Who Defines Who I Am?

Who defines who you are, who we are? It's a rather important question and one many of us don't really think about, at least not directly. I was thinking about this after reading a report that said most people think really negatively about Christians, that we are defined as anti-this and anti-that. I guess I wasn't all that surprised, but it did make me think about the 'why.' Even then it wasn't all that hard to see the why. We've allowed a few social issues and those who believe differently than we do on these issues to define us. We're "anti-homosexual" and "anti-abortion" and we are seen as not being very loving or grace-filled in how we engage these issues, at least not in the eyes of those watching. While on a mission and learning trip last year to Nicaragua, the majority of the young adults I was with, who have been raised in the church, see us in the same way. I thought back to what I have taught and preached, and how I have lived out my own faith in front of these young adults, and could not figure out where they came to believe this negative image of who a follower of Jesus is.

Why are these two issues such defining issues in the eyes of those watching us? Maybe it's because we haven't always let love guide our speech or our actions and because we've mostly ignored so many other important issues within our society. If only we have the same passion for justice and fought as hard against poverty, homelessness, and for the well-being of single parents and their children; if we challenged unjust laws and challenged our politicians to really focus on protecting the oppressed, thinking of those who have no voice and helping them be heard. How would people then begin to see us? What if we really acted justly, loved mercy and walked humbly with God? 

Imagine if we focused on our responsibility to make our world a better place, a little more like the kingdom Jesus is bringing in, instead of insisting on making the world exactly as we determine it should be, as if we are really that wise anyway. Just look at how hard it is for many people in our churches to get along with each other. Maybe we should concentrate more on first changing ourselves through the help of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps if we took seriously Paul's words to the Colossians to "clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" 

It is not our place to change someone, that is the work of God; our place is to show others how God has changed and is changing us and to walk alongside them, allowing the Holy Spirit work through our love and grace and acceptance. When we are truly changed by God's Spirit, we are then a witness to what God's kingdom stands for and this will define who we are as we have then been shaped by God's love, grace, forgiveness, mercy, acceptance and a healthy sense of responsibility instead of privilege.  

Just thinking out loud here. 

Looking Good on the Inside

My son just bought himself a new old car. His old one was going to take more money to repair it than it cost to buy this new old one. When you look at it, it looks a little beat up; there are places where it's really obvious that there's been body work done by the previous owner; not always so well done. Yet the engine and transmission are in great shape because the mechanic who serviced the car did good work and the owner was faithful in his maintenance. This means the car should run well for my son for a few years giving him reliable transportation. It may not look great, but there's strength and power inside that's not so obvious on the outside.
I got to thinking that my son's car is a lot like many of us followers of Jesus. When you've been around for over 50 years like I have, you get a little beat up and can look pretty rough at times. When I look in the mirror in the mornings, I'm always glad I'm not the one who has to look at me all day. I've done some body work over the years, done a little exercising, play a little hockey to stay kind of in shape. My eating habits have not helped the body work part as well as they should have: chocolate will be my downfall one day. Yet my insides are looking a lot better than my outside due to the Holy Spirit's work and maintenance in me. This has been an unusual year for me with travelling to both Africa and New Mexico and it has given me plenty of opportunity to do some inner reflection, looking to see how I'm doing on the inside.
I've got lots of work to do in many areas of my heart, but I can also see evidence that the Holy Spirit has been doing some work on me. Through devotions, fellowship with other believers, and regular times of confession and repentance, the Spirit has been working inside me. One of the biggest signs for me is a growing sense of peace, even when storms come calling. One of our daughters had a cancer scare this spring and the Spirit gave us peace while we were waiting for the results. That doesn't mean the waiting was easy or there wasn't worry, but over the years I have learned how important it is to place these times in God's hands as we prayed and encouraged and supported our daughter. This learning came from the work the Spirit did as I read the Scriptures, talked with God and shared life with friends and fellow believers. I can't take credit for this, because this is the Spirit's work, but I'm also called to do my share of the work on growing the Fruit of the Spirit inside, but also get going on some of that outside body work at the same time now that spring is here.
Wish me luck and plenty of self control around that chocolate!

