Soul Fill

Green Means Stop

2009-03-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

The car rolled quietly to the white stripe running length-wise across the street. I never noticed it before but this time dad commented on it. He does that when he thinks he needs to teach us a lesson. "Be sure to stay a safe distance from the cross-walk," he says, as though he's a driving instructor. He forgets I'm only eight. "That's what this thick stripe of paint is for." I look at it. It's worn and beaten down. "The paint sure looks old, hey dad?" I call from the back seat. "I bet it's been a hundred years since it was first painted!" Dad chuckles. "Yeah. Either that or someone's been chipping away at it and painting it with rubber-tire-black colored paint," he calls over his shoulder with a grin. It's the "guard stripe." At least that's what dad calls it. When the light finally turns red and we continue driving, dad points out more things. "Notice that the red of the street light is the same red as the car's braking light?" I hadn't noticed that before either. Dad says it's so we all don't get confused when driving. Too many colors, he says. I ask him why the colors mean what they do. Why does green mean "stop" and red mean "go"?
"Well, I don't have scientific evidence to back it up but..." "That's never stopped you," mom interrupts. We all laugh, including dad. "I think the colors mean something mentally. Just look at the color green. We see it and we have the natural urge to stop. What do you do when you see a piece of moldy cheese or boogies? You stop!" "You're gross, dad!" I say while scrunching up my face. "But now take the color red. You see it and you want to go. What did you do last summer when you bumped into the new fence post? You got a bleeding nose. The color red made you run, didn't it? See? It's mental." "Speaking of mental..." mom says, intentionally letting her voice trail off. "I heard." Mom's "I" is loud and pronounced. She stops speaking and looks at us, letting her two words serve as a vocal way of putting her foot down. When she had our attention mom continued. "I heard that it wasn't always like that. I heard that years and years ago green used to mean 'go' and red used to mean 'stop.'" Now we're all looking at her. Just then we stop at another green light. "Take this intersection for instance. People would have kept driving right through the green light." Now she looks at dad, "Instead of stopping too quickly like dad just did." Dad smiles and shakes his head. "Let's pretend that this light makes us wait for one minute." "I hate lights," dad says. Mom ignores him and keeps talking because he always says that at intersections. "We're stopping for one minute at our red light while the other traffic is going for one minute for their green light. You all following me?" We nod. "But what if those people, when the light turned red didn't stop. What if those people ran their red light for an extra few seconds? Our light is green, which means go, but we can't because people are still driving through the intersection. It's unfair because they got more than one minute to go but we had to stop for more than one minute. Still following?" We all nod again as dad proceeds through the red light. "Once all the cars finished running their red light, our traffic only had, not sixty seconds but only forty-five seconds to make it through. So, to make up for that time our traffic now ran the next red light for 15 seconds to make up for lost time." We're all trying to picture what she was saying. "It kept going like that. Every line of traffic would run the red light because they had to wait at their green light while the other traffic ran their red light. On and on this went. The time got longer and longer that people were running the red light until people were no longer stopping for red and going for green," mom slowed down her speech now, "they were going for red and stopping for green." Mom lets her last sentence sink in as we pull up and stop at another green light. "Run it dad!" I call out from the back seat. Dad mulls the logic of mom's story over. "Stop at red and go at green. That's crazy!!"

Throwing in the Towel

2009-03-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've come to a decision. I'm throwing in the towel on my strict fast for Lent. I started off doing really well this week but by yesterday I couldn't take it. In my words to Es: I'm so tired I can hardly move. And that's the truth! So I'm changing my Lent fast. Starting tomorrow I'm giving up sugar. My standard Lent commitment but a good one. Thanks for journeying with me. God bless you and I'll keep you posted as to how this new fast progresses.

Had To Stop But Back On Track

2009-03-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Last week I had to change up my Lenten commitment a bit. I experienced some mild health "issues" so I broke from the all-day fast. I added supper with the family. The day fast still included prayer at lunch time. I'm in the habit of spending about half an hour in focused prayer, listening and Bible reading--I'm almost through Nehemiah. It's really cool to read the ancient saints. I also walk around our sanctuary and anoint the pews with oil. I'm praying that whoever sits in those seats will feel God's presence in a powerful way. I'm also praying that God will fill the seats. We have many visitors each month and if we could only retain and enfold one per month it would change the face of our church--roughly forty to fifty new people each year.
That was last week. The health issues are all-but resolved so it's back to the all-day fast. I'm looking forward to it. It's amazing how little the body needs to get by. I think it helps having an office job. If I was still landscaping I wouldn't take this on.
God bless you this week. May you feel His presence powerfully and intimately.

Side-tracked

2009-03-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

This week is our Network meeting. In the Free Methodist Church in Canada, a network is a cluster of pastors of churches roughly the same size and in roughly the same phase of life who meet quarterly. Our church (West Springs Free Methodist Church) is larger than our other FM churches here in Alberta so we've been placed in a nework with some churches in Saskatchewan. We're meeting this week in the Regina area--St. Michael's Retreat center. I'm supposed to be there but I'm not. The airport is about 24 kilometers from our place. My flight was scheduled for departure at 8:50am with boarding taking place around 8:20am. I left our house at 7:30am. I thought I gave myself plenty of time to get there. I didn't. I missed my flight. The airline couldnt' guarantee me a next flight so I cancelled my trip. I was pretty bummed on the ride home (which, by the way, took only 40 minutes--even with a stop at Tim Horton's.) It's okay, though. I made the decision that I will join the Alberta network. It's my home province. I have a colleague here in Calgary. I won't have to fly to our meetings nor pay for lodging, which is cheaper by far. In the event that I do have to travel I can bring the family. It's a win-win situation as far as I'm concerned. In the very least it's a good plan.
While at the ticket booth waiting to hear the inevitable, I caught the conversation going on beside me. Two guys were flying home (I think to Quebec.) They were skiers and were discussing with the agent about bringing all their gear with them. Apparently they couldn't. They didn't know why and the agent couldn't help them understand. There seemed to be a discrepancy between what the skiers thought they would have to pay and what the agent was telling them they had to pay. Near as I can figure, they weren't able to put two pairs of skies in one bag, or maybe they had two bags of skies and were only allowed to bring one. At one point in the conversation the agent said in exasperation that they couldn't simply put what they wanted on the plane because, "that would be free!" Apparently that would be bad.
You don't really get much for free today, do you? Certainly neither goods nor services. Nothing's for free. Or is it? Here I am with Allia. She's playing. Rolling over. Staring at me and making hissing noises. She's getting so strong. I think she'll be crawling before too long. I'm watching her and rejoicing that God gave her to us. Her older sister, Mattea, is upstairs. She's not sleeping like she's supposed to. Es made the mistake today of telling her they'd make cupcakes after her nap. Mattea got so excited she can't sleep. Frequently she and I play together. All of that is free. Walks are free. Dances are free. Smiles are free. Hugs are free. Kisses are free. Questions and discoveries are free.
So "undisclosed airline," you can have your stipulations and standards, you can charge for extra luggage, you can increase the price and reduce the service, you can add tax after tax and claim that your hands are tied, but I can still take pleasure in the beautiful things in life. What's the difference? At the end of the day you just have more money, but I've made memories. I think I'm richer.

Going Strong...sorta

2009-03-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

This week is almost over and I'm looking forward to Sunday. It's the day we remember the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, it's the day-special set aside for the gathering of the people of God, and...there was one other thing special about Sunday. What was it? Hmmm. Oh yeah: I get to EAT!!!! I'll be honest and relate that I've had a few bouts of hunger this week. I'm enduring one right now, actually. Hunger is something I'm not used to. If ever I go hungry I can simply go digging in our fridge or cupboards. An oven, toaster and microwave are all there at my disposal. We have plenty of dishes and cutlery. We have an ample supply of canned goods. We have taps that have running water (full of chemicals, my mom would say, but water nonetheless.)
I'm not used to going hungry. I can eat when I'm hungry. I eat when I'm not hungry. Dealing with hunger is an issue many people experience each day, however. I don't know all the details but suffice it to say that millions the world over experience what I'm experiencing ALL THE TIME. I hope this isn't disrespectful to those millions, but it hit me that in a very small way I'm identifying with those in need.
Today is the World Day of Prayer. I attended a service this afternoon. We prayed for the oppressed and the hungry. I hope they feel our prayers and our thoughts.
So I trudge onward in my Lenten commitment. I've given myself some leeway this week simply because this is the first time I've done this. I'll be better prepared next year if I take this on again. I'll know what to expect and I'll be ready for it.
If you're in a Lenten commitment, God bless and press on! It's Friday but Sunday's coming. We can celebrate the Resurrection. We can worship and fellowship in the Lord's house. And afterward we get to do that other thing!

Awesome day Sunday!!

2009-03-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a great day for many reasons. First and foremost we had our public church service that day. We talked about being a LIVELY Community, meaning we share with one another our ups and downs and we rejoice together at what God is doing in our midst. We also shared Communion together in a little different fashion. Change is good sometimes. I also got to eat since Sunday's aren't included in the over all Lent Season. Here's why: every Sunday is a min-Easter unto itself. I was pumped 'cuz I got to eat but it hit me throughout the day that I get to eat because Jesus has Risen! He's Risen indeed. It's amazing how that truth can impact someone, and it did and that someone was me. What an awesome God we serve!
Now I'm into another fast. This one will be longer than last week's. I only fasted for four days but I'm into a six-day stretch. I also gave myself a bit of leeway last week but this week I'm going to tighten up the boot straps. I will endeavor to stick to the solution ("death mixture" as one friend put it) and lemon and water solution.
God bless you today. If you too are fasting from something during Lent may God give you the strength to finish!

Day Four

2009-02-28T06:49:00.001-08:00

It's day four. The early AM. The girls got up early which means we got up early. I'm happy to report that the hunger pains are subsiding. I have taken a bit of leeway, however. This being my first time I want to make sure it's a good experience. That being said, I've allowed myself a couple little treats: a bit of kiwi, some soy nuts and even an Easter cream egg. Or two. Nothing compared to what I normally eat. I intentionally planned some extras. The health issue is one that keeps coming up with people. When I tell them that I'm also taking a bit of protein and some sugar-free fruit juice they feel better. So do I! But I'm looking forward to tomorrow because it's not part of Lent. Remember that Sunday's aren't included? Now that I'm thinking about food my stomach is starting to grumble. I'm also happy to report that my head aches due to coffee-deprivation have gone away. For as much as I love coffee I don't really miss it. Funny how that happens. I also have to say that I'm not really sure how this cleanse is supposed to work. My fasting during Lent isn't strictly a cleanse option but that's one of the options. I haven't seen much cleansing going on. Not sure what that's supposed to look like, mind you. Due to the lateness of my deciding to do this I didn't get much research in. Hence, me giving myself a bit of leeway.

The main purpose of this is to spend time in prayer. Which I did primarily at the church during the lunch hour. They were great times of communing with the Lord. I'm simply pouring my heart out for myself, my family and my church. Tomorrow is our Sunday service and I'm going to invite the church to join me during those lunch hours. Anyone who has the time is welcome to join me. The community coming together to listen for God's voice is such a powerful thing. I pray that some take me up on the offer.

Well our littlest one is now vying for my attention so I'll sign off. God bless you today and thanks for reading.

Feeling the F/X

2009-02-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't fasted for an extended period of time (beyond one day or even 30 hours) you really do need to be aware of the effects. Hunger is the first one. I think we eat because we're used to eating not because we necessarily need more fuel for action. That being said, I feel hungry throughout the day but mostly at meal times. Esther made another batch of her awesome spaghetti. The smell hit me and I was reminded how hungry I am. Even thinking about it now makes my stomach whirl. This is a manageable thing, though. I take my mind off it by thinking about different things. Last night I was cold for no apparent reason. I can usually take the cold very well. I have some pictures posted of myself and three other guys when we were down at Pebble Beach last year. They're all in jackets and I'm in a t-shirt. I can take the cold but last night I just couldn't get warm. A final effect I'm feeling is sadness. I'm sad I don't get to eat. I love eating. I love eating out. I love eating at home. I love cooking. I love trying new things. But for the next 39 days it's just me and my mixture.

God bless you today. For those of you who have also given up something for Lent, keep it going! We're in this together.

First Day of LENT

2009-02-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Today is the beginning of LENT and the beginning of my 40-day Fast. Today is called Ash Wednesday. Wikipedia tells us that Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance. Further to the story, "Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning . Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent's way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults."
As I begin this journey it helps to understand the significance of this day and the words technically associated with it: repentance, repent, mourn, sorrow. In our culture these words are usually avoided, ignored, or feared or at best endured. Our mindset is that because of unfortunate happenstance and tragic circumstance we go through these, but we don't want to and we'd prefer not to. Ash Wednesday is about intentionally bringing sorrow and repentance into your life. Now I must confess that I didn't put as much thought into Ash Wednesday as I have into the remainder of LENT. I'm thinking about fasting not repenting. But today I will pause, spend some time at the altar, and get right with God. I'll reflect on my past and the sins I've committed. I will present before the LORD my sorrow.
From this day onward for the next forty it's my desire to fast from food. In a way, I guess I am sorrowful. Especially when Susie brought some cake into my office and I had to decline it.
I'll be posting my thoughts and experiences here and, as already stated, I'd love to have your input. What are your experiences with LENT? How are you doing with your fast? Did you encounter some sorrow today? God bless you and me as we journey forward together.

