With endings, come new beginnings

Note: I have created a new blog. I will not be using this one anymore (I don't think). Check out my new blog: http://nyssaariel.wordpress.com. The place I hope to write more often then I did here... but with time, we will see.

A continual exercise of love.

What would life look like if we were to love God in everything that we did? I know that as Christ followers we love God, but sometimes we say we love Him, then just go about our daily business without thinking of Him.

In his book The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence wrote about 'a continual exercise of love'. Bro Lawrence decided that he would 'make loving God the purpose of everything he did'. What if we decided to do this too?

Bro Lawrence also wrote that 'our only business is to love God, and delight ourselves in Him'. What if we went about our day, not focused on worldly or selfish things, not on pleasing others, or even serving others (which isn't a bad thing), not focused on building ourselves up, or even just getting through the day, but purely on loving God in everything we do. Everything. What would the difference be in our friendships, our marriages, our workplaces, or our time alone, if we were solely focused on loving God? Not even practicing spiritual disciplines is important or meaningful if we are not loving God first. We need to be motivated to do anything and everything, first, by loving God. We need to love Him in acts such as picking up a piece on litter in the park, washing the dishes, writing an email, interacting with others, going to work, eating, exercising, driving, making big or small decisions... anything and everything. We must be motivated by loving God. It seems so simple to say, but it is something that takes focus and discipline to do successfully.

Maybe I am struck and challenged by this because I personally have not had this as my one focus recently, but whatever the reason, it is something that I would love to pursue (and challenge you to do too). As Bro Lawrence wrote, 'all we need is a heart for going to God, resolutely determined to apply itself to nothing but him - just for His sake - just for love of Him'.

Aliens and Dolphins

It’s movie review time! I don't typically write these, but hear go my thoughts based on two very noteworthy films that Chris and I watched a few weeks ago.

Film One: Avatar. Before I went, I had heard a few good things about it: that it had cool graphics, etc. And I sort of went dragging my feet a bit (I really didn’t care too much to see it). But let me tell you, it was awesome! The ‘real 3D experience’ was pretty cool. It felt like I could reach out and touch the grass and the flowers. Although there is a lot of room for improvement for the 3D aspect of the movie, I quite enjoyed myself.

Theological reflections of the movie: The same weekend we had seen Avatar, the visiting pastor at our church who was preaching, was criticizing the movie because it was supporting the idea of pantheism. Meaning of pantheism: All is God – the Universe and God are one. He went on for sometime about this… I don’t think it had much to do with the rest of his sermon. Sometimes I find that Christians drop a deuce on films and other art just because it doesn’t fit into their theology. My question is, 'why can’t they just enjoy the art form in front of them'? Who knows if the writer was trying to make a statement about pantheism (I don’t really care if he was or wasn’t), but there was so much to the movie that could have been used for to teach us about theology, specifically in regards to creation and our role within it (just a thought).

That same Sunday, we went to another church in the evening to shake things up a bit (I can only take so much CRC). I guess it was the weekend for using Avatar in sermons (good thing I followed the trends and saw it that weekend… I’d be lost). The pastors at this church used the film to enhance their point of freedom found in Christ. They suggested that we are similar to Jake (the main human/avatar) because a second chance presents itself. Jake gets a second chance when he went from human to avatar. He was lame as a humans, but now he can run as an avatar. They suggested that we as humans are in a similar situation that we were lame (and blind, and such), but there is freedom in Christ (that will give us our legs to run and eyes to see). Cheesy comparison? Maybe. But I preferred their approach to the film over the morning pastor’s approach. They found the redemptive qualities within the film. I dig that.

