"Once a Wildcat Always a Wildcat."

I've been asked recently why I have taken the time to be the Chaplain of the Edmonton Wildcat Junior Football Team. People have come up to me and asked, "When in your schedule are you going to fit this in?" "Why a football team and why be a chaplain?" These questions were ones that I have been thinking about for a while now, and as time passed my thoughts became clearer and reasons became more apparent. 

You see when first asked by our Team President if I would consider this

opportunity it was the excitement and the thrill of being close once again to the action that caught my attention. The dirt, the fight, and the victories were all a great motivation to join the team and honestly this still thrills me. As the team prepares for battle my heart prepares with them. As the game struggle begins and the team breaks through to victories my spirit is carried along, challenged by every setback, saddened by every injury and thrilled by every touchdown.

But now a new motivation is beginning to take precedence. You see, over the past year I have been honoured to be able to work along side, or meet the Wildcats from past and present. Men of honour, dedicated to each other, and to a common goal. Men who know the challenges that lie before them but without hesitation step into the fight, step up to the challenge and push through to victory. 

Now you might surmise that I am solely speaking about the football games with all their drama and excitement, but I'm not. 

Rather, I am speaking about the men of integrity that I have met in this city who have, at one time, been a Wildcat. Businessmen, lawyers, bankers and civic leaders all who at one time wore either the Edmonton Wildcat or the Edmonton Maple Leaf Jersey.

Leaders... Men among men with names like Marco, Ryan and Dave and of course Big Al all speak to us. Men whose legacy lives on beyond the time in uniform, beyond the 60 minutes on a field, to the time when they would carry those around them forward into the future. 

Men who give more then they ever expect to get back. Men who have lived their lives for others. 
Men who have sacrificed in the hope that another would win. Hmm somehow these attributes seem familiar. Almost Christ-like.

It is for these men that I stand on the sidelines and offer my heart to the new team of men. It is for the greatest leader who ever lead a team of men that I do what I do. It is for those who have come before that I give my all to encourage the team, support the team but above all pray for the team as this years men suit-up

You see the Wildcats (Maple Leafs)...

... have not solely been in the business of making a football team... 

...but rather making real men who play football... 

...and while they are at it, win championships. 

So as we are about to once again put on the pads and take the field. I call on the men of renown, the Wildcats of Old to once again rise up and call out these young men to the legacy that is theirs for the taking. Join us in battle once again, and challenge us from the stands. Further, I call on the team of today to answer the call and find within themselves the character and integrity that it means to be a wildcat. Then we will be men among boys... remember...

Oh yeah... that is why I'm a Wildcat!

The Wood Anthology - the beginning

Winston Churchill the great leader and Prime Minister of the British Empire was once asked "what was your greatest accomplishment?" What was the one thing that he considered the greatest single thing that he was able to do with his life? 

Here was his response...

"My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me." Winston Churchill 

Now to some, this statement may be difficult to understand. Some may read it and not recognize just what is the depth of this statement. Allow me to give you my thoughts on this. 26 years ago I persuaded Julie Young to "take a flyer" or "bet on a long shot". For some reason she agreed and the story of David and Julie began. Along the way discoveries were made and truths uncovered, and together the tale was woven into the amazing tapestry of God's truths.

The Wood Anthology - the beginning

Humbly at first, there were two young people who simply believed. Believed in a loving God and a plan that just needed to be walked out. So walk they did. First to London, the land of discovery and the place where their adventure was first challenged. An evening listening to the whispers from the Lord and the crackling of a fire... a school burning to the ground.  

Faith and Faithfulness is forged not simply found.  

Fire is needed and fire we had.

Theirs is an epic tale of trial and challenge, vision and passion. Yes there is passion, but that tale is for other eyes only. But I digress... above all else it is a tale of God's amazing grace extended to a young man and woman. The tale of a kind, patience girl who along with God transforms a young "whipper snapper" into a respected church leader and man of God. 

My working title is, "If she could see me now...my mother-in-law would not believe her eyes." 

Faith is not ever what you see but what God sees.