40 Day Fast

2009-02-23T09:03:00.000-08:00

It came on a whim, really. One casual reference. My mom and Esther's parents and sister were down last week for our daughters dedications. What a wonderful time we had with all of them. One night my mom says to me as she passes me a cup, "Here, try this." I sipped the yellow-ish liquid and was immediately taken by surprise and caught off-guard. Here I thought it was some cool fruit juice blend. It wasn't! It was a mixture of lemon juice, water, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. It was the pepper that attacked my nose. After my sputtering had stopped, mom said to me, "I think I put too much cayenne into it." When she explained to the rest of the family what it was, someone said, "Arnold (Esther's older brother) used to drink that. He said you could live off it for a month" (they said something like that.) Then it hit me, "LENT is coming up. I wonder if I could try something like that?" Could I exist on this simple solution? I thought about it for a while and became convinced that I'd at least like to try. I ran the idea by Es and she was okay with it. Me not eating for 6 weeks will bring some changes to household and I want to make sure Es was on board. Someone also said to Es, "Prepare to have a grumpy husband." So I guess meal changes won't be the only change!

As I go into this I have a few things floating around in my head. I still need to do some research on how to pull this off. There are several health questions I have to answer. Physically what can I expect? Will I keep the fat and burn the muscle? Will I sleep longer? Less? Will I run out of gas everyday? What can I eat and when and how much? Since the Lenten fast is suspended on Sundays should I eat on those days? If so, what?

I ran this idea by my best friend and his wife called out, "It's not a recommended way to lose weight you know!" I'm not doing it for that reason--although I must confess that potentially losing a pound a day is appealing! I'm doing it as a Lent exercise. For the past few years I gave up something for this period. Usually it's sugar, one year I tried to quit TV but couldn't. This year I'm taking it up a few notches. I do desire to draw closer to the LORD at this time. I'm in a new church with a new role and I need God to make me powerful for that role. I also want to pray for our church and the community around us. God said to his people in 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 , "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen to every prayer made in this place."

That's my desire for myself, my family and my church: that we would humble ourselves, seek God, turn from our wicked (selfish, prideful, idolatrous, distracted) ways, and receive a word from the LORD. A word that will change our lives forever.

My first fully-extended period of fasting starts in a couple days. I'm excited, scared, pumped and apprehensive at the same time. I've had some folks challenge me on this exercise and I've had at least one person say to me, "You can do it." Incidentally this is the same person who led me to faith in Jesus almost 22 years ago.

I'm going to write as many posts as I can. I want to share this journey with as many as possible. Any insights, comments, suggestions you can throw out would be helpful. God bless you today and thanks for sharing this season with my family and me.

A Little Blessing

2009-02-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I was on my way to work. It was a bit of a rough morning. The girls had us up early. Since I usually go to bed late I had only a few precious hours of sleep. I guess this is what they call "burning the candle at both ends." After getting up every morning at 5:30am, I don't have to tell you which end I wanted to burn! Anyway. I figured I deserved some professionally made, dark, hot, caffeinated liquid. Coffee, to be exact. So I stopped by the local Starbucks on my way to work. A friend pointed out how snobbish Starbucks has made all of us about our coffee drinks. I used to not care where it came from. For the longest time Nabob Tradition blend was high society. For a bit there even Tim Horton's would do! But these days I'm pretty exact. It has to be bought from only a select few coffee shops. The blend has to have at least three words in it. I prefer Grande. Dark roast. Four pumps of caramel syrup. Room for cream. The barrista will even show me the level of coffee in my cup and ask, "Is that enough room?" I've caught myself actually saying, "No, just a bit more. Maybe another 1/8th of an inch." It wasn't a request, it was a demand! My friend's right: we are all coffee snobs because of Starbucks.

So there I am, about to go into the shop when a lady is walking behind me, cell phone glued to her ear and carrying a briefcase. There's no way she's gonna open the door for herself, I thought. I said to her, "Here, let me get the door for you....and the inside door too." She let me hold open the door for her and she went in. I went to the counter to order my drink and, lo and behold, this lady was a higher-up with the company. She ended up paying for my drink. Awesome! What a little blessing. You do something nice and something nice comes back. I was feeling pretty good about life, the world, my cup of coffee and even the morning commute. But I still think my coffee could have used a little more room for cream.

Monday, Monday

2009-02-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

I realize it's been a week since I updated my blog. I got feeling a little guilty and a little peeved at myself. I had one of those, "here we go again" thoughts---that I started something only to peter out shortly thereafter. Then another thought hit me, a more empowering thought, "I just don't have anything to say." Which is true lots of times. I really don't have anything to say, well in this case, write. That's very different from inconsistency. The result is the same but the motive is different. I can handle that.

So today I'm living in my new-found freedom. Not only do I not have to write everyday, I also don't not have to...no wait, I didn't not even...hang on (I'm checking something up a grammar/syntax book) I don't have not to write lots...I mean a lot. That still doesn't sound write. I meant right. I'm gonna sip some green tea chai and think about it. God bless you today!

Future mapping and the joy of raising two girls

2009-02-02T12:31:00.000-08:00

Mattea has her cup of water and she's pouring the contents into the tupperware container beside her. We dog-sat for our friends this weekend and Mattea used her watercan to transfer the water from the dog's water dish to his food dish. She definitely has some curious habits. She goes to our cupboard and stacks and re-stacks the contents. I know she's been in there because the soup cans are stacked on top of the jars of jam. I wonder if she'll be an engineer or a heavy-duty mechanic. I'm not sure. I observed her at church one Sunday. She was with her friend, Sammie, and they were at the front of the sanctuary after the service. They both had mics. Sammie was pretending to sing and Mattea was talking into it. She did that after our last Christmas Eve service. Maybe she'll be a professional presenter or even a preacher. I'm looking after Allia right now. She's so different from Mattea in some key ways. Compared to Mattea, who can get pretty anxious, Allia is easy going and relaxed (I'm sure she gets that from me.) She's also very observant. She always has been (I say "always" but keep in mind she's only five months old!) Maybe she'll be a diplomat or a counselor. She loves to laugh so maybe she'll be a comedian or an entertainer.

I can guess what some of you are thinking: all kids do those things, and the follow up, they'll outgrow them. Whatever they end up to be and wherever they end up living, it'll be fun to watch them grow. I think there're only a couple things I truly want for both my girls. The first and foremost is that they'd each find faith in Christ. I've seen whole families involved in the faith and in the church and I want the same for mine. I also desire for both Mattea and Allia to find their calling early in life. I've been a late-bloomer of sorts. There's a power and grace to that but I also can't help but feel I've wasted some opportunities.
Will they outgrow some of those idiosyncricies? I hope not.

The Guns of the Manathome

2009-01-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Way back in 1993 I started going to a gym on Jasper Avenue in Edmonton, AB. This post is going to be about my workout routines--and the lack thereof--but as a side, this gym is the first place I ever used Interac to pay for something. I can still see me talking with the guy. "You can pay for it right here," he said to me. "But I don't have any money," I returned. "That's okay," he said as he handed me a contraption I'd never seen before, "you can use this. It takes the money right from your bank account." I had a look on my face like I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet. "You mean I can pay for something here even though my bank account is there?" "Yep," he said. "Can you see my account balance or anything like that?" "Nope." So I signed up for three months.

Back to my point. I started working out at the gym. I lifted and then did some cardio work on a bicycle. I consider myself in the "obese" section of the newspaper these days and, to tell the truth, I have been for a long time. Here it was 1993 and I had started yet another work out regimen. It was going nicely and I bragged to a friend of mine about my eventual loss of poundage: "You can kiss my fat good-bye." I paused in our conversation as immediately a weird image popped into my head and I was sad I made the comment.

That was 1993 and this is 2009. Over 15 years later and I'm still reading the same section of newspaper. Guess what? I started another workout routine. This one is at home with the help of on-line routines, some dumbbells, a yoga video and a downloaded playlist on Napster. Will I lose my poundage? Will I lower my BMI? Will I finally run that marathon? Plausibly the first two, never in a million years for the last one.

My trouble is that I ride the wave of momentum or conviction. I get excited about something and I do it but when the excitement has worn off I quit. Will I ever enjoy working out? Will it ever become simply a part of my life? Or will I constantly struggle to stay consistent? I wish I knew. I suppose I could just proudly proclaim, "I'm 225 lbs with a BMI of 28.5. So what?" I do enjoy being the BIG Jay Man. If I did get down to 200lbs I'd just be the Jay Man. Seems kind of a cop-out though.

At any rate, right now I enjoy working out. I have plans to run or even walk during the weeks. Every little bit helps, right? Instead of starting and stopping with a long rest in-between stops, I can start and stop back to back so it just looks like I'm consistent. Hey, the Bible says that even fools who remain silent look smart.

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

We had our church service yesterday. It was a good service finished off with Communion to send us out. Communion, as we've been learning, is one of those "biblically endorsed means of grace." It's a very powerful experience that God has blessed us with. As we partake Communion we are changed because we are forced to make things right with God and with others. There are many things we can do to grow in our faith, but I believe that as we practice biblically endorsed means of grace, our spiritual lives are given a turbo boost. After the service we all hang out and visit. I was privileged to visit with one couple in particular. I'd seen them around before and we say "hi/bye" but that's usually about it. Yesterday, however, I had an extended visit. Amidst our conversation the husband asked me, among other things, how we're liking it in Calgary.

People ask me frequently how it's going being in Calgary now. See, my family and I moved here last summer and fall so this city is still so new. I told this man yesterday what I tell everyone: we're still getting adjusted to it. There's lots to get used to! It's a big and busy city. It seems that whenever you go somewhere thousands of others have the same idea. The winter air is very dry. We're constantly struggling with stuffed noses and static cling. We haven't experienced as much snow and cold as this. Although we came from a large city, Calgary just seems different-large for some reason. On the upside, we love the proximity to the Rockies. We went out to Canmore last week and although we've been there before we can't help but take pictures all the time! We love the sun. Nothing gets you feeling excited like a lot of sun. And I must say that Calgarians are very friendly--except behind the wheel. When Es and the girls flew to Vancouver just before Christmas she had complete strangers offer help when she needed it. People often strike up conversation, usually about our two beautiful daughters. Most people are more than willing to say "hello" and smile when you pass by.

Though it's new and strange and wonderful to be here, I'm no stranger to Calgary. I was born in Foothills Hospital on August 15th, 1970. I grew up in the South East neighborhoods of Marlborough, Forest Lawn and Dover. My alma maters include Penbrooke Meadows Elementary, Patrick Airlie Elementary, Marlborough Elementary and Ian Bazalgette Junior High. I can still rattle off a list of names of the people who were my friends way back when. So though we're new to the city I'm not entirely new. I moved away but have now moved back. For me, there's a familiarity here that makes it easier to land.

Let's get back to our discussion at church. I meet so many people "new" to church. "Hey, you're new here. Welcome!" "Yeah, this is the third church we've checked out. We haven't been to church in a long time but something's drawing us back." This is a typical discussion I have. Somewhere along the way they "moved away" from church but now they're moving back. I'm trying to tell people that it's God who is drawing you back. Sure they're looking for something for their kids or we're within walking distance, but over all of that is God's hand in their lives. I'm promoting to our whole church body that it's God who draws us together, it is God who fills us and it is God who sends us out and empowers us to live each day for Him.

As we all learn and grow within our given surroundings--whether new or old--let's see the Hand of God in who we are and what we do. God bless you today!

All You Need Is Love

2009-01-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

Our littlest daughter, Allia, is learning how to roll over onto her stomach. Just now I put her down to lie on her back to play with one of her toys but she wasn't content with that. She struggled and struggled until she rolled over. She was pretty happy with herself, as was I, but she has once again settled in the Land of Discontent. I tried many things to console her. I put her on her back and rocked her. Didn't help. I held her close and glided with her. Didn't help. Mattea loved to be bounced when she was little so I tried that with Allia. Didn't help. What I ended up doing was lying on my back and letting her stand on me. She lurched forward a bit so I made like a plane with her and floated her around. That helped! So we kept it up and in no time she was laughing. As I was playing with her I imagined what some folks might say: be careful! With that thought I got a flashback to an incident when I was about seven-years-old.

A younger neighborhood boy and myself were playing catch with a football. Mind you, he couldn't really catch the ball. More times than not, the pigskin landed on the ground, did an unpredictable hop, and the boy had to go fetch it. Mind you, I couldn't really throw it. After a while the boy's mom and dad came out and the dad picked him up. I thought the game was over but the dad, holding his son, told me to keep throwing it. I said out loud that I was afraid the little guy would get hit. The mom chimed in, "Don't worry. Steve won't let that happen." So I threw the ball and the dad caught it easily. We played for a while and wouldn't you know it, the boy never got hit.

I remember very distinctly something going off in my head. A bit of envy. I deeply desired for someone to say the same thing in regard to me: don't worry, I won't let you get hurt. My mom and dad were divorced when I was very little so I never grew up under the protective care of my father. There were many times when I wished I had a dad to stand by me or even to go before me, but I never did. Later in life I rekindled my relationship with my father and before he passed away almost two years ago, we loved one another and he remains one of my favorite people. I never received fatherly care but praise God I am given a chance to express fatherly care. No matter what the situation is I will do whatever I can to say to my two beautiful daughters, "Don't worry, daddy won't let you get hurt." They're going to know what it's like to live under the protective care of a father who loves them.

Allia's asleep now. The playing and the rocking paid off! So now I'm playing with her older sister, Mattea. I'm tossing a rubber ball to her but she can't really catch it. The ball lands beside her on the floor and bounces away. She's enjoying chasing after it. Mind you, I can't really throw it.

In The Morning

2009-01-21T05:24:00.000-08:00

Our two girls aren't the best sleepers. They wear sleepers to bed, but most times that's just ironic. Take this morning for example. Allia was up almost every hour on the hour and finally completely woke up at 5:20am. Mattea woke up at 6am. Neither of them wanted to go back to sleep. I brought both of them downstairs to give Es some space. We often pray at supper time for the girls to get a good night's rest...which means that we get a good night's rest. I guess we forgot to pray that last night! Oops. That won't happen again. So here I sit in the early am, drinking coffee, looking after Mattea (Es got Allia 'cuz she just wouldn't settle), and now I'm updating my blog. I also thought it would be neat to find some scriptures about "morning." Maybe the Bible says it's not good to get up in the morning, that it's good to sleep in, or that it's godly to get as many Zs as possible. It doesn't say those things, however. Quite the opposite. Besides, I don't think Mattea or Allia would be too convinced even if it did. Here are a couple verses to think about:

Psalm 5:3, "In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Psalm 59:16, "But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble."

