Doing Life Together…Differently

7 07 2010

I read the slogan “Doing Life Together” on the website of a local church, and it got me to thinking. No one wants to go through life alone, yet at the same time we all have a unique identity, made up of a combination of our genetics, upbringing, life experience, and relationship with God (or lack thereof). Not one of us is the same.

One of the most amazing things in any community setting is the fact that we can coexist with other human beings at all, given the vast spectrum of individual views on any issue, be it political, religious, personal or otherwise…and yet, for the most part we can set apart our differences and interact with each other in relationship.

So…How do we maintain our own identity, while being part of a larger Christian community? Easy… (to say, harder to do). We assume His identity. By becoming Christians (or Christ’s followers, Christ-like) we emulate who He was, which was all good.

When in doubt, Love. Love your neighbour as yourself, love God above all else.

While many of us share a common stance on the major aspects of being Jesus’ followers, it’s the minor things in life that can generate the highest level of conflict and strife. We eat and drink different things, we see different movies, we dress in different ways, we exercise differently (if we do at all), we drive different cars, go to different churches…you get the picture. We’re different.

So, let’s do life together. Differently, maybe, but together in the love of Jesus, most definitely.

Peace.

Travis

Romans 14:1-23
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2014:1-23&version=NLT


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Categories : Faith, Art & Culture, God and Christianity

Day 7…(Time to Rest)

9 06 2010

It’s 4:45 am. And my alarm is going off… beep…Beep…BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!!! I slam my fist down and silence it. It’s the seventh day since I signed up at a local gym, and I’ve committed to going every day before work. Out of bed I go. While I’m going through my morning routine, I’m also checking email on my iPhone, checking Facebook, and the news headlines from the last 12 hours. Yeah, I bring my iPhone in the bathroom…I know, I know.

A quick kiss on the forehead of my sleeping beauty, careful not to wake her, and it’s off to the kitchen.  It’s now 4:53 am. I throw a couple carrots, celery, an orange, some spinach and a banana into the blender. Mmmm… Breakfast. BING! Oh, there’s another email. Better check that.

5:03 am. At the gym and on a bike. Found a preaching show and away we go. And while I’m sweating away at five in the morning, this guy’s preaching about resting.

Who rests anymore? There’s no time to rest! I was talking with a good friend of mine in ministry on the phone today, as he prepared to take a few days off to “rest.” In his voice I could hear he was exhausted from the non-stop pace yet apprehensive to break his stride and rest. As many of you know, the work never ends, and sometimes it feels like if we do stop now, we’ll only get further and further behind!

I spent a few moments this morning reading in Mark, from a passage that the TV preacher referenced, about when the apostles returned to Jesus after being sent out to minister on their own for a while.  This verse jumped out at me:

Mark 6:31
     (New King James)
And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
     (The Message)
The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

Jesus knew that rest is important. God set a precedent by resting on Day 7 of creation. He took that final day and demonstrated the importance of rest for all of mankind. Sure, he probably could have done something more, a few final touches, maybe create a few hundred more species of exotic animals; add a few more planets, or whatever he wanted. But, he didn’t. He rested.

 We can become so overwhelmed by the tasks at hand that we forget or neglect to take time to rest, to rest in His presence. It is then and only then that we can become re-energized to accomplish what He has called us to do. And beyond that, what is the point of accomplishing anything, if along the busy road of “doing His will” we lose sight of Him and forget what His will is for us?

God’s will for us is that we love Him and love the people around us in the same way as we love ourselves. I’ve got something to say about the second part of that in the future, about loving ourselves, but sticking to the first part, it was Jesus who said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” We can’t love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength when we’ve dedicated every resource we have to simply living life. We are constantly bombarded and distracted by everyday things that we don’t take even the slightest of moments to rest or to rest in Him.

Talk about being distracted. Even when I tell myself I’m resting, I’m usually playing piano, watching TV, checking my email, facebook, twitter or browsing the internet; keeping in-the-loop, and up-to-date. During busy seasons of life, I often joke that I’ll “sleep when I’m dead,” basically implying that there is no time to rest…unless we choose make time, that is.

My iPhone is always in my hand, at the ready to assist me as I attempt to accomplish whatever goal I have set for a particular moment. I call it multitasking if I am making notes about something, checking the facts on something while listening to you talk. My wife calls it rude. If we are having a conversation, and I reach for my phone, she yells, “don’t shoot!”, as though I were reaching for a gun. Likewise, if I attempt to initiate conversation while staring into the light of the incredibly amazing iPhone, she’ll say she can’t start talking while I’m pointing “that thing” at her. She has one too, but I guess that isn’t the point.

