Confessions of a Shiftless Mind

I don’t know how rare this is, but life is quite good right now.  I mean, the people in my life are all nice people.  Really nice.  Perfect?  No.  Are there bad days for everyone?  Certainly.  But looking back on my 33 years on this ball of rock, I have come to the conclusion that it is in fact a rare, treasured gift to be surrounded by good people.  Community, I think it is called.

Growing up, I didn’t have that.  For whatever reason, I faced a lot of bullying in school.  From Grade 4 all the way to graduation, I faced it.  My brother and I didn’t get along at all.  It made things hard.  Even amongst my friends - perhaps because of the history of bullying, even though we joked with each other sometimes harshly, and I knew it was not seriously meant, a lot of the times it still hurt.

Church is often no shelter from such things either, though it was by-and-large for me.  My wife’s experiences in and out of church hurt her deeply.  In many ways her story is of deeper hurts and betrayal than mine, because many of the authorities who should have been supporting and protecting her failed - in Sunday Schools, youth groups, etc.  The way she tells it now, my bringing her to church after we met was much harder for her than it appeared to me at the time.

Even such things as honesty and transparency are most times in very short supply.  Yet, because of the community I am in, I am very glad to say that they are abundant in my life.  I am surrounded by people to tell it like it is and are not afraid to say hard things to help a person.  But yet, there is nobody I am friends with where I am who would not bend over backwards for me.  And let’s just say that kind words are handed out like bouquets while cruel words are harder to find than tooth fairies.

I can’t describe how fine that is.

I work in the real world.  I know people who are not so lucky.  I know people who are not so nice.  I know that for many of them, they are that way because they too have been treated harshly.  Is it the right way to being wronged, to wrong others?  No.  But it is human.  Like so many things in life, we often settle for mediocrity or even bad, because we have never seen better.

That’s why Jesus.  He came here to show us a better way.  He came to give us an example of how we can really live.  For many in his day, what he taught was unheard of.  It was unthinkable.  It was impossible.  But he modelled it and lived it, fully human so that we could see how it could be done.

Now, today, not every church and not every person who claims to follow Jesus gets it right.  But in places and in communities that guide themselves by his words and teaching, without seeking excuse or out, it is amazing what can happen.  I am privileged to be a part of that.  I am glad my kids get to be raised in that, so that they know what I didn’t growing up.  I had great parents, but they couldn’t protect me from everything in where and how we lived.  I know I can’t protect my kids completely either.  But at least they will have someplace safe to be and to grow.

For those people I know who don’t know what this is like, I hope they give it a chance.  I hope I can show that it is possible to live like that.  That it is possible to have a circle of friends that loves and supports you, and doesn’t tear you down.  It is rare.  But I know the reason I have it is because of Jesus.  And it’s one more reason to follow him, to watch how the community that arises from Christ-followers is transformed.

I finally got my ethics review approved, so I have the official go-ahead to begin field research on my final project.

So, I started poring over the list of churches in my target communities, when I was hit with insight #1 - how few churches have websites.

I mean, really! These people are trying to grow churches in highly technological, young demographic communities and hardly any of them have websites!

I don’t want to be derogatory, but if I was living in one of these places and I was thinking about going to church, I would check the web first. It would largely inform my decision. If the church had a website but it was antiquated, that would tell me a lot about the church’s approach to people like me. If it was nonexistent, that tells me the church has no interest AT ALL in reaching out to anyone in touch with technology. It’s like they are trying to be insular.

I know being a pastor is a hectic gig even if you only have a few congregants and you can’t be a jack of ALL trades. But it takes so little effort to make even a basic website. Surely there will be one or two congregants (or maybe their kid) who can help with it. Heck, if nothing else, sign up for a free wordpress account! At least it gives you something.

Insight #2 - how similar church planting is to real estate sales skills. It takes a gregarious person with a wide social network to be successful. It requires the professional to have marketing skills, and lots of them, while not having any formal training in marketing (although I’ll bet someone who was in a marketing career before choosing full time ministry as a vocation would do amazing). It requires databases and administration skills of a people person.