Psalm 90:14, "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

The best thing about getting up in the morning is knowing that it will soon give way to mid-morning, then afternoon, then evening, then night...when we can sleep again. I'm having a strong cup of coffee this morning. Whatever coping mechanism you use to get you through the morning, may we all be joyful and glad for the LORD's love and protection.

Reminisce

2009-01-12T11:56:00.001-08:00

I'm speaking tomorrow at Ambrose University. I'm sharing from Ephesians 4:1-6. I make a point about the diversity of Christians and our experiences with Christ. I have a story about that. When I attended my one and only year at Asbury Theological Seminary, I got in the habit of getting up early and worshiping God through music. I didn't play the guitar back then but I used a stereo and some headphones. I had some favorite worship songs that I would simply loop for a period of time. I hadn't expressed my faith and devotion to God like that before that one and only year at Asbury. My typical faith-expression was to pray and read the Bible. I had occasional worship-with-music experiences but nothing as consistent as I exeperienced at ATS. I really enjoyed those times and I sometimes harken back to them.

My roommates didn't do the same thing that I did, as far as I knew. They worshiped God and expressed their devotion to Him in other ways. Jason served in the local church. Sean did too. Tom always signed his letters "your servant." What great diversity yet what wonderful unity, too. All of us worshiped and served the same Risen Lord. All of us still worship and serve the same Risen Lord. Listen to how Paul puts it: there only is one body and one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.

I pray that whatever expression your faith and devotion takes may it be consistent and may it move you to love Jesus more and more.

sermon series

2009-01-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Our Sunday morning sermon series has us looking at The Church. We're digging into pertinent scriptures to come to a collective understanding about not only our local church but the church universal. What has God done in creating the church? What are the biblical expectations? I preached a similar series at a former church and a friend of mine dubbed the series, "Dude, where's my church?" I considered that, but since "Dude, where's my car?" is an out-dated movie, I figured the punch would be lost.

This weekend we're looking at what it means to be the LORD's Community. As a church, we are a God-initiated group of people. God has given us a reason and purpose for being. What is that?

I'm looking forward to unpacking these things together, not only this Sunday for the few Sundays ahead. I'll be sharing my thoughts and tid-bits here. Please feel free to respond and give me your insight, feedback, revelation and experience. God bless you today!

Frosty...but not the snowman

2009-01-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

Looking out my window right now I see some hoar frost. It's really quite picturesque. Apparently hoar frost is also called "radiation frost." It's beautiful to look at but it can be damaging to certain surfaces (pavement and fruit.) Wikipedia says that the size of the crystals depends on time, temperature, and the amount of water vapor available.
I was thinking about our own spiritual development. Doesn't the "size" of our faith depend on some of the same things? Hopefully, prayerfully and carefully over time our faith will grow and deepen. As the temperature is turned up in our lives doesn't that force us to depend on Jesus more and more? And aren't we also grown depending on what our environment is like? What resources are at our disposal that we can tap into? Who has God sent us to bring us insight, encouragement or challenge?
I trust that in all ways you are growing more and more in your faith. Even a little step each day will make a huge difference.

Back at it

2009-01-06T11:56:00.001-08:00

My life, much like everyone else's, got pretty hectic these past few weeks. I wasn't able to get out and visit much, which I want to do and feel I need to do. This week I started off on the right foot, however. I scheduled a bunch of meetings with some people. I'm pumped for myself and my family to get more involved in the lives of our church as well as community "movers and shakers."
Along that line, I had a great conversation with a guy today. We talked about the various neighborhoods in Calgary. I asked him what a healthy neighborhood looked like. His first test of health was this: connection. The neighbors are connecting with one another and their community association. I immediately thought, "What a great test of health for the church, too."
An evaluation tool the church of today uses is called, "Natural Church Development." This tool defines connection as "Loving Relationships." I believe that's what Christ meant when he labeled we believers as "branches." The at-heart identity of every Christian church is "believers." We are a gathered group of believers who have been redeemed and reconciled by Christ. What an incredible thing to be connected to. Connected to Christ and connected to one another.
God bless you and your family today. May you feel deeply spiritually and emotionally connected to Christ. I also trust you have a deep connection to your church, wherever and however you gather.

New Year, Fresh Outlook

2009-01-05T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well once again I've been guilty of not blogging. I know one person who made it her mission to blog every day. It was such a strong mission that she once turned the clock back on her computer just so it would read the previous day when she blogged after midnight. I'm not quite there. I would like to blog on a more regular basis, however. See, I have an idea for a book I want to write. The way I figure it, the more I write the better writer I will be which should translate into greater possibility of the book actually being written. Make sense? I know I need help with my run-on sentences. You should hear me speak!

It is a New Year and I'm always optimistic about new years. I've told a few people that I love the Christmas time but I'm also glad when it's over. Planning and dreaming go on hiatus from about October to December. Everyone says, "Let's wait until after Christmas to start planning (insert activity/event/ministry here.)" I don't really have any big plans I intend for myself, my family or our church, but it's always good to at least dream. Okay. Maybe I do have one or two big plans I intend on pushing. But I'll save that for a later date.

In the mean time, God bless you all. Check back often. Drop your comments in. Let's keep on touch as we journey together this 2009.

Wow!

2008-04-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't get too far with the whole "The Gospel According to Mr. Miyagi," did I? Oh well. I obviously wasn't into writing much in these past nine months. I'll try to update this more in the future. Speaking of the future, the Johnson's might be moving to Calgary, AB. We've been interviewing with our church there. We're going out next weekend to meet the church. I'm also going to preach. If that goes well, I'm sure they'll offer us the position, which we will take.
I remember coming to the Lower Mainland last year. I had questions. I had complaints. I wondered. I considered. It was a good time in so many ways. If this time is drawing to a close, and we are starting a new chapter, then praise God that he was faithful to us! Thank you Jesus.

The Gospel According to Mr. Miyagi

2007-10-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

I love the scene in the movie when Mr. Miyagi and Danny are walking up the beach. They've just finished some training, they're ready to go home, but a couple of guys are drinking at Mr. Miyagi's truck. They have their empty beer bottles lines up nice and neat on the truck. Mr. Miyagi politely asked them to move but they refused. Then, seizing the teachable-moment, Miyagi chops all three beers in half with one karate chop! The hooligans pack it up in a hurry. Here's the dialogue in the truck between Miyagi and Danny:
Daniel: How did you do that? How did you do that?
Mr. Miyagi: Don't know. First time.

Mr. Miyagi could have waxed-eloquent about his training, discipline, technique or something else, but he didn't. For Miyagi, the gospel requires humility. It demands that one be open, honest, real and truthful. Here's proof:
Daniel: Hey, what kind of belt do you have?
Mr. Miyagi: Canvas. JC Penney, 3.98; You like?

Again, he could have talked all about his karate abilities and compared himself to others, others of course he could claim he's better than. But he didn't. Miyagi prefers to, in the words of St. Paul, consider others better than he is. Miyagi would, in the words of a friend, make himself uncomfortable so that others can be comfortable.
So it is with the gospel of Jesus. He willingly laid his life down for his friends. He, the great teacher, washed the feet of his disciples. He came to serve, not to be served. For us to be truly Christian we must also be humble.

The Gospel According to Mr. Miyagi

2007-09-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

For the next several posts I'm going to use this memorable character's insights into life. I'm probably dating myself by using such a reference. Anyone remember this awesome show? What I remember most, I think, is the song during the start of the tournament: "you're the best, around, and nuthin's ever gonna bring you down." Cool. On to the post.

The gospel according to Mr. Myiagi demands full devotion. Remember this scene?
Miyagi: Now, ready?
Daniel: Yeah, I guess so.
Miyagi: Daniel-san, must talk. Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later get squish just like grape (Mr. Myiagi holds out hands and demonstrates a grape getting squished.) Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do "yes" or karate do "no." You karate do "guess so," (demonstrates grape getting squished) just like grape. Understand?
Daniel: Yeah, I understand.
Miyagi: Now, ready?
Daniel: Yeah, I'm ready.

Or how about this quotable quote: "We make sacred pact. I promise teach karate to you, you promise learn. I say, you do, no questions."

(the above quotes taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/quotes)

Mr. Miyagi would rather have Daniel quit karate than assume a "guess so" stance. He would rather have Daniel quit karate than constant questions, complaints, or whining. Daniel butted his head against Mr. Miyagi in the movie, but in the end he followed his instructor. He listened, he obeyed, he persevered and eventually he won the tournament and the coveted cup, he got his dignity back, he won back his girlfriend, he even earned the respect of his enemies . Oh, he also got to kick Johnny in the face :)
So it is with the gospel in our lives. It requires total devotion and commitment to our Lord's call. Jesus asked the question: what good is it to gain the whole world but forfeit your soul? He then went on to state that following him will cost us everything. James and Paul described themselves as God's slaves, slaves to righteousness.
How is your commitment? When Jesus calls you, has your response been, "Guess so"? Then put it this way: Either you Christianity do "yes" or Christianity do "no." You Christianity do "guess so," SQUISH just like grape. Understand?

It's a Beautiful Day

2007-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty exciting for me. I helped lead worship at the church we've been attending, New Life Christian Reformed church. Jonathan Van Dyke is the worship leader there and he's amazing--great vocals, awesome guitar and a heart as big as the ocean. I was overwhelmed at first, leading a church that large. See, I started leading worship at our little church, The Edge. Mostly in a living room but sometimes at church with about 40 in attendance. Then I led worship at our church in Kamloops--a bigger venue, for sure, but only about 100 people. New Life has about 1500 people! Quite the step up. I was really stretched musically so that's good. Even though I knew the songs I hadn't done them before and the ones I did do before, New Life does in a different way. It was like learning a bunch of new songs all in one shot...and then having to lead others. The Big Jay Man's not used to being nervous in front of a group of people but I just kept my eyes on Jesus and tried to please Him. That is, after all, what worship leading is all about.
In our prayer time before the service I was reminded of some of the OT poems, that it's not necessarily the righteous who can best lead us in worship but the broken. More than anything we need to be broken before our God.
After church we visited with some friends and at supper we had Es' parents and sister down for supper. What a beautiful day today was...and now tomorrow I'm going to move dirt. I think God's still breaking me!!

An Interesting Spot

2007-07-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple months I've done some soul searching. Not the angst-ridden search that so many of us went on in our youth but a search nontheless. You see, I'm not a paid pastor anymore. I've been a paid pastor for the better part of the last thirteen years. It's hard to shift gears and do something different. That's the presenting issue and the response (the soul search) is this: am I still useful in God's Kingdom? Am I still needed in God's church? What spot will my family fit in? What church will we attend and be committed to--the kind of commitment I called for so many times! I was a leader before because of my position, can I be a leader now because of different reasons? If so, what are those reasons?
These are not angst-ridden questions but honest, deep-down, potentionally life-changing questions--in a good way. The neat thing is that Es and I know God has led us to this spot. It's an important place for us to be in. If there is an opportunity for me to again to be on staff, I want to make sure I say "Yes" for the right reasons.
I think the biggest thing I'm learning is to wait on God. Waiting isn't a passive state, I'm finding, but an active one. I actively wait as I exercise patience and practice wisdom (i.e. saying "no" to the wrong things and "yes" to the right things). I actively wait as I put myself before God each day seeking His path and listening for His voice. I actively wait as I minister to the guys I work with--Christian and non-Christian. I actively wait as I accept preaching offers and other offers from the churches down here. All of this active waiting is done in an air of trust: we're trusting that God will lead us. Es and both know the leading of the Lord. We've had to follow it in the past and we know God will lead us again.
How about you? Are you having to wait on the Lord? Don't see it as a time of indifference, frustration or wasted time. Actively wait on the Lord and trust that He will lead you.

Getting settles in...still

2007-06-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't written for a long time for a few reasons. First and foremost I haven't been able to log into BLOGSPOT for some reason. I had to take a longer route to finally get in so here I am. Second, I've been really busy these days. Most days I get up early, work outside, get home late, have some supper, spend some time with the girls, then off to bed. I don't have much time. Third, I don't have much to say. Weird, eh? But that's how it is with me these days.
So what have the Johnson's been up to? I've been working with a friends' landscaping company. Quite the change from full-time ministry. But it's a good change. This has been a time for the family to settle into a new place. What does it mean to "settle in"? For us it means--above all else--keeping an open mind to whatever the Lord has in store for us. Es and I pray every day for His direction. It also means we're not going to make any hard and fast decisions. I've had some opportunities come up that demanded an answer but I had to respectfully decline.
It's been neat to trip around on Sundays. We're going to a Christian Reformed church in Abbotsford--New Life CRC. It's an AWESOME church. We're hopefully joining a small group soon and I have some preaching opportunities there. We're also gonna check out some other churches. I heard there was a church plant right down the street. Lots of cool things to see.
Now that I can enter blogging again I'll type more later. God bless you all! Add me to your FACEBOOK :)

Done and done

2007-05-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day at our church, as pastors anyway. It was a good ride these past few years. We accomplished a lot of stuff: youth, outreach, music, preaching, multi-media and much, much more. I think I've also helped change some philosophies about church. I've encouraged people to question the way things are and begin to dream about how things could, and sometimes should, be. I've helped people work their way through change. I've helped people embrace new forms, patterns and traditions. Es and I are a highly relational and very approachable pastoral couple and that's been a healthy thing too.
Wherever God leads us we know He'll continue to bless us through others and others through us.