Oh don't misinterpret this description this indeed is an epic tale. Complete with all the memorable characters from classic literature. There is the thoughtful wise elders guiding the couple on their journey, the family members coming alone side for a time, and the comic relief characters that are added to the troupe to keep the story moving along. Clearly, their influence cannot be under valued for they were the road markers that pointed the way when the road became overgrown or too dark to see. With two ears and one mouth our next discovery was found.

Faith grows only when you listen twice as much as you speak.

As the old maps say "Here... there be dragons". Huge, vicious dragons. Not the ones of modern tales, friendly and wise but those of ancient literature, evil and full of rage. Here the journey dives into the dark times, times of fear and distress; hospitals and surgeries, problems and pain. Dragons rose out of the pit to destroy all but mostly to burn the heart of love and faith that was growing in their hearts. All this is a part of this tale too, all of this exists to purify the faith that has been placed there by God. Each dragon released and designed by God, the author of this tale, for the perfection of the couple. But through it all there is the grace of God and the love of a girl and boy for each other that breaks the greatest obstacle and kills the largest dragon.

Faith must be tested or it will never really be faith at all.

So as I sit and reflect on this epic tale my heart and mind goes back to the statement from Winston Churchill, truly the greatest single accomplishment that I did in my life was to kneel in the snow, open a small box and hear those amazing words...Yes Dave...I will marry you.

Thank you Julie for 26 amazing years, I'm looking forward to the next chapter in this tale. If this blog feels unfinished...that is because, it is...

Take Time to Smell the Sap.

My father in law once said that a summer's duration is directly proportional to the length of time we have spent on the planet. You know... when you were a small child summer lasted forever... because it was a small percentage of the whole, but as time passed the percentage decreased and with it our perceived length of the  summer months.

Well no better example of that is demonstrated to me then this photograph. 

This is a shot taken of my home in Edmonton, Looking out the front window of that home at a very special place. Except that that place no longer exists. Now don't get me wrong, the home still stands complete with its new exterior, straight walk and fresh coat of paint, but this place...does not. To the untrained eye it simply looks like a poorly kept front yard, with a poorly built bench and badly laid brickwork, but that my friend would be to the untrained eye, for this place was much more.

This place was a special hidden sanctuary built by my father, to take him back to the mountains. Back to the place where God speaks clearly, and the world is at peace. 

You see here, my dad had carved out the inside of four large pine trees, removing their lower branches in order to build a place to just rest and think. Here he would sit and listen to the wind whistle through the pine needles and remember tall stands of Douglas firs on the west side of the continental divide. 

Here he would smell the sweet aroma of the pine sap as it slowly, ever so slowly dripped from the cut marks on the side of the trunk and remember being the first to blaze trails into lakes that were not even named on the map. 

Here, his friends, the squirrels and bunnies would visit and take him back to the grizzlies and cougars that would have visited his camp years earlier. 

Here my father could be at peace. 

That was nine years ago that I last sat in his sanctuary under the pines... nine years ago that we shared hiking stories while enjoying a iced tea in among those pillars. 

Now the summers that used to crawl by, flies. My children who only a moment ago were with Grampa under the trees, listening to the moment that the bear ran away with his camera, are now beginning to graduate from University and start their own adventures. And the place of peace and rest is no more.

Life is like that you know. Like the song says, you don't know what you've got til it's gone. Well now it's gone and with it memories are fading along with the smell of pine and the sound of the wind. 

But for a moment this summer let me encourage you to stop and smell the Pine, touch the bark, stick your fingers together with the sap, and look under the logs for the squirrel. It is then and only then that you will bring back those things that are most dear, even if only for a moment.

Have a great summer.

Waves. 

Waves. Small waves roll forward and then swiftly back. They roll on an ever changing bed of sand. The wind slowly gives up on pushing the clouds away and soon the waves are joined by droplets of rain. It's a beach. Just a beach. Just an ordinary, wet, cold, beach that looked perfectly safe. Then again, no beach is safe in 1944. 

The calm waters soon reflect the hue of grey steel. A landing craft. Then two. Then three. Then dozens. Waves. The ships are packed full with men, guns, equipment and desperation. The landing craft chugs along at an unwavering speed determined to carry the men in green to their adversaries in grey. The steel boats look like coffins and when the guns start firing, they are. 

