suzy describes, pretty honestly, our hangout here.

as usual street church rocked the house. almost 2 hours of live dance music, unrehearsed of course. last two some decent musicians have been showing up and so the dance floor is usually packed.
street church is an interesting mix of ideas - feeding the poor, native influences, entertaining street people, dance, community, rock, worship, the secular and the sacred with lines blurred. there are always the drunks and the potential fights, the laughter and the sweat.
i stand or dance or vibrate and look into the eyes of the people there. for a few brief moments they have forgotten about their crappy lives, don't remember the torrent of issues surrounding them, and some are free. free from the scrutiny of others, free to dance as though no one is watching, free to sing like they know how. it's a very spiritual time.
i am on the dance floor, mike in hand, surrounded by women singing "go johnny go" (johnny be goode) though they have substituted the words "go scotty go". they smile as they gyrate. something unique is happening, though it is sometimes hard to appreciate it at the time. these same people point to heaven and sing during a christian dance tune, something mystical.
for me street church embodies most of what i have dreamed but never been able to do. it is free from the scrutiny of tight-assed zealotes and pharisees, it is pure and real, raw and rough. it is the best thing i do with my life right now, i think. it's the best thing alot of people i know do with their lives. for a few hours on sunday they know, when they go home, that they have truly made a difference. a difference for that moment, and a difference for eternity.
i salute those of you who show up week after week and hump the wagons of hot love to the people in the crack houses and the bars.
those of you who know that no one will probably ever pin a medal on your chest but it doesn't matter.
those of you who do it for the right reasons.
those of you who love without agendas. you are really the saints of god.
for my part i show up and lead the band. it wasn't my idea. it's relatively easy, and i'm supposed to be there. but you people, you care without boundaries, without pay, with abandon.
for a few hours on sunday it feels like we are truly doing the gospel.
for a few hours on sunday it feels like we finally get it.
i salute you.

I am not a vegetarian because I love animals. I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.

i have a lot of regrets in life.
it's a part of where i am in the journey.
there are people i love and have hurt. there are circumstances that i handled very poorly. i have often thought about the childhood dream of taking a time machine back to undo some of the wrongs, only to realize that many of the supposed wrongs i would desire to make right are those i have inflicted upon myself or others. but that is only a childish fantasy and the people and situations we have harmed may not ever be resolved like they are on television. i have years of regret and shame about some situations that i may not be able to 'fix'. whatever someone holds against me, i probably hold more.
forgiving yourself.
giving yourself permission to be human. Allowing yourself to have a realistic view of yourself.
remember the times you fail?
remember the people you let down?
remember how wretched and poor and terrible and rotten and horrible and stupid and ugly and ridiculous and fat and dumb a person you are?
God doesn’t.

"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd."
Flannery O'Connor

from john ortberg:
I’ll tell you an expanded version of a story that Richard Foster writes.
A friend was in a grocery store with his two-year-old son. His son was cranky and whiny and crying and irritated—the kind of thing you’ve seen before in other people’s children. The dad tries everything he can to calm his kid down.
At one point, he’s walking through the store saying,
Calm down, Billy. Take a deep breath, Billy. You’re very mature, Billy. You can handle this, Billy.
A woman sees him and says to him,
You’re very patient with your son Billy.
And he says,
No, my son’s name is Thomas. I’m Billy.
The father tries everything, but nothing works. Finally, in desperation, he picks his son up, holds him to his chest and starts to sing a song:
I love you, Tommy. I’m glad you’re my son. I like the way you sound when you laugh. I like the way your face looks. I like the way your face lights up. I’m so glad that you’re my boy. I’m so glad I get to be your dad.
Tommy’s eyes get real big, and he gets real quiet. It’s kind of a goofy song. None of the words rhyme. Dad sings off key. It doesn’t matter.
When the child hears the song, whatever was making him fussy or sad or scared doesn’t bother him any more. His mind is immersed. He is quite certain that there is no catch, no limit to the goodness of his father’s intentions or his power to carry them out. All he’s doing is listening to the song.
He became quiet and stayed quiet the whole time he was in the grocery store. The dad just keeps singing the song, and it’s working. So he continues to sing it all the way out to the parking lot, and he straps little Tommy into his car seat. Then Tommy’s eyes get real big, and he throws his hands up and says,
Sing it to me again, Daddy! Sing it to me again!
Do you know why God made you? So He could have someone to sing to. He didn’t need us. He wasn’t lonely. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit—together throughout eternity. He’s just so full of love. And when you sing back to Him, that’s Worship.
And never was His song so beautiful as when He sang it at the Cross. That’s the heart of the Father:
I love you. I’m so glad you’re my child. I’m so glad I get to be your God. I love the way you look. I love the way you think. I’m so glad you’re in the world. That’s God’s song to you every moment of your life. You were made for that song, and you were made to sing it back to Him. That’s what you were made for. I don’t care about anything else that you do, or that you don’t do. If you get to the end of the day, and you heard that song and sang it back, that’s a good day.

