a community? This means like emotions and struggles and such. I don't know why it took me being the only guy here to think about these questions, but I guess I always had another guy to bounce things off of.
I love waking up a little later on Tuesday mornings. It is great to sleep in a little and see Carrie of to her place of ministry. Then for the next few hours I get to read, play guitar, make lunch, and email. I love it. Then from noon on out I spend my time and energy giving myself to community, friends, and ministry. I go to a pottery studio for people off the streets called Just Potters. This is a place for people to come who cannot get normal employment otherwise. There they can make a wage making pottery pieces to be sold as handmade pottery. They do a great job taking time for each piece and making it look great. Great enough people want to put it in their homes. I get to work along side people making pieces with intensions of making more than a nice dish or something, but meaningful relationships for God to do what he wants with.
Then from there I go straight to the downtown eastside (poorest postal code in Canada) where there is a great deal of hurting, drug use, and people dying of hiv and hepatitis. This is a place of great suffering and despair. I get to go down and give my time at Jacobs Well (www.jacobswell.ca). This is a place wherer the whole goal is to be intentional about creating deep relationships in the lives of those on the downtown eastside. These people may not have anyone who cares for them otherwise. On Tuesday evenings we sit down with our friends and have a meal together around the table; which is sacred in this communtiy. This is because around the table all identity falls away and we all can share life and it's experiences. Our hope is to give people some dignity and community which they lack otherwise.
We had a community Monday meal this evening where we all get together and enjoy one another and have great food, conversation, and sometimes games. Usually the food is always great. Tonight was no exception. A big piece of red meat never makes me too angry. It was delicious. I am spending the rest of the night reflecting and reading.
I am finding that I have become more sensitive to noise as a result of living in the city. I do not like hearing every car that goes by and every person that walks down the street talking to someone. I'm not sure how people live in the city for a long period of time. All of this noise and distraction make me want to retreat to the wilderness in search of peace and quiet. People are great, but sometimes I feel that everyone needs to get away and experience the beauty of what God created. The scenery and lanscapes here are so amazing. I could spend weeks out in the woods and mountains here. I absolutely love all of the natural beauty here. It does something inside you to be close to the mountains. It makes you feel so much smaller it humbles you in a way. God is so big and can do anything at any moment.
As many of you know my wife and I have been living and doing life with others in the great city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Here God is continually challening us with questions on how to live out the gospel in a different culture. We are making the most of our time here seeking out what God would have for us to learn about ourselves, others, and the world around us. It is very uncommon to have a time in life to go through the hard questions about sprituality while living in community with other brothers and sisters of Christ. Community is not always easy, but it does allow us to live together, and by doing so we find ourselves loving in ways we never thought we were capable of. Crazy things happen through community with one another. Not that we are all called to live in a house full of strangers, but God does desire for us to have close community with others, because we can't do it alone. Individually we are only a small piece of the body.