We've probably all used the expression "so-and-so is an old friend," meaning that the person is a long-time friend. I'm beginning to discover that the phrase is taking on a more literal meaning now that I am retired. My old friends really are old...and so am I - at least in the eyes of the twenty-and-thirty-somethig generations.
The problem with "old" friends is that we sometimes lose them. This past week my wife and I attended the funeral of such an old friend. By our standards she was not really old - just in her mid sixties. Two weeks ago we visited her in the hospital. We reminised together. We laughed together. And we prayed together. Exactly one week later we received news that God had taken her home.
We attended her funeral, which, because she was a Christian, was a real celebration of her life and faith. There were humourous moments as speakers recalled the funner side of our friend. There were serious moments as some recalled her committment to Christ. There were moments of joyful reflection as we professed our belief that for a Christian "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."
One of the beautiful things about Christianity is that our "old" friends become our "forever" friends. While we cannot imagine what Heaven is like, we have the assurance of Jesus that it is a real place and that we will continue to have fellowship there with Him and with one another.
My God keep us faithful and may all our old friends remain with us forever.
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Potluck Christians
I love potluck dinners! I mean the true potluck dinners where you never know who is going to bring what. Last week I had the privilege of attending TWO pot luck dinners. The first was at our Bible study group which waited until the new year to have their Christmas dinner. The second was the adult fellowship group at the corps. In both cases there were delicious and delightful surprises.
It is surprising how many people's favourite dish is mac & cheese and how many people's favourite dish is meat balls. While there were seveal dishes of mac & cheese and serveral of meat balls, no two of these tasted the same. Every dish was different - even those with the same name. And every one was a savoury delight.
Along with these there were many other differnt dishes and a large variety of desserts.
I think that church potlucks are a kind of parable in that they reflect the essence of Christian fellowship. Just as every dish is different so too is every Christian in the church. Even those of us who carry the same label are unique in character and personality.
Salvationist Christians are different from Pentecostal Christians who in turn are different from Baptist Christians who are different from.... well, you get the picture. And then again Salvationists in one community are different from those is another, and those in Canada are different from those in the UK.
What a dull Church it would be if Jesus insisted that every Christian be the same or even that every brand of Christiantiy be the same. Saint Paul talked about different parts in the same body, saying that there are many parts but one body. The same can be said of Potluck Christians: there are many dishes, but one dinner - and the world is invited to tast and see the Lord is good.
It is surprising how many people's favourite dish is mac & cheese and how many people's favourite dish is meat balls. While there were seveal dishes of mac & cheese and serveral of meat balls, no two of these tasted the same. Every dish was different - even those with the same name. And every one was a savoury delight.
Along with these there were many other differnt dishes and a large variety of desserts.
I think that church potlucks are a kind of parable in that they reflect the essence of Christian fellowship. Just as every dish is different so too is every Christian in the church. Even those of us who carry the same label are unique in character and personality.
Salvationist Christians are different from Pentecostal Christians who in turn are different from Baptist Christians who are different from.... well, you get the picture. And then again Salvationists in one community are different from those is another, and those in Canada are different from those in the UK.
What a dull Church it would be if Jesus insisted that every Christian be the same or even that every brand of Christiantiy be the same. Saint Paul talked about different parts in the same body, saying that there are many parts but one body. The same can be said of Potluck Christians: there are many dishes, but one dinner - and the world is invited to tast and see the Lord is good.
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Let it Snow
When I told people that I was moving from Burlington to Barrie their reaction was always, "That's the snow belt," or some similar statement that included the word "snow." I would then be given sage advice about buying a snowblower, putting snow tires on my car, and preparing for a long, cold winter.
Having spent many a winter in Newfoundland I am used to snow. I figured that Barrie could not dish out anything in the line of blizzards, squalls, snow, sleet, or ice that I have not already encountered. But after celebrating another 60+ birthday in early December I figured I was due for a snowblower of my own.
The weather was holding out. There was no snow in the forecast for a few weeks. I began reading the flyers that were dropped of at our door, looking for bargains on snowblowers. My plan was to hold out until the Boxing Day sales.
The days passed. The routine was repeated. Check the flyers. Check the weather forcast. Look for the best deal. Pray that the snow would not come.
Then came a flyer from a large department store that advertised hundreds of dollars off a new snowblower. I was excited. The small print said the sale started on Boxing Day. I checked the weather forecast. There was snow predcited for Christmas Day. Should I hold out? The advertisement said the store would open at 6 A.M. on the sale day. I really did not want to fight my way through hundreds - perhaps thousands - of shoppers to lay claim to that bargain-priced blower.
Then I had a brilliant idea. I would go to the store on Christmas Eve, make a deal with the sales manager to buy the coveted blower at the Boxing Day price. But would he go for it? When I presented my proposal he said, "I will give you the snowblower now and you can come back next week for a price adjustment."
So on the afternoon of Christmas Eve I brought my new snowblower home, unpacked it and prepared to face winter. Let it snow! Ha. Ha. Ha.
