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We had a very strange morning at church today. First, somebody came looking for money right before the service. He wanted money for a bus ticket. I told him I wouldn't give him money, but I would be glad to go with him to buy the ticket. He refused, and went outside to hit people up for money as they came in.

It isn't unusual for someone to come looking for money right before the service, but the timing is a little weird.

Then, right as the service started, one of our seniors had a medical emergency and had to be carried out. Emergency personnel responded quickly, and came in with masks due to the SARS outbreak. She's quite elderly - about 91 - and the next 24 hours will be pretty critical to her.

We also had a visiting choir, which took over the entire service. Right after the offering, a woman stood up and started calling us all heretics and stuff. The ushers were busy collecting the offering, and I ended up escorting her out. Note to self: usher training required. A medical emergency and a disruption all in one morning.

I'm used to a couple of things going wrong, but I was getting a little rattled by the time the third strange event took place. I'm glad to be home; let's just say I'm glad that service is over.

Posted by Darryl at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 )

From Bene Diction Blogs On:

On behalf of Canadians everywhere I'd like to offer an apology to the United States of America. We haven't been getting along very well recently and for that, I am truly sorry...

Read the whole thing - it's very funny.

Posted by Darryl at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Sky did not come to know Jesus and become part of a church because of a well-rehearsed drama sketch, polished four-point preaching, flawless programming, or new padded theater seats. It wasn't because of a well-lit, contemporary, bright and cheery church facility where we removed the religious symbols, stained glass, and church atmosphere to make "seekers" more comfortable. It wasn't because we used secular songs in the church meeting so he could relate to them, or cut musical worship to a minimum in the fear that it would cause someone like Sky to be turned off. In fact, Sky experienced almost the opposite...

So many of the things I had once worked so hard to eliminate in order to be seeker-sensitive, to avoid offending or confusing a seeker like Sky, were exactly the things he found most influential in his decision to become a Christian. For Sky, seeker-sensitive (style, not lifestyle) approach would have been a complete failure and possibly even detrimental. Sky comes from a generation that grew up in a changing post-Christian culture, a culture different from that of the generations that grew up when the seeker-sensitive movement started. We need to recognize that we are moving into a post-seeker-sensitive era. (Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church)

Posted by Darryl at 11:27 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I've had little to add to the war debate that's been raging. I'm overwhelmed that we're all so far apart on the issues. I've always had the naive hope that discussion would lead to common ground, at least agreement on some core issues. Instead, the debate seems to have led to more polarization.

It's hit me the past few days as I've read different newspapers and magazines. They have completely different slants (as you'd expect). That's reflected in the Christian blogs and discussions I've been reading. There's so much polarization that it's hard for someone like me to know where to land. I'm not really sure I fit in either camp (although one feels a bit more like home).

So I'm praying, with my own limited views and my own limited perspective. It's about the only thing that both sides of the Christian debate can agree to do.

Update: You know things are screwy when you pretty much agree with Ed the Sock.

Posted by Darryl at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It's dangerous to recommend movies. I've raved about a movie on more than one occasion, and my friends have hated it. Still, it's not going to stop me.

We picked up Mostly Martha at the video store tonight. It's about an anal chef whose life is interrupted by her 8-year-old niece and an assistant cook at work. It's a little formulaic, but the soundtrack is great, and there's something about subtitles (the movie's in German). It worked for me. Highly recommended.

Posted by Darryl at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

If you talk to almost anyone about postmodernism and church, it isn't long before certain attitudes begin to surface. I've noticed three among my friends and colleagues:

One: Yes, yes. I'm thoroughly postmodern and cool.

Two: It's the latest bogus trend. I'll sit this one out. What next?

Three: I've been sensing something wrong. We're not connecting. We've tried being purpose-driven, seeker-sensitive, transitioning, turnaround, naturally developed, you name it, but we're not connecting and we need help.

There are some great books on the emerging church out there. The problem with some of them is that they re-enforce the attitudes of group one, and scare groups two and three half to death.

I've just started reading Dan Kimball's The Emerging Church and I like it. It's not scary, but it's clear about what's happened and why it isn't all bad. It echoes and interprets the journey a lot of us have been on.

Kimball's book makes it clear that what's happening isn't a fad (although some of the church's reactions may be faddish). It also avoids laying out a program or sure-fire methodology (buy candles, get unplugged). It's better than that. It's a book that I'll be sharing with a few of my friends.

Posted by Darryl at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Most of you are aware that the issue of gender and leadership is an issue within the church. We all have different perspectives, and that's where I need your help.