Film Two: The Cove. Really great film. I recommend watching it. It is a documentary about uncovering a dark and dirty secret of a small Japanese town. It uncovers the inhumane, unnecessary, and tragic slaughter of dolphins for really no purpose whatsoever. The film shows what is done and not done with the innocent victims. Some are sold for food (packaged as another fish or meat), and most others are simply thrown away. It is informative and moves you to change (or at least makes you reflect on your own actions within this world). Not that I eat dolphins or anything, but after watching it, it made me quite happy that I am a vegetarian. I know that North America probably doesn’t eat a lot of dolphin (although it does support institutions such as Sea World - which the film targets as one of the largest threats to the well-being of dolphins), but we don’t put much thought or care into the food we eat, the entertainment we support, and the products that we buy. Although there are a number of individuals and groups who are taking a stand to make a difference today to bring justice to all of creation (humans and animals alike), humans as a whole typically don’t think about who or what they are harming to get their food, products, and entertainment. It is a thought-provoking, anger-provoking, and action-provoking film that should be listened to.

It is finished

On Wednesday, I achieved greatness... or at least something I've been working at for a long while. I handed in my very last paper in my very last class of my MDiv. School = finished! Now, I just have to wait until May to make it all official.

Other than summer breaks and the few years before junior kindergarten began, I have not known life apart from being a student.

I think that I'll enjoy this new life without writing papers.

u2ube

So a lot has happened this past month-ish. Some really shitty things and some really great things. It's been busy, and there has not been much time to write. But here I am with some time... so let's focus on the great things that have happened.

Well most recently I have become a full-time employee of Tyndale as a Seminary Admissions Counsellor. Yay for full-time money! It's going well so far. Lot's to learn, but it'll be good. I'm going to be a recruiting machine.. I just know it! :) Last week, my first week, was a little, or a lot crazy, but now I'm getting more into the role and getting some real sleep at night.

Now that I've had time to sit back and relax (being sick will force you to do so), I had time to re-visit my wonderful experience with U2 in September. Yes that was a while ago, and I did mean to share about it back then, but youtube is a wonderful thing, especially when it airs live U2 shows! boom baby! So I didn't actually watch it live... it was past my bedtime... but I did get to watch the whole thing today, and it was wonderful. Let me briefly tell you of my U2 concert experience back in Sept.

Though the show didn't start until 7:30.. and U2 didn't even go on stage until 9pm, our day started much earlier. I dragged Chris (bless his soul) down to the Skydome at 2pm. And we waited in line.. for a very long time. In total, waiting and concerting, we stood for a good 9 hours. ouch. Anyways, it was well worth the wait, as it always is... :) We got so freaking close! We had one row of people in between us and the outer circle (you can check it out on u2ube for yourself). I got some stellar pictures if I may say so.

There were many memorable moments of the concert, but this by far was my favorite. It was the moment when they began to sing Amazing Grace. I'd say it was quite a worshipful moment. And all of a sudden they began to play Where the Streets Have No Name... by far one of the best songs written of all time.. not just by u2. Just saying. In the moment I felt like I would either puke all over the person in front of me or my heart was going to jump out of my skin.. I was so stoked! It was so incredibly wonderful! And I was reminded of this moment tonight as I watched it again online... though its way more awesome when your actually there.. when the beat is pumping through your body. So great!

That's it for now. I could say more. But I will let you watch and see for yourself the awesomeness that is u2.

Goodbye Friend

I never thought that it would end this way.
I never thought that Wednesday night would be the last time I would talk with you.
But thank you for reaching out to ask for prayer and support.
It was good to be there to support you and lift you up in prayer whenever you needed it.
And thank you for always being there for me when I needed prayer or to vent.
I'm really going to miss our chats.

I want to remember the good times we had together.
To remember the times when we laughed together.
How you told ridiculous stories that made me laugh so hard that I would cry.
The memories I have of you are beautiful and I will never forget you.

You were full of joy and of life.
You were always there to be an encouragement when I needed it.
I just wish that I could have just been there for you that one step closer.
It makes my heart ache that you had to go through this alone.
I knew you were having a rough go at things, but never even fathomed that your heart was in so much pain that you would take your own life.
I just hope that you knew that you are loved and would be deeply missed by an uncountable number of people.
You left a legacy.

A huge community has taken a hard hit because of all of this.
But we'll get through it together.
We'll get through it with the strength and grace from our loving Father.
It's the only way.
Because without Christ working in our hearts, this is just too hard to deal with.