Going into Transition

2007-05-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

After a long time of praying, waiting and listening Es and I decided to resign from our church here and move on. It was a decision we knew we had to make and thought it best to be proactive. We don't have a new church job to move to. There are no current offers. We don't know what the next step is that God will lead us to but we decided to move on. It was a decision long in the making and one that was tough. We have lots of good memories and milestones here in Kamloops. Es and I met, fell in love, got engaged and got married here. Our first child was born here. Kamloops will always be home to us in many ways. We have some good friends, some good memories and these will be missed. It's our desire to keep in touch with as many people as we can, via whatever means possible be it email, snail-mail, MSN, SKYPE or something else. I put the offer out that if the church needed a preacher some Sunday, and we are available, we'd love to come back and minister.
We don't know what the future holds but, as they say, we know Who holds our future. Our desire now is to get quiet, focus on God, listen to His voice and be ready to obey when He directs us. It is also time for me to evaluate my time spent here at the church. Let me illustrate. I went golfing on Monday. I did pretty good on the front-9 and as I walked to the back-9 I asked myself, "Where do I need to improve? What do I need to do differently? What worked well? What should I try?" I'm happy to report that I improved my back-9 game, albeit slightly! Right now, it's like Es and I are heading to the back-9. I'm asking myself of my performance adn obedience here: what can I learn? What, if anything, should I do differently in the future? How can I improve my ministry skills?
Es and I are both looking forward to what lies ahead. We're closer to family and friends made long ago, we have a roof over our heads and I have a job to go to. There are some ministry opportunities as well. God is good! All the time! All the time! God is good! I'll be posting my thoughts and be reporting on our journey here. God bless you all and talk to you soon.

a change in scenery

2007-04-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

Es has a new website up and running. This one will feature her thoughts and pictures of our beautiful girl, Mattea. Be sure to check out her new XANGA account located at:
http://www.xanga.com/estjohnson

This blog will return to its original design: my thoughts and comments about life in the church, life as a church leader, and life in general. That being said, I'd expect traffic to this blog will slow down significantly, if not halt altogether!!

Go Canucks Go!

2007-04-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Mattea was nervous watching the hockey game with us, as you can see on the left, when the Canucks were down one nothing against the Dallas Stars in Game 7 after the first period. Once the Canucks finished winning 4-1 Mattea let go of all her nervous tension! (See below) :) She's ready for them to take on the Ducks!!!! GO CANUCKS GO!!!

A Mattea Medley

2007-04-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Mattea's beginning to laugh more. Here's a medley from different episodes of "Mattea Laughing."

(cue "awwwww" now)

PRINCESS FOR A DAY

2007-04-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Her shirt says "Princess For A Day" but it's safe to say that in our house she is princess everyday! Afterall . . . .who's taken over this blog?? That'd be our princess!!!

So Pretty In Pink

2007-04-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

She's looking so pretty in pink after her morning bath!

Oma brought Mattea a name bracelet back from Holland (though you can't see her name on it on the picture) and it looks so sweet on her baby wrist!

40th Anniversary

2007-04-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

My parents (Esther's) celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Friday at Sonoma Grill down in Langley. It was a memorable evening celebrated with family and close friends. We had some entertainment and a delicious meal. Here are my parents giving a thank you speech. What a night it was!

Here's my little sister Catherine with her boyfriend Leon. Catherine put together a great power point presentation for my parents!

Jason, myself, Mattea and our niece Helena.

Colin and Jason doin "A lil diddy 'bout Karel & Hillie . . .two Dutch kids doin the best they can."

My cousin Mirjam with Mattea. Mattea wasn't so happy initially after the travelling down there, but family was quick to help out in trying to cheer her up!!!

My cousin Koenraad did a speech pretending to be some old uncle from Holland "oom Koene" It was hilarious!!!

Christine finally got Mattea settled. Way to go Chris!!!!

I took my turn giving a speech. Not my favorite thing to do but it went alright!

Happy Birthday Oma!

2007-04-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Oma! My gift to you is some more big smiles. Love you!!! Have a great day!!!! See you Friday!

This is a picture off our deck. A glorious Kamloops Spring day. Wishing you all a blessed Easter.

Another Mattea Moment!

2007-03-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Mattea is even cool in her sleep, especially with daddy's cap!

Uncle Cory and Auntie Sandy gave me this sweet Adidas track suit. As you can see, I am in my track suit at the gymini!

I am starting to really build muscle strength in my neck!!!

Daddy I know what you're doing but it's not gonna stop me from smiling!

Our Trip out East...to Alberta

2007-03-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

We've been back now for a few days but we recently went out to Pincher Creek, AB, for my father's funeral. We drove down on Friday the 16th. We drove throughout the night from Kamloops, through Kelowna, down to highway number 3 and straight east to Pincher Creek. What a ride that was! We had a viewing at the funeral hall Sunday night. We had a mass at 11am, Monday morning. At 1pm dad was moved to Dee's house for a wake which lasted about 24 hours. On Tuesday we made a long processional line from Pincher into Brocket. The funeral was at 1pm followed by a graveside followed by a meal. What a way to say good-bye. Those days really did honor dad.
We were blessed to be there, to be around family and to introduce my family to the native side. Mattea met her native relatives and they all loved her--especially her blue eyes. Mattea is truly unique. On her native side she's the only one with blue eyes and on her dutch side she's the only one with brown hair. Cool :) Here are some pics of Mattea with the Weasel Bear clan.

Mattea with Auntie Janis and her cousins, Shayleigh and Natalie

Here's Mattea with Auntie Robyn and cousins Shayleigh and Noah

Here's Mattea with Granny Dee

Here's Mattea with Uncle Alex

Mattea was glad to go and meet everyone, but she sure is happy to be back. Doncha think?

In Loving Memory

2007-03-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

My father, George Weasel Bear, a full-blooded Blackfoot Indian, went home to be with the Lord today. He battled cancer for over a year. He did so good last year, so good that he even came out to Kamloops to dance in the Pow-Wow. By September he'd had all the treatments he could. The good news then was that the cancer hadn't spread. Indian blood is strong! This past February, however, his health began to deteriorate and he was slipping fast. This morning we got the call that he had to be admitted again to the hospital and shortly after that he was gone.
He was a great man and still is in my eyes. He and my mom were divorced in the early 70s so I didn't get to grow up with him. I missed that but I was blessed these past few years to have him in my life again. We weren't as close as I'd have liked but we shared a special relationship. I could talk to him and he could talk to me. We supported one another's outlook on life and we certainly shared the same sense of humor. One of my favorite memories of Dad and I is dancing together at my wedding in July, 2005. We "walked like and Egyptian" as best as two Indians could.
There will always be a spot in my life that he isn't filling and I'm saddend by that. I have many good memories and I'm a fuller person now, so I'm also comforted. I don't have an earthly Father anymore, but I have a Father in heaven who cares for me, who is watching out for me, who has a plan for me and who has blessed me immeasurably. I also have a Father-in-Law who is truly a God-send. I admire Karel for his strenth, his faith, his family values and his love for his wife, Hillie. What's more, I'm a Father now too. The things I've learned from all three Fathers I hope to put into practice. I hope to become everything I've seen around me and have had lived out before me. The best way I can honor my Father is to be the best Father I can be. I love you, Dad! We love you! We'll see you soon and we'll see you on the other side.

Caught On Film

2007-03-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here's Mattea laughing. Quite the cutie! We're hoping for many more vids like this!

Mattea at youth group

2007-03-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Mommy and Mattea visited our junior high group tonight--J.A.M. (Jesus and Me). She was pretty happy to be there, as these pictures show. What a trooper. Even after the shouting, the kicking and the screaming (from Daddy, not the students) Mattea was able to squeeze out these HUGE smiles.

But even for party-girl Mattea, there are limits. Here she's pretty well reached hers. No better place to be than with Daddy.

Mattea's got a smile

2007-03-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago I posted a picture of Mattea giving a smile. I think she's honed her skills considerably. In fact, Mommy said Mattea actually giggled today! Next step: full-blown laughter. I think I'll have to fake a trip to make her laugh that hard.

Mattea matches her chair

2007-03-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went to Warm Beach Camp for the annual Men's Advance. It was a great time, I learned a lot and I got really dirty playing golf. I also did a lot of shopping. Here is a picture of an outfit I bought for Mattea. We think it matches her chair. It's good for your children to match your furniture. It's one of our family mottos.

See me smile!!

2007-02-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

Today, Mattea and Mommy stayed home. Mattea was up most of the night with the sniffles and stuffy nose. Mommy was also up! But she recovered nicely, as these great pictures show.

Here's Mommy and Mattea. What a great family God has blessed me with!

welcome to my back yard

2007-02-19T08:42:00.001-08:00

Mattea received a new Gymini (a mini-gym) on Sunday. She really took to it. There's one hanging toy that has a mirror on the bottom of it. Mattea spent a lot of time just looking at herself. She's so vain. I'm sure that's a leGrand thing!

After time spent at the gym Mattea was ready for a rest.

Mattea's Debut

2007-02-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

Here's the video of Mattea just after she was born. Notice her legs? That's 'cuz she was born breach. I'm still in awe of God's creative power!

A Week Away

2007-02-12T19:21:00.000-08:00

Es, Mattea and I just got back from a week-long visit in Langley. We went down after church on Sunday, Feb. 4 and just came back today (Monday the 12th.) We saw EVERYBODY!! Here are some pics of the people we saw.

Here's Mattea with her cousins. Mattea just got in so she's a little bushed.

Helena, Gideon, Mattea, Anna

Mattea (who's still bushed), Aidan, and Mommy

Maryanna and Mattea

Mattea and Coby

Mattea and Tamara

Mattea had a good time visiting with everyone and hopes to see you all soon!!

just another cute outfit

2007-01-30T22:16:00.000-08:00

Es and I can't decide which picture to post so we're posting both. Our friends, the Vandergugtens, sent Mattea this super-sweet outfit. We totally dig the headband.

2007-01-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

Here's a shot of Mattea this past Saturday night. Our church has a group called STAGES that is for those ages 20 - 45. Each month we have a potluck supper. It's a lot of fun and I ended up eating a lot. Now I see where Mattea gets her hunger cravings from! We took this pic 'cuz Mattea just looked so gosh darn cute, doncha think?

Here's Mattea the lounge lizard. Es was getting a bath all ready for her but she fell asleep. She does that at the most inopportune times.

Mattea's New Outfit

2007-01-24T06:35:00.000-08:00

Our beautiful little girl won't have a problem having something to wear, that's for sure! She's been blessed with many, many, many new clothes. She won't have a hard time HAVING something to wear, it's FINDING one thing to wear that'll be the problem. Here's a cute outfit of Eyor she was wearing on Saturday. Of course, right after we took this picture she spit up and we had to change her!

Here's what Mattea and I wore on Sunday. Totally cute! Mattea, too :)

accountability is a good thing

2007-01-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

It's been a couple days since we posted anything about Mattea. What? You're not interested in the Big Jay Man? I don't blame you! So, on to the main event. Here's a pic of Mattea smiling. People tell me, "Jason, she's not smiling. It's just gas." Say what you want, but I think I see a smile. Mind you, it did kinda stink after I took the photo. Mind you also, I was smiling when I took the picture.

Here's a nice picture of Mattea's new outfit. It's quite the eclectic ensemble. Babs gave her the pants. My sister, Amanda, gave her the hoodie and Esther's cousin Petra gave her the slippies.

Mattea's new Indian name

2007-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

After the baby shower I've decided Mattea's new Indian name will be, "Mattea Many-Outfits." In time I'll likely have to change it again to "Mattea Too-Many-Outfits." At any rate, Auntie Alice bought this outfit for her. Mattea's first pair of jeans and they're even baggy like Daddy's usually are!
Today is a doubly special day because Mattea made her first word. It was, "ohajerhaljf." It looks Dutch to me. I'm sure it means "daddy."

shower time

2007-01-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

The ladies in our church had a shower for Esther and Mattea last night--Saturday night. Here's a pic of Mattea getting ready. I think she's actually used to the car seat. Or not? Does that face say, "Daddy I like it in here" or, "Daddy, get me outta this thing"? You be the judge.

I dropped the girls off and then went to a friends' house to watch a hockey game. I'm not a hockey fan but it is fun to catch a game now and again. It was the battle of Alberta. I've lived in both Edmonton and Calgary so I was torn. I think I ended up routing for Calgary, which is cool 'cuz they won!
Our little family was totally blessed by all the gifts and cards. Of course, our little condo is getting smaller and smaller. But here's a pic of Mattea in a cute outfit. If you look closely, you'll see that Mommy put the hat on upside down!

Here it is on the right way.

tummy time

2007-01-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

Mattea was having some tummy time yesterday. I was told it's important for babies to have some regularly supervised time on their stomachs. Here's Mattea having just that. And I need it too 'cuz it helps stretch out my back. Sort of a two-for-one deal! Is my hair beginning to thin?

I'm no Nerd

2007-01-06T13:05:00.000-08:00

I have a story that reveals how much of a techno-nerd I'm not. People think I know about technology and stuff but I really don't. Here's the story.
Some students in our church were showing me their iPods. They explained to me what it was, how it worked and where you could get one. They said I really should get one. I didn't get one. See, I don't often find myself needing portable music. Until now. Let me set up the story which will reveal just how techno-illiterate I am. Last Tuesday, I--along with thousands others--started going to the gym. Time to drop the weight. Time to get into shape. I only have six months until the summer. I need help! The gym I go to is right beside our church so it's the perfect location. When I'm trying to get into shape I don't want to have to walk too far. I got myself a gym membership and I bought myself some new gym clothes. You wouldn't recognize me! Nike shoes. Adidas track pants. Adidas shirt. Cory would be proud. If I don't get into great shape I'll at least look the part. Oh, I also have a discman and a really cool pack to carry it in. So, before each workout, I get suited up and plugged in. The discman works great while I'm lifting but I also run after I lift. This is when the discman isn't so great. It boasts a two-minute skip-proof dealio but I don't think it's two minutes until the tracks start skipping uncontrolably. I think I now have a need for a new system of portable music. What to do, what to do? Ahh! The iPod!! I know just the place to get one: Sahali Center Mall has a Mac store. So I popped in ready to talk the talk and buy the Pod. I looked around. I had my hand on my chin. I was looking pensive. I picked up an iPod and confidently walked up to the salesman. That's how confident I was: I made the first move. The salesman looked impressed. "Yes, how much for this iPod? See, I need a good portable music system and I'd like to use my iTunes to download some music onto it." The salesman looked REALLY impressed. "And, for only $25, I think this particular iPod fits nicely into my budget." "This is only the case," he said. "You need an actual iPod. Here's one for only $400." I wasn't impressed. I left the store. Hey, if you saw the case you'd think it was an actual iPod too!
I came home feeling a little embarassed and dejected. Until I saw my two beauties: Esther and Mattea. Here's a pic today of them both.