I bet it’s rude to God that in every quiet moment we attempt to fill the void with some type of noise, be it audible, mental or otherwise, rather than pause in His rest, and listen.

If He was speaking to you in a still small voice, could you hear it? If He let his voice rumble louder than thunder, could you hear it over the noise in your own life? 

Last night before bed, I took three and a half minutes to rest. I’d watched the news and read all my email. Brandee was dropping off the babysitter, so I put my phone in another room, sat on the couch all alone in my bathrobe, and listened for His voice. I didn’t pray, didn’t worship, didn’t read my bible. I took time to rest. I eliminated the distractions and tried to love him not only with my all heart, soul and strength, but with all of my mind too, not just whatever percentage I wasn’t using for something else.

Turn down the noise, of all your distractions, and rest.


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Haiti

29 01 2010

Today, as I was catching up on some paperwork, I came across an unopened letter from Compassion Canada. Usually, I just throw these letters in a box, theoretically to read at a later date when I have more time.

This time it was the envelope that caught my attention, as it contained a familiar word: Haiti.

We’ve sponsored children through Compassion Canada for several years now, but other than sending in my monthly payment for $38, I haven’t been too involved.

I opened the letter, and saw an updated photo of our sponsored child. With the photo was a sheet of lined paper, expecting me to write a letter to our child. I’ve never before found the time to do this, but it was then that I realized for the first time that our sponsor child, Samantha, is from Haiti. My heart sank. Tears came to my eyes. I moved to my piano, and sang these words…

Were you scared?
Did you cry?
Were you left all alone wondering why?

Did you find shelter?
Did you find peace?
Have you had any food to eat?

I wish I could be there,
I wish I could save you,
In my helplessness I pray that God’s angels will hold you in their arms

I am certain that He will not let me neglect her again. I pray that it isn’t too late to show her His love.

Peace.

Travis

PS – If you don’t currently sponsor a child, do it today, don’t wait. www.compassioncanada.ca


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Categories : church, God and Christianity, Love

Order. Order! Order in the Church!!!

19 01 2010

Let all things be done decently and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40 NKJV

In the past, when this verse has been brought to my attention, I’ve imagined in my mind’s eye, a judge, seated high above a courtroom, pounding his gavel like a crazed carpenter, as though the sound of incessant hammering will bring peace once again.

Perhaps, instead of a judge, it’s a pastor, left with nothing but a gavel of control, in a culture of selfishness. The thing is, however, the incessant hammering of control only drives a wedge deeper, separating leader from follower even more, creating even more distrust and discord.

Our church is a very open church to the move of the Holy Spirit, and as such our services have a very free flow to them. We have a basic structure, an idea of how things will look, but we leave most of it to God.

So…how do things stay in order?

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue of an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:26 NIV

Honour. Whatever we do is out of honour for God and our sisters and brothers.

In conversation with Brandee (my beautiful wife) last night, she said this to me, “Honour equals order.” And it’s true. Where there is honour, there is respect. Where there is honour and respect, there is love. And where all these things exist, there is order, because in a culture of honour, I am last, the people around me are first.

In a culture of honour, there is no room for self promotion or personal gain. We minister to each other to build each other up, not to build ourselves up. And whenever there is need for gentle correction, a slight change in course, there is no room for offense, because there is honour.

So far in this article I’ve written the word honour eight times…make that nine. And yet, I can’t stress enough: Honour is a major key in the fulfillment of our destiny.

That’s probably enough to contemplate for now…

Peace & Love.

Travis


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Grey Areas

15 01 2010

It’s common for Christians to desire to live black & white, accepting what’s right & rejecting what is wrong. This works for some “cut and dry” moral issues, but becomes more difficult when it seems the issues seems to be more arbitrary, such as issues relating to lifestyle (eating/drinking/entertainment etc).

While we all should be pursuing a “white” life, devoid of “grey areas,” we also should realize what makes something a “grey issue”. Generally, a lack of direct communication on an issue leaves it to personal interpretation, meaning it will be interpreted by each individual who encounters it, which also means there are limitless viewpoints on the moral ramifications of the issue.