The beach is hell. The onrushing soldiers trying to avoid the death stroke of a bullet to the chest. Most succeed, others fail. None of these attacking men feel like the "Great Arsenal of Democracy". None of the men in the blockhouses feel like "The Great Evil of our Time" either. They just feel either the need to survive, or the yearning to die. 

As the bullets whizz past the on rushers, slowly and steadily they gain ground. The defenders who had taken the lives of the men on the beach just seconds ago are now the object used for the bloody satisfaction of payback. And then the beach falls silent again, only interrupted by the faint cries of the dying and the wailing. 

4,200 lives. 4,200 families that have to be crushed. All of this for five miles of beach. five miles of beach that is covered with the dead. 

But that was 70 years ago. Why are we remembering that battle? We remember because of their bravery. We remember because of their immense sacrifice. We remember not to glorify their fight or to somehow endorse the death inflicted that day. We remember our fathers and grandfathers so that we do not send our sons to a similar conflict.

A Blog written by my son...David Andrew Vincent Wood (IX)

a grandson of a WWII Veteran, my dad...David Vincent Britten Wood.

 

We're all Vagabonds!

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater...

He sendth more strength when the labours increase...

to added affliction he added his mercy...

to multiplied trials his multiplied peace...

How often we see ourselves as not fitting in...
We wander aimlessly, as a Vagabond. By definition: a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job.  Oh I'm sure that does not describe your actual life but rather your spirit... are you restless?

Are you aware that God's love for you is not some disconnected passion that has nothing to do with your day to day living but is rather a practical love that is built around the person and character that God made...when he made you.

Often in this life we perceive God's love as something that happens right after, "Once Upon a Time..." and right before, "And they lived happily ever after..." 

But the truth is quite different. 

God's grace and love is more like... "it was during the big fight..." and "while they were noticing the bottom falling out."

God's grace is found in... "God wants me...not anything that I can do."

"You only hurt as much as you love, which to God is why he hurt so deeply."

"God's grace is poured out like Niagara. How can we now measure out our love"

How often we measure ourselves and find our lives measuring short of the requirements of the Word of God, short of the expectations of God's love, or the qualifications that would provide us some vain justification for claiming a living active relationship with a Holy God. Instead, we measure and find ourselves...wanting. Weak. 

And yet it is in this very state of weakness where we find the greatness of our Lord.

There is nothing on earth like the fellowship of losers found in the christian church. 
There is nothing like the poor, broken that have been called by name by a grace dispensing God.
There is nothing like the vagabonds and the human refuge that are rescued by the spirit of the Lord through his grace.

For each of us are losers (all have sinned and fallen short Romans 3:23) each of us are poor and broken ( "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners." Mark 2:17) each of us are the vagabonds and human refuge that God loves. ("Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"--and I am the worst of them all." 1 Tim 1:17)

We all have carried the weight of sin into and onto our lives...enough to condemn us to death and yet we have been given grace by our loving father. It's time to remember just what he has done....and who are are!

... and still loved!

You can be more than you are... 

but not more than you see!

How often we hear ourselves say, I can't do that, I can't reach that high, I can't continue, and I can't win! And yet if the truth would be known the only thing that restricts your ability to reach to the level of success that you want or the victory that you would like to achieve, is your ability to see the end from the beginning.

Vince Lombardi once said,
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.”

 Oh, I know what your thinking... Chappy is going off on some brain game to psych us into a great mindset that we can use this coming football season. But if that is your thinking your level of success is already established for you before you try. My desire writing today is to shake us out of the mindset of being a good football team. In the same way, I want to shake us out of the mindset of being a good person, a good parent, a good friend,  and move us into the world of the great!

Now I'm not describing a momentary change. I'm not describing a single decision that instantly changes the course of our lives and takes us from the place of safety to the place of victory? But rather an internal change, a paradigm shift that creates a new beginning in our core that will grow and change everything. (eventually)

Jim Collins the author of Good to Great says it this way.

"In each of these dramatic, remarkable, good-to-great corporate transformations, we found the same thing: There was no miracle moment. Instead, a down-to-earth, pragmatic, committed-to-excellence process—a framework—kept each company, its leaders, and its people on track for the long haul. In each case, it was the triumph of the Flywheel Effect over the Doom Loop, the victory of steadfast discipline over the quick fix. And the real kicker: The comparison companies in our study—firms with virtually identical opportunities during the pivotal years—did buy into the change myths described above—and failed to make the leap from good to great."