Everything i’ve said in my life is a lie...except that....and that...and that...and that....and that...and that....and that....and that....and that....and that....and that....and that....and that.... peter griffin (the family guy)

"Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others." Groucho Marx

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'." Charlie Brown.

Always drink upstream from the herd. -- Will Rogers

My apartment was robbed and everything was replaced with exact replicas...I told my roommate and he said 'Do I know you?' -- Steven Wright

The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits -- Albert Einstein

"If you can't annoy somebody, there's little point in writing."- Kingsley Amis

my teenage nemesis amanda is now blogging!

"I learnt the lesson on non-violence from my wife, when I tried to bend her to my will. Her determined resistance to my will on the one hand, and her quiet submission to the suffering my stupidity involved on the other, ultimately made me ashamed of myself and cured me of my stupidity in thinking that I was born to rule over her." -- Gandhi

I remember the abject loneliness I felt being dropped off at boarding school. I also remember hearing later that my father had cried for almost two hours as he drove the long road home to Alberta. I remember the day my father kissed me for the first time since childhood. I was shocked, but overwhelmed. it was a moment of real intimacy between a father and a son. Kiss your kids. I try to still kiss my teenage sons on the forehead before bed. It is not strange or uncomfortable, it is a touch of belonging.

"Once, there was a small group of kids who decided to go to a park in the middle of the city, and dance and play, laugh and twirl. They thought to themselves as they played in the park... Maybe another child would pass by and see them. Maybe that child would think it looked fun and decide to join them. Then maybe another. Then maybe a business man would hear them from his skyscraper. Maybe he would look out the window. Maybe he would see them playing... and lay down his papers, and come down. Maybe they could teach him to dance. Then maybe another business man would walk by, a nostalgic man, and he would take off his tie and toss aside his briefcase and dance and play. Maybe the whole city would join the dance. Maybe even the world. Maybe… Either way, they decided to enjoy the dance."

Don’t forget where you were.
Don’t forget.
Don’t forget the children with aids in Thailand,
the outrageously poor in costa rica.
Don’t forget what you have.
Don’t forget.
Don’t foret when you were hurting.
Don’t forget when you were a practicing addict
Don’t forget what it was like to have no hope.
Don’t forget those times when you were abused.
Don’t forget how far you have come
Don’t forget your healing
Don’t forget your hope
Don’t forget people love you
Don’t forget God thinks you are special. Oh don’t forget that. Don’t forget.

it's like something out of a movie.
i was in grade 12 and did not know what i was going to do with my life. i had a friend who worked for CN rail and he told me it would be cool to be able to drive a train. so i registered at University of Saskatchewan in engineering.
the first week of engineering we got swamped with homework and i foolishly asked a classmate. this is engineering right? then what does all of this math have to do with driving a train?

(get it?... train engineer)

i wasn't always the brilliant holy man you know today...

A blonde calls her boyfriend and says, please come over here and help me. I have this killer jigsaw puzzle, and I can't figure out how to get it started". Her boyfriend asks, "What is it supposed to be when it's finished?" The blonde says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a tiger." Her boyfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle. She lets him in and shows him to where she has the puzzle spread all over the table. He studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to her and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a tiger".
"Second, I'd advise you to relax. Let's have a glass of wine, then put all these Frosted Flakes back in the box."

just heard on the news that my friend from youth for christ, who was accused of sexual misconduct, had all charges dropped!