Now, they are very different careers in the final analysis. It could be said that evangelism is like selling - in fact, I see sales nomenclature shifting in that direction as companies hire “evangelists” to promote their products. It may have even gone overboard in this way in the past as evangelists seek the “close” (the salvation prayer) but like traditional sales models, abandon the customer once they have their money (most Christians aren’t after money, but souls, but the problem is we have been ignoring the “make disciples and teach” part of Matthew 28). But, there are some similarities.

Oh, the pain of politics right now…. there are so many issues, so many things going on it is hard to know where to begin.

I had despaired of ever seeing a conservative news source pulled up prominently in the Google News for Canada… in fact most times I had found extreme leftist stuff. But this morning I received a bauble, a trinket of the other side as the leading story in the Canada section.

The piece has so much quotable material in it. Let’s start at the top.

But here is Layton–on national television–making a point that he knows is wrong. The media know he’s wrong, but ask no questions. As a result, the misrepresentation becomes the truth in the eyes of many Canadians. This practice is called fear-mongering.

Ah yes. That would be par for the course. The NDP and Liberals telling outright lies, and having them backed by the major media. This is why I have seriously considered prozac during the campaigning for the last two elections. It is beyond frustrating to see such dishonesty play outbefore your eyes and realize that there is NOTHING you can do about it.

There’s the issue of where is the $425 million promised by the prime minister of Canada for the tsunami disaster? Just outside a Canadian DART medical clinic in Sri Lanka, with a camera in hand, I asked the one and only Jack Layton that very question. He turned and walked away. He didn’t even bother to grunt or say hello. They all knew full well that none of the promised money had arrived. In particular the $40 Million that average Canadians gave from their pockets.

This is why I did not give a cent to the Tsunami relief through the Red Cross or the government, REGARDLESS of what they said they would match. I gave my money through World Vision, because I know that they don’t rely on a corrupt government to take action when there are needs. It is even sadder to learn that the NDP, the champions of the downtrodden, apparently care nothing for the downtrodden in other countries… no, their care is for the “downtrodden” who support them.

I took it forward to other reporters in Ottawa, some of whom I’ve known for 30 years. I was left dumbfounded by the answers I received. “Garth, if I write this story, I will never work in this town again,” said one. “Look, I have a pile of bricks, a wife and kids–one about to go to college. You know about the memos some of us have in our top drawer. Good luck on trying to tell the truth.”

I nearly choked when I read this. It pains me to imagine that we actually live in a co-called democracy. Has it always been like this? Have politics always been this dirty? Have politicians always been able to manipulate the media like this?

It is times like this that make me glad to be a Christian. The hopelessness, the despair of having such unscrupulous people exercising massive control over my life is frankly horrifying. Having a faith in an all-powerful God who will have His will done in spite of this is the only comfort that remains to me. I can rest in the knowledge that there is no obstacle, there is no amount of control that the Liberals can exert that will keep them in power if God desires them to fall. But if they don’t fall, I can still rest in the knowledge that God has a plan, and ultimately those who exist for their own pride and will to power will be brought low. They only have 80-100 years on this ball, then they have to reckon with their Maker.

The mists of time are still thick and grey.  They resist penetration.  But every once in a while the wind swirls and creates gaps and glimpses of what is to come.

Faintly shapes of men, women and families can be made out.  There is a future ahead.  There is promise of a goal.  Squinting does not good to the task at the feet though.  Peering into mystery merely allows what is now to dampen with dew, slicking the grasp and giving pause to cold hands.

Ok, done with the flowery prose.  What am I saying?  Well, true to my typical self-doubt, I have been wondering if the timeline we are looking at for possibly planting a church is too short.  I have wondered if God really means for us to do this, or if this is just something that we desire.  Lately though, I am noticing that I am making connections with people who may be able to link up with us and help.  Maybe they will actually participate in the plant.  Maybe they will wind up being just prayer partners.  I don’t know where it will land, but the fact that these connections are happening is immensely encouraging to me.

I try not to think too much on these things because I can waste too much time dreaming and not focusing on the here and now.  Right now, I need to get the ethics review updated and resubmitted.  I also need to plan with Cheryl what next month is going to look like as I work intensively to complete the first part of my grad essay.  This month has been relaxing but I also need to use it to stage.