We sang a song the other night as we gathered as a community to mourn and pray.
It filled my heart with hope and peace, in the midst of the pain and heartache that I am going through.

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

So now as I and the rest of the community mourns the loss of our dear friend, we will stand strong in the arms of Christ.
As we are filled with sorrow, anger, frustration, guilt, and pain, we will stand together in prayer.
We will move forward in the strength of our Lord, not on our own strength, because really, we have none left.
May Christ be glorified.

As we move forward, and as we continue to grieve and ask questions, this affected community needs to hear in our hearts the words of the Psalmist:

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

Psalm 46:1-3

You are incredibly missed.
Dave, I'm at peace knowing that you are now at rest and free from the burdens of this world in the peace and love of our good and loving God.
See you in heaven buddy,
We'll catch up then.

George, Ewan, Jenny, and Me

So today I just happend to be shmoozing with the stars, and touched George Clooney's hand and got his autograph. No bigs... :)

It all started when Jenny and I got together for the afternoon downtown to walk around aimlessly. We said a few days ago, jokingly, that we could go around the downtown core and go on scavenger hunt for famous people, well did we ever hint the jackpot of all scavenger hunts! First, we had a nice time together: good drinks in an empty cafe, awesome brownies at the st. lawrence market, perusing through mec, and then a wander to Roy Thompson Hall. We didn't plan on going to the red carpet event... for we didn't know it was happening. There was a big crowd, and we were intrigued. We walked up to the crowd, and all very pretty silent. What was going on? We eventually asked a nice man there who everyone was waiting for. And to our delight, Ewan McGregor and George Clooney would be gracing out presence in about an hour or two. Well Jenny and I thought, 'let's stay and see who we can see'. About 45 minutes later Ewan came by and then 1/2 hour after that the one and only George. It was wonderful. Jenny and I ran all around to get the best shots and maybe an autograph. We got awesome shots. We got so close. We got autographs. And our hand met George's.

What a wonderful day.


P.S. You can read about jenny's account of the day at elementarymydearwatson.wordpress.com

funny adventures at adventure camp

Here are some funny moments brought to you from my days liaisoning for the LITs at Adventure camp.

The first funny moment occurred yesterday as I ate dinner with the discovery kids (the youngest age group at camp). I sat next to a little boy, Elliot (some of you may know him), and as we waited to be served dinner, Elliot decided that he would turn into a giant whale that was going to eat me (with his arms acting as the whales mouth). All was fine. Ha ha, I'm getting eaten by a whale, a moment for a particular bible story to be shared, but he didn't care about Jonah... Anyways, I learned as I was being eaten by Elliot the whale, that whales have SHARP teeth! Yes..... Elliot bit my arm. omg. And the proceeded to begin pinching me as well... I never knew whales had sharp teeth and pinchy little nails. Ouch!

Funny story number two comes to us as I lifeguarded free swim time at AC. I was guarding the iceburg (a big blow up climbing device in the water) from a paddle-type boat. This one boy (maybe 7 years old) climbs to the top after having a difficult time getting there, and once at the very top he announced loudly and in a panic that he needs to pee right then and there. Okay... you would think that the easiest solution would be to slide down the iceburg and just pee in the lake... not so. I tried to get the kid to do slide down and either pee in the lake or run to the washroom, but he wasn't having any of it, apparently he wanted to majically apprear in a washroom... well we eventually got him to slide down and get onto the dock. But because his counselor (LIT actually) had to wait for the othe boys to get out too before he could take this boy to the washroom, the counselor suggested, along with my support, to just jump back in and pee in the lake. Well this kid thought that peeing in the lake was a dreadful sin. These are the words that came out of his mouth. "If we love God, then why would I ever pee in the lake?!" heehee. So cute and funny. He'll be quite the environmentalist when he grows up if he thinks its a sin to pee in the lake. The LIT that was with him tried to explain that God probably doesn't care, but this kid was not going to have any of it. He then said "so what you want me to do is pee my pants in the lake?". At this point I encouraged the LIT to hurry up and run this kid to the washroom. It looked like this little boy didn't have too much strength left to hold it in as we have a theological discussion about peeing in the lake. But this is what the LIT said to the boy, "I'm sure God doesn't like it when we pee in lakes, but He loves us anyways". hmmm.. What a line.