Real change is when we choose to own the change individually. When we each look deep into our lives and see the personal transformation that must occur that will facilitate our lives.

Jim Collins continues...

"Picture an egg. Day after day, it sits there. No one pays attention to it. No one notices it. Certainly no one takes a picture of it or puts it on the cover of a celebrity-focused business magazine. Then one day, the shell cracks and out jumps a chicken. 

All of a sudden, the major magazines and newspapers jump on the story: “Stunning Turnaround at Egg!” and “The Chick Who Led the Breakthrough at Egg!” From the outside, the story always reads like an overnight sensation—as if the egg had suddenly and radically altered itself into a chicken.
Now picture the egg from the chicken's point of view. 

While the outside world was ignoring this seemingly dormant egg, the chicken within was evolving, growing, developing—changing. From the chicken’s point of view, the moment of breakthrough, of cracking the egg, was simply one more step in a long chain of steps that had led to that moment. Granted, it was a big step—but it was hardly the radical transformation that it looked like from the outside."

Vince Lombardi said,

“You never win a game unless you beat the guy in front of you. The score on the board doesn’t mean a thing. That’s for the fans. You’ve got to win the war with the man in front of you. You’ve got to get your man.”

But as the Chaplain of the Wildcats and as a Pastor at WECA I would like us all to consider that the man in front of you is only clearly seen when we are standing in front of a mirror. Our greatest adversary is not some lineman on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage neither is it some person or situation that stands in opposition to your plans or endeavors but it is rather that individual who stares back at you when your brushing your teeth. He is the real challenge, he is the one who wants to settle, wants to just be good, get by, rest.

“If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.”
Vince Lombardi

So guys (everyone) as we set out into the season with the intention to win it all, take the time to tackle the man in the mirror. Don't let him allow you to settle for a life that would just make you good. Don't allow him to create an attitude that would give you an out. But rather tackle him, take him and hold him down until you have the character and the belief that you won't settle for good.

I'm with you guys until the final whistle... with you until we sing "that song" after the final down.

 Chappy (@wecadave)

THE BIBLE IS SCARY... AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT ANYMORE!

Recently we were blessed with an intense three week study on the book of Revelation. Three wise gentlemen who have studied the words of Christ as revealed to John for the largest component of their lives taught, shared and answered questions. 

After listening to three excellent explanations about the book, it's complexity and exciting stories, the listeners were confronted with a couple of clear thoughts. 

[1] Christ is the LORD and He is in charge, right to the very end of the age. 
[2] The book of revelation has a depth that is not easily plumbed on a glance or a mere scan. It is instead a book that must be unpacked with thoughtful and careful study and discussion. 
[3] The words of the book without thoughtful and careful discussion can be TOTALLY FRIGHTENING! 

It is with this last thought that I reflect on today. Here is the question... 

If a subject material is frightening to the listener because they do not yet have the understanding with which to decipher the truth through the complexity, should there be an obligation on the teacher not to teach in the hope that they would not offend or frighten the listener? 

Is the reaction of the listener the responsibility of the teacher, or spoken plainly, if the material is scary should the material not be spoken of at all?

This problem surfaced this week as a person who attended Sunday night's discussion on the last three chapters of revelation was so scared that they were going to be judged by God that they left the evening service feeling disconnected from the faith family and from the faith that they thought they knew. 

The faith that they thought they knew was a faith that God had promised to save their family if they only lived lives hard and pure enough to be accepted but God. A faith of works, hoping that the Lord would accept their efforts and therefore there family would in turn also be accepted. 

Now we know that the hell fire and brimstone messages of the previous century probably are not as readily accepted by the do not offend at any cost crowd of the North America today, but the message Sunday night was miles from the hell fire messages of yesteryear. It was many things but what I believe scared this sister was the message on the BEMA seat judgment or the judgment of the saints. 

That is the teaching that the saints of God upon welcome to heaven will be judged according to the opportunities achieved and lost.  