I'm studying the issue of gender and roles in Scripture. If you've studied this, you can help me out by providing brief answers to three questions:

1. What are the top 2-3 books you would recommend on either side of the gender and leadership debate?

2. What persuades you to hold to your position on the issue?

3. Can you recommend 2-3 people from either position who would provide helpful answers to these questions?

Please e-mail me with your answers. Thanks in advance for your help!

Posted by Darryl at 10:21 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

When I woke up today, the sun was shining. Sunrise took place at 6:14 a.m. today - very nice. The temperature is warm, the snow is gone, and temperatures are great. The neighborhood ice cream store is open. They make the best soft-serve ice cream in Toronto (Tom's Dairy Freeze, just west of Park Lawn and the Queensway). Welcome, Spring. You were a long time coming.

Posted by Darryl at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Christianity Today Magazine - What George Bush's Favorite Devotional Writer Says About War

"War is the most damnably bad thing," Chambers said shortly before his death. "Because God overrules a thing and brings good out of it does not mean that the thing itself is a good thing. . . . [However,] if the war has made me reconcile myself with the fact that there is sin in human beings, I shall no longer go with my head in the clouds, or buried in the sand like an ostrich, but I shall be wishing to face facts as they are."

Posted by Darryl at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Michael Moore isn't all bad. Stupid White Men is funny at times, and does make some good points among all the absurdities, and I can't wait to see Bowling for Columbine. But that was the worst Oscar acceptance speech I've ever seen. Get a grip.

Steve Martin had a great line - "The Teamsters are helping Michael Moore into the back of his limo."

Posted by Darryl at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

The Iraq Body Count is a sober reminder of the high cost of war. But it's not the complete story.

I wish that the site made mention of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians who have died under Saddam Hussein's regime. It's a great site, and reminds us that war is an obscenity, but in and of itself isn't an argument against war.

Posted by Darryl at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

NATIONAL POST: Canada's Contribution - Celine Dion

If experts at the U.S. Army's 4th Psychological Operations Group are correct, the diva's music could be instrumental in convincing Iraqi soldiers to surrender.

Francine Chaloult, Ms. Dion's spokeswoman, said the singer would be very happy to hear her music is being used as one of the "weapons of mass persuasion" employed by the U.S. military in an initiative that blasts Western music and propaganda over Iraqi airwaves in the hopes it will help break enemy morale.

Posted by Darryl at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

CNN.com - Allied troops control Iraq's only coast - Mar. 21, 2003

Regardless of the Iraqi leader's fate, the apparent disarray within the Iraqi leadership was enough to delay the original war plan, which called for an immediate and extensive bombing campaign to create "shock and awe" among Iraqi soldiers.

Could this be God at work, even in answer to prayer? Disarray before the fight even really starts - yes, God can surely do that. It could even save many lives. "Surely the nations are like a drop in the bucket" (Is. 40:15)

Posted by Darryl at 7:16 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Somebody loaned us the book As For Me & My House tonight. It's probably not a book I would have picked up by myself - the title sounds a little preachy. But it's one of those books that describes so realistically the joys and challenges of marriage that I will be buying it for myself and some of my friends.

The challenges of marriage - idealization, gender differences, forgiveness - are spelled out clearly. The author describes his courtship, and I'm thinking, "Yes, that's what it was like." The same for early marriage, and so on.

Marriage immediately forces changes upon the partners, which, no matter how well prepared they thought they were, surprise them and require a new and specialized labor from both of them. This is the fact: the woman does not know who her husband is until he is her husband, nor the man his wife until she exists as wife. Before the marriage these people were fiances, not spouses; fiances and spouses are different creatures, and the second creature doesn't appear until the first has passed away. Did the courtship last many years? It doesn't matter. Were they friends long before they initiated courtship? It doesn't matter. They still can't know the spouse until he or she is a spouse; and there isn't a spouse until there is a marriage.

Looks like a good book - realistic and hopeful at the same time about the challenge that is marriage.

Posted by Darryl at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I heard someone preach for the first time today. He did a great job too. It brought me back to the first time I preached, which was a memorable event for no-one but me. Well, it may have been memorable for others, but not for the right reasons.

It's not fashionable to say, but I still believe in preaching. By preaching, I don't mean a 40-minute monologue from the expert up front. I include other forms: not just lectures (by non-experts, by the way), but also the teaching of God's Word in house churches, in discussion format, through creative forms of proclamation - who knows?