Is Unity Possible

Over the past few months I've have the pleasure to travel to Uganda, Kenya and New Mexico, all places with histories of brokenness and conflict. I live in Quebec; also a province with a history of conflict. What has struck me is the hurt that is found in the histories in each of these places, separated from each other by great physical distances and yet joined together in lasting hurt. Yet in Uganda, Kenya and New Mexico I also heard hope while here in Quebec I don't hear much hope. The conflict here in Quebec is ongoing and seemingly never ending. For the past 3 months students have been taking to the streets in a battle over tuition fees for university, even though their tuition is the lowest in North America. There is an on-going battle in my province over the use of the English language. Some of those who come from a more militant francophone background would like to see English completely abolished and all English speaking people leave the province. There is an underlying anger, bitterness and even hatred against others because they don't speak the right language or have the right ethnic background. There seems to be no way to bring peace and respect into this conflict as it's been going on for so long now, often fuelled by politicians seeking their own gain in this anger and hatred.
Yet in Uganda, Kenya and New Mexico I experienced hope for change and I do not believe it a coincidence that in each of these areas the church has played a large role in working for change and healing because they feel this is God's leading and desire. In Africa, missionaries came with the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ; a wonderful gift that is alive and well still today. Yet the missionaries also brought their culture and taught that the Africans needed to put their culture aside in order to accept Jesus. Something similar happened in New Mexico as well. In both places, the people lost something precious, they lost a sense of who they are; a piece of their identity. As I travelled recently, I saw followers of Jesus reaching back and reclaiming who they are culturally without turning away from God; I saw wonderful Christians shining the Gospel truths on their culture and transforming their culture; seeing how God is able to work through their culture to reach others who have not yet come to Christ. Some are further ahead in this than others of course, but wonderful things are happening and people's lives are being transformed as they are introduced to the Gospel by their own people within their own culture. The Gospel call to reconciliation has also brought the beginning of healing among the people and those who first set the missionaries with the Gospel, and this is leading to unity and blessing and partnership in the Lord.
My prayer is that the Gospel can once more be brought into my province so that the hope of healing can soften the anger, bitterness and hatred that are so prominent right now. I believe our only hope for unity in Quebec lies in the message of hope and grace found in Jesus. A half century ago Quebec turned its back on God because of how the church brought in the Gospel news, now it's time for the followers of Jesus to come again to Quebec and humbly and bravely invite all Quebecers back into a relationship with Jesus, partnering with those Jesus followers who are already here. Our hope for peace and unity lies not in what language we speak, what our last names are, or even which ethnic group we have been born into; peace and unity will only be experienced when followers of Jesus live out the values and ways of God's kingdom and speak out the Good News of forgiveness, mercy, grace and peace found in what God has done for all of us in Jesus Christ. The power of the Gospel can transform Quebec as it is transforming many of the communities of Uganda and Kenya, and as it is bringing healing and hope among the Navajo people of New Mexico. What is needed here is followers of Jesus to pray with the boldness of the people in Acts 4 and to bring the Word of God to the people of Quebec.

Hope

The past couple of months have shown me how important hope is in our lives. Without hope life becomes meaningless for many people; so meaningless that life can become optional or even undesirable to them. Paul tells us that there are 3 key things in life; faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. I'm not going to argue with Paul, but I'm seeing that without hope there is no strength to love or to feel the love others are extending  to us. 
I'm discovering that when we don't feel close to God, when we believe that we cannot trust God with our present or our future, or when we can't even believe in God any more, our hope gets lost; it fades away like sunset on a misty evening, it's kind of there and then it's not. When my hope for today and the future has to depend on what I am able to do or control, it can't survive, otherwise why are we in the situations we're in where our hope has already taken a beating and is in danger of disappearing, or has already disappeared. 
Jesus' invitations to "Come follow me," and "Repent and believe," are having a greater impact on me the more I reflect on them. Jesus says, "Come follow me," inviting us to "Watch me and hear more about my Father and who He is." "Repent and believe for the kingdom of God is near," God is coming close, Jesus is reassuring us, that He's already here in Immanuel, Jesus, God with us. His kingdom is one of safety, acceptance, forgiveness, grace, mercy, peace, wholeness, healing and hope because God is in control. It does take trust to repent because that's a heart change leading to life change kind of a call and I also see for so many who have been hurt that believing can be so hard when hope is lost. 
More and more I see how important the church community really is in our world today; a place where God's kingdom values are being lived out and practised, where our heart habits are being shaped by Jesus through the Holy Spirit, where people who have lost hope can find a place with real live physical flesh and blood people who are living out hope looking to Jesus and who He is and what He's done for us, being his body here until he comes back again. 
Titus 2 speaks to this, "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." This is a living into the future way of living that happens right now, living into a future with hope, a future where Jesus' kingdom ways will shape everyone and the evil that takes away hope today will be gone for good. 

Our Youth, Our Future

I've just spent the past two hours at our local Christian high school, Emmanuel Christian High School here in Montreal, listening to the finals of the public speaking competition and I've come away confident of the future of the Church and the Christian faith. Eleven students spoke on a variety of subjects and I heard their faith come through, not as something they've added on as an extra in their lives, but as an integral part of who they are as people. There were moments I wished there were more adults able to hear these young people speak. Yes, there was a certain naiveness in their speeches, yet there is something so beautiful in their naiveness as they haven't yet learned to be cynical or bitter about life or people; they really believe things can change. Their hope and certainty of a wonderful tomorrow is something we adults can learn from, after-all, with Christ, isn't our future one of hope?
As a pastor I have the fantastic task of taking our high school students on a mission trip every summer and as I tell them, it is the favourite week of my year because I'm with them, surrounded by young people serving others and open to talking about what they believe with me and the other leaders; a gift of trust and a challenge to my own faith as I watch them living out theirs. I'm reminded that joy in life is a gift from God that is available to all of us if we only trust in Him. Many of our youth do so much easier than we do even though we might be adults and more "mature" than they are. As I hear them talk about God, as I watch them walk and stumble and even fall at times and still hold onto an optimistic picture of the future because they really do believe that God can do all things, I learn how to trust in God again as well.
Today I was reminded that our future as a Church is in good hands because so many of our youth truly do believe that they are in God's hands. How about you?