You know how it goes...a robe of white... a crown of gold... a harp... a home... a mansion fair.  

So what do you think? Should the crowds sensitivities determine the content of the messages from the pulpit or should if determine only the delivery. 

I would love to hear from you...
...is there a place for the bible to be scary?
 

I present for your inspection the 47th graduating class of Wee College...

It was very scarey when he first stepped into the room. Twenty other little people were already there, waiting with their Moms and Dads... waiting for the beginning of something that had never been done before. The nervous talk of the parents over shadowed his nervous shuffling feet. He noticed all of the other four and five year old kids of course but it did not make him feel any better. Motionless he stood, waiting. Not one of the other little people were talking or so much as moving as they hung onto hands, skirt hems and jacket sleeves waiting...waiting... 

"What are we doing here, mom...? I want to go home!" 
"Mom don't you leave me?"
"Should I cry?" 
" I need to pee..." 

All these and many other  thoughts were flooding into their hearts and minds.

Then suddenly, into the quietness of this little room in the second floor classroom she walked. Bright and smiling, "Hello everyone", she said, as she stepped into the room and shut the door. It was Mrs. Bright Smile... Her big bright smile on her face was there no doubt, but it was doing nothing to waylay his fears as all he could see was the door shutting and this person he had never met standing in front of the only exit.

"Hello everyone...", she repeated. No one moved, no one spoke, no one wanted to be there. His mother nudged him forward with the kind but clear direction that only his mother could create at a moments notice. "Say hello... you would not want to be rude would you?" his mom said, motioning for him to stand up and speak up, like he had always been taught to do...

"Hello..." the voice trailed off into silence as the energy behind that small greeting drained from his entire body and disappeared into a whisper and then onto the floor as his face dropped from view. It was clear now...Mom was going to leave him with her... Mom was going to leave him with this...with this...smiley person. Mrs. Bright Smile... too happy, he thought...way too happy. He would have none of it. Turning to face his mother and away from the smile... he wanted to run...he wanted to plead with his mother not do leave him there... to take him with her where ever she was going. And then through the emotion of that moment he heard two words that would forever change the course of his life.

Now don't let that statement wash over you with the assumption that the author is waxing on and exaggerating the magnitude of those two simple words, but listen closely as I say them again. Just as he was about to cry or hide in the folds of his mothers skirt, run or refuse to be left behind... two words were sounded that forever changed the direction of his life.

The words? Why... they seem silly to place such weight behind them. For all she said was..."LET'S SING"

Sing? Did she just say sing? Why he loved singing. "It was the best and most fun a person of four could have", he thought. He sang everyday. When he woke up he sang, and came into the kitchen to grab his breakfast, he sang. He sang as he played in the back yard or as he walked home from playschool he sang. Loudly and with his whole heart he sang... and now this smiling face was inviting all the little people to sing. The lure was too much, throwing caution away he quickly left his mothers side and he plunked himself down on the floor right at the feet of "Mrs. Bright Smile"  He looked up as she smiled down and nodded approvingly. 

"We're going to Wee College and we are gaining knowledge... learning from the precious word of God." 

"The B.I.B.L.E yes that's the book for me...I stand alone on the word of God... The B.I.B.L.E." 

The words came easily and the melodies even easier as he learned the new songs and then sung them back as clearly and brightly as he could. He was going to like this Mrs. Bright Smile after all he thought... 
after all... 
after all... 
after all...these years I find my eyes once again filling with tears as I remember the songs of Wee College. Written by Shirley Taitinger these songs still come back to my memory complete with hand actions. 

To others in that room that day. Becky Smith, Donna Foley, Rod Kroeker as well as many others, that very first Wee College ever taught was an experience that changed all their lives. For some it was through the memorization of scripture.  To others it was the fine lessons we watched and heard under the excellent teachers of that course. To yet others it was the fannel graphs, the latest colour ones illustrating the bible stories bringing many of the truths to light. Of course those lessons have stood the test of time and have provided each of them with the foundation upon which they built their lives. But it was the songs for me... the simple songs written by this amazing woman of God... It was those songs that I have sung down through the years imbedding them into my subconsciousness and into my story that points the way for me, even in the darkest times. 