I'm not sure we should exalt the preacher as much as we have, but the fact remains: some are going to be more gifted to communicate the Bible than others. For those of us who have been exposed to those who are gifted to teach and preach, in whatever format, we can't imagine doing without it. We can't imagine doing without the other gifts either. They're all important.

It's easy to get discouraged about preaching. There's so much preaching that isn't good, perhaps because there are so many pastors who aren't good at preaching. Some of today's methods and assumptions have to go. But I'm still hopeful. Today, I saw the first brave steps of someone who thinks he just might be called to preach, and it made my day.

Posted by Darryl at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the last Gulf War began. It was a very different time, before the Internet was much of a factor. The prophecy books were out there, but not very helpful.

Now, we're on the brink of the second Gulf war. This time is different. There's been a discussion with Christ-followers all over the world, a 21st century version of a theological debate held over a keg of beer.

At first glance, the discussion hasn't done any good. It's not like George W. has been influenced by what we've said. But it would be a mistake to negate what some people might call punditry. For a believer, a changing mind is a pretty significant thing ("be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."). I know I've learned, and I'm going to pray differently.

So thanks, Rachel, Jordon, Bene, Josh, Dean, John C., John O., Steve, Chad, Pen, and others. I appreciate you more than you could know.

Posted by Darryl at 6:42 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

Spirituality is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection. The way of the spiritual life begins where we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives. Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God being present in the mess of our unfixedness. (Michael Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality)

Posted by Darryl at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

From blogs4God - a Semi-Definitive List of Christian Blogs:

So now, I ask you. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you stand, let us join one another in prayer as a war with Iraq appears inevitable. And if you're not sure what to pray for, here are some other sites listed with blogs4God who are already wearing out the knees of their jeans.

Posted by Darryl at 7:12 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Sometime last year, I experienced a preaching crisis. Today, I re-read a passage in The Leadership Challenge that not only describes how I felt during the crisis, but how I felt coming out of it.

The book begins by describing how we usually begin to grow by imitating others.

Somewhere along the way, you'll notice that your speech sounds mechanically rote, that your meetings are a boring routine, and that your interactions feel terribly sad and empty. You'll awaken to the frightening thought that the words aren't yours, that the vocabulary is someone else's, that the technique is right out of the text but not straight from the heart. While you've invested so much time and energy in learning to do all the right things, you suddenly see that they're no longer serving you well. The methods seem hollow. You may even feel like a phony.

In these moments you begin to stare into the darkness of your own inner territory, and to wonder what lies inside. You say to yourself, "I'm not someone else. I'm a unique human being. But, who exactly am I? What is my voice?" For aspiring leaders, this awakening initiates a period of intense exploration, a period of testing, a period of invention. A period of going beyond technique, beyond training, beyond imitating the masters, and beyond taking the advice of others. Then, after exhausting experimentation and often painful suffering, there emerges from all those abstract strokes on the canvas an expression of self that is truly your own...

If...you're fortunate to experience an integrative turning point in your development - a point where you're able to merge the lessons from your outer and inner journeys - you move on to becoming an authentic leader [preacher], in whatever field you've chosen for yourself. You're able to recognize your own voice from the multitude of other voices ringing in your ears, and you find ways to express yourself in a singular style.

Calvin Miller's book The Sermon Maker helped me when I wanted to give up. It also made me realize that it probably wouldn't be the last preaching crisis I would face. It was uncanny to read the same feelings, the same desire to move beyond technique, expressed in the The Leadership Challenge.

Posted by Darryl at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

OTTAWA - Jean Chretien today gave notice to France that it will not join the Coalition of the Unwilling, one day after refusing to join George Bush's Coalition of the Willing.

"My position has always been clear," the Prime Minister said outside the House of Commons. "Da Security Council didn't pass a resolution against the U.S. war, so I don't want to join the Coalition of da Unwilling. We tried to broker an agreement, but dose Americans threatened to veto the resolution against demselves," Chretien explained.

"I don't know what all da fuss is about," he said. "My position couldn't be more clear."

There was no reaction to Mr. Chretien's statement from the Bush administration, or from French President Jacques Chirac.

Posted by Darryl at 8:44 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I headed over to the Pastors.com website this afternoon to check on the reaction to the Slate article I mentioned below. The first thing I came across in the forums was this post - a pretty blunt warning from a moderator:

As international events run their course over the next few weeks, it's important to remind our international guests that this site is hosted, provided, and used primarily by Americans. Whether or not you agree with U.S. decisions over the next few weeks, please refrain from anti-American/anti-Bush/anti-ally statements or posts. Statements of that nature will be dealt with quickly. This is the only warning you will receive.