Adventure camp is a funny place to be. I'm looking forward to more humorous moments over the next week!

sick and tired, but still moving forward

(this is my awesome small group! such a great bunch)

As I lay on my bed, trying to get over this cold, I think about where I have just come from and where I am going. I've just come out of a great, yet challenging session at LIT. The session began with me not feeling like I had the drive or passion to give my all for the program. It took a lot of surrender for me to fully allow myself to be used at camp and in the LITs lives, but I got over it. And once I did, the relationships that I was able to develop with some of my LITs was awesome. I'm so excited to see what God will do in their lives if they are simply willing to offer their lives over to Him. Though these were really good relationships and that there were really fruitful conversations that took place, it was very very draining. I really felt like I actually gave all that was within me to these LITs. While I was in the moment, I questioned God if my efforts were worth it or if there was even any point, but I kept on going, and in the end, I think that it was all worth it.

So I ended a session at LIT feeling drained, yet encouraged, but now I enter a new session and a new role. Once again, I find my self seeking for a passion to drive me forward as I continue to serve here at camp, specifically as I now enter a new position which is completely different than what I have done at camp previously. It does not help that I am sick entering into this new session, but I also am finding that I don't have the energy or desire to put the effort into developing new relationships with a new staff and new LITs. I know that this will pass, but it is just easier to hang out with those you have an existing relationship with.

At any rate, I continue on because I know that the ministry of LIT is vitally important to these teens lives. It is not by my own strength that I continue on, because really I have none left, but it is by the Lord's strength that I am able to continue on and serve. It's sort of freeing to know that you have nothing left, but that God will still be able to do great things through this weak little body if I surrender it to him. So as I prepare and rest for my role to begin in a few days, I will wait here patiently, be still, and know that He is God.

grace and a monologue

Even though this is the fifth time that I have been working with the LIT program at camp, there are some things that never grow old. Sitting through teachings of creation and the fall year after year, some might think that this would not be so interesting anymore. But each time it is new once again. Specifically the FICS (faithfully improvising the Christian story) session on the Fall.

This is a session that hurts to sit through, but each time I do, God speaks in a new way. It is hard to even begin to think of the pain that you and I have inflicted upon one another, all of creation, and God himself. One of the great tools that FICS uses to demonstrate this, but to also show God's incredible grace, is the music video by Johnny Cash, Hurt. It is a picture of the pain and suffering that he has caused throughout his life, but there are quick images of Christ being nailed to the cross interspersed with the images of his life. Even though he has caused all this pain, and has not always put Christ at the centre, Christ was still crucified for all of us. Following this video up with the song How Deep the Fathers Love For Us, creates for a genuinely powerful, yet humbling experience.

In other reflections from recent times at camp, I have just recently (about an hour ago) just finished presenting a four page monologue from memory. I've never done anything like it before. It is a monologue presented from an angels point of view. Done on the FICS day of Jesus and the cross. The angel spoke of what God has done through Christ for us as humans. It was quite intimidating to learn and to memorize, but it was well worth it. I spent every moment of my hours off in the last week to memorize it. And as I did, God has done a good work in me as I have made these words real in my own life. It was not just a preformance, but it was a transformational experience. It was well worth the time spend memorizing. But I m now overjoyed to have my life back again and have my hours off not be spent memorizing!

here we are again

Camp is the best. We are here now!

As I write this, I am sitting on my bed at camp, all bundled up, yet still freezing. I wish July at camp would be a warmer time, but nonetheless, it remains to be the best place to be.

We are in LIT precamp right now, and it's pretty chillaxed. It seems as if it's going to be a good team of staff to serve with this summer. On saturday night all the sites at OPC had a commissioning service together. It was a great night to get focused and in the right mind set to start serving at camp. Seek first the kingdom of God. That was a major point of this service. And that is what we have got to do specifically when working at camp or in any ministry if we really want to make it through in one piece. But really, it is a necessity throughout all of life. I think that sometimes we can forget about this in out day to day life, or at least this is not the focus for us when we're back in the city living normal life. But when we're at camp specifically, to seek the kingdom of God first and to put our complete trust in him, seems to be significantly needed, wanted, and really is the only way we will be able to love and serve those in our care.