It was many many years ago and three ladies from Central Pentecostal Tabernacle Church in Edmonton began a simple yet amazing program to teach little people the truths of the word of God. It was many many years ago when the first theme for Wee College was sounded. Shirley's themes have now echoed across the nation and around the world with clarity and passion. Echoed into the hearts of other little people, other musicians, other pastors and leaders, other men and women of God... in the making. But it was that day that my music, my knowledge and my spirit came to life. And that flame has not extinguished an ounce even to this day.

So with that said, allow me to say thank you to Shirley... When asked at the last general conference in Ottawa she said, "I really did not do much... I only wrote the songs." Not only Shirley... not only. 

Oh wow...look at the time... I can't believe all our minutes have moved so quickly by... it time for our good bye song... remember it everyone for it will help you each day this week until we meet to sing again...

"Wee College is almost over and we are going home....good bye... good bye...be always kind and good... good bye... good bye...be always kind and good."

WELCOME TO THE TEAM...?

Design vs Depression

Have you ever wondered why God has designed you the way that He has? Have you ever sat in front of a mirror and cursed the design that you see? Have you ever thought that God made a mistake when he placed you together and released you into this world?

When you read Psalm 139: 14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made your works are wonderful,  I know that full well." do you throw up a little bit in the back of your throat? Well if this is the case...welcome to THE TEAM. 

You know... THE TEAM!

THE TEAM of people who specialize in beating themselves up at a moments notice.
THE TEAM of people who believe that their lives do not measure up to the models of strength, spirituality, beauty or intelligence as those places in front of them daily.
THE TEAM of people who read this passage and curse the God who designed them the way that they are, wishing beyond hope that they were something else, someone else, or at least had some talent or ability other then what they have?

You will know you're on THE TEAM if... when you heard the parable of the talents, you assumed that you were either the one with the one talent or the one with few, and not the one with many talents. 

Well if this is you, I have some advise for you... YOU'RE ON THE WRONG TEAM. 

I remember the story of the gold medal winning duck who was looking to make varsity track and field team. The gun would sound and no matter how hard the duck tried to win, his small legs just could not move fast enough to reach anywhere near the speed of the rest of the squad. The duck worked out, bench pressed and try as much as he could but the race would be won by the rabbit and the cheetah every time. 

 His frustration only grew when he tried out for "Shot Put" but the boar with a simple flick of his snout was able to best the ducks distance by a whopping four yards. And he did not even try to best the high jump score of the kangaroo, somehow the kangaroo was able to sail over the bar with ease and the duck just knew that he would be disqualified if he so much as flapped his wings once...

Just as it is not right for a duck to be on the wrong team it would not be right for you to neglect the gifts that God has placed in you thinking instead that you simply don't measure up. 

God, the designer did not intend you to live your life with a downcast heart. Nor did he intend you to live your life wishing for more, wanting the gifts or ability of another. But God designed you to be fulfilled with the amazing and wonderful work that you are. Made fearfully and wonderfully. 

So as an encouragement to you today, take a moment and release your heart from the burden of THE TEAM. Recognize that if those around you are placing undue restrictions on your life and ministry that you may be on the wrong team. God intends you to life a life full of the wacky, wonderful, and weird... all that makes up you. Discovering your design is a journey that each of us must take. My prayer for each of you is that you will find the assistance you need to be able to unearth the treasure that is....

You!

Oh and by the way... the duck won the gold medal in long distance swimming. The elephant wasn't even close and the giraffe was disqualified for walking across on the lake bed.

Ryan Smith Day in Edmonton

THE EDMONTON SUN REPORTED:

"Mayor Don Iveson proclaimed April 12 “Ryan Smyth Day” in Edmonton on the day of the longtime Oilers forward’s retirement.
Iveson made the proclamation Saturday morning on Oilers TV, citing Smyth’s popularity and achievements in the National Hockey League as well as his off-ice contributions to the Stollery Children’s Hospital and Inner City High School in Edmonton."

To add our voice to this already huge cheer from the city of Edmonton...

WELL DONE RYAN.

WELL DONE: for being the excellent hockey player with grit and determination.
                        : for being the hockey player declared to be "CAPTAIN CANADA" reflecting the pride and determination with which you represented our country in international play for 3 decades.
                        : for proudly representing Edmonton to the country, the NHL, and the hockey world.