There may be some statements of that nature by our American posters, but that is a national family matter and we will process it without outside help.

Thanks for your cooperation.

I suppose that it's their website and they can do what they want, but the tone bothers me. A national family matter? We'll process it without your help? I find this almost as disturbing as I do kneejerk anti-Americanism.

Posted by Darryl at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 )

I had lunch with a friend today. He said he doesn't feel the war with Iraq is a just one. As we got talking, we discovered that we weren't at all clear what the stated purpose of this war is.

Is it:

-To enforce the 1991 agreement from the first Gulf War?
-To liberate the Iraqi people, in response to crimes against humanity?
-As a pre-emptive strike against a potential threat to the world?

Perhaps all three? Maybe part of the reason this war is so controversial is because we haven't agreed on its purpose.

Posted by Darryl at 2:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

The Book of Numbers - Rick Warren's purpose-driven attack on American Christianity. By Chris Lehmann

This, rather than the abundance of marketing techniques and showman gimmicks that inflect Warren's style of self-presentation, is the most troubling feature of Warren's purpose-driven approach. It has historically been the nature of the Christian God to be something of an unstinting task master. Warren's God "wants to be your best friend." And this means, in turn, that God's most daunting property, the exercise of eternal judgment, is strategically downsized. When Warren turns his utility-minded feel-speak upon the symbolic iconography of the faith, the results are offensively bathetic: "When Jesus stretched his arms wide on the cross, he was saying, 'I love you this much.'" But God needs to be at a greater remove than a group hug. Surely we lose something if we apprehend the Bible, and the language of faith, as little more than a lesson book. "If you're not preaching life application," Warren has told one interviewer, "you're not really preaching." Yet if you're only believing in life application, what are you really believing?

An interesting commentary on Rick Warren and his influence on the evangelical church. Rick's incredibly gifted and has been used by God, and many have benefited from his teaching. I have cringed at some points of Warren's teaching, though. This article identifies some of them.

Some good critiques here. Worth thinking about.

Posted by Darryl at 1:54 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Christina: How many disciples were there?
Me: Well, that depends on what you mean. Hundreds. You're even a disciple.
Christina (with great frustration): No, how many 12 disciples were there?

The joys of having an eight-year-old.

Posted by Darryl at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

"You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake." (Jeannette Rankin)

Posted by Darryl at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

On the therapeutic attitude toward the experience of death:

It fails to uncover the truth we now suspect - that our deepest wounds are not the problem but the answer, that they can teach us things not to be learned through any easier pedagogy, that the key to wisdom is not at all to recover from them but to let them speak even if at first they do so in the inarticulate tongue of anguish. (Jerome A. Miller, The Way of Suffering)

Posted by Darryl at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

From Microsoft Plus! Digital Edition - More Dancers:

As the son of a jazz musician and jazz singer, Ben grew up dancing with the customers outside the dance clubs where his parents performed. Comedy has always played a major role in Ben's dance style, and he cites Jackie Gleason, Chris Farley, and John Belushi as his influences. With his amazing combination of humor and dance, Ben has made numerous appearances at shows, clubs, and sporting events across the nation and is always popular with the crowd. Fans may have seen him dancing in center court with the team mascot for a professional basketball team. As an upcoming stand-up comedian, he can also be seen at comedy clubs on open-mike night.

Some who have come into my office have wondered why I have a large man dancing on the bottom left corner of my screen. The answer: it cracks me up. I'm really enjoying some of the features of the Plus! Digital Edition, including Dancing Ben.

Posted by Darryl at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It happened today, as I reflected on the posts and comments on the blogs4God controversy. I knew it before, but it came to me with greater force today, especially as I tucked my kids in bed.

With all my generation's talk about the emerging church, about escaping from Church, Inc. and becoming the body of Christ incarnated, of authenticity and love, we are just as capable of going so far off target that our kids will shake their heads one day.

I'm not frustrated that bloggers disagree on an issue. We should. Uniformity is not something to be desired. Unity is, but unity doesn't require uniformity. Given our differences, and the fact that we're all in process, it's not surprising that we have differing perspectives on various issues (Iraq, anonymous bloggers, etc.).

I'm frustrated with the tone of the disagreements. We should disagree, but I find ourselves in danger of condemning too quickly, of writing off others with the wave of a hand, of viewing the world through the lens of cynicism.

Jordon Cooper quoted Len Sweet today: "No wonder why Len Sweet talks of the great spiritual awakening happening outside of Christianity and the church can't see out of its box far enough to see it." What scares me is the danger that I, and my generation within the emerging church, will fail to see it too.