Your prayers are appreciated.  Thanks!

Four boys, no girls.  It’s the dad’s fault right?

Apparently, some researchers in England don’t think so.

It’s all about position.  Or the day of the month.  Or health.  Or the time of day.  No, it’s the mother’s diet!

Last night, I sat down in Lyndan and Aydan’s room to read them a Bible story.  I picked out the story of Samuel, so I read out of their little kids’ Bible the Cole’s Notes of his life up to finding David.  I focused on how he was a little boy when he began to serve God and how he was a gift to his mother who was barren, from God that she gave back to him.

I then headed over to Dylan’s room and he has a “real” Bible to read from.  We had been reading Mark 8, but I told him I wanted to read him the same story in his Bible, with all the details.  There were a bunch of neat lessons there, and I could have stopped and camped in any number of places.  We talked about how Hannah was teased for not having any babies, and how she cried and prayed to God.  We talked about how God answered her, and how she was so happy that she sang a song to God.  Then we talked about how she brought Samuel to the temple, because she had promised God that she would give Samuel back to God as her firstborn.  I explained to Dylan that in the old days, parents decided for their children about serving God, but now we let children decide if they want to follow God and serve him.  I just left that there and kept going, telling him about the priest’s sons and how they were very naughty boys.

I ended it with a prophet coming and speaking to Eli about his sons and telling him how God was going to judge Eli and his sons for their evil.  This gave me a chance to talk to Dylan about how even though the sons were bad, their Daddy was held responsible by God for the boys that he was to teach to be good.  I told him that it was the same for me: God wants me to teach him and his brothers how to be good, and if they are not good, then not only to they get punished, but I am held responsible by God for them too.  I told him that is why he needs to pay attention to what I say, and be a good boy - not just for himself but for others as well.

It was a lot to teach about.  I was glad for the time, even though it made me a bit late for an appointment.  He’s been resistant to us lately about chores and things, and has been getting upset when he faces consequences for misbehaviour, so this was to give him a new view on why we have rules and why he needs to listen.  What I didn’t realize was what else he took out of the lessons.

I asked Cheryl after I got home if the boys stayed in bed after I left.  She said the younger two were up once or twice then stayed down.  Dylan only got up once, to come in to talk to her.  He said to her to the effect, “Remember when we went to that ‘baptsasimis’ a while ago?  I decided tonight I want to serve Jesus my whole life.”

Wow.  He is putting it all together.  I don’t think he means he wants to be Samuel, (though he did ask about why Nazirites don’t cut their hair.  I wonder if he thinks this means he won’t cut his hair either.)

God is a wonderful God.  The older my boys get the more I’ve found myself worried about them falling into the selfish traps of the world.  This was the best gift I’ve had in years.  I will be needing to talk to him more about what he is deciding but this is a great first step of faith for him and I couldn’t be happier.

On Friday the family journeyed south, to the dry climes of central Washington, once again for the Northwest District of Grace Brethren’s “So Great a Salvation” Conference.  It was our second time in attendance, and it was really good again.  The format and the planning are improving from year to year, and it is great to be with other believers who are looking to deepen their walk with God.

The travel up was touch-and-go.  It was hardly above freezing when we left Vancouver (very weird given it is late April), and the Snoqualmie Pass was getting snow.  Thankfully it was light.  Saturday was gorgeous for the outdoor barbeque, and airgames for the kids.  Check out this clip of a couple of our team “fighting” and my 2nd son getting a little too close to the action.  I was surprised to learn that our house had about 3 inches of snow while this was going on - even stranger for April in Vancouver!

We had nearly 20 adults come down from our church, including ourselves and I actually think one of the coolest parts of the conference came after it was over.  We debriefed together on Saturday night, and shared what we experienced.  It was fascinating to hear about how impacted many of us were.  At the same time, it was a moment of deep community and bearing of hearts, as several shared about their struggles of late and several others used the opportunity to kind of say goodbye to everyone as they would be moving on in a month or two.