BUT MORE THAN ALL THAT...

WELL DONE: for being a man of intergrity in everyday little things.
                       : for choosing family over fame and fortune.
                       : for being honest with your feelings even when others did not understand or relate.
                       : for being a husband first... a dad second and everything else third.
                       : for being an example what a real man looks like and acts like.
                       : for making the tough call to step aside when pride could tell you otherwise.

AND LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...

WELL DONE: for being a honest follower of Jesus. Being real, and still a Christian. Refusing to allow culture to, in anyway lead you away from your faith.  To live so your actions are more clear than anything you would say. ( a rare feat indeed )

 
So on behalf of myself, my family and the entire WECA family. WELL DONE!

I HAVE A QUESTION!

Does Gods process of making something beautiful that previously was broken
... always mean that the beautiful thing is no longer broken? 
... ever mean that the beautiful thing is no longer broken?

Or instead does the brokenness of our lives simply provide the backdrop onto which we paint the colours of our walk and journey through life?

Recently, I have been watching an individual deal with the loss of  family...  passions and relationships. BROKEN would be a kind way to describe the difficult pathway that is being walked. BROKEN to the point where no vision for hope or reconciliation is anywhere on the horizon. 

For the past 36 years I have been in the front row as I have watched my sister struggle through mental illness and depression, BROKEN. I was there as my mom and dad loaded us all up into the station wagon and we headed down the sawdust trail, ( an old reference to the camp meetings ) in the hope that a person of faith would impart into my sister the freedom and restoration that she clearly needed. Yet no healing was precept-ably given, no new sister emerged, no "healing or deliverance occurred... complete with restored memories and refreshed intellect... and yet...

For my entire life I have been carrying around the design flaw (?) that has threatened my life BROKEN. On at least four occasions the sword of Damocles has been hanging over my head, ready at a breath of air to fall and strike me down. Or to at least break me again.

It is against this stark dark backdrop that I ask my question...

As people of faith we understand that with God nothing is impossible and all broken people can be made new, all broken relationships and passions can be restored, and that all broken bodies and minds can be reborn. We sing about it, we preach it, we believe it. But does God always intend it? 

Before you start heating the tar and plucking chickens let me have a moment to explain. 

This world is broken and we are just as broken and in need of the life of Christ to breathe into our mortal bodies and hearts. But when God breathes he often leaves the scars from the wounds of our situation in tack. They are often there to remind us of the pain from which we have been rescued and the reality of His Gospel. 

God the father, resurrected Jesus from the dead, and restored to him the mortal body that was his since before the beginning of time. BUT IT WAS BROKEN! This time the supernatural body that Jesus had was complete with scars on his body. Not just the ones on his hands and feet but a hole big enough in his side that Thomas could have placed his hand into it. Christs God given glorified, eternal body was BROKEN and by no means perfect, pristine or flawless.

Do you carry the load that this existence has given you? Does your hand brush against the scar from a previous encounter with the absolute certainty of lifes brutality? May I pray for you.

May I pray that the grace of God rather than the grave of this world define you? May I pray that the intensity of Gods love, rather than the indifference of this worlds friendship restore you? May I pray that the wounds of the your treatment at the hands of a tyrant would through Gods love become the scars of your testimony in the hands of a saviour? Lastly, May I pray that the reality of Jesus pain bring you to understand that above all powers... above all things, Jesus gets you?

May I...? I hope so because I just did.

"Follow Me as I Follow Christ..."  

The Sad Post-Modern Twist on Mentoring.

Really?

So here is the question. Is it the responsibility of the student or the responsibility of the teacher to initiate the mentoring? Whose job is it to chase after the other... to communicate... to share?

This idea seems really simple. But I don't think it is. Why, may I ask, does this generation insist that there are no mentors available, and that no one wants to mentor them...? 

You know how this goes, it usually starts with the post modern church leadership decrying the fact that no one is willing to spend the time... no one is willing to invest in their lives and their ministry.  But maybe there is more to this... Is it possible that the post-modern leadership structure has developed a self serving model that no longer reflects true mentoring?