But why does it seem like seeking the kingdom of God first is easier when you're in fulltime, intensive, and draining ministry? Why is this not more of a focus when you're at home, writing papers, going to a desk job, etc? it should be. Maybe you're just ahead of me on this one, but this is a situation I am finding myself in. When I'm in a really intentional ministry situation, it seems so easy and natural to seek first the kingdom and to have the Lord as your central focus, but when I'm just at home living everyday life, it seems to be more of a push to do this. Or at least more of a push to see the need in seeking first the kingdom. It's just easier at home to live and serve on my own strength (which will most definitely fail eventually!)

These are just a few thoughts floating through my mind these past few days. It's not that I don't seek the kingdom at home, more the opposite, but my thought is that it is much more defined and specific at camp. It would be quite difficult or even impossible to keep up the strength, love, endurance, and grace needed to serve in a camp context and at the pace that it goes at, throughout the whole year(s), but camp is such a special place where God works in amazing ways in the lives of these campers and LITs. It is a privilege to serve and love these LITs, and I am really excited to see what God is going to do in their lives this summer, and how he is going to continue to transform them for the rest of their lives. Our LITs don't arrive at camp until Thursday, but I'm really excited to meet them and start this program!

I'll continue to write updates and post photos from camp as I take them.

Peace.

Ramblings from a bored little soul

So I'm incredibly bored today... It's a rainy Sunday afternoon. I have a lot of things that I could do: write my final paper of the spring, wash the dishes, go for a misery walk in the rain. But I rather not do any of those. So I will ramble here instead.

Here are somethings that I have been thinking of recently...

- In the past few weeks, there have been a number of people ask me where I see myself working in a few years from now and what is my vision for my future. Every time they ask me I get this stunned look on my face and try to answer them with an answer they want to hear. They want to hear that I have it all together and that I have a solidified plan for the fall and the future. But in reality, I have no clue. There are a bunch of things that would be fun to do and I have an overall general idea of the kind of things I would like to do with my life, but when people ask me... I don't have a very good answer to give them. Some may think that is not good and that I am unprepared. I would like to think of it as a lesson in trusting the Lord. Ya I should get on a few things for the fall specifically, but right now, I am content with being open to the endless options that are in front of me. I am content in not knowing, but knowing that the Lord already knows. People can think what they want of me, but what I know is that the Lord is in control, and that is all I could ever ask for.

- In other news, Chris and I are heading to camp in 6 days! Yay! This year I get to be a small group leader 1st session and be part of the Faithfully Improvising the Christian Story (FICS) teaching team for the 2nd session. The FICS role is a new one for me. I'm really excited to teach the bible and theology to a bunch of teenagers, but a little nervous at the same time. Should be a good growth opportunity for me. Chris says that growth opportunities are the best. Both Chris and I will try to find some time to blog about our camp experiences throughout the summer.. so stay tuned in.

- The other day I was riding my bike in the trails of TO and I came too close to comfort to riding over a poor little chipmunk. Thankfully his little legs moved fast enough to miss my tire by a centimeter, but still... it was a bit traumatizing. I wouldn't ever want to hurt a cute little thing and have it explode under my tire. Yuck.

These ramblings are getting silly now... I still want to procrastinate, but I might try to finish this paper off (or at least start it). If you have actually read these ramblings, bless your heart. Peace out.

Check it out

I am currently in the final stages of wrapping up my internship with Youth Unlimited. Part of my role as an intern was to coach a youth, Katy, to help her organize and run a coffee house fundraiser event. I really appreciated my time with Katy (who was also in my small group at LIT last summer!). It was great to see her grow in her strengths, abilities and in the Lord as we journeyed together this year.