Mattea's checkup

2007-01-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

When Mattea was born she weighed 7lbs, 11oz. She lost a bit of weight (to be expected) but by the next week had almost gained it all back. Well, it's been almost 3 weeks since she was born and a health nurse came by to weigh and measure her again. She tipped the scales at 9lbs, 4oz! Like I said in an earlier post, "She's a Johnson. She knows how to eat." What she doesn't know how to do is to enjoy being weighed and measured. You be the judge: does Mattea like what's going on?

Despite her protests, Mattea received a clean bill of health. Good heartbeat. Great skin tone and clearly, good lung capacity. So what did it take to calm her down? Just a little bonding time with daddy.

Change of subject

2007-01-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

I think it's time for me to get back to my regular blogging. I used to bring my thoughts and stuff to these pages, sharing with whomever what's on my mind. The past couple weeks, though, I've been lovingly sharing pictures of my beautiful girl, Mattea. Those pictures will be interrupted for a few weeks as I again share my thoughts about God, ministry and life in general.

Just kidding. Here are more pictures of Mattea! Here she is after having a bath, spending some quality time with dad. I still can't get over being a dad! She's looking at me :)

Oom Mart and Tante Helen gave Mattea this REALLY COOL outfit. Here she is posing. She's not looking at me :(

Happy New Year!!

2007-01-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it's now 2007. Or as some have phrased it, "2-double O seven." However you phrase it, the Johnson's wish you a Happy and Blessed New Year. May God richly bless you with his love, peace, comfort and strength.

We had a good day yesterday. We went to church. Sad to see Herman and Lauri Ann go home but it was good to have them here for the weekend. Here's another nice shot of the three ladies.
During the day Es, Mattea and I pretty much vegged out. Then we went to our church's supper gig. We had a room reserved at a Chinese restaurant. I had my last "pig-out" meal of the season. Now that it's the New Year it's time for me to begin controlling my eating habits again. Pray for me!

Mattea got a really cute outfit that she wore to church yesterday. I can't really tell if she likes it. Maybe it's just the state of "not eating" that she doesn't like. You be the judge.

Friends are up

2006-12-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

Our friends, Herman and Lauri Ann, are up for the weekend. I'd like to think they came up this weekend 'cuz I'm preaching. But prob'ly not. They came up to see my beautiful girl, Mattea. Here's a pic of Herman (aka, "hempie") with Mattea.

Here's Es, Laurie Ann (aka, her best friend) and baby Mattea. What a good looking group of girls!

Here's another picture of Es, Mattea and me on Boxing Day (aka, the Feast of Steven).

Back from the Coast

2006-12-27T19:53:00.000-08:00

We got back from Langley today. The roads were pretty rough but the visit was sweet! We got down there Monday night and just chill-axed with Esther's mom and dad. What a nice time that was. On Tuesday we went into Burnaby so Mattea could meet her uncle Doug and cousin Aeron. Here are the three of them. Looks pretty good!

It was a doubley awesome day as Doug's other son, Sebastien, came to visit. It was the first time Aeron, Sebastien and Doug were in the same room at the same time. What an honor to be there with them. Here's Doug and his boys.

Tuesday was also Esther's sister's birthday. Here's Alice the birthday girl at Montanna's Restaurant. Niiiiice!!

I figured I should throw in this pic of me eating a sandwich with a pound--that's right, a POUND--of meat in it. After looking at his pic, all I can say is, "Now I'm all hungry!"
After the restaurant we went to Colin and Alice's house to exchange some gifts. Here's my two beautiful girls. What a blessed guy I am!

And one final picture of Mattea. This is her after a bath and in her Tigger outfit.

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

2006-12-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning and the three of us are getting ready to head to the Coast to spend the holidays with family and friends. God bless you all. Peace on earth and good will toward all. Merry Christmas to you from Jason, Esther and Mattea.

Mattea's Church Debut

2006-12-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

Today we made it to church. We couldn't not go to church! It was great to introduce Mattea to our church family. They all thought she was beautiful and precious. We're so blessed to have so many people think and say such warm things about our now-expanded family. Mattea did great, too. It's the first time Mattea was out in a crowd that large. So many people. So much lighting and a lot more sound than she's used to. But she took it all in stride. Here are a couple pics of Mattea and her mommy and daddy. God bless and Merry Christmas everyone!

Pretty in Pink

2006-12-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

We've been doing some clothes shopping for Mattea these days. We did a lot before hand, however, she's just too small to fit any of her outfits. I think she's beginning to grow into them, though. Here's a picture that can only be described as "pretty in pink." Man I hope nobody asks us, "Is it a boy or a girl?" I'm hoping the color gives it away! Yep, color-coded babies, that clears things up and allows us all to avoid conversations like the following: "Oh what a nice looking boy!" "She's a girl!!"

Here's another pic from yesterday. It was Auntie Cath's idea.

Mattea meets more of the Family

2006-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

Opa and Auntie Catherine came up yesterday. Mattea was able to meet even more of her family! Mattea's pretty blessed to have so many good people in her life. And let's face it, we're all blessed by Baby Mattea too! Here's Mattea meeting Auntie Cath for the first time. Notice Catherine's coat is still on? She came flying in the door and went straight for Mattea.

Here's Mattea and Opa. What a cutie. Mattea, I mean :)

Now, the coup de grace: Opa, Oma and Mattea. It's so good to have family around Mattea.

Working on a new system

2006-12-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

We've discovered another way of getting Mattea fed. It's not a replacement but it works in a pinch. Here's Oma feeding Mattea with a dropper full of milk. This is something even Daddy might be able to do. Nah, I'm too big to be fed with a dropper filled with milk!

Your daily Mattea fix

2006-12-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Having a bath first thing in the morning is tough when you're only a few days old. Mattea's a busy girl. She's got things to do, people to entertain and diapers to soil. We interrupted her schedule so Oma could give her a bath. The picture here shows her having a not-so-good time but in all respects she was quite good. Babies smell soooo good after a bath.

Now Oma's drying her off. Mattea loves her Oma!

These are pics of last night's mini-siesta. I really oughta stop letting her nap before she's suposed to go to bed. No wonder we're all up at 3am. Ah well, Daddy's learning!

Mattea gets a visit

2006-12-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today Mattea and Esther got visited by Erin, a maternity discharge nurse. She got weighed and checked over. And then she peed all over the scale. Stated by Erin, "That's the biggest pee I've ever seen!" Everything's looking a-okay, except for the scale! She's almost back to her birth weight, so that's a good sign. Hey, she's a Johnson, she knows how to eat!

one last pic before we go to bed

2006-12-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

Es, Oma and I were looking at pictures of Mattea tonight. Yeah, I'm a photo-holic when it comes to my daughter. I'm sure that will pass. Nah, I'm sure it won't! We also watched the videos I took of Mattea immediately after she was born. She was weighed, measured and had her shots. If/when I figure out how to upload videos onto my blog I'll do that. At any rate, we looked at the pictures I took of Mattea getting her first at-home-bath this morning. Es liked the following pic and said, "Put that one on your blog. Alice will love it." Here it is.

Oma's visit

2006-12-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

Esther's mom is up this week. What a blessing she has been to the three of us. Here are a couple pics of Oma with Mattea.
PS--Oma has the touch. Mattea slept so soundly with her. If only Oma could bottle that and sell it, she'd make a fortune!

A Confession

2006-12-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have something to confess: I think this blog is going to go in an entirely different direction. At least until the thrill of having Mattea here with us is gone, which will be in about 30-40 years. Give or take. Mind you, check in with me at 4am and ask if it's still a thrill! Just kidding :)
I do have to share what it's like being a father thus far. I got to see Mattea being born, literally pulled from Esther. That was truly amazing! To see this little one you've been expecting and anticipating for so long was overwhelming. Esther and I had both been expecting a boy but when the doctor said she's a girl, that felt totally right. Now we can't imagine having a boy. Mattea brings so much happiness and joy into our house. We sometimes just sit and stare at her. She's been with us for a few days and I'm still having dreams about her. We love her so much! I've read some Bible stories to her and we've prayed with her and for her. Life literally revolves around her. What a joy to be a father! I'm just a little sad it took me so long to try it on.
It's stretching to be a new father, too. I get impatient and frustrated. Take last night for instance. We had her asleep by 1am and by 3am she was up screaming. That's right: SCREAMING! There's nothing quite like the sound of a baby's piercing cry in the middle of the night. The neighbors must love us. So I told Esther, "We'll get her changed and fed then we'll put her in the crib so you can have a good sleep, okay?" Es hasn't had a good night's sleep since last Tuesday night and I was concerned about her getting some much-needed rest. After all, she's the one who went through major surgery recently. So I had this great plan but it fell apart. Mattea fussed until about 5am!
It's also humbling to be a father. I can't get too anxious with Mattea because I know her relationship with me is a mirror for my relationship with God. I can't imagine how many plans God had for me which I upset and threw off course. I'm sure I fuss a lot more in life than Mattea. I know I cry out a lot more than she does. I guess both of us have a lot of growing up to do! Last night in a moment of weakness I asked Mattea (not really expecting a reply), "What's your problem? Why are you still crying? I've done everything you need and still you're fussing." YOWZA! How many times has God said that to me?
Being a father for only a couple days has already made me stretch. It has pushed my boundaries of extremes and I'm anticipating them being pushed even more. But I love this little girl! I wouldn't trade my life now with anyone else or for anything else. I have my two girls and my life is made complete. So with that, I'll get on to what you've all been waiting for: more pictures of Mattea ;)

More Mattea

2006-12-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures of our beautiful little one :)

Baby Johnson has arrived!

2006-12-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

Well, true to Johnson form, our little baby arrived yesterday in a much-unexpected way. Even as a newborn she sure knows how to make an entrance!
All along we knew the baby was progressing and our doctor--the amazing Dr. Wroz pictured here--said everything's fine. Her due date was lat week, December 6th, but he scheduled Es to get induced the following week, which was yesterday, if nothing was happening. Nothing happened during that week so yesterday we went to the hospital for 8am so Es could get induced. That went well. We were there for a couple hours and then came home around 11am with the thought that we'd be at the hospital again for 3pm. By 12-noon, however, Es was having a lot of trouble. So we packed up and went back. As soon as Es sat on the bed her water broke. The doctor checked again via ultra-sound and discovered that the baby was in breach presentation. This required an emergency C-section. No wonder Es was having a lot of trouble! The surgery took place shortly after 1pm yesterday and at 1:22pm, Mattea Brielle Johnson was born! She was 7lbs, 11oz and 55cm long and doing well. She's very healthy and very content. She barely cried even when her fumbly father changed her diapers. It was my first time since the 70s! She has a beautiful head of black hair and I can't wait for everyone to meet her. Thanks so much to all of you for your love, your prayers and your support! May God richly bless you and may you feel his presence this day and especially at this holiday season.
And now, some pics!
Here's Es in the hospital yesterday morning.
Everything's looking fine at this piont.

Here's a shot of Es in the emergency room--looking beautiful even in an emergency situation! Baby Johnson is soon to arrive...

And here she is: Baby Mattea...say "Hi" to everybody.

The three of us still in the operating room.

One last pic--the new dad and his little girl:

we interrupt this regularly scheduled program to bring a news bulletin

2006-12-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

I've been enjoying the posting of my concepts for leadership and ministry for both minsitry professionals and ministry lay persons. However, it's Tuesday, December 5th, and our first baby is due tomorrow! As you can well appreciate my mind has been elsewhere. But we're set up at home, we're educated on what delivering a baby involves and we've been blessed with a professional doula who will be with us at the hospital. I'm armed with information, but this coach needs a coach! Pray for Esther that the LORD will store up strength for her. Pray for the doctors and for this soon-to-be-Dad. I can't believe I'll have that title soon too!
God bless you all today and especially during this holiday season. Oh, speaking of which, I went to "The Nativity Story" with a friend Sunday night and I thought the movie was awesome! I encourage you all to go see it. Blessings!

what the work of gifted Saints does

2006-11-21T14:24:00.000-08:00

The fifth principle is this: the work of gifted Saints builds up the church. Ephesians 4:12 continues, "...and build up the church, the body of Christ." It's really quite simple and I mentioned a couple truths in my previous post. It's the fruitful work of gifted Saints that will build a church, not necessarily just the strategic initiatives and BHAGs of the paid, professional, seminary-trained leaders. Let's say that Joe Saint has a gift and calling to start a ministry for seniors. The professional pastor could sit down with Joe Saint and tell him how to do it and then keep him accountable. This will definitely build the church. A better way, however, is for Joe Saint to be released to reach the people he can reach, in a way that only he can. The church is built up in many ways: numerical growth--more people are coming, cultural growth--people reaching people is the way "things are done around here," health is growing--what's healthier than to live and minister in a place that values you for who you are and let's you do what you're called to do?
Notice an important phrase in our passage: the body of Christ. It is important for the Saints to see whatever ministry they are involved in as vital church work. it is easy as leaders to focus primarily on the Sunday morning crowd or the ministries that reach the primary age group and culture. Yet, whatever ministry the Saints are involved in should be viewed as vital church work! Here are some more suggestions for Practical Application:

regularly recognize/celebrate/appreciate all areas of ministry--even those often overlooked ones
allows others to do ministry in their style and method. Let them make mistakes and run with the ministry.
help your church foster a sense of "grass roots" initiatives--people reaching people

That's about it for today. God bless and I look forward to hearing your comments.