Update: Dean writes:

We are currently working on a technical solution that will allow for anonymous bloggers to sign up, while keeping our readers safe.

In the meantime, I hope we can show Dean a bit of grace.

Posted by Darryl at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 )

In case you were wondering, I'm still haven't had any luck in tracking down Pot Noodle Soup.

Posted by Darryl at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Catalyst 2003

Catalyst is a constant I.V. drip of pure leadership adrenaline that will rock your world, blow your mind, and stir courage into your heart. Designed to infuse you with confidence to forge ahead as a young leader, these two days are jam packed with passionate praise and worship and the relevant teaching of the best innovators and cultural pioneers in America!

Posted by Darryl at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Some unemployed young people are refurbishing computers donated to Worth Unlimited. The funds raised will go directly to the young people and to Worth Unlimited.

Help young people find meaningful employment and meaning in life. Support Worth Unlimited by purchasing a refurbished computer.

Posted by Darryl at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Someday we'll be called to give an account and...I don't think our crown will be the words we wrote [blogged]; I think it will be how we have built up the body of Christ, how we have torn down walls of suspicion and walls of fear, how we have shed light on false doctrines, how we've been encouraging truth and how that affects lives, and how we made Jesus visible. (Rich Mullins)

Posted by Darryl at 9:28 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Another controversy is raging over blogs4God, this time over a decision to disallow anonymous bloggers until they've established a track record. This is the third controversy this year by my count.

Something good has come out of this controversy. Rachel's created a visual psalm which is very well-done and moving.

I really appreciate the honest exchange of ideas, even contrary ones, in the blogging world. The decision by Dean is fair game for discussion.

But is part of this interpersonal? I'm wondering if we're doing any better than the traditonal church has historically done in resolving interpersonal issues and forgiving. I'm not saying this to condemn; I include myself in this. I read this quote by Saint Francis of Assisi today:

You should not let a single person in the world, whatever sin that person may have committed, come before your eyes and depart without having found mercy with you. And should that person not ask for mercy from you, then you must ask it of him. And were that person to come to you a thousand times, continue to love them so as to lead them back to the right path. Always have compassion, for all of us have sinned.

Posted by Darryl at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

Two interesting perspectives on the situation in Iraq, one good, one crazy. I'll let you decide which is which.

"America is justified in striking first"

The world's wild garden requires constant weeding, and the yardman would be crazy to wait until each weed has grown to maturity.

"Guru's Iraq peace plan: music, Mickey Mouse"

A Middle Eastern Disney World would ensure lasting peace in Iraq by easing fear and anger among children, according to Deepak Chopra, the popular self-help guru.

Posted by Darryl at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

It's March Break - a break for parents as much as kids. No morning rush, no traffic jams outside Christina's school, no making lunches in the morning. It's amazing how good life is minus a small bit of the everyday rush.

I've really been enjoying preaching lately. Actually, I've been enjoying pastoring lately. Last year, when I once felt like quitting, I saw Bill Easum post the following in response to a pastor who wanted to quit after four years:

Brian, four years is a very short time. I would encourage you to dig in a stay. The best ministry ALWAYS starts after the 7th year and gets better every year. I stayed fresh because we were always going deeper into new forms of ministry that caused me to have to keep learning. So that is how I would measure the length of stay, as long as they are willing to keep growing and you are willing, stay and enjoy the marriage that occurs around the 7th year and then everything gets easier and better from there on. bill

Posted by Darryl at 8:19 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

We just arrived back last night from beautiful Muskoka. We went up to visit some friends. We had a great time. It's absolutely gorgeous up there, even in the winter. Our friends are always a lot of fun as well.

We even survived the roads. I plowed into a snowbank once, and had to take a few runs at some of the hills. It's all part of the fun. Our Vibe is great, but if I lived up there, I would go with the all wheel drive version and invest in a set of snow tires.

Posted by Darryl at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Found this through Yahoo picks - a blog by one soldier stationed somewhere in the Persian Gulf:

L.T. Smash is a reserve officer in the United States Military who has been recalled to active duty and deployed overseas in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. This website is an online journal of his adventures. It is meant primarily for the use of his family and friends, but all are welcome to visit.

Looks interesting.

Posted by Darryl at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Q: Who said, "Saddam must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons...Along with Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain, I made it equally clear that if Saddam failed to cooperate fully we would be prepared to act without delay, diplomacy or warning"?

A: Bill Clinton (Thanks to Joshua Claybourn for the link)

Q: Where did Americans get the idea that they could launch military action without UN authority?