The Seven Deadly Sins and Holy Week

The 7 Deadly Sins have been a big part of me during this Lenten season. Reflecting and preaching on these sins has had a way of opening my eyes to just how much hold they have on my heart. As I approached each sin I thought to myself that this one really doesn't have that big a hold on me, but as I looked inside myself each week with a new sin in front of me, I discovered a different side to myself that I had mostly ignored. I rediscovered just how easy it is for me to fool myself into thinking I'm a whole lot better person than I really am.
Now you might think that this is really depressing, but in looking at the 7 Deadly Sins, I also had the opportunity to reflect on the virtues that counter the sins' influence on my soul, heart, and mind; to hear Jesus' teachings that challenge us to grow in these virtues and take him seriously. But mostly, as I read through the Gospels, as I saw again and again how much God loves us and how Jesus shows us God's love, I felt myself drawn once again to Jesus and the kingdom life he shows us through his life and calls us to.
Then comes Palm Sunday and the celebration of Jesus coming as a king. I'm reminded again of who Jesus is, a humble king who cries for his people, a king who sacrifices himself for his people. He could have come with legions of angels and instead chooses to ride a donkey with his feet dragging on the ground. He chooses to make himself available to us, comes close to us. This calls to me.
As I read through Holy Week, through Jesus' teachings, his cleansing of the temple, and his warnings, I'm reminded of Jesus' passion for God, but also his passion for us as he wants us to turn to his father, our heavenly father. I find myself drawn to God again as my father and I sense a bit what his pain must have been like as he watched the people start to turn away from his son, and from him.
Now I'm looking ahead to Good Friday, to celebrating the Lord's Supper in a quiet meditative service filled with the stories of Jesus walking to the cross and the passages from the Old Testament that show us this really is God's plan. The love of God and Jesus reaches those places inside me where those 7 Deadly Sins have made their home and I feel their power lessening as God's love moves in. Now my prayer is that I will truly be transformed more into who God has created me to be instead of the person I'm trying to create.
Saturday is a time of waiting, reminding me that we're still waiting for Jesus to come back, to the renewing of creation into the pattern of his kingdom and the hope this gives. Sunday, the day of resurrection waits for us, calling us to cherish this life, this world God has created because he cherishes and values it. God shows this by raising up his son Jesus from the grave, a sign and promise to us that he has accepted Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf and we are right with God. The influence and twisting the 7 Deadly Sins has done to my heart, soul and mind is being undone because of Jesus' sacrifice. And finally, because of Jesus, my relationship with God as father is restored and renewed!

Tim Tebow and the Gospel

I'm sitting here this morning in Montreal listening to sports radio hosts talking about the Steelers Broncos game yesterday. The fascinating part of the discussion is how often God and Jesus are being mentioned, and surprisingly considering the secular culture here in Montreal, mentioned in a positive way. One of the hosts even did some background study on John 3:16 because of a sign noticed by one of the listeners on the winning touchdown in overtime. Most listeners had no idea what the reference was about, but the host did his homework and even tied in the Old Testament perspective about who God is and how this was part of what Jesus said.
Over the past few weeks, many people here, as elsewhere, have been mocking Tim Tebow. But they have made fun of his praying on the field and the sidelines; "Tebowing" has become a new fad practised all over. This morning however, the tone changed and mention was made of Tim's charity work and the young girl in the stands yesterday who was there because of his charity work. Even Tim's comment, “But the real win, at least the one I would take today, is being able to comfort a girl (Knaub) who’s gone through 73 surgeries and who I get to go hang out with. So that’s the biggest win of the day. They are both exciting but that’s what I’m even more proud of,” was quoted to put football into its proper perspective.
Now to be fair, some have talked about how gracious Tim has been about his faith, how he doesn't push, but that it is simply a natural part of who he is. Now this morning, God, Jesus and the gospel are all being talked about in a positive way and probably more people are hearing a positive message about the Christian faith this morning than in all the churches combined in Montreal yesterday.
As I watch Tim and how he plays football, I'm reminded of what Peter wrote in his first letter where he says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15-16), just before this Peter had written, "Live such good lives among the pagans  that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1Peter 2:12) I heard these biblical truths played out this morning and think that many of us as followers of Jesus can learn from how Tim lives out his faith, publicly and without fanfare or pushiness, willingly talking about his faith in God and yet respecting others, and doing his best with what God has given him. His generosity, love for God and life is a reminder to us of the joy that comes from following Jesus with everything we are. It's all about Jesus and it comes through in how we live life.