How church work is done

2006-11-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

I'm always amazed at the innovation and creativity of others. When we started our junior high program (J.A.M.) a couple years ago, I gave our small group leaders their study for each week. See, at J.A.M. we do some interaction games, do some singing, and then we break into two groups: boys and girls. Each group has its own leader. In the beginning, I used the SERENDIPITY New Testament to do up the studies. These is an excellent resource and I highly recommend it. The studies were great and, without knowing it, I was operating according to a traditional paradigm: the paid professional pastor hands out lessons to the teachers. This is a great methodology but, according to scripture, not the best way to do things. That's me doing the work for someone else. This will see results/fruit, but will be limited. After awhile, the study leaders said they wanted to do their own lessons. So I let them. What they came up with was 100x better than what I came up with (sorry SERENDIPITY!) They took the studies to a completely new level.
This story captures the essence of the fourth principle: church work is done by gifted Saints. In other words, someone else is empowered to do their work for themselves. God has gifted not just the paid professionals working in a church, he has gifted all believers! The church is built best, not because gifted leaders have given out their agendas and have asked people to sign on. This will build churches (numbers, depths, buildings, programs) but that development will be limited. The church is built best when gifted leaders equip gifted workers to do their own work and operate according to their gifts.
One person wrote, "It starts with discovering who people are first, before we ask them to serve. We find out who they are, what needs they have, and what gifts, passions, and experience they possess" (http://old.mbconf.ca/old/ideabank/0006/adult-2.html)
So the question we ask ourselves isn't, "Can I get people onto my agenda?" The question is, "Can I take my hands off the work and allow others to make decisions and be responsible?"
According to the traditional paradigm, "church work" is done when professionals help Christian church-folk get with "the program." But biblical "church work" is when gifted leaders equip gifted Saints to do their own work.
Here are some suggestions for Practical Application:

become familiar with spiritual gifts--biblical basis, clear definition, their practicality
remain open to new gifts becoming visible and being released
help peopel determine their spiritual gifts and value their input
either help the gifted Saint find a place where they can serve according to their gifts or expand the church's ministry to incorporate their gift

That's it for today. Add a comment if you wish. I'd love some input.

PS--the picture here is a sweet pic of my beautiful wife and I at the South Thompson Inn and Guest Ranch

What leaders do

2006-11-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

For those of us who are leaders, the question of activity is usually on our minds. What do I need to be doing? Should I do what I think needs to be done? Should I do what others tell me should be done? What's important in day-to-day activity for a leader? Is everything important?
It's easy to get caught up in the "tyrrany of the urgent" as some have described it, so how do we guard against that? Is there a direction sign somewhere to let us know which way we're supposed to be going? Yes there is! The Ephesians passage continues, v. 12a, "Their responsibility is to equip God's people..." Principle number three is this: Gifted leaders equip workers. This truth gives us a heading for our day-to-day activity. What do I spend my time on? Equipping others for ministry.
Maybe you knew that. Maybe you had the answer figured out all the time: I'm supposed to work with/through others. Awesome! So what does that look like? What does it mean to equip others? If you're like me, you've asked yourself the question. The passage sheds some more light on what equipping is supposed to look like. The word literally means, "to complete thoroughly," "to make perfectly," "train," "prepare," and "restore."
In our busyness, are we leaders equipping? In our equipping, does this mean preparing, training and restoring? When you consider the people around you (staff and laypeople) is there someone who might benefit from your training? Do you use the NCD stuff? There's a lot in there about empowering leadership. This will give good insight into the equipping process.
Again, here are some suggetions for Practical Application:

spend time with your key leaders--"influence the influencers" my friend Cam used to tell me
give regular appreciation, feedback and evaluation
resource and train new members, leaders, volunteers and staff
be open to the changing times in which you live--what's happening in your church, your community, your city, your nation and the world? Are you used to dealing with realities that just aren't real anymore? Do you need some perfecting yourself? How can you respond to changes in a positive way and how can you help others respond to changes in a positive way?

More of the model next week. In the mean time, questions, suggestions or revisions? Drop a comment. God bless you and have a great weekend.

How Jesus chooses to work in/through the local church

2006-11-09T12:57:00.001-08:00

The second principle is this: Jesus gifts leaders to do His work in the church and the world. Our Ephesians passage makes this clear. v. 11, "He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers." This verse is speaking about the God-ordained gifts for leadership. God's desire is that His church be led by people gifted in these areas. It could be one leader who these gifts or it could be a team of leaders who cmprise these gifts. These don't necessarily hav to be paid positions, either. The question is, is the church being led by these gifts? Is there an apostle who will push the boundaries and begin new works? Is there a prophet who will speak on behalf of God? Is there an evangelist who will see new people come to the faith? Is there a pastor who will care for hurt and needs? Is there a teacher who will bring God's truth, revealed in the scriptures, to light?
The leadership of the local church must have these gifts present. To miss even one of these will seriously hinder the ministry of the local church. Imagine a church without any of these gifts present in their leaders!
For we who are leaders, how are we gifted? Do we see these gifts in ourselves? Do we see these gifts present in the local church? Are we listening to and empowering these gifts in the staff and laity? Can I further develop my leadership gifts? If so, how?
Here are some suggestions for Practical Application:

listen and learn from others
make whatever changes might be necessary in order to become everything Christ calls us to and the church needs us to be
read widely from gifted leaders
attend seminars that broaden our leadership horizon
spend time with gifted leaders
learn new techniques/methodologies
be open to evaluation and receive comments and critiques graciously and with an attitude to learn

More in the days to come. In the meantime: questions, concerns, additions? Drop a comment.

The Foundation

2006-11-03T10:53:00.000-08:00

The sermon I preached was based on Ephesians 4:10-13. I picked it back in March '06 as a "generic text on leadership" to use in my upcoming sermon series. When it came to May and I opened this up, it was like God opened my eyes to a new way of being a leader. This text clanged around in my head until about July and I got excited about it and put together the following principles. Let's work our way through these verses and discover the principles I believe God has branded on my heart.
The first principle is this: our foundation for life and ministry is our relationship and knowledge of Jesus. Verse 10, "The same one who came down is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that his rule might fill the entire universe."
This verse is speaking of Jesus Christ. Everything we do is built on our relationship, understanding, faith and obedience to him. Are we as Christians and Christian leaders filled with knowledge of Jesus? Can we articulate our faith to others who are asking/seeking? Can we defend the principles of the Bible? How is our relationship with Jesus? Is it growing or have we been stagnant for the past few years?
Some suggestions for Practical Application are:

spend time in daily prayer/Bible reading with your family or by yourself
practice the classical disciplines
read Christian literature
get a spiritucal director/mentor
spend time in deep study on such topics as: the church (it's nature, structure, indvidual and corporate aspects), spiritual warfare, the end times, the Holy Spirit, what it means to be a leader in contemporary society, marriage/family/parenting from a Christian perspective, local and global missions, church history, canonicity or other subjects of theology

All that should get you started! The key here is this: where do we as leaders place our faith? Who's calling are we living out?

Comments, questions, concerns, additions? Drop a comment.

Ministry and Leadership Model

2006-11-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Back in the Spring of this year I did a sermon series called, "Christ On Earth." It started the Sunday before Palm Sunday and continued through to the end of June. A long one, I know! It encompassed a lot of ideas, so it had to be a long one. When I was putting the series together I felt I needed to look at a biblical mandate for leadership in the local church. I believe that leadership is largely misunderstood in our evangelical circles so I wanted to see what scripture had to say. I put down a well-known passage and left it at that (I put the series together a few weeks ahead of time.) When I began studying this passage, it was like my eyes were opened. I believe God has a methodology for leadership in the church and I believe this passage reveals it. Over the next few weeks I'm going to walk through this leadership/ministry model. Does it resonate with you? Am I challenging your pre-conceived notions about leadership? Do you have a challenge for me or something to add? Again, I'd like for this to be a dialogue. Please post a comment re: the model I'm proposing.
So let's begin...tomorrow.

confused but okay

2006-10-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

Many people have told me to update my blog. "I'm trying," I tell them, "but it was declared a 'spam blog'." I don't know how my blog got designated as such...I don't even know what a spam blog is! Even after following the links that said "find out what a spam blog is," I'm still confused. Oh well. It's released from that title now, so here we go.
I was out in Canmore, AB, this past week. Am-ay-zing! Emphasis on "zing"! It was our denomination's annual pastor's retreat. We western pastors were invited and lots of us showed up. If you've been to Canmore you'll know why! The week was full...chocker-block full of meetings, worship through music, prayer and communion, an ordination service and a great speaker. As enriching as all of that was I must confess: it probably wouldn't matter what was taught, whatmeetings were scheduled, or what music was played. For me it will always come down to hanging out with the friends I don't get to see much. I'm like a sponge at these meetings. I soak up the time with my friends and still have lots of room for morre. My life is made so much better because these people are in it. They make me laugh and I make them laugh. We tell and re-tell the same old stories and never grow tired of them. We walk around town looking at shops or a place to eat, and then stay up late continuing the discussions. We talk about ministry and life, the past, present and future. People really want to know how my beautiful wife is doing and, "when is the baby due again?"
Now not just "old friends" was I able to be with, I was fortunate enough to make some new friends, too. There were some pastors present and I didn't know them very well. I intentionally spent time with these guys 'cuz I wanted to get to know them better.
Let me share how I was blessed in another way. I led worship at our sessions with the help three very gifted others--thanks again Dan, Joanne and Russ! What overwhelmed me most was how everyone there desired to worship. They showed up desiring to connect with God. We tried some new stuff and there were songs no doubt new to a lot, but that didn't stop the worship. For a lot of the songs I didn't even sing...I just played the guitar and listened to everyone else! What an experience that was!
God bless you all and I hope that you're still willing to enter into God's presence day by day and moment by moment.

we're off and running...out of breath!!

2006-09-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

We've officially kicked-off every program in our church: Kid's Club, J.A.M., WithdroL, ALPHA, the Student Cafe and more! Pastor Vern launched us into our new sermon series too. It's interesting how things go from year to year. Let's take the Student Cafe for instance. That's our coffee ministry to the highschool beside us. For the past couple of years itss attendance has been 55-65 students. This year it started off with about 35 students. J.A.M. last year saw between 15-20 students and this year we have 8. I heard that some of our other programs have started off rather "mildly" compared to previous years. I'm not sure why this is but it reminds me of something in ministry: it's not about numbers, it's about honoring God and doing our best with what we're given. Do any of you remember my "personal ecclesioloy" points I posted this Spring? One of them reads: Divinity and humanity work together toward divine purposes. Essentially, we give 100% to what we believe God is calling us to do and we leave the results up to Him. Some of us find different parts of that statement rather hard. Some of us have a hard time giving ourselves 100% to something. Some of us don't really know what God is calling us to do. Some of us have a hard time leaving the rest up to God. It's really a call to work and to wait. We work hard and then we wait for God.

Fall's Coming

2006-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fall. Autumn. September to October. I love this time of year! I think it was in 1995 that Fall surpassed summer as my favorite time of year. I'm not sure why. I think it's a combination of a lot of things. The weather's cooler but still sunny. The air has a crisp feel to it but not too cold. The leaves are turning color. The students are heading back to school and families are staying put. Church attendance drops drastically over the summer and I don't get to see everyone. The Fall brings everyone back! Autumn also brings Thanksgiving. Lots of food to eat! I think what I'm really looking forward to this Fall is our youth program here at the church. We have about 10 leaders and a very purposeful student ministry. The team of leaders I'm blessed to be with are truly a "dream team". The ideas we've had have now grown into full-blown programs. I can't wait to be a part of these plans all unfolding. It'll be great.
I trust that the rest of you are optimistic and are moving into this new season with joy and happiness. I trust that this season will truly be a fruitful time for all of you!

lotsa family this past week

2006-08-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

This past week Es and I were blessed by spending time with each of our families. We first went to Deroche, BC, for a family reunion for her mom's side of the family. I learned some new Dutch phrases and sampled some awesome Dutch cuisine--especially panenkoek and bahmi. The reunion went from Tuesday to Friday. It was hard for us to say "good-bye" to the relatives but we had to. But that same day we drove back here to Kamloops and visited with my native relatives. My dad and niece danced in the Pow-Wow this weekend. Here's a picture of my Dad in his full-regalia. If I can ever figure out how to upload a video onto this blog, I have a 20 second clip of him dancing.
When I sit back and observe the people God has brought into my life--first and foremost his Son, Jesus Christ and a close second is my beautiful wife--I can only use one word: blessed. Some traditions use the term "unconditional election" when talking about their salvation. They did nothing to deserve it nor achieve it. It was freely given by God. Can I steal part of that phrase to coin a new one? Unconditional Blessing. I did nothing to deserve nor achieve the relationships (family and friends) I have but rather I see these as gifts from God.
I trust that you and I will hold relationships high and cosider them when we consider what we've been given and how wealthy we are.

personal Vision Statement

2006-07-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

I've shared a lot about what makes me tick and I think that's a healthy thing. In sharing my story I hope that I've helped others. I also enjoy the feedback I receive from others as that has helped me continue to grow. In sharing my vision statement I hope to keep that two-way dialogue going. Here it is:
"It is my vision to hear from the LORD through daily prayer and worship, and to operate primarily out of my gifts of preaching, leadership, faith and prophecy so I can, with wisdom and perseverance, through soul-winning, church planting, team building and leadership development, see people restored to a righteous relationship with God, themselves, other people and the environment, so they can grow toward holiness."
It's a long and rather exhaustive statement, I know, but I wanted something that would capture the entirety of my life's vision. I didn't want to have to unpack words or let anyone "assume" certain things. I first had a huge bulleted list that covered everything. A good friend, Cam Taylor, suggested telling more of a story than just a bulleted list. Good advice!
I have this statement in the front of my DAYRUNNER which is always with me. Why? Because it's easy to forget or neglect that which is most important. I tend to get "caught up" in the daily aspects of life. I think that's what's called the "tyrrany of the urgent." It's a fitting description: "vision" statement. I need to see it ever before me in order to make it a reality.