A: "The one and only U.S. president of the past 60 years to trouble himself with UN authority for the use of force was George H.W. Bush before the Gulf War of 1991." Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton did not. (David Frum)

Two interesting questions and answers, no matter if you're a dove or a hawk.

Posted by Darryl at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

I've complained a lot this year about the Canadian winter. Honestly, I've been wondering why on earth we moved here. I know some people like the climate, but really? People choose this?

I was born here; I didn't choose it. I love the country. It's just a pity about the weather.

I've been wondering where I would move if I didn't live here. There are lots of places, really, but here's just one that hit me today. I love Atlanta. I just checked. It's 70 degrees there right now, 12 degrees here.

It's humid in the summer, but I don't mind. I like the feel of the place. They've got The Varsity, Coca-Cola, peach pies, some pretty good churches, and some great musical talent. I just picked up the latest Third Day CD, Offerings II, and realized that they're based in Atlanta.

It's not a perfect choice. It's too far from the ocean, but it is closer than I am right now. They also have Ted Turner, but no place is perfect. Atlanta it is, or at least in my dreams until this Canadian winter ends.

Posted by Darryl at 7:06 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Found through JoshuaClaybourn.com:

Since the death of Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago, 43 million Christians have become martyrs

Over 50% of these were in the last century alone

More than 200 million Christians face persecution each day, 60% of whom are children

Every day over 300 people are killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.

(World Evangelical Encyclopaedia)

Posted by Darryl at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Josiah turned four today. It just seems like yesterday that he was born. We were painting most of the inside of our house in a mad rush to get it done before he came. Finally, we were done. We sat down to a celebratory meal with friends, and Charlene said, "I think I'm going into labor." I said, "No, you're not." Everybody laughed at my inability to face reality, and a few hours later, Josiah entered our lives.

He was the son that almost never was. He was a transverse breech. We didn't know it at the time, but that hardly ever turns out well. By God's grace, it did with him.

We had a rough start. I thought he was grumpy or colicky. It was easier than that - he's lactose intolerant. Once we figured that out, life got a lot easier.

He's got force of personality. He can make the sourest face I've ever seen, but he can also melt the hardest heart. He's small for his age, but he carries a big punch. Playing with him and watching him play, carrying him the odd time (yes, he's getting too heavy, but how much longer will he want to be picked up by me? How much longer will I be able?), learning his likes and his dislikes, and marvelling at the created-by-God personality that emerged intact and ready to take on the world - I don't know many joys or privileges that surpass that of being a dad. Happy birthday, kid.

Posted by Darryl at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

World of Ends: What the Internet Is and How to Stop Mistaking It for Something Else

All we need to do is pay attention to what the Internet really is. It's not hard. The Net isn't rocket science. It isn't even 6th grade science fair, when you get right down to it...

Fortunately, the true nature of Internet isn't hard to understand. In fact, just a fistful of statements stands between Repetitive Mistake Syndrome and Enlightenment.

Posted by Darryl at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Paul Wells asks a great question in the National Post: "Am I alone in thinking this [the issue of war against Iraq] isn't morally easy?"

"You'd swear nobody had thought this issue through," he writes. He argues that it would be a delight for either side to admit what seems to be obvious in the other side's position. This is far from being neatly wrapped.

My own position on Iraq is equally unsatisfactory. I think Saddam is a monster who is killing more of his civilian population every year than will die in the war. I am apalled at "peace activists" who wash their hands of that slaughter. My hunch, no more than a hunch, is that war will be mercifully short when it comes.

But the aftermath will last forever and it's a Pandora's box...

It looks like there's going to be a war. I am surrounded by people who think it's an easy moral question. I feel lonely.

One of the most thoughtful commentaries I've read on this issue.

Posted by Darryl at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

I would like to apologize for the anti-American comments I made yesterday. They were made in the cold of the moment, and in no way reflect my opinion. I hasten to add that the Prime Minister has not said an unkind word to me about these comments, and has actually defended me, and I can't guarantee I won't say them again. There is no greater defender of our right, yes, our responsibility to make inappropriate comments about Americans than our Prime Minister.

I now realize it's probably going to snow right into July, maybe August, and I'm okay with that. As a concession to this crazy weather, couldn't we have the odd snow day? A day in which we look out our windows and say, "Nobody's going anywhere today." I miss snow days. I want a snow day.

Posted by Darryl at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Gene Wood, author of Leading Turnaround Churches, gave a one-day seminar at Richview today. Gene's book gave me some encouragement about a year ago, as we were wading through a pretty tough period of church life. I get the impression that Gene wrote his book to counter a lot of the popular wisdom on transitioning churches. It's worth reading if you are in a church that's plateaued or declining.