... one for the good guys.

cool blog from biscotti about the god who plays sardines.

pics from our blogger party with deb and jeff!

people tell me that i can be intimidating. i have strong opinions and an extroverted personality. i am intense when you talk about something i am passionate about. one of my friends, describing my creative side, said that it could be like watching a fire hydrant when i am brainstorming. like most of us, i wish my personality was somewhat different, sometimes, but that is the way god made me. it has huge advantages, yet equally notable disadvantages.

like many people with my temperment i can be guilty of shutting other opinions down. some of us are more introverted, or less confident in our ability to communicate. it is easy for those of us who are no so bashful to dominate the conversation and ultimately get out points across, but often at the expense of the less vocal. we can be intimidating.

some time ago i was involved with a very creative youth event. we had top drawer visuals, great music and 'on the edge' activities. dozens of us were involved in the preparation. during one of the many discussion times surrounding the event the topic of moshing came up. i don't know what you feel about moshing, but i like it. it's a different form of expression, sometimes aggression, that is trademark to the teenage generation. it doesn't have any negative spiritual undertones and is similar to dancing/wrestling.

back to the story. we were all standing in a large circle when the question of moshing came up. i could see many of the younger leaders light up at the thought of doing something so creative, so different, in this venue. it looked that almost every person there was into the idea. but...

one of the older leaders with power decided that they would tune us all in. they used derogative terminology and strong language to point out the inappropriateness and the financial risk involved with moshing. in no uncertain terms we quickly knew where this person stood. and it shut down everyone else.
not one person saw fit to question the rationale or the attitude behind this person's strong statements. well, except me, but by then i wasn't the most popular person around and i met his passion with my own. probably inappropriate but i was pissed. i saw the faces fall, the idea die, and it bugged me that one person could exert their will over the whole.

of course the idea flopped, i looked like an idiot, but i learned something that day. i need to temper my passion in certain settings and not use such definitive language when we discuss ideas. it's a lesson i perhaps need to learn and relearn.

because i really wanted to mosh.

from Mr. Deeds
Rev. Al Sharpton: Now Brother Preston is soaring with eagles high above, because he lived a life of love. Yes he's flying way up high, because he was a supercool guy. He's gone away, too soon it seems, leaving behind his unfinished dreams. Yes we remember Preston Blake, a man with faith no man could shake. A strength no man could break. A character no man could fake. For goodness sake, let's eat some cake.

…a man with faith no man could shake. A strength no man could break. A character no man could fake.
sometimes you have to be true to yourself and damn the world. a strength no man can break. an intrinsic motivation that is not determined or thwarted by the opinions and circumstances around you.
... to be a person that lives their life on purpose.