I recently wrote a article for the LAUNCH blog site taking about my journey with Katy. You can go to http://321launch.wordpress.com to read it!

the trinity and the crc

So this evening Chris and I went to church for an night of learning and discussion on the Trinity. It ended up being a fantastic evening. You never know what an evening discussion at the Christian Reformed Church will look like, but tonight the Spirit was obviously active and moving in our hearts (or at least mine). It was really refreshing. Understanding God as a community within Himself.
Tim used this image (above) to help us understand the relationship of the Trinity and to get the conversation rolling. I've studied this piece of art in classes I've been in, and each time I study it, I gain a deeper appreciation for it and the Trinity Himself. And that is what we attempted to do this evening as a church. Without going into too much detail, through this image and through other discussions we had, we were drawn to a closer understanding of God's community and fellowship within Himself and how we are invited to that fellowship table as the Body of Christ.

I don't normally come out of the CRC feeling as encouraged as I have tonight. But to be able to try to grasp this concept with the people I did this evening, was a privilege. We were challenged and inspired. Longing to be people continually transformed in the image of God. Joining with Him in complete joy. And through our growing understanding of the unity and community of God, hopefully, our relationships with others, spouses, the church, and others, will dramatically be transformed to look like (if I can be so bold to say) the relationship and fellowship found in the Trinity.

Reflections

Okay... so these might not have anything to do with what I'm about to write, but I thought they was so ridiculous that it needed to be shared. Also, for more laughs go to failblog.org. There are funnier ones, but I dare not post them... or dare I? hmmm. only time will tell.

Anyways...

School is out and the sun is in! Life therefore = good. I need to enjoy this month while it lasts though, because at the end of May and into June I will be taking 3 classes! Yikes! Who wants to sit in class in the spring time? well... someone who wants to only have one evening class in the fall semester and then no more school ever! Exciting times these are. Times of expectancy... that God is going to do some hip things in the near future with our lives. And times of anxiousness... that I have absolutely no idea what those hip things are yet. Could it be community living, a full time ministry job, a car... who the heck knows. Well the big man upstairs hopefully knows.

I'm in a time of learning what it means to wait, to trust, to hope. The concept and idea keeps coming up... I think I wrote a paper about that recently... or an exam... I guess studying helps in the growing process. Ah yes! Promise theology in the Old Testament. It is characterized by the people of God waiting, hoping, and trusting in the Lord. I'll be honest. I'm not so good about doing these three things. But I'm trying my best. God's people where called to live in the expectant future hope. So the exile sent many away from their homes and known lives, but even in a time of stress and uncertainty, they were certain of God's good grace and love. Here's a cool couple of verses that these people prayed... and I think that I could even pray too.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait patiently for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:22-26

Maybe I'm not a Jew in exile back in the day, but I am a girl who is unsure about what tomorrow holds, but my God sure does. And that's something that I (and you) can cling to. The Lord is enough for me... I don't need anything else. Not even the answers of tomorrow. And because he is enough, I can be patient and begin to learn how to walk in hope, trust, and to wait patiently for what God is going to do next.

hmm... well the above has been a mixture of my reflections on life and Old Testament theology. As exams and papers have recently been a big part of my life, I feel that the line between the two is fuzzy. But I now have a much needed break to clear up that line... and to use to simply enjoy this waiting game. (and enjoy the sun while I'm at it!) But this waiting game doesn't have to be an inactive thing. It can be a very active one I think. Actively participating in the kingdom and waiting on the Lord I think can go hand in hand.

Taking a stand for peace and justice

So I recently came across new initiative put forward by the founders of Invisible Children. Over the years I have appreciated the work that these three guys have done in order to raise awareness about child soldiers in Uganda and ultimately to seek freedom for these kids.
Their new project is called The Rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers. They have released a half hour video essentially describing what they have been up to the past six years, how history has been unfolding up until this time, and how they are trying to get the LRA to go for peace instead of destroying young children's lives. It is a movie that is both hopeful and heartbreaking, but will leave you with the sense that you've got to get involved as well.