Once we realize which issues are “grey” and what makes them “grey”, we need to look down to the root of the issue. What is the original color of the issue, black or white? Was it first white, but tainted with black to become grey? Or black, tainted with white? Originally, was it a sinful thing that was watered down to be more acceptable? Or, was it a Godly thing, tainted or abused by the world, leaving it stained grey? As living followers of Jesus, we do as he did: redeeming what should be redeemed, condemning what should be condemned.

In everything though, love each other, Jesus asked us to. Well, he commanded it. Whatever our personal viewpoint is on areas considered questionable by the world or by the church, all we can do is love God, and love each other. The rest will come out in the wash.

Some Food for thought:

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. Romans 14:22

Love God, then do as you please. St Augustine

Everything is Meaningless. Ecclesiastes 1

Peace.


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Looking for more?

15 01 2010

Hey there,

Just wanted to write a quick note about our church in Mission, BC. Brandee & I lead worship there, and Brent & Sharon Borthwick are the senior leaders. If you’re in the area and are looking for a place to call home, or just want to visit, we’d love to have you join us. Wind Word Church meets on Saturday nights at Mount Calvary Church in Mission. All the details are here: www.windword.ca. We’d love to see you there.

Peace.


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Being Who We’re Called To Be

13 01 2010

Last night, my wife Brandee & I got to go out on a date. There is no one on earth I’d rather be with. I feel so honored, so proud, to spend time with her, to be seen with that beautiful woman. She’s way out of my league. Seriously, lucky me.

Anyway…we decided to go to a movie, after debating between “Up in the Air” and “Avatar,” we chose “Did You Hear About The Morgans,” with Hugh Grant & Sarah Jessica Parker.

After witnessing a murder, the lead characters, Paul & Meryl are forced into the witness protection program and must give up their cell phones, PDA’s, wallets, laptops, passports etc… anything that bore any witness to their fast-paced lives in New York City. The couple is then transported to a small town in Wyoming, for their own safety, while the police track down the killer. While in near seclusion, they are forced to slow down, turn their attention off of their work, and look to each other, talk with each other.

For the promise of protection, they had to give up something important: their identity. It was this point that triggered me to think of our identity as Christians, as followers of Jesus.

As we read through the Word, there are many statements and promises made about what is to come, about who we are as followers of Christ, about our identity. We are called children of God, friends of God, righteous, sanctified, redeemed, blessed, chosen and so much more. It is said that we are heirs with Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, near to God and citizens of heaven!

Many times as we read about who God has called us to be, we read and become encouraged by the promises, but manage to skim over the conditions.

Like Paul & Meryl, whose promise of protection came with a price, so do many things in the Kingdom of God. While I believe that God’s love for us is unconditional, and that He desires all to be saved, I don’t believe that salvation comes without cost. While Jesus paid the ultimate price, there is a price to be paid by each of us to become who He has called us to be.

And so the question is raised: What will it cost to become who He’s called me to be? The answer? Check the price tag.

In John 1, it is written that we have been given the right to be called children of God. The price? We must receive Him and believe in his name. Later on in John, Jesus talks of himself as the true vine, and of us as his branches able to bear much fruit! The price? We must remain in Him, if we do, He will remain in us.

In Romans 3, it is written that we are justified, and that we are redeemed; all we have to do is have faith in Jesus. Romans 6 outlines our freedom from slavery in sin, all we have to do is die…to self, and live in Christ. In Romans 8 we are promised life and peace. The investment required for promise of such a great return? We must set our minds on what the Spirit desires. We are called children of God, and heirs to His glory later on in Romans 8, if we kill the sinful desires of our bodies and become led by the Spirit.

I choose to live as one raised from the dead, for I have killed the sinful man I am and have been raised into a new life in Jesus. I desire to live according to His will, as without Him I have already perished. I have given up my own identity, died to myself, a small price to pay to find my true identity, and life, in Him.

Peace.

Travis


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Categories : Faith, Art & Culture, God and Christianity

Church: More like Real Life than a Movie

11 01 2010

Church is not as much about attending an event as it is an expression of reality on our Christian walk. Unlike a movie or a play where we go in, suspend belief for a couple hours and then go back to the “real world,” we go to church and activate belief, spend some time directly with God, and then go out and try to apply ourselves and His kingdom truths to the temporal world we live in.

During the course of our everyday lives, we regularly indulge in entertainment to help us “unwind” or “veg,” taking our minds off the stress of the day. We’ll watch movies, listen to music, anything to distract us, to relax us.

Church is not one of those things.