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.
- e. e. cummings

i stole this from someone...
"I've got one for you. Last week I was on the West Bank, and a bomb went off, a terrorist bomb went off. Bodies were flying through the air. There was blood all over. A man came running up to me, holding in his hands a girl that was badly wounded, bloody from head to toe. The man holding this little girl in his arms said to me, 'Mister, the soldiers have sealed off the area. They won't let anybody in and anybody out. If I don't get her to a hospital, she is going to die. You can see that-that she is going to die if I don't get her out of here. You're the press; you can get us out of the lines. Please, please will you help?'"
Peter told me, "What could I do? I put them in the back of the car, I covered them with a blanket, and we made our way through the lines. And on the way to Tel Aviv, he kept on saying, 'Go faster, please, mister, go faster,' and then he started moaning, 'I'm losing her, I'm losing her, I'm losing her!'"
Peter said, "When we got to the hospital, we rushed the girl into the operating room, dropped her on the table, came out, and sat on the bench outside the operating room totally dissipated and exhausted because of the tension that we had just been through. I was taking a deep breath when the doctor came out of the room and said, 'She's dead.' The man convulsed in tears. He screamed and he cried, and I put my arm around him and tried to comfort him. I said to him, 'I don't know what to say. I don't have any children. I don't know what it's like to lose a daughter.'
The man looked up at me and said, 'Oh, that little girl isn't my daughter. That Palestinian girl is not my daughter. I am a Jewish settler.' And then he said, "But maybe the time has come when all of us must learn to look on every child as a son and as a daughter. Maybe the day has come when we must discover what it means to be part of the family of God.'"
That day is here and that day is now. We have to overcome the racism that is inherent in this present crisis. We must go beyond the resentment and the hatred that can easily be generated in such a setting. And we must learn from history. I don't know how many of you have friends and relatives who have gone out to the mission field to Muslim countries, but its almost impossible to win converts away from the Muslim faith to the Christian faith, because the minute that we confront them with Christianity, immediately to the minds of Muslim people comes the Crusades. You say, but that was a thousand years ago, I hardly know much about the Crusades-how many of them, where, who led them where. We don't know much about the Crusades, but there isn't a Muslim in the world that doesn't know about the Crusades. Where, in the name of Jesus, we slaughtered how many hundreds and thousands of innocent people, a lot of them women and children. And because we did not behave well at a particular juncture of human history, the cause of the gospel was set back immeasurably for a thousand years. We cannot let that happen again.
We have to deal with the whole issue of poverty. You know that poverty is what breeds terrorism in the ultimate sense. I'm horrified, you're horrified, we're all horrified with this incredible tragedy, greater than Pearl Harbor. More than 5,000 lose their lives in these acts of terrorism. We're shocked. We're depressed. We're in mourning. But let me remind you of something: while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 children under the age of 12 died of either starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Let me repeat that. Thirty thousand children under the age of 12 died of either starvation or diseases related to malnutrition, and we weren't shocked over that. We're not depressed over that. We're not crying over that. And it happens everyday, everyday, everyday.
--- 500,000 people in iraq have died since the early nineties when the first war started.

I've got news for you. The beatitudes say that if you refuse to be merciful, then don't expect to receive mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they are the ones who will receive mercy. I thought that the best prayer I heard in the midst of the praying that has gone on this month came at that wonderful prayer meeting in the Capital Dome as the Senator for Maryland stood. When Ms. McClusky got to the microphone she prayed, "Dear God, bring those who have committed these horrible deeds to." and I am waiting for her to say justice because that is what America was talking about, but she prayed, ".to repentance."There is the Christian prayer. I don't wish the destruction of my enemies, I wish my enemies to repent, even as I need to repent. There needs to be repentance on both sides of the line. After all, we need to do some repenting, do we not? We're 7 percent of the world's population and we consume 43 percent of the world's resources.

i grew up in a military family. i remember living on the airforce base, having to sing "o canada" before a movie started at the theatre. standing at attention, next to my dad, as he saluted. it was kind of cool.

canadians don't tend to get that excited about the military. there are only 70,000 people in our military, more subs in the west edmonton mall than the atlantic, and we are "peace keepers", not war makers. we don't shine on any campaign, although in the distant past we distinguished ourselves with honor. generally we just show up to support the NATO troops, guard the bases, or clean up after the americans.

it sounds demeaning on one level but it suits the canadian personality. we are a generation of pacifists, trying to rationalize a standing army while trying to justify our inability to do more. it's who we are. not that i am complaining. our troops are passionate, our pilots are the best in the world, our photos of troops usually show a child receiving a candy bar from a canadian in a blue peace keepers helmet.

i'm proud to be a canadian in a country that is too meek to admit it's nobility. proud to live in a time where, though my uncle and two cousins are in the theatres of war, i can know they will be compassionate and honorable. proud to be the son of a military man, the grandson of a military man. proud when i look at the picture of my dad saluting on another remembrance day.

thanks dad. thank you soldiers. thank you american and british and indian and australian allies and many more for your desire to do what is right, sometimes in spite of the politics of our leaders. thank you for protecting us, for being away from your families and your lives just so that other children can see their fathers alive.
thanks.