Late on Boxing Day, when the crowds had thinned out, I went back to the store and receive a $237 refund. I also had $150 worth of in-store credits from a previous purchase of furniture. That totalled $387 off my snowblower. I felt like a pirate.
When more snow began falling this week I started the blower and sang up and down my driveway, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."
Winter in Barrie looks like it's going to be fun.
Having spent many a winter in Newfoundland I am used to snow. I figured that Barrie could not dish out anything in the line of blizzards, squalls, snow, sleet, or ice that I have not already encountered. But after celebrating another 60+ birthday in early December I figured I was due for a snowblower of my own.
The weather was holding out. There was no snow in the forecast for a few weeks. I began reading the flyers that were dropped of at our door, looking for bargains on snowblowers. My plan was to hold out until the Boxing Day sales.
The days passed. The routine was repeated. Check the flyers. Check the weather forcast. Look for the best deal. Pray that the snow would not come.
Then came a flyer from a large department store that advertised hundreds of dollars off a new snowblower. I was excited. The small print said the sale started on Boxing Day. I checked the weather forecast. There was snow predcited for Christmas Day. Should I hold out? The advertisement said the store would open at 6 A.M. on the sale day. I really did not want to fight my way through hundreds - perhaps thousands - of shoppers to lay claim to that bargain-priced blower.
Then I had a brilliant idea. I would go to the store on Christmas Eve, make a deal with the sales manager to buy the coveted blower at the Boxing Day price. But would he go for it? When I presented my proposal he said, "I will give you the snowblower now and you can come back next week for a price adjustment."
So on the afternoon of Christmas Eve I brought my new snowblower home, unpacked it and prepared to face winter. Let it snow! Ha. Ha. Ha.
Late on Boxing Day, when the crowds had thinned out, I went back to the store and receive a $237 refund. I also had $150 worth of in-store credits from a previous purchase of furniture. That totalled $387 off my snowblower. I felt like a pirate.
When more snow began falling this week I started the blower and sang up and down my driveway, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."
Winter in Barrie looks like it's going to be fun.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Perfection
As a Salvationist I am a member of a holiness church. Holiness churches teach spiritual perfection. Jesus once said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect"(Matthew 5:48 KJV). God is perfectly divine; we cannot be that. We can however be perfectly human. Even more precisely, I can be a perfect me, and you can be a perfect you. In fact I can be more perfect today than I was yesterday.
In the words of Nicodemeus, "How can these things be?"
Let me illustrate. Have you ever held a newborn baby and looked at his or her tiny body and said he or she is perfect? Even though the baby had no teeth, no hair, was wringkled and could not walk or feed itself, you declared him or her perfect. Simple - he or she was perfect for the stage he or she was in.
So it is with my "Fred Shed." It is perfect for the stage it is in. If I compare it to another shed or compare it to what it will be like next summer (when I add some improvements) I would likely not judge it to be perfect. But it is the perfect shed for me for today.
So it is with your life as a Christian. If you are daily following Christ, you are the perfect you for today. But tomorrow you will be even more perfect.
Celebrate you perfection and go on to even greater things.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
The Fred Shed
Although I have quite a collection of power tools - skill saw, chop saw (given to me by the widow of a close friend), table saw, band saw (which I bought at a yard sale this past summer), drill press, and grinder, to name some of them - I had not the opportunity to use them until now. I recently retired from full time ministry and am learning some new skills.
My shed project (I still have to install the doors and trim) has been a blend of old and new technology. For starters I went to the Internet and googled "how to build a shed." I found complete plans that contained a materials list and step by step instructions. I read the instructions for Step One, went out and purchased the material, completed the step and then went back on the Internet and read Step Two and so on until I am now at Step Seven, the last step.
Along the way I have learned a lot of things about shed building. I have learned how to operate my vaious power tools. I have learned where to purchase building supplies. I have learned a whole new vocabulary - joist, lintel, stiles, and gusset. I have learned how to spell sheathing and jamb.
I have also learned some things not directly relating to shed building. I have learned that one has to be careful when around tools, patient when the weather turns bad, persistant when mistakes are made. I have also learned that I can do some things that I did not know I could do - that it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.
And there has even been a spiritual lesson in all of this. I thought about the fact that Jesus was a carpenter and worked with wood. I thought about Paul's illustration of the Church being God's building and each individual Christian being a stone in that building. Or to use the shed anology, each Christian would be a nail or a board in that building.
I can hardly wait to get on to my next learning project.
Friday, 18 November 2011
Champions
This week I had the privilege of attending a Hope in the City breakfast sponsored by The Salvation Army. The guest speaker was Catriona Le May Doan, the Canadian Olympic Speed Skating Champion and gold medal winner in two consecutive Olympic games.
