U - nique - YOU - known

ONE OF A KIND:

A snowflake - not all can relate - like my we be jammin' friends.

A fingerprint - yeah we all got those.

An idea - saw tons last night at an art/craft exhibition - soooooo cool!

My troubles - slow down partner.

You say "nobody knows the troubles I've seen!" - wrong answer.

The creator of all - yeah we've all got his imprint - and he worked from nothing (ex nihilo for you latin students) knows.

All unique - all sharing the same imprint; all unique - all known.

Think about it - all the "chasing after" that happens...we're known and can know.

Be still and know it...

Just where he needs me, my Lord has placed me

I thank God for Lisa whose journey with Christ has taken her to Capetown. She is committed to a vision of young african salvationists being equipped to provide leadership in a time when leaders are dying off because of AIDS.

A 23 year old CO buries 5 senior soldiers one day, victims to HIV - and then the orphans.

Replacements are needed, those who can breathe hope into a challenging situation.

Lisa is a servant - and I thank God for her committment. I pray for a restful time in Canada before she returns. I pray that God will send resources to fuel the vision. I'm thankful for our chat today. I'm thankful for those youth with a servant heart, a heart which says yes to God.

"Radical servanthood is not an enterprise in which we surround ourselves with as much misery as possible, but joyful way of life in which our eyes are opened to the vision of the true God who chose the way of servanthood to make himself known."

God's people go where others fear to go; they do what others fear to do.

They're real, relevant, relational. I'm glad I joined!

Downward mobility

I attend church services in Regent Park Toronto, one of the poorer areas of the city.

After attending a prayer service last Saturday a.m., while waiting for my ride, a lady asked me if I wanted a date.

Somewhat absent-mindedly, I clumsily, naively asked what kind of date. She gave me two options, each which would have cost me $10.00.

Okay it's 11:30 Saturday a.m. $10.00? I've just shared in some moving communal prayer with a couple young female believers, blessing and being blessed.

My reaction - I wouldn't part with the money for her - she wasn't attractive, she was missing a tooth - if she looked differently would I have responded differently? I was thinking, hey I'm part of an urban scene, and I've been proposed to - cool, this makes good blogging material.

Should I give her $10.00 - no she'll spend it on dope. Should I take her for lunch, she or I didn't have time - so many thoughts - it was getting complicated, all within a few seconds really.

What I ended up thinking was that she was someone's daughter, sister, maybe even mother, and she was God's creation. She was so addicted (to crack cocaine I assume) that no act was too desperate. It was sad.

I'm a clay vessel with the treasure inside. Once I got through my human processing - I was thankful that I had compassion - I suffered with her. I kind of raced ahead to what could be done for her and folk like her but in the end I acknowledged her, smiled, and declined the offer.

God's compassion is not something abstract but concrete - I am with you - that's incarnation.
Jesus doesn't reach down from on high to pull us up - rather he becomes like us.

It is not the bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there.

I've been places, done things I'm not proud of - just like you and my Saturday a.m. acquaintance, but both she and I and you can enter the holy place and find grace and mercy in our time of need because of Jesus, our sympathetic high priest, who walked where we walk, tempted in all ways, yet without sin.

Praise God for Immanuel - we are not alone.

A shared vision, conversation and baton!

Without vision we perish. Another translation of this proverb says, without obedience to the revealed word of God we perish.

"We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. They would not be like their forefathers - a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him." (Psalm 78:4,8)

The synergy of the two generations is fuelled by a vision of God, rooted in his word and spirit, not in our traditions, idols and self-interest. The baton can be successfully exchanged in this eternal relay race when both groups are seeking God first, his will.

To me it begins with conversations, intergenerational conversations, cross-cultural conversations. I didn't say discussions - which can be harsh, hurtful like concussions - but conversations where we listen to God, listen to others. I have to create space for this.

That's what this process is about - the next generation deserves better -open, honest, real, relevant conversation - rooted in Jesus! BRING IT ON!

"For the Lord is good, and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

"Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions....." Yes Lord Jesus!

Kairos Time

We speak of chronos time - minutes, seconds, nano-seconds - we have devices to measure time.

Then there is kairos time - eg. now is the time to worship; they were the worst of times, they were the best of times. This is a significant time in my life.

Sam Hutchinson says "This is kairos time, a time to influence and inspire our land for a generation to come...May the Holy Spirit show us what may change, what must change, and what must not change.

Hmmmmm....Time for the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer which can be prayed by all - the Known Human Beings prayer: God grant me the courage to change the things that I can, the serenity to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.

The future is too important to be left to chance. God works, I work - its the sacred dance. Time is precious, it's vapour - he leads, I respond - he reveals himself, I act on the revelation. Lord help me to seize the day Sometimes I'm out there on my own, but that's how my faith is strengthened, that's how my faith is deepened.

Only one life - it soon will pass - only what's done for Christ will last! My life is in your hands!

Rediscovering Our Roots, Recharting Our Routes

The junction generations understand intuitively that they must live in two worlds. Many have become bilingual speaking the language of the past among their elders and of the future among their peers.

They know just enough of both worlds to know that they are at home in neither. Rootless and restless they wander both worlds as strangers, inexplicably driven by a longing for home.

The wisdom of the past without a vision of the future is irrelevant, or worse still, deadening. But a vision of the future ignorant of the lessons of the past is irresponsible.

Many in the older generations need to face the truth that those younger than themselves hold the keys; many in the younger generations need to admit their need of help. Only as the two stand together will the map of the future be intelligible.

"Beyond the horizon lies the key to a new beginning."