'lest we forget...'

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Pastor Jack J. Stahl, founder of the Progressive Universal Life Church (aka Church of Tom Jones), has his hands full these days. In addition to warding off demons with the help of the divine voice of Welsh superstar Tom Jones, Pastor Jack will also be fighting the forces of evil on VH1's "Totally Obsessed", airing Sunday, November 7 at 11pm. "His voice is supernatural," says Stahl. "I perform exorcisms with the aid of a Tom Jones CD. His angelic voice enables me to get in touch with the holy spirit and cast out devils." Pastor Jack will also be fighting the devil's minions on the big screen. He is currently in negotiations with movie studios to develop a script for a feature film based on his unusual ministry. Clad in leather pants and swinging his hips like his Sex Bomb muse, Pastor Jack has ordained over 150,000 people into his ministry since it was founded in 1990 and has performed more than 600 exorcisms.
via

over the past years i have spent an inordinate time thinking about death. part of my job involves being there during many aspects of people's lives, including the final curtain. over the years at this church we have buried many friends, and usually i am there for the event in one capacity or another.

i remember a few years ago going to identify several bodies of people in our church. several times my close friend rob deyo was there with me. at one point, when we went to assist with finding and identifying a friend named kevin, the coroner greeted us casually, almost as co-workers. several nights rob and i spent outside a house, or in a hallway, waiting for the inevitable. rob even had an addict die in his home, a traumatic event for his family and himself.

rob is a medical dude and one time invited me to view an atopsy of someone i did not know. it was one of the most memorable days of my life... that is until i got home to find out we were having sausages for dinner, a meal that closely resembles the large intestine of a human.

death has, ironically, been a fact of life in mission. i have stood by the graveside of several friends, i have actually been called upon to "pull the plug" for a close friend in edmonton. i stood by the bed of duke harris as his parents watched him die a terrible death. i was there watching the monitor over len skye's bed dip and finally flatline. in many ways i have become callous to the final moments, a coping mechanism in order to endure. i have done self-talk before funerals, in order to make it through without losing it. until 2 years ago i had never buried someone who died of old age. as an ambulance attendent in my twenties i helped gather remains, sometimes scattered over a highway or yard.

i say all this to say that it has been my privilege and horror to be there many times in my few years with people who are crossing over. usually i am replete with platitudes about the future of the soul, sometimes i just don't know what to say, so i say nothing. every time it is painful for families and spouces, a horrible experience for all.

we look at death as the final curtain, though as christians we believe in an afterlife. it's hard, however, to really believe in something we have never experienced and we take it on faith, but it still scares us. few people meet their end with the stoic joy that you read about in the "chicken soup" books or see on tv. death is the great unknown.

we also miss the people that leave us. sure we believe in the grand reunion, but we are stuck in the here and now. and it hurts.

i heard a person recently talk about birth and death. he likened the death experience to being born. you are in a secure place. you are complete. imagine if someone came to a child in the womb and told them that very soon they would be forced out of their known existence. that they would be shoved down a painful passage and that they would be unable to breath. suddenly a searing light would consume them and then their lifeblood, their connection with their creator, would be cut from them and they would be in a cold horrible place. surely that child would think they were about to die and fight it with every ounce of their being. it would be the end.

but they would not know that it is only the beginning. an entirely different world and existence awaits them, though they have no way of comprehending what that would be. life would be theirs, though death seemed to wait for them.

i like to think of dying like that sometimes. it reminds me that i know so little about myself. it challenges me to let go of my grip on reality and realize that my understanding of God and the universe is very shallow and so incomplete. often in these days i am reminded that i do not have control, that i do not understand what is going on; though i hold tightly to my agenda and my belief in my own omniscience.

someday we will all go down that dark tunnel and have all we know ripped from us. someday we will, perhaps in fear and loathing, come face to face with the ultimate equalizer. and it won't matter what our beliefs are. it won't matter how many things we have done or what we have, it will come for us anyway. and on that day we will be forced to admit we are not in control.

here is suzy's take on our blog party last night with pennsylvanians deb and jeff:

Bloggers Unite
As scott put it... "You know you're a geek when you have a bloggers party"But hey, honestly, it was cool to meet Deb and Jeff, fellow bloggers from the States.We had a lot of laughs, and just got to know each other and even meet each other face to face after getting to know each other online... and all in a hugely informal setting.Not too sure how much I can say about it all, cause you know... "What's said inside the walls, stays inside the walls" ;-)Maybe we can consider it a good thing that they didn't run out of Sue's house screaming "heathens!" Yeah they'd fit it well at New Heights.

