Re-Thinking How We Do Church: The Next Leg Of Our Journey
What's Next For Us?
Have you ever had one of those epiphany moments? You know, one of those moments when all of a sudden everything seems clear to you, and you know exactly what needs to be done? I had one of those moments about eight months ago, while sitting in a seminar on the missional church being led by Alan Hirsch at Tyndale College and Seminary in Toronto. It was a powerful moment, but like many epiphanies, it was also a frightening moment.
Let me explain what I mean.
The church community I’m a part of is a fairly small group of people. Some of our group are left over from a church that imploded and shrunk from a little over two hundred down to about twenty five, or so. The rest of our group is made up of people who were looking for a more missionally minded church community to serve with. We meet in the church building that was owned by the church that imploded, and the reality is, it is far too big for us, and we have a hard time affording the upkeep on it. The other problem with the facility is that it is located in an industrial area in the city with a cement factory, and two trucking companies as our neighbours. Read more…
I’m Not Dead Yet!
Gotta love Monty Python!
I know it’s been a while since I posted anything here, but I promise I’m not dead, or anything so sinister. The church I pastor is in the process of selling our building and stepping out into a new chapter of our story, and I’ve been a little busy with that whole process. I am hoping to post a bit of an update about the journey we’re embarking on in the next day or so, so stay tuned.
Blessings,
Re-Post: A Raw Self-Evaluation From Chris Yambar
Chris and Gene Simmons
My friend Robin pointed me to another friend’s blog recently. Chris Yambar is an absolute riot to hang around, and always keeps you laughing, but he is also one of those guys that challenges and convicts you just by being who he is. I definitely think it’s worth your time to take a few minutes to read his latest blog post.
Check it out: thechrisyambarshow.blogspot.com
From Chris’s blog: “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately. Been listening to the voices from the past and feeling the breath of change as it flows through me. There’s been a lot of miles on this frame. A lot of energy and pain have passed through this vessel. I’ve had more adventure than most in this life and in truth, I’ve probably experienced more joy and happiness than legally allowable. There’s a balance on the threshing floor.”
Learning to Live Like Little Children
Nothing like fresh snow.
Last night Barrie, where I live, got its first real snowfall of the season. This morning my boys couldn’t wait to get their snow suits on and head out to play in all the fresh snow. I love watching them rolling around in it, chasing each other with it, and letting their imaginations run wild as they play. I wonder if that’s how God feels when he watches us? I wonder if that’s why he said we should be like them?
Re-Post: 10 Commandments of Scripture Interpretation
Tricky to understand.
The bible can be a tricky book to understand sometimes, so when I read this post by Skye Jethani I thought it was worth re-posting. There’s some great practical advice here for reading, interpreting and understanding the scriptures. I hope you find it helpful.
A Great Re-Post
This is from a blog I follow called, “The Ongoing Adventures of ASBO Jesus.” It was so good, I had to re-post it.
How to Tell A Friend They’ve Crossed the Line
The American Idol Phenomenon
I’m not sure if this is okay to say or not, but I really don’t like watching American Idol. I don’t mind watching the last few episodes of the season, you know the part where everyone left can actually sing on key, but I can’t stand watching the auditions at the beginning of the season. I know that a lot of people enjoy watching the tone deaf people doing their best impersonation of a alley cat in heat trying desperately to impress the judges, but it just hurts my ears too much. Read more…
Just What Does it Mean to Chase Jesus?
Why does it seem so hard to chase Jesus sometimes?
This past weekend I got the chance to speak at a youth retreat for the Eastern Canadian District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It was a great opportunity, and I had a blast challenging the students to saturate themselves with the person of Jesus Christ. During one of the teachings I mentioned that I like the term “chasing Jesus.” In all honesty, I was really just looking for a way to plug my blog, but it was relevant at least to what I was teaching on. It did get me thinking about my blog though; I’m not sure when the last time I talked about why this blog is called “chasing Jesus” was. So what, exactly, do I mean by it? Read more…
When God Seems Distant
When I can't find God.
So the other day I was reading through some of the Psalms and I came across one I hadn’t read in a while and it got me thinking. What are we supposed to do when we don’t feel like God really cares much about us, or about what’s going on in our lives? What do we do when God seems distant? David seems to think that we’re supposed to let him know how we feel. Read more…
Book Review: “Resonate” by Nancy Duarte
Resonate by Nancy Duarte
I believe that preaching is an art form, and that it should be treated as such by those who practice it.
I know that sounds harsh, but don’t forget, I am speaking to myself here. I realise that there are so many demands on preachers time and energy these days, and it is tempting some times to just phone it in, but we can’t. We need to always try to be better. We need to always bring our best. That’s why I thought I’d do a quick book review of Nancy Duarte’s new book, Resonate. Read more…