Some quotes and highlights from his talk:

Megachurch pastors, and most of what they do, are completely irrelevant to what I need to do in my church. It's not wrong; it's just irrelevant. It's like little league coaches spending all their time at the major league stadium.

Is there a guarantee of survival in leadership? No, but I can choose how I'm going to die. I'm not going to stay and maintain dysfunction.

Pastors are generally nice people. If niceness were the solution to our problems, our churches would be healthy. I'm going to help you be a little less nice.

Biblically, a shepherd isn't a cuddly, soft-handed cuddler of baby lambs. A shepherd is one of the toughest, roughest, loneliest people.

A major study of churches concluded that every congregation that successfully adapted and flourished in a changing community had a substantial church fight. Those that chose to avoid conflict at all costs failed to flourish. No exceptions!

Gene told a few good stories. One was when he and his wife went through a drive-through of a popular chicken joint (not named, to protect the good Colonel). They ordered white meat, but the voice came through: "We don't have any." They ordered dark meat, but once again: "We don't have any." He wanted to ask, "Is there a third kind?" This chicken joint had salads, gravy, fries, desserts, every side dish you could think of - but no main dish. Gene wondered if this wasn't unlike many of our churches.

One more story: a mother was working in a garage when something fell on her. She asked her young child to get dad for help. The kid said, "Mom needs your help. She's in trouble, but not the type where she needs a spanking." That's Gene's take on many pastors: in trouble, but more in need of some help and encouragement than criticism.

Posted by Darryl at 11:11 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I used to be a vocal critic of Anti-Americanism. No more. They've gone too far this time.

Tonight, a weather system is moving up from the States, and will dump at least two feet of snow on Toronto. America, you got us where it really hurts.

Update: They're now forecasting only 5 inches of snow. We're still unsure whether or not Canadians will say nasty things about Americans in the near future - stay tuned.

Posted by Darryl at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

From Toronto - canada.com network:

Welcome to the 12th best city to live!

According to a new report by a consulting firm, Toronto came in just ahead of Melbourne at 12 as the best place in the world to live. But Vancouver has us beat, coming in 2nd, right behind Zurich.

Posted by Darryl at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Long board meeting tonight, stretching from 7:15 to 11:30 pm. Good meeting with some good people. Talked about many complicated issues - theological, policy, facility, procedural. It's amazing the amount of work it takes to "run" a church in the institutional sense.

At the end, a friend said something like this: "I'm loving my small group. After being in a small group for this time, I'm more and more convinced that it is what it means to be church. And I'm convinced that all these things that are not part of being house churches, they aren't what it means to be the church."

Bill Easum wrote:

Now, I wonder what it is in all of the ritual and stuff that raises a concern in your life that maybe you need to refocus? What baggage has Christendom placed on you that you need to unpack and see what for it really is - dribble, if there is any? Refocusing has a cleansing effect to it. Try it; you might like it.

I love the church, but what I mean by the church is different from what I used to mean. I don't mean the buildings, the policies, the institution. I love what the church is supposed to be underneath all of that. It's possible to be the church within the institution of the church, but the institution sometimes gets in the way.

Posted by Darryl at 12:54 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Rachel's post on content aggregators got me thinking about what I'd love to see happen to online sermons. It would be great to have a tool like Movable Type to post sermons in HTML and in feed format (RSS or XML). Then we could use the same technology to stay current on some of the good sermons going up on the web. Okay, it doesn't ring everyone's bell, but it could be useful.

Sermon Central is okay, but I'd love to see something decentralized and still accessible. Blogs have search engines; why not sermons? As a pastor, it would be great to be able to go to a search engine and look for all sermons on John 6 and be able to pull up summaries of a whole bunch of sermons, perhaps in XML format, along with ratings. May never happen, but I can also dream.

Geek dream ending...

Posted by Darryl at 5:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Temperature in Toronto today, with the wind chill factor: -36 degrees Celsius, -31 Fahrenheit. Yes, that's cold, even for Canada.

Conditions: all is well. No better place to live right now. The Tim Hortons "Roll Up the Rim" contest began today.

If you don't live in Canada, or certain parts of the States, you won't know that "Roll Up the Rim" makes March in Canada worth enduring. You won't know the contest that can turn the strictest Baptist into a gambling addict. You won't know that no matter how many Tim Hortons they build, there will always be a line-up at every single one of them.

I'm looking for any reason to talk myself into staying in Canada for another winter. For now, Tim Hortons will have to do.