On April 25, 09, they'll be releasing a new video describing the next steps that need to be taken in order to see freedom for these kids. I won't say much more about their most recent project, but if you have half hour to spare, go to their site, watch, be convicted, be heartbroken, be inspired to make a stand for these kids who have lost their childhood, and in a sense, their humanity. Watch it at therescue.invisiblechildren.com.

It might be something to consider.

shame and the gospel?

So I've been reading through the New Testament, and I've just finished off the letters to the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians are not books I read very often, and so some statements in the text can come as a surprise. Like this passage... 2 Thessalonians 3:14. This is a passage found in a chapter focused on warning against idleness. The church in Thessalonica had a few individuals who were not too interested in following the teaching and guidance that Paul had provided... so this is what he had to say about these individuals.

And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. Take special note of those who do not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. Yet do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as fellow believers.

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15

So that they'll feel ashamed?! What the heck. This is not the Christianity I know and love. I thought that the gospel of Christ was one of love and grace. I know that Christ was pretty ticked with everyone who was trashing the temple, but isn't this a bit harsh? Typically on a Sunday morning, you don't hear the pastor say to the congregation "so what we need to do in order to see people come to Christ and to know true love and grace is to ignore them all and hope that they will feel a deep sense of shame. That's how we build the kingdom of God!" uhhh... not so much.

At a time when postmodern culture is infiltrating the church, people don't want to hear a message that is so harsh and definite like this one. An emerging church doesn't want to offend anyone, and so blurs the real picture. I think that the church needs a good kick in the pants every so often, seeing as it can be a bit fuzzy around the edges, but even so... a passage like this is tough to swallow. I'm just trying to figure this one out.

I know that there are passages in scripture that I struggle with, but can understand them in light of the culture and society the letter was being written in. But this verse can't really be put in that same category. Shame doesn't really sound like something our loving God desires for us. I know we need to be humbled before the Lord and know that He is all powerful, but to say that shame and abandonment are ordained by God... I have a hard time buying that. I appreciate how Paul at the end of this passage qualifies that these are people who are to be warned as fellow believers, but this doesn't really fit into the way I relate with my surrounding community. To say that I would not associate with a fellow believer because they strayed away a bit doesn't really seem like the way to bring them back.

Just a few thoughts on a tricky passage... Any other thoughts or input on such a passage would be helpful. Maybe try to figure this one out together! :)

back from the dead...

... well it feels like it.

I haven't blogged in a very long time... since nov. 07 to be exact... almost a year and a half! Well I am back. I've been thinking of re-joining the blogging world for a while now.

Procrastinating from writing my OT paper has re-birthed this blog, and has given it a new look :) Though writing about the Genesis creation account in comparison with other ancient near eastern creation accounts is interesting... I would rather do something else... I guess procrastinating is a good thing sometimes.

There are a few things I want to chat about... on conferences attended, cd's bought, and books read... but first, I must write my paper.

See you soon.. i promise!

Paul Potts

This man is absolutely wonderful! Beautiful voice. Who would have thought?!

At the Porn Show...

Once again, for the third time, I, along with Chris and Pat, went to see The New Pornographers live! It was simply wonderful.

Out of all of my times seeing them preform, this was, by far, my most favorite time. Here are my reasonings:

1. Neko Case. She had not previously been touring with The New Pornographers when we saw them before in Toronto. She added a whole new level to the show. Her voice is stunning. Though Chris gets annoyed at me for playing her solo albums on repeat, he also agreed that she was great.

2. Other members who don't always tour with them were there. Like this Dan guy. He only sang on select songs. When he did, in one hand was always a bottle of beer and looked a bit more wasted each time he returned to the stage... He added a bit of humorous entertainment to the night.

3. The opening act. Normally opening acts are nothing to rave about, but this girl, Emma Pollock, opened for them. I've never heard her before, but I thought that she was really good. You can hear some of her songs at her website.

4. Another aspect I enjoyed (or thought that was almost sort of strange) was that this time round, the crowd was an older one. The last two shows were made up of young high school kids... but this time it was quite the surprise to see that we were some of the younger people there. Weird.

But overall, it was a wonderfully fantastic show.