Gathering together with like-minded people, at least alike in their pursuit of the presence of God, is a key part of being a follower of Jesus.  While I sided with the “church is wherever his people are” crowd for awhile (and still agree in principle), it was only as an excuse to not attend church and be forced to deal with some of the issues that arise when “His” people gather together.

I put “His” in quotation marks in the previous paragraph, because I believe that people who really believe they belong to Him should be following him very closely, much closer than most of us have been willing to go. We wouldn’t face many of the petty struggles that come with being a church if we were willing to press closer than ever before, to God, and to each other. When a need arises within the church, it should be met with overwhelming attention from the body of believers. We should have too many people volunteering than too few.

My church family is quickly becoming my closest family, as our pursuit of Him causes us walk the same direction, and brings us closer together as we follow Him more closely. Look around you, let love overwhelm you as you see your sisters and your brothers, and purpose in your heart to be there for each other, whatever the cost.

Jesus did.


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Hurt People Hurt People

16 07 2009

It’s all perspective, you know? Two people experience the exact same event and depending on a great combination of external and internal factors one may interpret and remember it as a positive experience, while the other might interpret and remember the same experience in a negative way.

People are crazy. My wife’s parents introduced me to the song “People are Crazy” by Billy Currington some time ago. The concept made sense, although I interpret it to mean something like this: People will do what they will do. It’s up to the individual to interpret a particular experience, run it through their own set of filters (based on beliefs, emotions, past experiences etc), and determine how the actions of other people will affect the individual.

Here’s the interesting part. When someone has been hurt in the past, has insecurity based on past experiences, or is wounded or otherwise not whole, or healed, then they are to some degree, hurt. On the outside, it may appear to be just a scratch, but a plethora of underlying issues may cause an old wound to reopen, and an action that should have only caused a scratch suddenly becomes life-threatening.

While God can and does heal us, often we are required to bring something to the operating table to see a full healing and recovery take place. Many times a physician will instruct his patient to follow a special diet post-op to assist and speed healing. A Christian post-op diet consists of only fruit, and is found listed in Galations 5:

Galations 5:22, 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

This article is directed at the hurt person, as that is the person who makes a choice on their own reaction to a hurtful situation. It is their choice, and yes it is a difficult one, whether to walk in hurt or to walk in healing. Hurt people hurt people, yes, but I believe the opposite to be true as well; healed people heal people.

People will do what people will do. Most of the time they aren’t trying to hurt you. Walk in healing, walk in forgiveness, walk in love. Hurt less, love more.

Peace.


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Categories : God and Christianity, Love

The Symphony of Life

16 07 2009

Listen. Listen to sound of the city. Listen to the sound of the country. What a fantastic song! Now, if you’re not careful, in the city you might just hear noise, or in the country you may think you hear nothing at all; but, if you listen carefully, you’ll hear a symphony being played out. The instruments may be out of tune, the rhythm out of sync, there may be multiple conductors vying for the attention of the orchestra, but it is a symphony none the less.

Can you hear it?

A song of many dreams: some birthing, some broken, rising to heaven in less than perfect harmony. Look at the people around you. Aren’t they beautiful? Some are found and some are lost. Reach out. Hurt less, love more. Connect. Rather than seeking to stand out, stand together! Chords are much more beautiful and more powerful than single notes.

Remember, there is a time for every instrument to be heard individually, and a time for every instrument to sound together, as one. Some sounds will lead, some follow, and become the lead later on.

A quick illustration. Think back to second or third grade music class. Every child gets a recorder. Every child plays their recorder. Ouch. God bless music teachers…What a noise. So many individual sounds, clamoring to be heard.

Now walk down the hall with me of that very same school. As we walk by the auditorium, we hear a beautiful sound. First one note, a trumpet sounds, then the swell of strings, then the rest of the brass section: trombones, baritones, horns; the woodwinds join, as the percussion section brings a rhythm that binds it all together; harmony. A symphony, from the greek word that means “agreement or concord of sound,” is being played out in all of us.

Feel it build. Let your fears be caught up in a faith that this is bigger than you. Have faith in the Great Composer, that this mysterious, glorious movement will resolve in a finale like no other.

Can you hear it?

Now listen to the melody line rising above it all. You are the only person that can hear it, as it’s written just for you, in a key that only you can hear; the sound of God’s dreams for you.

In the words of August Rush, “The music is all around us, all you have to do is listen.”

Peace.


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