Is it possible that the post-modern church leaders no longer understand the truth of the verse, "Follow me as I follow Christ..." or have they considered the Jewish proverb, "May you be covered by the dust of your Rabbi." The implication is that the student chases the mentor.

Having been raised in a generation where everything has been given easily and without cost, do they assume that the process of mentoring would simply be handed to them? God did not setup the growth of man's character as an easy process nor a quick one, but rather one that is tedious and painful, lengthy and difficult. You have to follow, and that requires work.

So... If you wish to be mentored then find a person who you believe has the character and qualities that you want to emulate and chase after them. The mentor will be doing what they have been called to do. That's it. They will not be out looking for you. If you believe in them and their character, follow them, get close to them, watch them, ask them questions and then listen to what they say.

 

QUICK... HE WENT THAT WAY!

The mentor may not stop to wait for you. But rather they will look back over their shoulder and notice you there, and then ...pick up the pace, checking to see if you are willing to follow.

As I mentor, I have only limited opportunity and energy to invest.  I keep in mind the end of this story, the end of my life, and I have to accomplish the task that Christ has set out for me. But I am more than willing to have someone run along side and to pass the baton.

So as I said to one person recently... after they asked to be mentored, "...better buy some running shoes..." and I turned and walked away. 

(p.s. They picked up their books and ran after me... a good start!)

Go ye into all the world and make a movie?

This morning I awoke to read the wonderful world of scathing Christian movie critics... Primarily friends... Reporting back on the movie "Noah".  It appears (I have not yet seen it) that the movie has left the biblical narrative and has left a sour taste in the mouths of Christians who feel that God was misrepresented..

Sigh...

How can I say this politely? God did not ask us to share the truth of His character through the simplicity of the silver screen but through the messy distorted and often confused reflections of our lives.  Once again we are attempting to buy our evangelism. Shot gun evangelism. "If we just get the gun pointed correctly at people who don't know the story that somehow the story will bring heart change and repentance will occur.  BLAM!!!   There! Take that! Now do you know God yet?" This is not only NOT biblical it simply is complete nuts!

It appear from the communication being printed and spoken through Facebook, Christian Blogs and discussions throughout the Christians subculture that some Christians are somehow disappointed for God that He is being painted as a distant heartless vengeful deity that is hellbent on destroying the world with little to no discussion or negotiation.   SPOILER ALERT!    Read the bible.  He clearly is that... in this story.  

Yes we understand the entire narrative of his grace and mercy... And we get the need to protect the redemption plan that God has designed for man... but come on people.... The entire population of the world is destroyed in a single planned attack!  This is not the simplicity of the bible story on flannel graph. (As the bad people simply get lifted off the poster board and placed back in the box.) If you believe the bible and its truth, millions of real people were viciously and ruthlessly destroyed and covered by millions of gallons of water and died as they drowned in fear and distress.  What part of that story fits with our modern church sensitivities? "Be careful...don't offend anyone... they might not like our God."

Is it our desire to let the writers and producers in Hollywood to somehow bring repentance to the world? Is it our desire to want Hollywood to characterize God on our behalf? That thinking is empty at best and irresponsible at worst.

This Easter we are telling the life changing story of the viciousness of the cross. But not in some distant narrative -  rather in the messy, confusing often repulsive stories of Christ in us... The hope of glory.

"Beauty in the Broken." 

I'm broken... And yet God! This world is broken...and yet God. You're broken...and yet God! Jesus was broken...and God!

The distant God of Noah with His purity, holiness, jealously, righteousness and truth offends... But it needs to! Its reality needs to sink deep into our hearts to allow us to see past our false sense of entitlement and self security, to the place of brokenness and need that brings reality to our lives. For without that reality we will never see or know the closeness, mercy, long suffering, redemptive, justifying grace of God, paying the price for the world so that we would not need to.  

 
Enjoy the movies, but don't release the responsibility to reflect God's character and love to the world to the thin veneer of the silver screen, but rather allow your wounds and scars to be filled with the grace of God and His character clearly seen through the drama of your broken life. The three dimensional you will trump the artificial 3d image of the screen. 

Leave the message of the grace of God to the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. It is there that the victory is won and the enemy is overcome.