Posted by Darryl at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

I just picked up the updated version of the 1984 book, Ordering Your Private World. I'm used to reading endorsements like, "This book changed my life!" but this book really did. In re-reading this book (is it okay to call it a classic when it's not yet twenty years old?) I'm rediscovering why it's a book that still needs to be read. Two excerpts, with more to come:

We are all too tempted to buy gadgets (organizer programs for our computers, PalmPilots, cell phones, and BlackBerries, to name a few) with the hopes that they will bring tidiness of life. But it doesn't work that way. Forget the gadgets and start with the interior, the private world.

We are naively inclined to believe that the most publicly active person is the most privately spiritual. We assume that the larger the church, the greater its heavenly blessing. The more information about the Bible a person possesses, we think, the closer he or she must be to God. Because we tend to think like this, there is the temptation to give imbalanced attention to our public worlds at the expense of the private.

Posted by Darryl at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I nominate this as the tackiest webpage I have seen in quite a while. Dean, dispenser of wisdom in healing church websites, aren't some Christian websites beyond healing?

Posted by Darryl at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

Sometimes I'm trying to get to David Frum's blog, but I hit the wrong bookmark and end up here. It doesn't take long to spot the difference. Does anybody else make this mistake?

Posted by Darryl at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

SatireWire | Passed Over, Syria, China, Libya Form Axis of Just As Evil

Beijing (SatireWire.com) - Bitter after being snubbed for membership in the "Axis of Evil," Libya, China, and Syria today announced they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil," which they said would be way eviler than that stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis President Bush warned of his State of the Union address.

Posted by Darryl at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

From The National Post: Dear AWESOME Americans...

The funniest thing I have read in days.

Posted by Darryl at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Last week, I prayed in church for the world situation and the impending war against Iraq. I really didn't know how to pray. I wouldn't presume to tell God which position he should take, so I just prayed, "Lord, your will be done."

Someone stopped me after and told me how much she appreciated the prayer. It's so easy to ignore the situation if you're not sure what to think or believe. It's even easier to take sides, and presume to know the mind of God on the situation.

I am part of the leadership team of a church, and sometimes we can't agree on how to handle relatively trivial decisions. I'm so glad I'm not responsible for deciding how to handle Saddam Hussein. It's pretty easy to sit at a computer and spew opinions. It's another thing entirely to hold a position of power in which anything you do has unimaginable consequences.

We agree on many things. No matter what position we take, let's agree to pray (which arguably led to the collapse of the Iron Curtain), and to look for justice for the people of Iraq - to hear Iraqis' cries.

Posted by Darryl at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Whenever we seize a divine moment, we magnify the presence of God. To act on God's behalf is to express what's on His mind and on His heart. When we do this, we become a flagship of God's activity. It is the contemporary equivalent of the pagans who called the followers of Jesus Christ Christians because they looked like Jesus. They moved in divine rhythm. To watch a believer live was to see God move. They were not carbon copies of Jesus, but dynamic expressions of His character. And when things got tough, the image of Christ in them became clear. No matter how dark darkness is, it is never enough to snuff out the light. (Erwin Raphael McManus, Seizing Your Divine Moment)

Posted by Darryl at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

9: Day's I've been craving for Pot Noodle soup.
3: Pleas I've made for help in getting Pot Noodle soup.
1: Helpful e-mails I've received on the topic.
1: Mocking comments I've received on the topic.
0: Number of containers of Pot Noodle soup on the way.

Posted by Darryl at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

NATIONAL POST: PM opposes removing Saddam

"If you start changing regimes, where do you stop? This is the problem. Who is next? Give me the list. It is the disarmament that is important here," the Prime Minister said.

"I'm surprised to hear now we want to get rid of Saddam Hussein; it's a change of regime," a visibly agitated Mr. Chrétien told reporters in the latest example of U.S.-Canada friction.

Mr. Chrétien came under attack from politicians and military experts who said the United States has made no secret of its desire for regime change in Iraq.

"Where has he been for the last several months?" said Leon Benoit, the Canadian Alliance defence critic. "Has he been on another planet?"

John Thompson, the director of the Mackenzie Institute, a Toronto-based think-tank that specializes in security and military affairs, said disarming Iraq without ousting Saddam would be like disarming Nazi Germany but keeping Adolf Hitler in power.

I don't want to be too flippant about this, but I am growing increasingly concerned about our Prime Minister's ability to understand what's going on. I hope he's trying to make a point, but I'm left wondering if his mind isn't what it used to be.

Posted by Darryl at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )