Friday, July 21, 2006

Art, Social Justice and the church

Hey, been a little slow in posting on here, as I have not been too sure what to post. I've been reflecting on the church, the arts, social justice and star wars. Not necessarily in that order, nor necessarily at the same time, although that produces some interesting mental images doesn't it?

I'm not sure what to say about any of what I have been thinking about, although I'd be interested in hearing what you all have been thinking about recently.
I have been thinking about what the church could look like. Specifically I've been thinking about what our church could look like. I am pondering what God is calling us to specifically. What ministries, what programs, what people, what teaching, what preaching, what fellowship, what everything. I am excited with what God is doing here, but it's hard to see where God is taking us. I keep reminding myself to relax and do one thing at a time. To keep my priorities straight, to "be". To be a good disciple, to be a good husband, father, pastor, friend. To not get distracted from things (easier said than done for many of us).
I have been praying more these last few weeks then I have in I don't know how long. I have been waiting and trying to soak in the presence of God. I don't know how successful I have been, but that's okay. One step at a time. God is doing something in my head, I'm not sure what it is yet though. I'm a little nervous, a little frightened, a little excited, and very thankful that I'm growing.

I will leave with one picture that I enjoyed taking the other day.

Clouds making rays

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Thoughts...

So it's been a crazy time recently.
Tara (my wife) and I were in Edmonton for General Assembly. I felt like the week was like trying to drink from a fire hydrant on full blast. Overwhelming. One of the themes that kept coming back was social justice. That is, the church being nice to those not in the church and who don't have much. That would be the poor, the marginilized, anyone we don't normally associate with. Another thing that was thought provoking was a thought expressed by one of the pastor's on a panel discussion I attended; he asked the question about what are we doing to bring the person who has never thought of getting out of bed on a Sunday morning into church. Now, this was certainly something I had thought of before, but I am not sure that I connected that thought to what we do on Sunday mornings in church. Actually, now that I reflect on it, I'm not sure what that thought struck my head like a hammer on a gong but it did (ok, maybe God was trying to get my attention).
I purchased a number of cds of different sessions so that I could try and get through it all later. I am not sure I completely know how to process all of this.

In addition to processing Assembly and catching up on life (like my lawn!) Owen (my youngest son) had some tables fall on him in church on Sunday and he broke his leg. A greenstick fracture is what the doctor called it. From what I understand it's not "broken" like we think, but because his bones are still relatively flexible the bone "bent" and didn't break. That leaves a wrinkle (?), at least that's what it looked like (kind of sort of not really) on the x-ray, on the bone. He has a cast now for three weeks.
It's still quite tender and he is not super comfortable but he's a trouper. I wish I could wear it for him.
Also Tuesday, my mother-in-laws car broke down about an hour and a half away from here and we went and towed her home so that we wouldn't have to pay a tow truck. A long, slow afternoon that was. It's all good.
Currently I'm struggling with studying (don't look at the time this was posted...). Mind is going around in circles and I'm getting a little dizzy. Oh, and did I mention IT'S TOO HOT!! Yuck it was hot today.