Catriona is an inspiration to everyone who strives to do his or her best, especially to those who try and then fail, but who get up and try again. While the bio on her website speaks only of her wins, at the breakfast she spoke of one of her most devastating failures in a championship race when she fell and came in last place - 33rd in a field of 33 skaters. While she spoke a video played on a nearby screen showing her falling and crashing into the wall.The event caused her to doubt herself she said. She wondered if she had what it took to be a champion.
Catriona told about how she overcame those negative thoughts and went on to become the fastest woman on skates in the world.
As she spoke, I wished that every child and teenager who has ever failed a test or did not qualify for a team could hear her story. I thought too of all the people who have been let go from their jobs during these difficult economic times and who have not been able to secure new jobs yet. The message is simple: never give up.
In one of my Bibles I have a bookmark that was given to me by the residents of one of the seniors residences I used to visit. The bookmark contains a poem The Road Ahead by Helen Steiner Rice and read like this:
Often your tasks will be many, and more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged, and the hills insurmountable, too -
But always remember, the hills ahead are never as steep as they seem,
And with faith in your heart, start upward and climb till you reach your dream.
My God give you the courage and faith to reach your dreams for His glory.
Catriona is an inspiration to everyone who strives to do his or her best, especially to those who try and then fail, but who get up and try again. While the bio on her website speaks only of her wins, at the breakfast she spoke of one of her most devastating failures in a championship race when she fell and came in last place - 33rd in a field of 33 skaters. While she spoke a video played on a nearby screen showing her falling and crashing into the wall.The event caused her to doubt herself she said. She wondered if she had what it took to be a champion.
Catriona told about how she overcame those negative thoughts and went on to become the fastest woman on skates in the world.
As she spoke, I wished that every child and teenager who has ever failed a test or did not qualify for a team could hear her story. I thought too of all the people who have been let go from their jobs during these difficult economic times and who have not been able to secure new jobs yet. The message is simple: never give up.
In one of my Bibles I have a bookmark that was given to me by the residents of one of the seniors residences I used to visit. The bookmark contains a poem The Road Ahead by Helen Steiner Rice and read like this:
Often your tasks will be many, and more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged, and the hills insurmountable, too -
But always remember, the hills ahead are never as steep as they seem,
And with faith in your heart, start upward and climb till you reach your dream.
My God give you the courage and faith to reach your dreams for His glory.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Transplanted
It was the English poet Dorothy Frances Gurney who wrote
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's Heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
This past week my wife and I gave attention to our backyard in preparation for winter. We cut back plants, trimmed bushes and filled large brown paper bags with leaves and brush. Our biggest task was to dig up a large bush and transplant it to the front of our house. I needed the space for a shed I am planning to build, and there was a bare spot at the front of the house occupied by an old, dead stump.
The bush had roots deep into soil. It did not want to let go easily of the place it had occupied for who knows how long. I had to use my pick and shovel to dig a deep, wide trench all around it. Every ten minutes I tugged on it to see if there was any movement. After more than an hour, it reluctantly let go and bowed to my wishes.
Then I had to prepare the new location. More digging. Another half hour with the pick and shovel. Then came the actual move. I hauled the bush around to the front of the house and placed it in its new home. After filling in the soil around it I gave it a good watering. The next day it looked as if it had always been there.
I thought of all the moves my wife and I made during our 40 years of ministry. The decisions to move were never ours. Sometimes we moved with great reluctance. Sometimes with eagernes. But always with a sense of trepidation as we wondered what lay ahead. But like our transplanted bush, it was never long before we felt as if we were always there and that it was the place where God wanted us to be.
Now in retirement our latest move has been our own choise...or was it? I like to think that God had His hand in our decision making, especially because we made it a matter of prayer. Our challenge now is to "bloom where we're transplanted."
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's Heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
This past week my wife and I gave attention to our backyard in preparation for winter. We cut back plants, trimmed bushes and filled large brown paper bags with leaves and brush. Our biggest task was to dig up a large bush and transplant it to the front of our house. I needed the space for a shed I am planning to build, and there was a bare spot at the front of the house occupied by an old, dead stump.
The bush had roots deep into soil. It did not want to let go easily of the place it had occupied for who knows how long. I had to use my pick and shovel to dig a deep, wide trench all around it. Every ten minutes I tugged on it to see if there was any movement. After more than an hour, it reluctantly let go and bowed to my wishes.
Then I had to prepare the new location. More digging. Another half hour with the pick and shovel. Then came the actual move. I hauled the bush around to the front of the house and placed it in its new home. After filling in the soil around it I gave it a good watering. The next day it looked as if it had always been there.
I thought of all the moves my wife and I made during our 40 years of ministry. The decisions to move were never ours. Sometimes we moved with great reluctance. Sometimes with eagernes. But always with a sense of trepidation as we wondered what lay ahead. But like our transplanted bush, it was never long before we felt as if we were always there and that it was the place where God wanted us to be.
Now in retirement our latest move has been our own choise...or was it? I like to think that God had His hand in our decision making, especially because we made it a matter of prayer. Our challenge now is to "bloom where we're transplanted."
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