What did the blonde ask her doctor when he told her she was pregnant?

"Is it mine?"

home from canmore alberta. connected with some old friends, had a few scary meetings, spent some great times with our staff. i hate driving. i hate snow.

ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Americans have been complaining lately that Canadians aren’t as friendly as we used to be, we’re not as friendly. Problem is, when you think about the words American and friendly in a sentence it’s usually followed by the word fire.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, superficial relationships, so that you will live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you will work for justice, equality and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and change their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.

i stole this from somewhere...

"How would telling people to be nice to one another get a man crucified? What government would execute Mister Rodgers or Captain Kangaroo”

Nice people are everywhere, polite, courteous, and nice. But are nice people the kinds who inspire you - the kind who are known for their greatness? Would a ‘nice guy’ lay his life on the line for his country, for strangers? I know a noble and courageous man would. You see the world doesn’t need more ‘nice’ people. It needs people who are willing to give their all and fight for what is truly valuable. Maybe that’s why nice guys finish last; winning requires a will to fight . . . at least that’s what Jesus demonstrated.

“He entered the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers. The religious leaders were afraid of him and started looking for a way to kill him.” Matthew 11:15-18

“Jesus?” I hear you exclaim. Yes, Jesus. You see churches often portray Jesus as a good moral teacher who told people to love each other. Not a revolutionary. Not someone willing to fight battles. But this is exactly the truth of who Jesus was. Although Jesus did encourage people to love and accept others, he was not just some ‘nice guy’ telling ‘nice’ stories and teaching people to be ‘nice’ to each other. He stood against the powerful for the sake of those who were marginalized. Once he even chased prestigious people out of a building because they were abusing the poor. He told the religious elite that they were whitewashed tombs; looking good on the outside but dead on the inside. He got angry; he lived dangerously, and eventually died because he refused to back down from those things for which he stood. Jesus’ courage demonstrated that he knew how to truly l live. He knew that it meant giving your all for what was right and just, and being a voice and strength for those who were in danger. At one point, while Jesus was hanging out with a bunch of sailors, he asked them ‘Who do people say I am?’ Hmmm… now there’s an interesting question. Based on what you sometimes see in Church one might answer “You’re a sap, a wimp, a momma’s boy.” But as John Eldridge wrote:

“Jesus is no pale-faced altar boy with his hair parted in the middle speaking softly and avoiding confrontation. He works with wood and commands the loyalty of dockworkers no question about it, there is something fierce in the heart of God” – John Eldridge.

Jesus was not just some soft-hearted goody-goody; he was no Mr. Nice Guy. He stood for something, and refused to back down from his destiny. He lived with gentleness and mercy in one hand, fearlessness and determination in the other. He knew how to balance these two extremes and spent himself on behalf of others. No small feat, no easy ask, but life to the max.

Regardless of which account you read, Jesus learns quickly that controversial messages tend to get a preacher into trouble but Jesus was never shy of controversy. It seemed to follow him wherever he went. His teaching was constantly against the grain of the established cultural norms. His message was like fingernails on a blackboard. He constantly challenged the common sense and values of his day. He told the people that the way to the Kingdom of God is along a narrow path. I wonder if we understand just how controversial that path can become.

All people are different, but some people are more different than others. And Christians are the most different of all. When God pronounced the judgement against Israel through Ezekiel, it was because they “profaned my holy things.” The Hebrew word “profane” means to “make ordinary” or “normalize.” The church has normalized God. We have judged what is a successful church by the world according to Normal, not the world according to NUTS. We have played the game of life by the rules of the world, not the rules of the Spirit. Too much of Christianity is nice-ianity, not NUTS-ianity. Too much of the church sees the world as the world sees itself, rather than seeing the world through the eyes of faith and the Bible. Jesus never met a Christian. I wonder what he would say if he met one today. Would Jesus be a Christian today?