Baby Johnson pics now available

2006-07-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here they are: the pics of baby Johnson! Esther and I went to the hospital today and she had an ultrasound. I can't believe they make you drink 4 cups of water!
Aaaaaaaaaanyway, here are the pictures of the little one!

amazing quote

2006-06-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm doing lots of reading these days in preparation for my class this coming October. I'm currently reading (and am almost done) "The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence" by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol and Ken McElrath. It's a good book but I found this amazing quote--let it sink in and change your life:
"Discovering destiny depends on God giving us the eyes to find it. There is a mystery to it. But this does nothing to minimze our own responsibility to seek and evaluate the opportunities presented to us. There is no greater loss than to come to that purpose in life for which we were born and to not be prepared" (italics mine.)
All together now: WOW!! I just had to share this quote. I hope it stirs you like it's stirring me.

my personal core values

2006-06-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've been sharing on this blog lots of my personal beliefs and today's post is no different. At a pastor's retreat I developed six core values. I want to share them with you all but first, let me tell you a story.
My best friend, Cory, is an incredible athlete--always has been and likely always will be. Physically he beats me at most everything. We go golfing and I have a good round, but he has a better one. We lift weights and I lift heavy weights, but he lifts heavier. If we went running together I could run for a couple miles but he could run a lot further a lot faster. But there's one thing I can do that he can't and I experienced it a couple years ago. I was at his house and Cory called out to me to help him. Wha...??? Cory needs my help?? I went into the kitchen and there he was, sheepishly looking at me, and he asked if I could reach a plate that was high up in the cupboard. See, Cory's only about 5'9" tall and I'm about 6'2" tall. He couldn't reach high enough. I tried not to be too smug but I failed miserably.
My core values are a lot like the plate in the cupboard--they're values that I have to reach for. If I listed the core values that I actually valued, my list would be something like:

I value being selfish
I value being afraid of what others think of me
I value being lazy
I value being neglectful

That's not really an impressive list, is it? My core values make me stretch and reach. So here they are:

I value enthusiasm--with empathy, I want to impact people in such a way as to motivate them to fulfill God's purposes.

I value intimacy--drawing ever closer to God, Esther and others in an atmosphere of love, grace and vulnerability.

I value leadership--discovering God's plan and, with perseverance, synergy and courage, press on to the future.

I value thriving--seeing God's good things happen regardless of where I am and what's happening around me.

I value transformation--continual learning and improvement, fearing neither risk nor failure, as I grow toward the imitation of Christ.

I value integrity--with my identity firmly rooted in Christ, living in obedience to biblical principles and working hard at moral excellence.

Do I completely embody these values? I hope that at least sometimes and in some ways I do. But even as I type these out I am challenged: have I been vulernable? Have I been courageous? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But that's okay. I'm still stretching!

and baby makes three

2006-06-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

As my friend Ray just adequately stated, "1 little, 2 little, 3 little indians." Yes, the Johnson household is about to expand by one: we're having a baby. Or as my Mom put it, "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!" Esther even heard the baby's heartbeat today! What a rush. The due date is December 17, 2006. Jason is having a child. Jason is a child! If I can ask anything of you reading this now it's this: please pray for Esther and I that we will be godly parents who will help create a godly home. Blessings on you today!

J.A.M. has finished for the year

2006-06-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Our junior high program finished off last night. What a great year we had! The students are great and I love working with the team we have. We did a lot this past year and it was good to reflect a bit on it with the students last night. Probably the best news is that 11 students gave their lives to Christ. That's why we do J.A.M.
As good as the year was, it's also good to close out the year. The leaders are tired. The students' committments are divided--have been divided for many weeks now! It's time for a break. I feel it and so does everyone else--well, the leaders anyway! Our plan is to keep in touch as best we can with the students and either see them again this Fall in J.A.M. or see them move on to WITHDROL--our Senior High program.
This summer we'll do some re-tooling and get a much-needed rest. It was a good time of doing work and now it's time for rest! That's what I've been learning--work from rest, not rest from work. It's a concept I picked up at our University Group that meets each Sunday (also coming to a close.) It's a concept based on John 15. We abide and then produce fruit. The producing is in the abiding. The key to doing better work is to rest better. What a concept! I've been mulling it around in my mind and it's been keeping me on track. You should try it out sometime. Maybe this weekend. Spend adequate time resting so come Monday morning you're all refreshed and ready to go. I encourage you to not fill up Saturday and Sunday with more "to-dos". I encourage you to rest.

more education

2006-05-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

I've been accepted by Fuller Theological Seminary into their Doctor of Ministry program. The program is designed for pastors (such as myself) who are currently in the field (such as myself.) Here's how it all works. The campus is in Pasadena, California. I travel there for classes, two weeks every Fall for about five years. Before each class I have to do upward of 4500 pages of reading. After the course I have a few months to complete the projects. It's a really good program and I'm looking forward to it. Can you believe that I've actually bought most of the books I need to read and am making good headway on them? Me? A guy who never cracked a book in high school and college? I did a lot better with reading during my Master's degree, but these days I'm having a sense of discipline like never before. I prayed for discipline but didn't think I'd have to wait so long to get it!
The books aren't ones I've read nor even heard of, but they're great books. I've been challenged by the material and have had to search my heart about leadership in general and what spiritual leadership in particular, is all about. That's okay, though. I'm having my mind expanded and my heart worked on!
This past weekend I preached a sermon entitled, "A Witnessing Body" and it was about Christ's command for all of us to, "Go, preach the good news, make disciples, baptize them and teach them." I researched the word "disciple" in the Greek. I found that it literally means a "learner." I guess the only question now is, "Am I a true disciple? Am I constantly learning?" If you're like me you tend to read material that only affirms your already-established beliefs. That's one form of learning and it's valuable. The next step for a lot of us is to read material we wouldn't otherwise read. Material that will challenge our notions and make us stretch.
Learner. Life-long learner. I like that.

Prayer

2006-05-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I read a great book called, "Prayer: Key to Revival" by Paul Yongi Cho. In this book he laid out a template for prayer based on some words of Jesus. Cho's prayer is broken up into three different sections. First is PETITION. Jesus tells us to "ask and it will be given to you." I ask for certain things: healthy marriage, wisdom, and that the programs I'm responsible for will be fruitful. Next is DEVOTION. Jesus tells us to "seek and you will find." Here's where I spend time confessing sins, seeking holiness or simply being quiet so I can hear from God. Finally is INTERCESSION. Jesus tells us to "knock and the door will be opened for you." I intercede on behalf of some very special people in my life. I pray for my brother, my friends, my Dad, and for our church--that we'll experience unity, that we'll find a vision and that our working relationships will be well. I read this book in 2003 and have used this method of prayer ever since. These days, however, I've changed up my prayer times. These days I read some devotional material based on John 15:1-17 (what else??) and then I simply.............listen. I meditate on the words of scripture, for sure, but I also just sit and............listen. I'm reminded of Richard Foster who said that, in his experience with prayer, he thought it was talking but he had discovered it's really about...........listening. These days I'm listening to God. I'm putting myself in a quiet position so I can actually hear Him. Has He said anything? Nothing huge, no. I've received some sound bits, though, and those have helped me along. Some of us struggle with prayer. We think it's all about talking; saying the right things. We don't know what to say so we don't pray. I encourage you this week to try changing your approach. Get by yourself. Get your Bible and some of your favorite pieces of scripture. Get a cup of coffee or tea if that's your thing. Read the passages. Think about them. Then just sit and...........listen. Say nothing. Just open yourself up to God. In the very least (and it's a LOT) you've spent time in God's presence and you've given Him time to do some work in your life. If and when you do take this approach, I'd love to hear how things went for you. Drop me a line or post a comment. Blessings on you THIS day!!

My LENT committment

2006-04-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

The season of LENT has come and gone. I remember the first time I encountered LENT. It was back in 1998 and I was living and going to school in Wilmore, KY, at Asbury Theological Seminary. My roommates--Jason, Tom and Sean--all asked me, "So, what are you giving up for LENT?" "LENT? What's that?" They taught me that it was a pre-Easter season where you traditionally give up something for those 40 days and 40 nights. "Huh! Sounds cool. I think I'll give up LENT for LENT. That's viable, isn't it?" Unfortunately, no! I didn't make a committment that LENT season but I began to take it seiously a couple years ago. In 2004 I gave up secular music and listened only to my Christian/worship CDs. Then my CD player broke and I only listened to talk radio on the CBC. I learned a lot about the Avian Flu epidemic that year! This year I gave up sugar for LENT. A tough thing to do when I love ice cream, French Vanilla flavoring in my coffee and just about all things sweet. But I gave up sugar and I am proud (in the LORD) to say that I stuck to my plan: even when my friends, Jesse, Brandon and Ryan, were eating pie in front of me at Men's Advance, even when I visited my mother-in-law who was confused as to what to feed me now, and even when I finished a large meal and absolutely HAD to have something sweet. I stuck to my guns! I ingested no sugar for those 6 weeks.
Did I also say that I committed to watching only 1 hour of TV per day? I did. Did I stick with that decision? I didn't. Did I also say that I committed to giving up excuses? I can explain it more if you'd like. Did I stick with that decision? I didn't. I find it easy to get bumped off track even after I've made a decision. Take TV for instance. I was great at avoiding the couch and TV combo each night until Esther and I visited my dad. See, they watch a lot of TV and what's a boy to do but watch along? I made a committment but I got bumped off track. I didn't stick to my decision. When I got back from visiting my dad I could have and should have re-committed myself, but I didn't.
It's easy to get bumped off track, not just during LENT but in life. I don't know if anyone out there can relate to me. I'm assuming some can. Do I have a solution to it? No. Do I have some steps to take to insure one never fails in a committment? No. For me it's just pick yourself up and try again. And again. And again. Forgive yourself. Know that you're still with God. Move on. I love what Paul the apostle said in Philippians 3:12-14, "I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I syould be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven."

I've been known to dabble

2006-04-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

To dabble means "To undertake something superficially or without serious intent." We all dabble in certain areas: sports, nutrition, web design, car maitenance, carpentry or something else. I dabbled in the game of golf for a long time. I originally started golfing just because my friends were--I went because they were there. But then I got hit with the "golfing bug" and I was hooked, or sliced, I can't remember which. I bought a set of golf clubs, I started going to the driving range, I golfed with whomever would golf and sometimes I even golfed alone. My scores started coming down. When I first started I was shooting in the 120s. After a couple years I was into the 100s and even crowding 100. Then, in 2001/2002 I had 3 games in a row and I broke 50 on one of the 9s for each game. That meant that I had it in me to shoot into the 90s. Think about this: out of the millions of golfers out there only 10% break 100. My most thrilling game happened in 2003. I was at the Salmon Arm G&CC with my best friend, Cory. I shot a 95 that day. I've been shooting in the 90s ever since. Last year something happened again. I was at the Kamloops G&CC with two friends and I shot an 84, but on the front 9 I was only 3 over par. Had I kept it up I would have shot a 78!
Had I not taken to the game of golf like I did I would still be shooting in the 120s. But I'm not because I invested a lot of time (and money) into my game. I'm happy with my golf game and, dare I say it, proud of my accomplisment. Looking back I've come a long way but as I look forward I know I have lots to more to do--and lots of money to spend. The amount of energy I'll have to expend to regularly shoot in the 80s is huge: new clubs, more games, lessons, coaching, playing with people better than me and maybe a gadget or two. It's worth it, though, because I don't want to just "dabble" in golf, I want to get really good.
I came to realize that in life, like in golf, dabblers don't go very far. I used to believe that one day I'd wake up and "all of a sudden" be where I wanted to be. Life doesn't usually happen that way, I believe. It takes, as one expert put it, "massive amounts of action" to get where we want to go. If people are good at something it's because they gave themselves to it and were literally set on fire with passion for it. Cory taught me this. He loves fly fishing. He fishes all the time. He reads fly fishing books. He watches fly fishing on TV. He even had a fly fishing video game. I was challenged by that and I confessed to him, "I don't think I'm passionate about anything enough to watch it on TV or buy books about it." I had bought into the deception of dabbling and I hadn't then learned the secret of passion and energy.
These days I'm armed with knowledge about life: to get where you want to go will require energy, focus and stamina. To see even mild change will cost time and energy and to see drastic change will be even more costly. Dabbling here and there is easier, but just as costly: missed opportunities, sitting on the sidelines, watching others get ahead, and regret about what "could have been."
Yes it's true: I'd been known for dabbling, but not anymore.

