OK, I Love You, Buh-Bye!

Vacation, sweet vacation.

Try not to let your world spin madly out of control without me.

I will be back. (But right now that's the LAST thing I want to think of.)

Indirect Affirmation

Thanks to my friend and brother in Christ, Rick, I have discovered that my thoughts on the issue of the legal redefinition of marriage are not mine alone. As this article states, even our brothers and sisters in the USA are beginning to see that the changes they were told not to fear coming to pass are now arriving at their doorsteps.

I may not be as eloquent, or as lucid, but it's nice to discover that I seem to have read my Bible correctly, and also understood the current culture reasonably well. What I have also deduced is that, in terms of social shifts and new cultural norms, Canada is ahead of the USA. The conventional wisdom when I was in my teens was that culturally, economically, socially and politically Canada was always a decade or so behind the USA.

Much has changed it seems, but it may be a dubious honor to be the winners in this current race towards the "brave new world".

Shalom

Daring to Do Nothing

"For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove." Exodus 23:10-11.

So I read this article and began wondering how do I go about obtaining a sabbatical? On Father's Day I was at a popular brunch spot in town and a colleague was there with his family. He dropped by to say "Hi" and I discovered that he was on his sabbatical. In a moment of purely unguarded honesty passing off as humor I said I was jealous. Humor is always closest to the truth I think. On September 1st we will begin our 7th year of full-time ministry and after my need to get counseling last summer I am wondering if I'm not due for an extended time of 'refreshing'. Our church has never sent a pastor on a sabbatical. They've never had one work for them full-time for 6 years straight. It's new ground for everyone.

And that hammock looks GREAT!

Hitting The Wall - Good Thing, Good Thing!

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.

So I read this article at LeadershipJournal.net and after my eyes were able to refocus from the blinding light that went off (as Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus" played at '11' in my head) I wrote this post.

We want it to be 'finished'. We want it to be 'done'. We want to 'arrive'. I'm speaking about sanctification. But if we were ever able to claim total victory wouldn't we also claim we had outgrown Christ? I have victory because Jesus provides to to me by His grace and because of His sacrifice. I am saved every day by what He did, not by what I do. Should I resist temptation, sin and the Devil? Yes!! Am I lost because I fail and fall? No!!

Obedient dependence. It's a good thing, and it comes from hitting the wall (my wall) and learning in humility that the only way for me to go forward is by His grace and mercy.

Shalom.

My Debut Album

Ever wonder how graphic designers, publicists and artists get their collective visions together to launch a debut album and still have time to schmooze and party with the glitteratti? I think the GameGhost may have figured it out. So what follows is the debut album art, band name and title for my new indie/trans/techno/roots/Christian/funk/blues/metal/folk CD.

Enjoy the fantasy people.




Ponga Asturias
Of The Greatest Virtues

Available on Incognito Records
If you can find us, you're good!

Now - back to work everybody!

On the Road to Forgiveness

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has set Canada on the road to finding forgiveness between First Nations People and the culture (our culture) that has dominated and damaged them for so long. The range of reaction to his apology on our behalf read in the House of Commons yesterday was to be expected. Thankfully, even the most negative reactions I have heard so far have at least acknowledged the open honesty of Harpers words, even if some could not bring themselves to accept them, yet.

It is now that the Gospel has a real chance to influence the path our country will take in the coming months and years. Colossians 3:13 says in part, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

We have an example, a model, a benchmark to reach for in our pursuit of forgiveness and reconciliation. We need to pray for and work for nothing less.

If we do follow Christ's example our destination will be true Shalom.