Every major advance in church history was made by crazies—Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, John Wesley, Daniel Zwicker, William and Catherine Booth, Charles and Elizabeth Finney, Hudson Taylor, Phoebe Palmer, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa.

I am looking for a church that sends people into every avenue of life - into business, into the arts, into the educational sector, into the entertainment world - to be the revolutionary leaven that transforms the world. The task of the church is not to get ready for heaven. It's to communicate the kingdom of heaven in the midst of this world.

I’ve had many milestones in my life.

But one that really served to mold me into the dysfunctional freak you see before you happened in my last church. We were in a meeting and I was tired. I had been working 2 jobs, trying my best to serve this little congregation and nothing seemed to work. But I was trying my best. When I moved to ft. mcmurray I had no job, no financial backing, no church and only knew two people… well actually I had met them once. 2 years later I sat in a meeting where the wife of that first couple just went to town on me. I was dirt. I should be fired. I wasn’t spiritual. I wasn’t a good minister. I was nothing. What sticks in my mind to this day is the fact that the room was filled with my friends, the leaders of my church… and no one rose to my defence. No one disagreed verbally. No one threatened to beat the crap out of her… nothing. I felt very alone. Very vulnerable. And I wondered as I drove home that night if it was worth it. I wondered if I should quit. I wondered if she was right and I was a loser.

God reminded me that night that he loved me. And it had better be good enough. I have lived my life disappointing people. Most of my best friends in the church have eventually left. I grew up in a military family and this is the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere.

Is God’s love enough?

We need to learn that love is enough. To rest in the understanding that our creator wildly loves us, looks out for us. When people mock you for doing what is right little by little it doesn’t matter as much.When you are criticized and you know you’re doing your best… little by little it doesn’t matter.When you begin to understand that persecution drives you to your knees. It clarifies your vision, it tests your mettle. It draws a line in the sand.Then you begin to understand that what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.

You are blessed when you are picked on for doing what is right. It tells you some things about yourself.It forces you to rely on God.
And you begin to realize that someday everything is going to be alright.

scott,
Your personality is Choleric Sanguine.

Your scores are below
Overall:
Melancholy:1
Phlegmatic:1
Sanguine:19
Choleric:19

Strengths:
Melancholy:0
Phlegmatic:1
Sanguine:9
Choleric:10

Weakneses:
Melancholy:1
Phlegmatic:0
Sanguine:10
Choleric:9

ok, so i have an extreme personality! what a shock

some of you know my mom. she's been on oxygen for some time due to respiratory illness and at times was not doing well.

this week she was basically rushed to the hospital. her fingers were turning blue. she would go to the bathroom, run warm water over them until the circulation seemed to come back. a couple hours later it would happen again... and again. they got worried and at 11 pm went to the hospital. the next day i got an alarmed call from my son saying, "call grandma, they rushed her to the hospital!"

so i called the house and my mom answered the phone. i was a little surprised and asked her what was up. here was her explanation:

it was happening every couple of hours. she was worried.... although... it turns out that she was wearing new BLUE pajama bottoms, and would periodically put her hands in her pockets, a few minutes later shocked by her fingers. (they were dyed blue). she would wash them off, and then a few hours later...

explains alot about me...

Yesterday at church a picture of our good friend Len was put up on the screen. It has been more than a year since he was killed in an accident. He was a simple man who exuded joy wherever he went and we miss him. I can't help thinking how much he would have loved what is happening here now. He would have been giving loud 'amens' from the stage as he danced and played for the Lord. Street church would be just the best thing for him to display his special gifts. He may not be with us but in his absence we have all become like him. Makes me laugh.

There was a time in my life that I prayed to be ordinary...

read the rest of the post on sushi's blog

from last nights bash
thanks james for the awesome pics.

happy halloween!