A previous post of mine about HOLINESS

2006-03-23T19:30:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a lot of reading in and about the Bible's "Old Testament" these days. I haven't read it for a while, but I have recently taken an interest in it. The most common book for me to read is the collection of poems commonly called the "Psalms". I love the way these poems say what I can't say. I also enjoy reading the Major and Minor prophets (ie. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Obadiah). Let me say that they are only designated "major" and "minor" because of their size, not because of their worth or relative significance. Simply stated, the Major prophetic books are a lot longer than the Minor prophetic books. For instance, Isaiah has 66 chapters, whereas Amos has nine. I've even read and re-read what some say is the oldest book in the Bible: Job. Here's a guy I can relate to. We both whine. We both complain. We both question. We both struggle to understand life. We both ask God about our many, many, many troubles. Mind you, I don't think I'd have it said of me, "He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil."These days, however, I've been digging into the "Torah" or the "law" or the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). I've read these in times past. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy them. The stories are awesome. The characters are truly human. It helps me make sense out of life. It helps me explain life to others. Now, my usual practice is to skip over the many, many, many laws and sacrifices. After all, what could they possibly mean to me? What's the point? What's the application? Sure, the OT sacrifices were seen as "typologies" for the coming Christ. Sure, the laws can be seen as "just good ethics and morals" (ie. the Ten Commandments). Outside of that, however, there seems to be very little literal application. After all, I have never pronounced someone in my congregations "ceremonially unclean". I've never pronounced any house "contaminated". And I've had very little to do with olive oil (outside of Italian cooking).Let me take a step back. I think the OT in general has gotten a bad-rap not only in secular settings but in Christian-evangelical ones, too. Some say that the OT God is a god of vengeance, wrath and anger, whereas the NT God is a god of peace, love and forgiveness. When asked about this apparent dichotomy one Professor playfully put it, "The Old Testament is before God was a Christian." Therefore, a lot of Christians ignore the OT entirely, or, they over-use the New Testament to help them understand it. I find that whenever someone preaches or teaches about the OT, they have the New Testament in hand to use as a ready defense and parallel. They "illuminate" what Isaiah has said with what Paul the apostle has said; they "illuminate" what 1 Kings has said with what Mark the disciple has said. Preaches who preach from the OT spend most of their time in the NT. This isn't an entirely fair way to go. After all, if the OT started composition in the 15th century BC, and the NT didn't finish completion until the 1st century AD, and both books weren't put together until the 4th century AD, and if the Bible as we Protestants have it today didn't get finalized until the 16th century AD, then what about the 3000 years and millions of people who didn't benefit as we do today with a "completed" Bible?I'll be honest and say that I have a hard time defending the OT in my own heart and mind, let alone in any polemic or apologetical sense. Why did God order the death and slaughter of so many people? Why would God choose for himself only one nation? Why would it be law to stone to death our children if they don't believe the same way we do? Why does God allow the Jews to take for themselves slaves? Other people ask me the same questions I've asked. I try to give them answers, but in all honesty, I feel like I'm only dishing out cliche and Christian rhetoric: because of sin, it's culture, blabbidy, blabbidy, blah-blah. I don't think I'm the only Christian "authority" or "leader" who has struggled to come to grips with the OT "overview." But recently I've been reading in and about the Old Testament. I've discovered something very cool. It wasn't only the Jews who practiced sacrifices. Most, if not all, Ancient Near Eastern cultures (and likely the world over) practiced sacrifice. There are many similarities between, say, Israelite practice and the cults of Mesopotamia and Syro-Palestine. Yet there are distinctions, too. The sacrificial system for the Hebrews was never meant to appease or placate the gods, nor was it a man-made system. It was divinely revealed and was directed toward the goal of personal and community holiness. Let me illustrate. The third book in the Bible is Leviticus. It contains laws and sacrifices. One person wrote, "Leviticus is basically a manual or handbook on holiness designed to instruct the Hebrew community in holy worship and holy living so that they might enjoy the presence and blessing of God."Holiness is the central thrust of the laws and sacrifical practices. As God said, "Be holy as I am holy." God not only said it, but he gave a way for the nation to truly be holy. Again, there was personal and individual holiness: how can I approach God? How can I be forgiven? How can I live today rightly before God? But there was also communal or social holiness: how should I act in the community? How can I be a responsible member of that community? How can I love those around me better?I learned something else, too, in my reading. I learned that on the basis of levitical law, everything in life was either holy or common for the Hebrews. Those things determined common were subdivided into categories of clean and unclean. Clean things might become holy through sanctification or unclean through polllution. Holy things could be profaned and become common or even unclean. Unclean things could be cleansed and then consecrated or sanctified to be made holy.These points help me understand not only the laws themselves, but also their place in the life and practice of the biblical characters. These points help me understand my life and living better. Holiness is the central thrust of life; holiness is what long for; holiness is what I need. Most of us prayed for Jesus to enter into our lives so we could be saved and so that we could go to heaven when we die. This is good news, but the prayers need to continue: Lord, make me holy as you are holy. Salvation isn't the end, holiness is. Those people around me who are, for lack of a better description, unclean and common can, through the grace of God, become holy. We can all exercise personal and communal holiness.

don't just survive, THRIVE

2006-03-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

In the front of my DAYRUNNER is a section where I've listed basically everything about myself: my goals, my purpose statement, my core values and my personal vision statement. Stay tuned 'cuz I'll probably list and explain all of those! In this section I've also listed some significant "Life Verses" from the Bible. These are verses I read that have helped me and challenged me over the years. Here's what Jeremiah wrote:
Jeremiah 17:7-8, "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
A lot of us are environmentalists: we rely heavily on our environment to make us happy or to allow us to succeed. How many times has a child (or even you yourself) said, "I can't do this. It's too hard!" The plea is to make things easier so the task can be accomplished--at least if you're like me that's the plea! Little thought is given to becoming stronger in order to complete the task. This verse challenges us to something great: don't just survive, thrive regardless of the environment. Blessed is the person who trusts in the LORD, because when things heat up, when things go south, when things don't look so good, when the bottom has fallen out, when it's a year of drought, they won't just survive, just keep their chin up, just barely get by, just barely keep their head above water, just exist, just grin and bear it. NO! Blessed is the person who trusts in the LORD because even in drought season--when all else is brown and drab--he or she will blossom, will bloom, will be frutiful, will be vibrant and alive!
I'm reminded of Jesus when he talked about fasting. He said that the Pharisees put on sackcloth and sprinkle dust on their heads. They mess up their hair and where a dour look on their face. They're going with out and they want EVERYONE to know it. "Not so with you," says Jesus. "Even though you're fasting, look your best." In other words: if you have to go with out, then go with out with flair, with style, with a smile. Don't just survive, thrive!
I'm also reminded of a Zig Ziglar (remember him?) video clip I saw back in the 80s (ahh, the 80s!) He was talking to a group of realtors and he inquired about a recession that hit earlier that decade. He asked, "How many of you lost money during the recession?" A lot of people put their hands up. "How many of you pretty much broke even?" A lot FEWER people put their hands up. "How many of you actually made money during the recession?" A bunch of people put their hands up! The rest of the world is going in a financial tail-spin yet these people actually made money. Interesting. I think they knew the secret that Jeremiah is giving to us: Don't just survive, thrive!

ministry slogan

2006-03-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

This past summer our Official Board had an abbreviated Retreat. We usually go on an overnight get-away (which includes a game of golf) and spend extended time together. This year, however, we were only able to squeeze in a morning and afternoon. Prior to our Board Retreat we were assigned the task of spending time daily seeking God's face on behalf of the church (remember "personal ecclesiology" point 12?) When we got to the Retreat, then, we'd hopefully have some fresh words from the Lord. At the Retreat we also took some significant time out to be still, be alone and continue to listen for God's voice. The time was excellent and the sharing around the room was great too. It was out of this Board Retreat that my ministry slogan was birthed. Let me share with you that slogan.
John 15:1-17 is my favorite passage in all scripture. I read it and meditate on it daily. The concept of "abiding" has become such a part of my spiritual life that it's been written into my purpose statement (which I'm sure I'll be posting in the near future.) The first half of my ministry slogan begins with this: Abide continually. Pretty straightforward but let me expound just a bit.
One person said of his public speaking ability, "You can have five years experience in one year or you can have one year's experience in five years. It just depends on how serious you are and what you make of the opportunities before you." This man, to improve his public speaking ability, said "yes" to every speaking engagement he was offered and even drummed up some engagements of his own. He gave a speech twice a day for several months. The experience and expertise he gained in a short time was amazing--he effectively got five years of experience in one year. He worked and worked and worked on his public speaking ability until he was known for it. He finished his story by saying, "Ironically, people say to me that I'm a good speaker only because I'm gifted and lucky to have been given this ability."
To me it's the same principle: abide continually. You can mature fast or slow it's entirely up to you and how serious you take your spirituality. You can have five years experience in one year or you can have one year's experience in five. How committed you are to your spiritual growth? Abiding continually (which includes reading, studying, meditating, praying, worshipping, etc.) allows us to mature at an accelerated pace. Abide continually.
At our Retreat, Pastor Vern shared with us another piece of scripture that has gone on to conclude my ministry slogan. Here it is:
2 Corinthians 9:6, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
My ministry slogan concludes with: ...sow generously. I believe that Christians and Churches should sow many seeds in many ways and at all times. If we only sow the same seed in the same ground at the same time year in and year out Paul tells us that we'll only see very little harvest. The apostle reminds us, "Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly." Do we sow sparingly? If so, why is that? Are we afraid to try new things? Are we content with only reaping a little harvest? Have we spiritualized our minimal efforts? Do we have a very narrow view of ourselves, our ministry and our church? Paul is inviting us to open wide the ministry door: whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Jesus encouraged us all to look up and see that the fields are ready to harvest. Are we looking to the Lord? Are we seeing needs and possibilities around us? Who's living right next door to us? What idea/dream has the Lord put into our head and heart? Is it possible to begin acting on these?
My ministry slogan is to abide continually and sow generously. It is an encouraging one yet a challenging one too.

MCN this week

2006-02-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

I'm meeting with some fellow Pastors tomorrow and Wednesday. Our denomination, the Free Methodist Church in Canada, has all its churches placed in networks. These network get together about once per quarter for fellowship, prayer, sharing and resourcing. The network I'm a part of (called a Maturing Church Network) is going out to a retreat center in Cache Creek. We went out there last November and I'm really looking forward to hooking up with everyone again. What's nice about this group is I've known everyone there for so long. We've all experienced so much together.
I think the best experience I ever had with our MCN took place about six years ago. We asked a question ahead of time: what ten things are you doing well and what ten things do you need help with? Each Pastor came to the network meeting with their responses. The idea was simple: share with others and let the others help you. This was a great exercise for me. At the time I was planting a church in Maple Ridge and I needed a lot of help. As I shared and later went around the room, the experience/knowledge/insight that came out was phenomenal. I still have the notes I took from that meeting!
I think that's how it goes for all of us: we can do some things well and we struggle with other things. The greatest thing to do is to share with others. Gather a group of people that you respect and who know you and ask them for their insights/wisdom. Each month I meet with a fellow who's known me for about 12 years now. We have lunch together and I ask him questions about life, my life, my future, what his thoughts are, etc. He's only more than happy to share with me. Want to truly get your soul filled? Then spend time with people who know you, who love you, who want the best for you, and who are a little further down the road than you. You'll be amazed at how much quicker you get down the path of spiritual maturity.

...and to bring it all together...

2006-02-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here's the entire list:

The church body works at God's eternal purpose of restoration
The church's role is to lead people to holiness
Every member is a minister and a mentor through incarnational influence
Programs are grown from the "grass roots"
Evaluation is based on fruit-bearing
Individual involvement is based on relationships and spiritual gifts
Before a program/ministry begins it must have evidence of God's Call, Scripture and extended periods of prayer
The members are given the freedom to say "good-bye"
Divinity and humanity work together toward divine purposes
The church follows teh biblical pattern of calling, anointing and sending
The focus of the public worship service is celebration
The called, affirmed and anointed leadership spends extended periods of prayer seeking the Lord's will
The needs of the poor are collectively looked after
Inter-generational and cross-cultural integration
Individual members take their personal spiritual lives seriously
The church's celebration values tradition and cultural relevance
There are seasons in the life o fhte church and we plan and act accordingly

I hope these points help you in your journey and may they supply an answer to the question, "What is the church supposed to be doing?"

Here it is...the end of the journey

2006-02-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

Before I get to my last point, let me say that I've really appreciated the comments, insights and questions raised. Thank you! I also notice that people from all over the world are checking out my blog. I see people from Asia, Israel, the Eastern American seaboard, the Eastern Canadian seaboard, California and of course, British Columbia. Let me send out a big "Hey" to you. Also, if you're from another country please drop me a comment just to tell me where you're from.
Okay, the end of the journey is only a few syllables away.

17. There are seasons in the life of the church and we plan and act accordingly
When I was in college and seminary I got into a nasty study habit: I crammed. I studied all the material the night before and spewed it out on my exam the next day. I worked furiously the day before and even stayed up most of the night finishing off a paper or book report. I got good marks but do you think I retained much? No. Cramming might get me good marks but the actual knowledge accumulation is very limited. I grew up in a farming community and "cramming" for a harvest just doesn't work. The farmer can't plant his seed, water it the night before and then reap a harvest the next day. There are certain seasons to the life of farming. There are seasons to education and there are literal seasons of the year. There are also seasons to the life of the church. It's important to, with the Spirit's wisdom, discern what season we're in and act accordingly.
Here's one scenario. A church hasn't seen many conversions. The first season for that church is to do bridge-building events, think outside the box a bit, try new things, change the Sunday service, talk to the unchurched, do special Sundays for the first-time visitor. This their season of preparation.
Here's another scenario. A church has lots of committees, lots of accountability, longevity and in general is in the beaurocratic phase. What they need is a season of chaos. Question everything. Try new things. Challenge long-standing "givens" and the existing culture of "the way we do things around here." Shake things up, rock the boat, risk and fail.
Churches go through all kinds of seasons: peace, chaos, sowing, reaping, evangelism and discipleship. Now here's the difference between the church and the actual seasons. A church can get stuck in a season, phase or pattern. There are prevailing beliefs and temperaments that can stall a church for months and even years. They miss the full-counsel of the Lord. They miss out on a total, holistic church experience. A change in season must be instigated. This of course calls for the Holy Spirit's leading, strong leadership, church unity and intentionality. But it can be done and all for God's glory!
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