Maybe it is the living so distantly from my family, but I find these types of occasions to travel with other families and observe their dynamics and parenting strategies lived out “realtime” to be intensely enjoyable and profitable.  It lifted my heart to see that my parenting struggles are shared by others, but at the same time see the joy that comes from your children lived as well.  We got to see it all, and up close.  In ordinary life, you try to keep your kids “on best behaviour”.  In the interests of peace, you cover up a lot.  But when everyone is in the same hotel, going to the same activities, and travelling together, you can’t keep the walls up, and that is a good thing.  Trips like this teach about the benefits of true community and fellowship better than any abstract teaching.

It is easy to forget these benefits.  I know when Cheryl and I travelled to Rwanda with Jason and Dana (and 8 others), we all came back from that with a new appreciation for living in community with one another.  It slipped away all too fast - North American culture really works against community living!  This was another taste, and another reminder to pursue community more diligently.

I took a class on Friday night that for some reason is escaping me right now.  The two on Saturday I recall pretty clearly so it may have been a fatigue factor there.  I had a class on marriage and courtship with Pastor Dwight Cover of the Prosser church that was explosive to say the least.  Every time I meet this guy I got more fascinated by him with his huge family and his considered, well researched opinions.  This guy doesn’t pull punches or mince words.  I took his class on discipling children last year and it convinced me I had to see pretty much whatever he was teaching this year.  Then I took the class from our worship pastor, Jason Strain, on Scripture memorization.  Very practical.  I will be working on that over time for sure.

Sadly, the trip did not end well for us.  Well, I guess it didn’t exactly start well either.  Aydan tossed his cookies on the American side of the border on Friday as we left, but got better by noon.  A couple others did the same on Saturday night from what I heard.  Cheryl got it on Sunday morning in the wee hours, so by 8am she was in no shape to come with the gang to Toppenish where we were invited to their Sunday service.  We hightailed it for home, through some of the most confusing weather I have ever experienced.  I wish we had taken a picture of the view from the hills above Ellensburg - Picture a plain that is half green and half white.  I thought this would make a great teasing shot about the Canadian-American border, but this was nowhere near it.

Next year’s conference will be in another town (I think Goldendale), so we will have to get used to a new burg after two years in Sunnyside, home of the late father of the Grace Brethren, Alva McClain and an astronaut (according to signage).  It will be neat when we get our turn to host one of these events.

I just ran across a really good article on Canada.com about Three Valley Gap, on the Trans-Canada between Revelstoke and Golden.  It gets into the story about how the tourist hotel and ghost town were built by the Bells gradually since 1960.  It is a fascinating story.  Make sure you read about how when BC Hydro told them it would cost them $450 000 plus monthly power costs to get power, they went ahead and built their own dam and power generator for less!

I stayed there once on the way to Alberta with the family.  We didn’t have time to go to the ghost town, but the hotel was very nice and they were kind enough to let us look at “the cave room” since nobody was staying there at the time.  It was really neat - not my wife’s cup of tea but I thought the bathroom especially with the waterfall into the stone tub would have been worth a night’s stay.

Take in a bit of history if you have the chance.  I think I will plan a stop there again, with a renewed sense of appreciation for the efforts of this pioneering family.

So here is what I replaced the truck with.

I like the color. I wouldn’t have minded red again, but I like the burnt orange colour too. It’s a neat little thing. Its front grille and sharp lines remind me a lot of my truck. I love how it corners - it feels vaguely go-karty, though my wife doesn’t enjoy the sharp cornering like I do.

Its stats:

2008 Dodge Caliber SXT

• 2.0 L I-4, 158 HP engine.
• Automatic, Continuously Variable Transmission (no gears essentially. Takes some getting used to.)
• 17″ rims
• Chill Zone™ beverage storage bin (most excellent - built in cooler!)
• 31/39 MpG (the most important consideration)
• Airbags all over the place (front, side, knees)
• Illuminated cupholders
• A/C
• Ipod holder!

So I started tinkering with my camera phone, planning to photograph my smashing new wheels for the internets to see.

Then I realized I had no idea how to get pictures off my phone and onto my computer.

So I did a test.  Bell Messaging has this online photo album thingy so I sent an image that I had on my phone to the album.

Please look at this photo.

What is it?  I think it’s a pen, and what appears to be two halves of a peanut.

What was I thinking?  I don’t know.

I am speechless at my own inexplicability.